أَمَرَّ حَياتي يا نُضارُ سَقامُكِ

أَمَرَّ حَياتي يا نُضارُ سَقامُكِ

وَكَونُكِ لا يَسري إِليكِ مَنامُكِ

وَكَونُكِ لا يَسري إِليكِ مَنامُكِ

Your illness has embittered my life, O Nudar,

My life has been made bitter by your illness, O blossoming one,

And the fact that sleep does not steal upon you.

Your being does not allow sleep to reach you,

أَقَمتِ شُهوراً لا يَبُلُّ لَك اللُهى

أَقَمتِ شُهوراً لا يَبُلُّ لَك اللُهى

شَرابٌ وَلا يَغذوك يَوماً طَعامُكِ

شَرابٌ وَلا يَغذوك يَوماً طَعامُكِ

You remained for months, your palate unmoistened

You have passed months where no amusement pleases you,

By drink, nor did your food nourish you for a single day.

Neither drink nor food nourishes you one day,

تَواتَرَت الأَسقامُ نَفخٌ وَسَعلَةٌ

تَواتَرَت الأَسقامُ نَفخٌ وَسَعلَةٌ

وَقَيءٌ وَإسهالٌ فعزَ مَرامُكِ

وَقَيءٌ وَإسهالٌ فعزَ مَرامُكِ

Illnesses followed one another: bloating and a cough,

Colds and coughs and vomiting and diarrhea have frequently occurred,

And vomiting and diarrhea, making your hoped-for recovery elusive.

And your resolve was too weak to withstand them,

وَعَمّا قَليلٍ يَذهبُ البُؤسُ كُلَّهُ

وَعَمّا قَليلٍ يَذهبُ البُؤسُ كُلَّهُ

وَيَبدو عَلى إثرِ العُبوسِ ابتسامكِ

وَيَبدو عَلى إثرِ العُبوسِ ابتسامكِ

And before long all suffering will pass,

And very soon all misery will go away,

And on the heels of your frown your smile will appear.

And after gloom your smile will appear,

فنُصبح في أنسٍ وَخَيرٍ وَصحةٍ

فنُصبح في أنسٍ وَخَيرٍ وَصحةٍ

وَحسنِ شَبابٍ طالَ فيهِ دَوامكِ

وَحسنِ شَبابٍ طالَ فيهِ دَوامكِ

Then we shall enjoy companionship, well-being, and health,

And we will wake up in intimacy, goodness, health

And the beauty of youth, in which may you long remain.

And beauty of youth which has lasted in it continuously,

غَذيت بِدَرِّ الفَضلِ مُذ كُنتِ طفلَةً

غَذيت بِدَرِّ الفَضلِ مُذ كُنتِ طفلَةً

وَكان بِتعليمِ القُرآن فِطامكِ

وَكان بِتعليمِ القُرآن فِطامكِ

Since you were a little girl, you were nourished on the milk of virtue,

You were nourished with the pearls of virtue since you were a child,

And your weaning came through instruction in the Qur'an.

And the recitation of the Quran was your weaning,

قَرَأتِ كِتابَ اللَهِ وَالسُنَن الَّتي

قَرَأتِ كِتابَ اللَهِ وَالسُنَن الَّتي

أَتَت عَن رَسولِ اللَهِ فَهوَ إِمامُكِ

أَتَت عَن رَسولِ اللَهِ فَهوَ إِمامُكِ

You read the Book of God and the traditions that

You read the book of God and the traditions which

Came from God's Messenger, so he is your guide.

Came from the Messenger of God, so he is your imam,

وَدارَستِ علمَ النَحوِ حَتّى لَقَد غَدا

وَدارَستِ علمَ النَحوِ حَتّى لَقَد غَدا

فَصيحاً بَليغاً في البَيانِ كَلامُكِ

فَصيحاً بَليغاً في البَيانِ كَلامُكِ

And you studied the science of grammar until it indeed became

And you studied grammar until your speech

Fluent and eloquent in expression—your speech.

Became eloquent and expressive in rhetoric,

وَأتقنتِ خَطّاً بارِعاً يَبهَرُ الحِجا

وَأتقنتِ خَطّاً بارِعاً يَبهَرُ الحِجا

ففتَّحَ عَن زَهرِ الرِياضِ كِمامُكِ

ففتَّحَ عَن زَهرِ الرِياضِ كِمامُكِ

And you mastered splendid calligraphy that dazzles the mind,

And you mastered a wondrous calligraphy that dazzles minds

So your flower-sheaths opened to reveal the gardens' blooms.

And so it opened the flowers of the gardens like your veil,

وَبِالكَعبةِ الغَرّاءِ طُفتِ بِمَكَّةٍ

وَبِالكَعبةِ الغَرّاءِ طُفتِ بِمَكَّةٍ

وَللحجر المسوَدِّ كانَ التثامُكِ

وَللحجر المسوَدِّ كانَ التثامُكِ

And you circled the radiant Kaaba in Mecca,

And you circumambulated the noble Kaaba in Mecca

And your kiss was for the blackened Stone.

And for the black stone was your caress,

وَجاوَرتِ أَيّاماً بِها وَلَيالياً

وَجاوَرتِ أَيّاماً بِها وَلَيالياً

وَكانَ كَثيراً بِالمَقامِ مُقامُكِ

وَكانَ كَثيراً بِالمَقامِ مُقامُكِ

And you dwelt there for days and nights,

And you dwelled there days and nights

And your stay at the Station was long.

And your stay there was long,

وَزُرتِ رَسولَ اللَهِ أَفضلَ من مَشى

وَزُرتِ رَسولَ اللَهِ أَفضلَ من مَشى

عَلى الأَرضِ وَاحتلَّت هُناكَ خِيامُكِ

عَلى الأَرضِ وَاحتلَّت هُناكَ خِيامُكِ

And you visited God's Messenger, the best of those who walked

And you visited the Messenger of God, the best of those who walked

Upon the earth, and your tents were pitched there.

On earth, and there your tents were pitched,

فَكانَ بِبَيتِ اللَهِ برؤُكِ أَوَّلاً

فَكانَ بِبَيتِ اللَهِ برؤُكِ أَوَّلاً

وَزورة خَيرِ الخَلقِ كانَ اِختِتامُكِ

وَزورة خَيرِ الخَلقِ كانَ اِختِتامُكِ

So your recovery came first at the House of God,

So the House of God was your first visit

And a visit to the best of creation marked your conclusion.

And visiting the best of people was your conclusion,

نُضيرةُ ما إِن في البَنات نَظيرةٌ

نُضيرةُ ما إِن في البَنات نَظيرةٌ

لَك اليَومَ فَخراً ما لَهُنَّ اِحتِشامُكِ

لَك اليَومَ فَخراً ما لَهُنَّ اِحتِشامُكِ

Nudayra, among girls there is no equal

O Nadirah, among girls there is no equal to you

To you today in honor; they lack your modesty.

You have pride today, they have no modesty like yours,

فَهمَّةُ بنتٍ في لِباسٍ وَزِينَةٍ

فَهمَّةُ بنتٍ في لِباسٍ وَزِينَةٍ

وَأنت بِتَحصيلِ العُلومِ اِهتمامُكِ

وَأنت بِتَحصيلِ العُلومِ اِهتمامُكِ

For a girl's ambition is in clothes and adornment,

The goal of a girl is in dress and adornment

While you—your concern is acquiring knowledge.

While you are concerned with seeking knowledge,

فَلو أَنَّ أُنثى لِلسَماءِ قَد اِرتَقَت

فَلو أَنَّ أُنثى لِلسَماءِ قَد اِرتَقَت

لَكانَ بِأَعنانِ السَماءِ مُقامُكِ

لَكانَ بِأَعنانِ السَماءِ مُقامُكِ

Had a woman ever ascended to heaven,

If the celestial sphere had a female that ascended

Your abode would have been in heaven's lofty reaches.

Your abode would be at the reins of the celestial sphere,

إِذا اِنتَظَمَ الرِبّابَ عِقدُ نفاسةٍ

إِذا اِنتَظَمَ الرِبّابَ عِقدُ نفاسةٍ

فَفي وَسَطِ العِقدِ النَفيسِ اِنتِظامُكِ

فَفي وَسَطِ العِقدِ النَفيسِ اِنتِظامُكِ

When a necklace of worth strings the women together,

If the string of rare pearls is threaded

Then your place is at the center of that precious necklace.

Then in the center of the rare strand would be your placement,

وَقَد كُنتُ أَرجو أَن تَعيشَ وَالآن قَد

وَقَد كُنتُ أَرجو أَن تَعيشَ وَالآن قَد

أَتاكِ مِن اللَهِ الكَريمِ حِمامُكِ

أَتاكِ مِن اللَهِ الكَريمِ حِمامُكِ

And I had hoped you would live, but now indeed

And I had hoped you would live, but now

Your death has come to you from God, the Generous.

The generous God has sent you your death,