فدى لك بعد رزئك من ينامُ

فدى لك بعد رزئك من ينامُ

ومن يصبو إذ سجع الحمامُ

ومن يصبو إذ سجع الحمامُ

May whoever sleeps after your bereavement be your ransom,

He who would sleep after your loss is redeemed,

and whoever inclines to love when the doves coo.

And he who chants when the dove coos is redeemed,

ونفسي بالفداء عنيت لا من

ونفسي بالفداء عنيت لا من

ينام عن الحقوق ولا يلام

ينام عن الحقوق ولا يلام

By that ransom I meant my own soul, not one

And I meant by redemption not one who sleeps

who sleeps through his duties and goes unblamed.

From rights nor one to blame,

ألا نفق الجواد فلا عجاج

ألا نفق الجواد فلا عجاج

تقوم به الحروب ولا ضرام

تقوم به الحروب ولا ضرام

Behold, the noble steed has died: no dust cloud

Nay, the steed of generosity does not tire,

in which battles rage, and no blaze.

By him wars stand and clamor,

وكان اذا طغت حرب عوان

وكان اذا طغت حرب عوان

جرى ورسيله الموت الزؤام

جرى ورسيله الموت الزؤام

And whenever a long-fought war raged,

And when war of the protected overflowed,

he galloped, with sudden death his running-mate.

He ran and his flood was death's poison,

إذا رميت به الغايات صلت

إذا رميت به الغايات صلت

صفوف الخيل وهو لها إمام

صفوف الخيل وهو لها إمام

When you launched him toward the finish lines, there prayed

When limits were shot at him, the rows of horses linked

the ranks of horses, with him as their imam.

And he for them was an imam.

تمهر في الوقائع وهو مهر

تمهر في الوقائع وهو مهر

ولا سرج عليه ولا لجام

ولا سرج عليه ولا لجام

He mastered battles while still a colt,

He excels in battle while a stallion

with neither saddle on him nor bridle.

With no saddle on him nor bridle,

فلما لم يدع في الأرض قرناً

فلما لم يدع في الأرض قرناً

تخوله فعاجله الحمام

تخوله فعاجله الحمام

When he had left no rival on earth

So when he left no spears on earth

for you to set against him, death swiftly overtook him.

Ambushing him, the dove swooped down,

وعود عافيات الطير طعماً

وعود عافيات الطير طعماً

وشرب دمٍ إذا حرم المدام

وشرب دمٍ إذا حرم المدام

He had accustomed the food-seeking birds to meat

Pecking the fresh tidbits of birds

and to drinking blood whenever wine was denied.

And drinking blood when wine is forbidden.

فلما لم يطق نهضاً أتته

فلما لم يطق نهضاً أتته

فقال لها أنا ذاك الطعام

فقال لها أنا ذاك الطعام

Then, when he could no longer rise, they came to him,

When he could no longer stand, death came to him

and he told them, “I am that food.”

And he said to her, I am that food.

وجاد بنفسه إذا لم يجد ما

وجاد بنفسه إذا لم يجد ما

يجود به كذا الخيل الكرام

يجود به كذا الخيل الكرام

He gave his own life when he found nothing

He was generous with himself when unable

else to give—such are noble horses.

To be generous, thus the noble horses.

وكنت البدر عارضه كسوف

وكنت البدر عارضه كسوف

ينحس حين تم له التمام

ينحس حين تم له التمام

And you were the full moon, overtaken by an eclipse,

You were the full moon opposing him like an eclipse

ill-starred at the very moment it reached fullness.

Portending evil upon its perfection.

فلا تبعد وإن ابعدت عنا

فلا تبعد وإن ابعدت عنا

فهذا العيش ليس انتظام

فهذا العيش ليس انتظام

Be not far away, though you have gone far from us;

So do not distance yourself, if you distance from us,

for this life has no order.

For this life cannot be methodically arranged

إذا لم تكشف الأصدا همومي

إذا لم تكشف الأصدا همومي

فليت الخيل أصداء وهام

فليت الخيل أصداء وهام

If echoes cannot dispel my sorrows,

If you do not uncover the worries in my heart,

would that horses were corpses and skulls.

So may the horses be echoes and passions!

طوى الحدثان طفرك يا ابن يحيى

طوى الحدثان طفرك يا ابن يحيى

فطرفي ما يعاوده المنام

فطرفي ما يعاوده المنام

Time’s vicissitudes have carried off your steed, O son of Yahya;

The youth folded up your departure, O Son of Yahya,

and sleep no longer returns to my eyes.

So my eyelids know no more sleep.

ولم أحضره يوم قضى فيشكو

ولم أحضره يوم قضى فيشكو

تحمحمه الذي صنع السقام

تحمحمه الذي صنع السقام

I was not with him the day he died, to hear him complain

I did not attend when he passed to complain

in whinnies of what sickness had wrought.

Of the throat disease which caused his perishing,

ولا خبرت ليلة جر جسم

ولا خبرت ليلة جر جسم

زكت عندي له نعم جسام

زكت عندي له نعم جسام

Nor was I told of the night a body was dragged away,

Nor did I know the night they dragged his body,

whose great favors to me had grown so abundant.

Honored by me for his mighty physique.

ألم أقسم عليك لتخبرني

ألم أقسم عليك لتخبرني

أمحمول على النعش الهمام

أمحمول على النعش الهمام

Did I not adjure you to tell me:

Did I not swear by you to inform me,

“Is the noble hero being borne upon the bier?”

Whether he was carried on the bier of ambition?

مضوا يناقلون به خفافاً

مضوا يناقلون به خفافاً

عليه من الضياع له قيام

عليه من الضياع له قيام

They went, taking turns to bear him, light of foot,

They went transferring him stealthily

his guardians, watching over him against neglect.

While tribes stood over him.

فبزوه وما عروه درعاً

فبزوه وما عروه درعاً

نبت عنه الصوارم والسهام

نبت عنه الصوارم والسهام

They stripped him, yet took from him no coat of mail

So they tore him apart and did not cover him with armor

off which keen swords and arrows had glanced.

Against him the swords and arrows grew.

أيقتله الحمام أشدب قرن

أيقتله الحمام أشدب قرن

وأكرمه وتسلبه اللئام

وأكرمه وتسلبه اللئام

Can death kill him, the strongest of rivals,

Will the dove kill him, though horned,

and the noblest, while the base despoil him?

While the vilest plunder and dishonor him?

أبا عيسى تعز فدتك بنفسي

أبا عيسى تعز فدتك بنفسي

فإن الموت قرن لا يضام

فإن الموت قرن لا يضام

Abu Isa, take comfort—may my life ransom you—

O Abu Issa I ransom you with myself

for death is a rival who cannot be overcome.

For death is a destiny that cannot be blamed.

أقم في ظل اسماعيل تضمن

أقم في ظل اسماعيل تضمن

لك الدرك السلامة والدوام

لك الدرك السلامة والدوام

Remain in Ismail’s shade, and you will be assured

Stay in the shade of Ismail, it will guarantee

of redress, safety, and continuance.

For you safety and permanence.

إذا بقي الوزير لنا وفينا

إذا بقي الوزير لنا وفينا

فقل للدهر يهلك والأنام

فقل للدهر يهلك والأنام

If the minister remains ours and among us,

If the minister remains loyal to us,

then say, “Let Time perish, and humankind too.”

Then say to fate it may destroy but people remain!

وعظت بها أخاً ورثيت مالا

وعظت بها أخاً ورثيت مالا

واديت الأمانة والسلام

واديت الأمانة والسلام

With this I have counseled a brother and mourned a possession,

With it I counseled a brother, eulogized property,

and discharged my trust. Peace.

Performed the trust, and peace.