أعندك أنا لم ندع بعدك الوجدا

أعندك أنا لم ندع بعدك الوجدا

وأنا ظننا الصبر يجدي فما أجدى

وأنا ظننا الصبر يجدي فما أجدى

Do you suppose that, after you, we have not forsaken longing,

Do you know that we have not laid grief aside since you left,

though we thought patience would avail—yet it availed nothing?

and that we thought patience would help, but it did not?

وهل يملك العاني المروع سلوة

وهل يملك العاني المروع سلوة

إذا لم يجد من لوعة أو أسى بدا

إذا لم يجد من لوعة أو أسى بدا

Can the terrified captive command himself to forget

Can the terror-stricken captive find solace

when he finds no escape from anguish or grief?

when he finds no escape from anguish or sorrow?

طوى البين من عهد الأخلاء ما طوى

طوى البين من عهد الأخلاء ما طوى

وأبدى من الوجد المكتم ما أبدى

وأبدى من الوجد المكتم ما أبدى

Separation folded away all it would of the friends’ old covenant,

Parting folded away what it folded of friendship's days,

and revealed all it would of long-concealed longing.

and revealed what it revealed of hidden grief.

سل الأربعين السود هل بات فاضل

سل الأربعين السود هل بات فاضل

يرى العيش إلا حالك اللون مسودا

يرى العيش إلا حالك اللون مسودا

Ask the black forty years whether any worthy man remains

Ask the forty dark days: does any man of worth now

who sees life as anything but dark-hued and blackened.

see life as anything but black-hued and darkened?

لئن كنت في دنيا المسيئين زاهدا

لئن كنت في دنيا المسيئين زاهدا

لقد زدتنا فيها وفي ناسها زهدا

لقد زدتنا فيها وفي ناسها زهدا

Though you renounced the world of evildoers,

If you shunned the world of wrongdoers,

you made us still more disdainful of it and its people.

you have made us shun it and its people all the more.

فقدناك أدهى من نحب فجيعة

فقدناك أدهى من نحب فجيعة

وأوجع من نرجو البقاء له فقدا

وأوجع من نرجو البقاء له فقدا

Our loss of you was the direst calamity among those we love,

Losing you was the direst bereavement among those we love,

the most painful loss among those whose survival we hoped for.

the most painful loss among those we hope will live on.

لكل أديب من مصابك شجوه

لكل أديب من مصابك شجوه

يطوف به ذكرا وينتابه سهدا

يطوف به ذكرا وينتابه سهدا

Every man of letters has his own sorrow from your calamity:

Every man of letters has his sorrow at your loss,

a memory circles him, and sleeplessness visits him.

circling him as remembrance, visiting him as sleeplessness.

أكنت رسول العبقرية جاءنا

أكنت رسول العبقرية جاءنا

بإنجيلها ثم انثنى يطلب اللحدا

بإنجيلها ثم انثنى يطلب اللحدا

Were you genius’s messenger, come to us

Were you the messenger of genius, who came to us

with its Gospel, then turning back to seek the grave?

with its gospel, then turned away to seek the grave?

أقمت من الآداب ملكا مخلدا

أقمت من الآداب ملكا مخلدا

جمعت له الأخلاق تجعلها جندا

جمعت له الأخلاق تجعلها جندا

From literature you raised an everlasting kingdom,

You founded an immortal kingdom of letters,

mustering virtues for it and making them soldiers.

mustering virtues to serve it as an army.

ومن عدم الأخلاق لم يغن عمله

ومن عدم الأخلاق لم يغن عمله

وإن غلب الأقران أو جاوز الحدا

وإن غلب الأقران أو جاوز الحدا

Whoever lacks character gains nothing from his learning,

Whoever lacks virtue gains nothing from his work,

though he surpass his peers or overstep every bound.

even if he surpasses his peers or goes beyond all bounds.

فقل للملوك الجاهلين مكانها

فقل للملوك الجاهلين مكانها

أما تعرفون التاج والسيف والبردا

أما تعرفون التاج والسيف والبردا

Tell the ignorant kings the rank that literature holds:

So say to kings ignorant of virtue's standing:

do you not recognize the crown, the sword, and the royal mantle?

Do you not know the crown, the sword, and the cloak?

ذكرتك مرجو المروءة نازعا

ذكرتك مرجو المروءة نازعا

إلى الصنع تسديده وتعتدّه مجدا

إلى الصنع تسديده وتعتدّه مجدا

I remember you, hope of chivalry, always aspiring

I remembered you, relied on for noble conduct, aspiring

to good deeds—bestowing them and counting them glory:

to good work, perfecting it and counting it as glory.

فتى عربيّ ملء برديه همة

فتى عربيّ ملء برديه همة

تريك الحسام العضب والأسد الوردا

تريك الحسام العضب والأسد الوردا

an Arab youth whose whole being brimmed with high resolve,

An Arab youth, his two cloaks filled with a resolve

evoking the keen-edged sword and tawny lions.

that shows you the keen-edged sword and the tawny lion.

إذا هجته مستعديا هجت ماجدا

إذا هجته مستعديا هجت ماجدا

يفض مغاليق الأمور وما استعدى

يفض مغاليق الأمور وما استعدى

If you roused him while seeking aid, you roused a noble man

When you stirred him, appealing for aid, you stirred a noble man

who broke the locks of hard affairs whenever his aid was sought—

who breaks open the locks of affairs without seeking aid himself.

كريم السجايا لم يخن لصديقه

كريم السجايا لم يخن لصديقه

ذماما ولم ينقض لصاحبه عهدا

ذماما ولم ينقض لصاحبه عهدا

noble in nature, never betraying the protection owed his friend

Noble in character, he never betrayed a friend's

nor breaking a pledge made to his companion.

trust, nor broke a covenant with his companion.

أحافظ إن تبعد فشاعر أمة

أحافظ إن تبعد فشاعر أمة

رمتها خطوب الدهر مغبرة نكدا

رمتها خطوب الدهر مغبرة نكدا

O Hafiz, if you depart, then a nation’s poet departs—

O Hafiz, if you depart, a nation's poet departs,

a nation assailed by time’s dust-dark, bitter calamities.

a nation assailed by time's dust-darkened, grievous calamities.

وإن يذهب الصوت الذي كان عليا

وإن يذهب الصوت الذي كان عليا

فمجد بلاد ما استطعنا له ردا

فمجد بلاد ما استطعنا له ردا

And if the voice that once rang high is gone,

And if the voice that once rang high is gone,

then gone is a country’s glory, which we could never restore.

then a country's glory is gone, beyond our power to restore.

حفظنا لك الآثار جما رفيفها

حفظنا لك الآثار جما رفيفها

تجف الليالي وهي مخضرة تندى

تجف الليالي وهي مخضرة تندى

We have preserved your works, abundant in luxuriant shade;

We have preserved your works, with their abundant, quivering foliage;

the nights shall dry up while they remain green and dewy.

the nights grow dry, while they remain green and dewy.

يظل عليها الطير في كل صادح

يظل عليها الطير في كل صادح

يذكر نجدا كل صب سلا نجدا

يذكر نجدا كل صب سلا نجدا

Above them birds shall linger, each one singing,

The birds linger over them, each songster

reminding every lover who forgot Najd of Najd.

reminding every lover who forgot Najd of Najd.

فمن عائذ بالبرق يسترجع الهوى

فمن عائذ بالبرق يسترجع الهوى

ومن لائذ بالريح يستدفع الصدا

ومن لائذ بالريح يستدفع الصدا

One seeks refuge in the lightning, calling love back to mind;

Some seek refuge in lightning, seeking to recover love,

another clings to the wind to ward off thirst.

and others shelter in the wind, seeking to ward off thirst.

تلقت شعوب الضاد نعيك خشعا

تلقت شعوب الضاد نعيك خشعا

وراحت يهد الحزن أعلامها هدا

وراحت يهد الحزن أعلامها هدا

The peoples of Ḍād received news of your death with bowed heads,

The peoples of ḍād received news of your death, bowed in grief,

and grief began utterly demolishing their standards.

and sorrow went on laying their leading figures low.

لئن بات وادي النيل بعدك جازعا

لئن بات وادي النيل بعدك جازعا

لقد روعت أنباؤك الصين والهندا

لقد روعت أنباؤك الصين والهندا

Though the Nile Valley passed the night grieving after you,

If the Nile Valley has lain distraught since your passing,

news of you terrified China and India too.

the news of your death has shaken China and India.

وإن يمس لبنان استبد به الأسى

وإن يمس لبنان استبد به الأسى

فقدأصبحت بغداد والهة جدا

فقدأصبحت بغداد والهة جدا

And though Lebanon came to evening overwhelmed by sorrow,

And if Lebanon spends evening in sorrow's grip,

Baghdad awoke utterly distraught.

Baghdad has awoken utterly distraught.

وما ملكت صبرا ديار أمية

وما ملكت صبرا ديار أمية

ولا حملت أرض الحجاز فتى جلدا

ولا حملت أرض الحجاز فتى جلدا

The lands of the Umayyads could command no patience,

The lands of Umayya could muster no patience,

nor did the land of the Hijaz bear a youth so steadfast.

nor did the land of the Hijaz hold a youth able to endure.

ثكالى نظمن الدمع فيك مفصلا

ثكالى نظمن الدمع فيك مفصلا

كعهدك قبل اليوم إذ تنظم العقدا

كعهدك قبل اليوم إذ تنظم العقدا

Bereaved women strung their tears for you into a necklace,

Bereaved mothers, they strung tears for you, bead by bead,

as you were wont, before this day, to string its beads.

as you used to, before today, when stringing the necklace.

لقد رزئت أم اللغات صديقها

لقد رزئت أم اللغات صديقها

فإن لم تكنه فالأب البر والجدا

فإن لم تكنه فالأب البر والجدا

The mother of tongues has been bereaved of her friend;

The mother of languages has indeed lost her friend;

and if you were not her friend, you were her dutiful father and grandfather.

if you were not her friend, you were her devoted father and grandfather.

مشت تتلوى خلف نعشك كلما

مشت تتلوى خلف نعشك كلما

دعا باسمك الداعي أجد لها وجدا

دعا باسمك الداعي أجد لها وجدا

She walked, writhing behind your bier, and whenever

She walked, writhing, behind your bier; whenever

the caller spoke your name, he renewed her grief.

the caller uttered your name, he renewed her grief.

فلما بلغت القبر خرت لوجهها

فلما بلغت القبر خرت لوجهها

تضج وتشكو من تباريحها الجهدا

تضج وتشكو من تباريحها الجهدا

When she reached the grave, she fell upon her face,

When you reached the grave, she fell upon her face,

wailing and lamenting the cruel extremity of her anguish.

wailing and lamenting the strain of her torments.

حللت ديار الصامتين فكبروا

حللت ديار الصامتين فكبروا

وجاءوك يزجي الوفد من حولك الوفدا

وجاءوك يزجي الوفد من حولك الوفدا

You entered the abode of the silent dead, and they cried, “God is greatest!”

You settled in the dwellings of the silent, and they proclaimed God's greatness;

They came to you, delegation ushering delegation around you.

and came to you, one delegation pressing another forward around you.

رأوا شاعراً ما عز كسرى كعزه

رأوا شاعراً ما عز كسرى كعزه

ولا مجد ذي القرنين إذ يرفع السدا

ولا مجد ذي القرنين إذ يرفع السدا

They saw a poet whose glory even Khosrow’s never equaled,

They saw a poet: Khusraw's glory was not like his,

nor the glory of Dhu al-Qarnayn when he raised the barrier.

nor Dhu al-Qarnayn's glory when he raised the barrier.

وما الشعر إلا منزل الخلد لامرئ

وما الشعر إلا منزل الخلد لامرئ

يريد حياة الذكر أو يؤثر الخلدا

يريد حياة الذكر أو يؤثر الخلدا

Poetry is nothing but an abode of immortality for one

Poetry is nothing but an abode of immortality for a man

who desires a life in remembrance or chooses eternity.

who desires life in remembrance, or prefers immortality.

أقم غير مصروف الهوى عن ديارهم

أقم غير مصروف الهوى عن ديارهم

ودع عنك شعبا هازلا ينكر الجدا

ودع عنك شعبا هازلا ينكر الجدا

Dwell there, your love never turned away from their homes,

Dwell there, without turning your love from their homes,

and leave behind a frivolous people who deny earnestness.

and leave aside a frivolous people who deny earnestness.

توجعت تشكو منه شيمة ظالم

توجعت تشكو منه شيمة ظالم

يزيدك هجرا كلما زدته ودا

يزيدك هجرا كلما زدته ودا

You suffered, complaining of a tyrant’s disposition in them:

You suffered, complaining of their tyrannical nature:

the more affection you gave, the more estrangement they returned.

they shunned you more whenever you gave them more love.

رويداً فقد فارقت دنياك فائزا

رويداً فقد فارقت دنياك فائزا

وعفوا فليس الحر من يحمل الحقدا

وعفوا فليس الحر من يحمل الحقدا

Gently now: you have left your world victorious;

Gently now: you have left your world triumphant;

and forgive—for a free man bears no grudge.

and pardon them, for a noble man does not harbor rancor.

أما المطايا الواخدات لقد ونت

أما المطايا الواخدات لقد ونت

دموع أطالت خلف أسرابها الوخدا

دموع أطالت خلف أسرابها الوخدا

As for the swift-paced mounts, they have indeed grown weary—

As for the swiftly striding mounts, weary indeed are

tears prolonged their rapid course behind their passing trains.

the tears that have long hastened behind their herds.

تساق حرارا من جوى الحزن مثلما

تساق حرارا من جوى الحزن مثلما

تساق وتحدى في المآقي كما تحدى

تساق وتحدى في المآقي كما تحدى

Hot tears are driven by grief’s inward fire, just as

They are driven, hot from grief's burning pain, just as

they course, urged through the eye-corners, as mounts are urged on.

mounts are driven, and urged on by song in the eye-corners, as mounts are urged.

تروح وتغدو بالرفاق حثيثة

تروح وتغدو بالرفاق حثيثة

فما للهوى عنها مراح ولا مغدى

فما للهوى عنها مراح ولا مغدى

They journey at evening and morning with the company, swift;

They hasten at evening and morning with the traveling parties,

yet love never journeys away from them, evening or morning.

so love has no evening or morning journey apart from them.

قواطع للقربى طوالع بالأسى

قواطع للقربى طوالع بالأسى

جوامع ما يتركن شيبا ولا مردا

جوامع ما يتركن شيبا ولا مردا

They traverse settlement after settlement, arriving with sorrow;

Severing kinship, rising with sorrow,

they gather everyone, leaving neither graybeard nor beardless youth.

gathering all, sparing neither the gray-haired nor the beardless.

وما المرء ذو الأنداد إن غاله الردى

وما المرء ذو الأنداد إن غاله الردى

كمن لا ترى في العالمين له ندا

كمن لا ترى في العالمين له ندا

A man who has peers, when death overtakes him,

A man who has equals, when death overtakes him, is not

is not like one who has no equal in all the worlds.

like one for whom you find no equal in all the worlds.

زن الناس إن كنت اللبيب ولا تكن

زن الناس إن كنت اللبيب ولا تكن

كمن يتوخى الغي يحسبه رشدا

كمن يتوخى الغي يحسبه رشدا

Weigh people well, if you are discerning, and do not be

Weigh people, if you are discerning, and do not be

like one who deliberately seeks error and imagines it right guidance.

like one who pursues error, believing it right guidance.

وصف ما يعاني النيل من شعرائه

وصف ما يعاني النيل من شعرائه

ألم ترهم قلو وإن كثروا عدا

ألم ترهم قلو وإن كثروا عدا

Describe what the Nile must suffer from its poets:

And describe what the Nile suffers from its poets:

do you not see how few they are, though numerous in count?

have you not seen how few they are, though numerous in count?

وإن جانب الإنصاف في الحكم ذو هوى

وإن جانب الإنصاف في الحكم ذو هوى

فكن أنت حرا لا تكن للهوى عبدا

فكن أنت حرا لا تكن للهوى عبدا

Though a partisan may forsake fairness in judgment, possessed by passion,

And if one swayed by bias shuns fairness in judgment,

be free yourself; do not become passion’s slave.

be free yourself; do not be a slave to bias.

وإن نقد الناس الرجال بمشهد

وإن نقد الناس الرجال بمشهد

فلا تنطق العوراء تحسبها نقدا

فلا تنطق العوراء تحسبها نقدا

And when people appraise men in a public gathering,

And if people criticize men in public,

do not utter an ugly slur and suppose it criticism.

do not utter a shameful slur, mistaking it for criticism.

أما تستبين الرشد أقلام فتية

أما تستبين الرشد أقلام فتية

شوارع في الأعراض يجعلنها وردا

شوارع في الأعراض يجعلنها وردا

Can the pens of young men not discern sound judgment—

Do young men's pens not discern the right path,

pens that plunge into reputations and make them a watering place?

plunging into reputations and making them their watering-place?

تداعت تدير الذم والحمد جهدها

تداعت تدير الذم والحمد جهدها

فما صدقت ذما ولا أحسنت حمدا

فما صدقت ذما ولا أحسنت حمدا

They rallied, circulating blame and praise with all their might,

They banded together, dispensing blame and praise with all their might,

yet neither spoke truthful blame nor offered worthy praise.

but spoke no truth in blame and gave no worthy praise.

نزيل البلى عطلت في الترب حكمه

نزيل البلى عطلت في الترب حكمه

فأصبح لا يستطيع حلا ولا عقدا

فأصبح لا يستطيع حلا ولا عقدا

The man dwelling amid decay has had his authority suspended in the dust,

O guest of decay, you have annulled its rule in the dust,

and now he can neither loose nor bind.

so it can no longer loosen or bind.

يرى فيك إن ناواك روعة غوله

يرى فيك إن ناواك روعة غوله

إذا ما عدا أو أنت من غوله أعدى

إذا ما عدا أو أنت من غوله أعدى

If he opposed you, he would see in you the terror of his ghoul

If it challenges you, it sees in you the terror of its own ghoul

when it attacks—or find you deadlier than his ghoul.

when it attacks—or you are fiercer than its ghoul.

إذا أكل الدهر الرجال أكلته

إذا أكل الدهر الرجال أكلته

وإن وأد الآثار أعجزته وأدا

وإن وأد الآثار أعجزته وأدا

When time devours men, it devoured him too;

When time devours men, you devour it;

but when it would bury great works, they thwart its burial.

and if it buries legacies alive, you make it powerless to bury yours.

عليك سلام من أخ لك صادق

عليك سلام من أخ لك صادق

يزيدك قربا كلما زدته بعدا

يزيدك قربا كلما زدته بعدا

Peace be upon you from a brother true to you,

Peace be upon you from a brother true to you,

who holds you nearer the farther you have gone from him.

who draws closer to you the farther you move from him.

نصيبك مني في الرثاء فريده

نصيبك مني في الرثاء فريده

وكنت امرءاً في عبقريته فردا

وكنت امرءاً في عبقريته فردا

Your portion from me in elegy is a singular poem,

Your share of my elegy is its peerless jewel,

as you yourself were peerless in your genius.

and you were a man unique in his genius.