يا قَلبُ وَيحَكَ وَالمَوَدَّةُ ذِمَّةٌ

يا قَلبُ وَيحَكَ وَالمَوَدَّةُ ذِمَّةٌ

ماذا صَنَعتَ بِعَهدِ عَبدِ اللَهِ

ماذا صَنَعتَ بِعَهدِ عَبدِ اللَهِ

O heart, woe to you—affection is a binding pledge!

O my heart, woe to you, and love is an obligation

What have you done with your pledge to Abd Allah?

What have you done with the covenant of Abdullah

جاذَبتَني جَنبي عَشِيَّةَ نَعيِهِ

جاذَبتَني جَنبي عَشِيَّةَ نَعيِهِ

وَخَفَقتَ خَفقَةَ موجَعٍ أَوّاهِ

وَخَفَقتَ خَفقَةَ موجَعٍ أَوّاهِ

You strained against my side the evening his death was announced,

You pulled me to your side on the eve of his death

And throbbed like one stricken with pain and groaning.

And throbbed with the throbbing of anguish, oh how pained

وَلَوَ اَنَّ قَلباً ذابَ إِثرَ حَبيبِهِ

وَلَوَ اَنَّ قَلباً ذابَ إِثرَ حَبيبِهِ

لَهَوى بِكَ الرُكنُ الضَعيفُ الواهي

لَهَوى بِكَ الرُكنُ الضَعيفُ الواهي

And if a heart could melt in the wake of its beloved's death,

If a heart melted for its beloved

The weak, frail pillar would have fallen with you.

This weak, crumbling chamber would have collapsed for you

فَعَلَيكَ مِن حُسنِ المُروءَةِ آمِرٌ

فَعَلَيكَ مِن حُسنِ المُروءَةِ آمِرٌ

وَعَلَيكَ مِن حُسنِ التَجَلُّدِ ناهِ

وَعَلَيكَ مِن حُسنِ التَجَلُّدِ ناهِ

So noble conduct lays its command upon you,

So it is incumbent upon you, from excellent chivalry I command

And noble fortitude lays its restraint upon you.

And it is incumbent upon you, from excellent composure I deter

نَزَلَ الطُوَيِّرُ في التُرابِ مَنازِلاً

نَزَلَ الطُوَيِّرُ في التُرابِ مَنازِلاً

تَهوي المَكارِمُ نَحوَها بِشِفاهِ

تَهوي المَكارِمُ نَحوَها بِشِفاهِ

Al-Tuwayyir has descended to dwellings in the dust,

The birds alighted in the dust, dwelling places

Toward which noble virtues stoop to press their lips.

Virtues swoop down towards them, with lips

عَرَصاتُها مَمطورَةٌ بِمَدامِعٍ

عَرَصاتُها مَمطورَةٌ بِمَدامِعٍ

مَوطوءَةٌ بِمَفارِقٍ وَجِباهِ

مَوطوءَةٌ بِمَفارِقٍ وَجِباهِ

Their courtyards are showered with tears,

Its expanses saturated with tears

Trodden by crowns of heads and foreheads.

Trodden by partings and brows

لَولا يَمينُ المَوتِ فَوقَ يَمينِهِ

لَولا يَمينُ المَوتِ فَوقَ يَمينِهِ

فيها لَفاضَت مِن جَنىً وَمِياهِ

فيها لَفاضَت مِن جَنىً وَمِياهِ

Were Death's right hand not above his own,

If not for the grip of death over his grip

There, his hand would have overflowed with fruit and water.

It would have overflowed with fruits and water

يا كابِراً مِن كابِرينَ وَطاهِراً

يا كابِراً مِن كابِرينَ وَطاهِراً

مِن آلِ طُهرٍ عارِفٍ بِاللَهِ

مِن آلِ طُهرٍ عارِفٍ بِاللَهِ

O noble one sprung from nobles, and pure one

O you who endured with the enduring, and remained pure

From the house of a pure one who knows God,

From the family of purity, cognizant of God

وَمُحَكِّماً عَلِمَ القَضاءُ مَكانَهُ

وَمُحَكِّماً عَلِمَ القَضاءُ مَكانَهُ

في المُقسِطينَ الجِلَّةِ الأَنزاهِ

في المُقسِطينَ الجِلَّةِ الأَنزاهِ

And an arbiter whose standing the judiciary knew

And the authority of justice knew his station

Among the just, the eminent and blameless,

Amongst the eminent, most righteous jurists

وَحَكيماً اِستَعصَت أَعِنَّتُهُ عَلى

وَحَكيماً اِستَعصَت أَعِنَّتُهُ عَلى

كَذِبِ النَعيمِ وَتُرَّهاتِ الجاهِ

كَذِبِ النَعيمِ وَتُرَّهاتِ الجاهِ

And a wise man whose reins would not yield to

And you were wise, your intellect impervious

The lies of luxury and the vanities of rank,

To the lies of fortune and trickeries of fame

وَأَخاً سَقى الإِخوانَ مِن رَاوقِهِ

وَأَخاً سَقى الإِخوانَ مِن رَاوقِهِ

بِوِدادِ لا صَلِفٍ وَلا تَيّاهِ

بِوِدادِ لا صَلِفٍ وَلا تَيّاهِ

And a brother who gave his brothers drink from his wine-strainer,

And a brother who quenched the thirst of brethren

With the affection of one neither boastful nor conceited.

With affection, neither harsh nor aloof

قَد كانَ شِعري شُغلَ نَفسِكَ فَاِقتَرِح

قَد كانَ شِعري شُغلَ نَفسِكَ فَاِقتَرِح

مِن كُلِّ جائِلَةٍ عَلى الأَفواهِ

مِن كُلِّ جائِلَةٍ عَلى الأَفواهِ

My poetry was your soul's preoccupation; so choose

My poetry was once your soul’s preoccupation, so suggest

From every verse that passes from mouth to mouth.

From every impending doom, through mouths

أُنزِلتَ مِنهُ حينَ فاتَكَ جَمعُهُ

أُنزِلتَ مِنهُ حينَ فاتَكَ جَمعُهُ

في مَنزِلٍ بَهِجٍ بِنورِكَ زاهِ

في مَنزِلٍ بَهِجٍ بِنورِكَ زاهِ

You were lodged within it when its collection eluded you,

You were brought down from it when you missed gathering it

In a lovely dwelling, radiant with your light.

To a delightful abode, illuminated by your light

فَاِقرَأ عَلى حَسّانَ مِنهُ لَعَلَّهُ

فَاِقرَأ عَلى حَسّانَ مِنهُ لَعَلَّهُ

بِفَتاهُ في مَدحِ الرَسولِ مُباهِ

بِفَتاهُ في مَدحِ الرَسولِ مُباهِ

So recite some of it to Hassan; perhaps he

So recite it over Hasan, perhaps through his distinction

Will boast of his young man's praise of the Messenger.

In praising the Messenger, he will excel

وَاِنزِل بِنورِ الخُلدِ جَدَّكَ وَاِتَّصِل

وَاِنزِل بِنورِ الخُلدِ جَدَّكَ وَاِتَّصِل

بِمَلائِكٍ مِن آلِهِ أَشباهِ

بِمَلائِكٍ مِن آلِهِ أَشباهِ

And alight with your grandfather, eternity's light, and join

And descend with the light of eternity to your grandfather, and join

Angels from his house, akin to him.

The angels from his kin, who resemble him

ناعيكَ ناعي حاتَمٍ أَو جَعفَرٍ

ناعيكَ ناعي حاتَمٍ أَو جَعفَرٍ

فَالناسُ بَينَ نَوازِلٍ وَدَواهِ

فَالناسُ بَينَ نَوازِلٍ وَدَواهِ

Who announces your death announces Hatim's or Ja'far's,

Your elegist, the elegist of Hatem or Ja'far

So people are caught between misfortunes and calamities.

While people are between occurrences and remedies