الحمد لله وشكرا له

الحمد لله وشكرا له

ما اشبه المأتم بالهجر

ما اشبه المأتم بالهجر

Praise be to God, and thanks to Him.

Praise be to God and thanks to Him

How closely a mourning gathering resembles separation!

How alike grief is to separation

وأشبه الوصل بوقت الضحى

وأشبه الوصل بوقت الضحى

من صبحة الأضحى أو الفطر

من صبحة الأضحى أو الفطر

And how reunion resembles the midmorning hour

And reunion is like the time of forenoon

On the morning of Eid al-Adha or Eid al-Fitr!

Of the morning of Eid or Eid al-Fitr

ولي حديث شاب رأسي له

ولي حديث شاب رأسي له

هجوم كر الليل والفحر

هجوم كر الليل والفحر

And I have a tale that made my head grow gray:

And I have a tale as old as my grey hair

The onslaught of recurring night and dawn;

Of night raids and hot pursuit

طيّ ونشرٌ شيّبا لمّتي

طيّ ونشرٌ شيّبا لمّتي

والموت بين الطيّ والنشر

والموت بين الطيّ والنشر

Folding and unfolding have grayed my locks,

Folding and unfolding turned my hair grey

And death lies between the folding and the unfolding.

And death lies between folding and unfolding