أَهاجَ لَكِ الدُموعَ عَلى اِبنِ عَمروٍ

أَهاجَ لَكِ الدُموعَ عَلى اِبنِ عَمروٍ

مَصائِبُ قَد رُزِئتِ بِها فَجودي

مَصائِبُ قَد رُزِئتِ بِها فَجودي

Have your tears for the son of ʿAmr been stirred

You shed tears for the son of 'Amr

by calamities that have bereaved you? Then be lavish

Misfortunes with which my generosity was lessened

بِسَجلٍ مِنكِ مُنحَدِرٍ عَلَيهِ

بِسَجلٍ مِنكِ مُنحَدِرٍ عَلَيهِ

فَما يَنفَكَّ مِثلَ عَدا الفَريدِ

فَما يَنفَكَّ مِثلَ عَدا الفَريدِ

with a bucketful streaming from you upon him,

In an uninterrupted flow from you

never ceasing, like pearls falling in succession.

Never ceasing, unique among the unique

عَلى فَرعٍ رُزِئتِ بِهِ خُناسٌ

عَلى فَرعٍ رُزِئتِ بِهِ خُناسٌ

طَويلِ الباعِ فَيّاضٍ حَميدِ

طَويلِ الباعِ فَيّاضٍ حَميدِ

For a noble scion whose loss has bereaved you, Khunās,

Upon a branch made slender by it, a shy ostriches

long of reach, overflowing with generosity, praiseworthy,

Tall in stature, white and praiseworthy

جَليدٍ كانَ خَيرَ بَني سُلَيمٍ

جَليدٍ كانَ خَيرَ بَني سُلَيمٍ

كَريمِهِمِ المُسَوَّدِ وَالمَسودِ

كَريمِهِمِ المُسَوَّدِ وَالمَسودِ

steadfast, the best of the sons of Sulaym,

An ice block, the best of Bani Sulaym

their noblest, among chiefs and subjects alike.

Noble among them whether black or whitened

أَبو حَسّانَ كانَ ثِمالَ قَومي

أَبو حَسّانَ كانَ ثِمالَ قَومي

فَأَصبَحَ ثاوِياً بَينَ اللَحودِ

فَأَصبَحَ ثاوِياً بَينَ اللَحودِ

Abū Ḥassān was my people's refuge;

Abu Hassān was the protector of my people

but now he lies among the graves,

Yet lies fallen amidst the sands

رَهينُ بِلىً وَكُلُّ فَتىً سَيَبلى

رَهينُ بِلىً وَكُلُّ فَتىً سَيَبلى

فَأَذري الدَمعَ بِالسَكبِ المَجودِ

فَأَذري الدَمعَ بِالسَكبِ المَجودِ

a hostage to decay—and every young man will decay.

A hostage of decrepitude, and every youth decays

So shed your tears in a lavish downpour.

So spill tears copiously in generous lament

فَأُقسِمُ لَو بَقَيتَ لَكُنتَ فينا

فَأُقسِمُ لَو بَقَيتَ لَكُنتَ فينا

عَديداً لا يُكاثَرُ بِالعَديدِ

عَديداً لا يُكاثَرُ بِالعَديدِ

So I swear: had you lived on, you would have been among us

I swear had you remained you'd have been among us

a host in yourself, outnumbered by no host.

Beyond number, not competed with in number

وَلَكِنَّ الحَوادِثَ طارِقاتٌ

وَلَكِنَّ الحَوادِثَ طارِقاتٌ

لَها صَرفٌ عَلى الرَجُلِ الجَليدِ

لَها صَرفٌ عَلى الرَجُلِ الجَليدِ

Yet calamities are visitors in the night,

But fortunes come like night visitors

with sway over the steadfast man.

Turning at will the stout-hearted man aside

فَإِن تَكُ قَد أَتَتكَ فَلا تُنادي

فَإِن تَكُ قَد أَتَتكَ فَلا تُنادي

فَقَد أَودَت بِفَيّاضٍ مَجيدِ

فَقَد أَودَت بِفَيّاضٍ مَجيدِ

So if they have already come upon you, do not cry out:

And if they've come to you, do not call out

for they have destroyed a lavishly generous, glorious man,

For they have slain a generous, glorious man

جَليدٍ حازِمٍ قِدَماً أَتاهُ

جَليدٍ حازِمٍ قِدَماً أَتاهُ

صُروفُ الدَهرِ بَعدَ بَني ثَمودِ

صُروفُ الدَهرِ بَعدَ بَني ثَمودِ

steadfast and resolute; long ago there came upon him

An intrepid, noble one, there came to him

the reversals of Time, after the sons of Thamūd,

The turns of fate, after Thamud's clans

وَعاداً قَد عَلاها الدَهرُ قَسراً

وَعاداً قَد عَلاها الدَهرُ قَسراً

وَحِميَرَ وَالجُنودَ مَعَ الجُنودِ

وَحِميَرَ وَالجُنودَ مَعَ الجُنودِ

and ʿĀd, whom Time had overcome by force,

And 'Ad whom time has tyrannously overcome

and Ḥimyar, and armies alongside armies.

And the armies of Himyar together with their armies

فَلا يَبعَد أَبو حَسّانَ صَخرٌ

فَلا يَبعَد أَبو حَسّانَ صَخرٌ

وَحَلَّ بِرَمسِهِ طَيرُ السُعود

وَحَلَّ بِرَمسِهِ طَيرُ السُعود

So may Abū Ḥassān, Ṣakhr, never be far away,

So let not Abu Hassān be far, a boulder he was

and may birds of good fortune alight upon his grave.

And the birds of S'uud have alighted in his shade