قَضى وَطَراً منك الحَبيبُ المُوَدِّع

قَضى وَطَراً منك الحَبيبُ المُوَدِّع

وَحَلَّ الَّذي لا يُستَطاع فَيَدفَعُ

وَحَلَّ الَّذي لا يُستَطاع فَيَدفَعُ

The departing beloved has taken his fill of you,

The beloved bid farewell as he departed

The departing beloved has fulfilled his purpose and left, and the irresistible decree has descended.

And what cannot be resisted or repelled has befallen.

And what cannot be repelled came to pass

I have come to a state where I know not, now that my companion is gone and I am left alone, what I should do.

وَأَصبحت لا أَدري إِذا بانَ صاحِبي

وَأَصبحت لا أَدري إِذا بانَ صاحِبي

وَغودرتُ فَردا بعده كَيفَ أَصنَع

وَغودرتُ فَردا بعده كَيفَ أَصنَع

And now I do not know, when my companion has departed,

I know not anymore if my friend will return

Shall I spend my life in restraint and endurance while in health, or shall I succumb to weakness and wail in panic?

And I have been left alone after him, what I should do.

Bereft of him, how can I now act?

Indeed, I have milked the udder of Time in all its turns, and have witnessed from it both what harms and what benefits.

أَأَفني الحَياةَ عِفَّةً وَتجلدا

أَأَفني الحَياةَ عِفَّةً وَتجلدا

بِعافيَة أَم أَستَكين فَأَهلَع

بِعافيَة أَم أَستَكين فَأَهلَع

Shall I spend my life in self-restraint and fortitude,

Shall I live in chastity and fortitude

So I became certain that the living must surely die, and that a youth is not granted eternal enjoyment among his kin.

In well-being, or submit and fall into anguish?

In good health or violently despair?

They said, "Will you not weep for Khareem bin Amir?" I replied, "Does the submissive camel, scarred by the saddle, weep?"

بَلى قَد حلبت الدَهرَ أَشطرَ دَرّه

بَلى قَد حلبت الدَهرَ أَشطرَ دَرّه

فَأَبصرت منه ما يضرّ وَيَنفَع

فَأَبصرت منه ما يضرّ وَيَنفَع

Yes, I have milked time of its varied yields,

Indeed I have milked fate half its harm

The calamities have battered me so severely that I no longer watch for any new disaster to befall.

So I have seen what in it harms and what helps.

Thus seeing what hurts and what profits

I endured, for patience bears the better fruit; and would wailing avail me anything, that I should wail?

فَأَيقنت أَن الحيّ لا بُدَّ مَيّت

فَأَيقنت أَن الحيّ لا بُدَّ مَيّت

وَأَنَّ الفَتى في أَهلِهِ لا يُمَتَّع

وَأَنَّ الفَتى في أَهلِهِ لا يُمَتَّع

So I am certain that the living must die,

I knew the living must die

I mastered the tears of my eyes, forcing them back, even as the eyes of my heart were weeping.

And that no man is granted lasting joy among his kin.

And the youth enjoys not his family forever

The tribulations of Time have hardened a resolute soul; against the calamities that befall it, it does not crumble.

وَقالوا أَلا تَبكي خَريم بن عامِر

وَقالوا أَلا تَبكي خَريم بن عامِر

فَقُلتُ وَهَل تَبكي الذلول المُوَقَّع

فَقُلتُ وَهَل تَبكي الذلول المُوَقَّع

And they said, 'Will you not weep for Khuraym son of Amir?'

They said, does not Khariym Bin Amer weep?

Did you not see me build the Lion's house over him, and cast dust upon him without breaking down?

So I said, 'Does a docile, sore-backed camel weep?'

I said, do the humiliated and defeated weep?

I folded the edges of his shroud over a gleaming face, wherein I imagined the light of the full moon shining.

لَقَد وَقَذَتني الحادِثات فَما أَرى

لَقَد وَقَذَتني الحادِثات فَما أَرى

لنازلة من ريبها أَتَوَقَّع

لنازلة من ريبها أَتَوَقَّع

Indeed, calamities have battered me numb; I no longer find myself

Misfortunes have afflicted me, so I see

It was as if I were burying a warrior in the pit, covered in dust, struggling to rise yet sinking down.

Dreading any affliction among their vicissitudes.

No expected calamity make me waver

One might imagine a remnant of spirit lingers in him due to how recently he lived, yet he is dead and veiled.

صبَرت وَكانَ الصبر خَيراً مغبةً

صبَرت وَكانَ الصبر خَيراً مغبةً

وَهَل جَزعٌ مُجدٍ عليّ فأَجزَع

وَهَل جَزعٌ مُجدٍ عليّ فأَجزَع

I endured, and endurance was better in its outcome;

I was patient and patience was best in trial

Khareem was the true successor of his father, whenever a day of hideous evil or war struck.

And would anguish help me, that I should give way to it?

Should I despair, would that benefit me?

I sought to appease Time, hoping for his survival, while his soul was slipping away to the hereafter like a scattered beam.

ملكت دُموع العَين حَتّى رَدَدتها

ملكت دُموع العَين حَتّى رَدَدتها

إِلى ناظِري إِذ أَعيُن القَلب تَدمَع

إِلى ناظِري إِذ أَعيُن القَلب تَدمَع

I mastered my eye's tears until I drove them back

I controlled the tears of my eyes until I returned them

The morning sun reminds me of the light of his face, so I steal glances at it whenever it rises.

Into my eye, while the eyes of my heart wept.

To my inner sights as the heart weeps

I had prepared him as a treasure against every misfortune, but the arrows of death are fond of targeting our treasures.

أَعزت خُطوب الدهر نَفساً صَليبَةً

أَعزت خُطوب الدهر نَفساً صَليبَةً

لما نابها مِن حادث لا تَضعضع

لما نابها مِن حادث لا تَضعضع

Time's calamities have strengthened a steadfast soul

I strengthened my soul against the blows of fate

He was the remnant of noble moons; were they to vanish, the tribe of Ma'add would be left wandering in darkness.

That does not falter at whatever misfortune befalls it.

So no incident shakes its tranquility

Whenever one moon among them set or faded, another moon would appear shining on the horizon.

أَلَم تَرَني أَبني عَلى اللَيث بَيته

أَلَم تَرَني أَبني عَلى اللَيث بَيته

وأَحثو عليه الترب لا أَتخشّع

وأَحثو عليه الترب لا أَتخشّع

Did you not see me build his dwelling over the lion,

Have you not seen me build upon the lion his den

If I wished to weep blood, I would have wept it for you, but the expanse of patience is wider and more noble.

And heap earth upon him, without bowing in grief?

And heap upon him soil, not cringing?

And though I display patience and composure, keeping a brave face before my enemies, I am inwardly in agony over you.

أرُدّ حَواشي بُرده فَوقَ سنّة

أرُدّ حَواشي بُرده فَوقَ سنّة

إخال بِها ضوءاً مِن البَدر يَسطَع

إخال بِها ضوءاً مِن البَدر يَسطَع

I fold the edges of his cloak over a face

I line his furs upon an old coat

In which I fancy light from the full moon gleams.

Letting through it the moonlight shine

كَأَنّيَ أَبني في الحَفيرة باسِلاً

كَأَنّيَ أَبني في الحَفيرة باسِلاً

عَفيراً يَنوء لِلقيام وَيَضرع

عَفيراً يَنوء لِلقيام وَيَضرع

As though I were building a tomb in the pit for a valiant one,

As if I build in the pit a hero

Dust-covered, struggling to rise and pleading.

Bent to rise and plead

تُخال بَقايا الروح فيه لِقُربِهِ

تُخال بَقايا الروح فيه لِقُربِهِ

بعهد الحَياة وَهوَ ميت مقنع

بعهد الحَياة وَهوَ ميت مقنع

One imagines remnants of the soul within him, so close is he

The remnants of the soul in it from its nearness

To his time among the living, though he is dead and veiled.

Recall the days of life though it is dead, masked

وَكانَ خَريم مِن أَبيهِ خَليفة

وَكانَ خَريم مِن أَبيهِ خَليفة

إِذا ما دَها يَوما مِن الشَرِّ أَشنَع

إِذا ما دَها يَوما مِن الشَرِّ أَشنَع

And Khuraym was his father's successor,

Khariym was to his father Khalif

Whenever, on some day, the most hideous evil struck.

A shelter from the worst of days

أصانع عِندَ الدهر أَرجو بَقاءه

أصانع عِندَ الدهر أَرجو بَقاءه

وَنفس من الأُخرى شُعاعاً تطلع

وَنفس من الأُخرى شُعاعاً تطلع

I seek favor with time, hoping for his survival,

I make believe with fate he remains

And one soul rises, scattered, from the other.

A ray of light from him still emerges

تذكرني شَمس الضُحى نور وَجهه

تذكرني شَمس الضُحى نور وَجهه

فَلي لَحظات نَحوَها حينَ تطلع

فَلي لَحظات نَحوَها حينَ تطلع

The morning sun reminds me of his face's radiance,

The morning sun recalls his face's light

So I turn my glances toward it when it rises.

I have moments with it when it rises

وَأعددتُه ذُخراً لِكُلِّ ملمّة

وَأعددتُه ذُخراً لِكُلِّ ملمّة

وَسَهمُ المَنايا بِالذَخائر مولع

وَسَهمُ المَنايا بِالذَخائر مولع

And I had kept him as a treasure for every calamity,

I stored him as treasure for every affliction

And death's arrow is enamored of treasures.

Yet the arrow of death burns what is treasured

بَقيةُ أَقمار من الغرّ لَو خبت

بَقيةُ أَقمار من الغرّ لَو خبت

لَظَلَّت معدّ في الدُجى تَتَسَكَّعُ

لَظَلَّت معدّ في الدُجى تَتَسَكَّعُ

A remnant of those illustrious moons—if they went dark,

Remaining moons would wander veiled

Ma'add would keep wandering in the darkness.

If one moon sets or wanes

إِذا قَمَرٌ مِنها تَغوَّر أَو خَبا

إِذا قَمَرٌ مِنها تَغوَّر أَو خَبا

بَدا قمر في جانِب الأُفق يَلمَع

بَدا قمر في جانِب الأُفق يَلمَع

Whenever a moon among them sets or goes dark,

When a moon disappears or dims

A moon appears at the horizon's edge, gleaming.

Another moon shines from the horizon

فَلَو شئت أَن أَبكي دَماً لبكيته

فَلَو شئت أَن أَبكي دَماً لبكيته

عليك وَلَكِن ساحةُ الصَبر أَوسَع

عليك وَلَكِن ساحةُ الصَبر أَوسَع

So, if I wished to weep blood, I would weep it

Had I wanted to weep blood, I'd weep it for you

For you; yet the expanse of patience is wider.

But the field of patience is more expansive

وَإِنّي وان أَظهرت صَبراً وَحِسبةً

وَإِنّي وان أَظهرت صَبراً وَحِسبةً

وَصانعت أَعدائي عليك لموجع

وَصانعت أَعدائي عليك لموجع

And I, though I have shown patience and hope of divine reward,

If I show patience and composure

And dissembled before my enemies, am indeed pained by your loss.

And treat my enemies gently when you are hurt