أَلا يا لَقَومي لِلتَّجَلُّدِ وَالصَّبرِ

أَلا يا لَقَومي لِلتَّجَلُّدِ وَالصَّبرِ

وَلِلقَدرِ الساري إِلَيكَ وَما تَدْري

وَلِلقَدرِ الساري إِلَيكَ وَما تَدْري

Ah, my people—help me bear up and be patient,

O my people, be steadfast and patient

and face fate that steals toward you unawares,

With what fate has in store, though you know it not

وَللشَّيء تَنساهُ وَتَذكُرُ غَيرَهُ

وَللشَّيء تَنساهُ وَتَذكُرُ غَيرَهُ

وَللشَّيء لا تَنساهُ إِلَّا عَلى ذِكْرِ

وَللشَّيء لا تَنساهُ إِلَّا عَلى ذِكْرِ

and the thing you forget while remembering another,

With what you forget and recall something else

and the thing you forget only amid remembrance.

With what you cannot forget, save by remembering

وَما لَكُما بِالغَيبِ عِلمٌ فَتُخبِرا

وَما لَكُما بِالغَيبِ عِلمٌ فَتُخبِرا

وَما لَكُما في أَمرِ عُثمانَ مِنْ أَمْرِ

وَما لَكُما في أَمرِ عُثمانَ مِنْ أَمْرِ

And you two have no knowledge of the unseen, that you might report it,

You know not the unseen, so do not claim to know

nor have you two any say in Uthman's affair.

You have no part in the affair of Uthman

أَلا قاتَلَ اللَّهُ المَقاديرَ وَالمُنى

أَلا قاتَلَ اللَّهُ المَقاديرَ وَالمُنى

وَطَيراً جَرَتْ بَينَ السُّعافاتِ وَالحبْرِ

وَطَيراً جَرَتْ بَينَ السُّعافاتِ وَالحبْرِ

Ah, may God curse the decrees of fate and wishes,

Curse the fates and destinies!

and birds that flew between al-Su'afat and al-Habr;

And the birds that flew between the sheaves and ink

وَقاتلَ تَكذيبي العَيافَة بَعدَما

وَقاتلَ تَكذيبي العَيافَة بَعدَما

زَجَرتُ فَما أَغنى اعتِيافي وَلا زَجْري

زَجَرتُ فَما أَغنى اعتِيافي وَلا زَجْري

and may He curse my disbelief in bird-divination after

Curse those who disbelieved me after I had

I startled the birds: neither my augury nor my bird-scaring availed.

Admonished them, but admonishing availed me naught

تَرَوّح فَقَد طالَ الثَّواءُ وَقُضِّيَتْ

تَرَوّح فَقَد طالَ الثَّواءُ وَقُضِّيَتْ

مَشاريطُ كانَت نَحوَ غايَتِها تَجْري

مَشاريطُ كانَت نَحوَ غايَتِها تَجْري

Depart at evening, for the stay has been long, and fulfilled are

Take comfort, for grief has lingered overlong

the appointed terms that were running toward their end.

And the scissors have fulfilled their purpose

وَما لِقفولٍ بَعدَ بَدرٍ بَشاشَةٌ

وَما لِقفولٍ بَعدَ بَدرٍ بَشاشَةٌ

وَلا الحَيِّ آتيهِمْ وَلا أَوبَةِ السَّفْرِ

وَلا الحَيِّ آتيهِمْ وَلا أَوبَةِ السَّفْرِ

And there is no joy in returning home after Badr,

No joy remains for returning warriors after Badr

nor in the clan I visit, nor in the travelers' return.

Neither the living who visit them, nor the journey home

تذكرني بَدراً زَعازِعُ جَحْرَةٍ

تذكرني بَدراً زَعازِعُ جَحْرَةٍ

إِذا عَصَفَتْ إِحدى عَشِيّاتِها الغُبْرِ

إِذا عَصَفَتْ إِحدى عَشِيّاتِها الغُبْرِ

The gales of a drought-stricken year remind me of Badr,

The winds that gust at nightfall remind me of Badr

when they rage on one of its dusty evenings.

Whenever a sandstorm rises on one of its evenings

إِذا شَوْلُنا لَم نُؤتَ مِنها بِمَحْلَبٍ

إِذا شَوْلُنا لَم نُؤتَ مِنها بِمَحْلَبٍ

قرى الضَّيفَ مِنها بِالمُهَنَّدِ ذي الأَثْرِ

قرى الضَّيفَ مِنها بِالمُهَنَّدِ ذي الأَثْرِ

When we received no milk from our dry she-camels,

Whenever we have guests, we do not feed them

he fed the guest from them with the patterned Indian sword.

The dwelling makes a guest content with mere hospitality

وَأَضيافُنا إِن نَبهونا ذَكَرتهُ

وَأَضيافُنا إِن نَبهونا ذَكَرتهُ

فَكَيفَ إِذَن أَنساهُ في غابِرِ الدَّهْرِ

فَكَيفَ إِذَن أَنساهُ في غابِرِ الدَّهْرِ

And if our guests wake us, I remember him;

And when our guests rouse us, we remember him

so how, then, can I forget him in the time remaining?

How then could I forget him in the fleeting world?

فَتى كانَ يقري الشَّحمَ في لَيلَةِ الصَّبا

فَتى كانَ يقري الشَّحمَ في لَيلَةِ الصَّبا

عَلى حين لا يعطي الدَّثورُ وَلا يَقْري

عَلى حين لا يعطي الدَّثورُ وَلا يَقْري

A young man who served fat on a night of the east wind,

A youth who in his prime shared out the fat

when the wealthy man neither gave nor fed a guest.

When none would give freely or share willingly

إِذا سلّم الساري تَهَلَّلَ وَجهُهُ

إِذا سلّم الساري تَهَلَّلَ وَجهُهُ

عَلى كُلِّ حالٍ مِنْ يَسارٍ وَمِنْ عُسْرِ

عَلى كُلِّ حالٍ مِنْ يَسارٍ وَمِنْ عُسْرِ

When the night traveler greeted him, his face lit up,

When misfortune befell, his face shone

in every circumstance, in prosperity or hardship.

In good times and bad, in ease and hardship

تذكرت بدراً بَعدَما قيلَ عارِفٌ

تذكرت بدراً بَعدَما قيلَ عارِفٌ

لما نابَهُ يا لَهفَ نَفسي عَلى بَدْرِ

لما نابَهُ يا لَهفَ نَفسي عَلى بَدْرِ

I remembered Badr after it was said, “He is resigned

I remembered Badr when it was said to the knowing:

to what befell him”—ah, my soul's anguish for Badr!

"He has changed" - Oh how my soul yearns for Badr!

إِذا خَطَرَتْ مِنهُ عَلى النَّفسِ خَطرَةٌ

إِذا خَطَرَتْ مِنهُ عَلى النَّفسِ خَطرَةٌ

مرتْ دَمعُ عَيني فَاستَهَلَّ عَلى نَحْري

مرتْ دَمعُ عَيني فَاستَهَلَّ عَلى نَحْري

Whenever a thought of him crosses my mind,

Whenever it crosses my mind, a teardrop

it draws tears from my eye, which pour down upon my breast.

Flows down my throat and wets my chest

وَما كُنتُ بَكّاءً وَلَكِنْ يَهيجُني

وَما كُنتُ بَكّاءً وَلَكِنْ يَهيجُني

عَلى ذِكرِهِ طيبُ الخَلائِقِ وَالذِّكْرِ

عَلى ذِكرِهِ طيبُ الخَلائِقِ وَالذِّكْرِ

And I was no frequent weeper, but what stirs me

I was no weeping woman, but memories

when I remember him is his fine character and good name.

Of his gentle nature and name stir me

أَعَينَيَّ إِنّي شاكِرٌ ما فَعَلتُما

أَعَينَيَّ إِنّي شاكِرٌ ما فَعَلتُما

وَحُقَّ لِما أَبلَيتُماني بِالشُّكْرِ

وَحُقَّ لِما أَبلَيتُماني بِالشُّكْرِ

O my two eyes, I am grateful for what you have done;

My eyes, I thank you for what you have done

and what you two have done for me rightly deserves thanks.

And you deserve my thanks for shedding tears for me

سَأَلتُكُما أَن تُسعِداني فَجُدْتُما

سَأَلتُكُما أَن تُسعِداني فَجُدْتُما

عَرانينَ بِالتّسجامِ باقِيَتي قطْرِ

عَرانينَ بِالتّسجامِ باقِيَتي قطْرِ

I asked you both to help me mourn, and you freely gave

I asked you to make me happy, and you were

first showers in torrents, with drops still left in reserve.

Two fountains, quenching my thirst drop by drop

فَلَمّا شَفاني اليَأسُ عَنهُ بِسَلْوَةٍ

فَلَمّا شَفاني اليَأسُ عَنهُ بِسَلْوَةٍ

وَأَعذَرْتُما لا بَل أَجَلَّ مِنَ العُذْرِ

وَأَعذَرْتُما لا بَل أَجَلَّ مِنَ العُذْرِ

Then, when despair of him healed me with solace,

When despair cured me of want for him

and you two had fulfilled your duty—no, earned something nobler than excuse—

You made excuses - no, the best of excuses!

نَهَيتُكُما أَن تَشمِتا بي فَكُنتُما

نَهَيتُكُما أَن تَشمِتا بي فَكُنتُما

صَبورَينِ بَعدَ اليَأسِ طاوِيَتيْ غُبْرِ

صَبورَينِ بَعدَ اليَأسِ طاوِيَتيْ غُبْرِ

I forbade you both to gloat over me, and you became

I forbade you from mocking me, and you

steadfast after despair, holding back the last drops.

Were patient after despair had covered me in dust