وَلَمّا طَواكَ البين واجتاحَكَ الرَدى

وَلَمّا طَواكَ البين واجتاحَكَ الرَدى

بَكَيناكَ ما لَم نَبكِ قَطُّ عَلى قِطِّ

بَكَيناكَ ما لَم نَبكِ قَطُّ عَلى قِطِّ

And when parting enfolded you and death swept you away,

When severance cast you adrift and bereavement assaulted you

We wept for you as we had never wept for a cat before.

We wept for you as we never wept for a kitten before

لَقَد كُنتَ أُنسي في الفِراشِ لِوحدَتي

لَقَد كُنتَ أُنسي في الفِراشِ لِوحدَتي

إِذا بعدت ذاتَ الوشاحَينِ وَالقُرطِ

إِذا بعدت ذاتَ الوشاحَينِ وَالقُرطِ

Indeed, you were my solace in bed amid my solitude,

You were truly the companion during my lonely nights in bed

When she of the two sashes and the earring was far away.

When she of the two veils and ear-rings departed

وَقَد كُنتَ تَحمي ما يَدبُّ مِن الأَذى

وَقَد كُنتَ تَحمي ما يَدبُّ مِن الأَذى

إِليَّ بدانٍ مِنكَ أَو كانَ في شَحطِ

إِليَّ بدانٍ مِنكَ أَو كانَ في شَحطِ

And you would ward off whatever harm crept

And you used to guard me from whatever harm

Toward me, whether close to you or far away.

Came to me from you or was due to my own misstep

وَتَحرُسُني كاللَيثِ يَحرسُ شَبلَهُ

وَتَحرُسُني كاللَيثِ يَحرسُ شَبلَهُ

وَيَقتل من ناواه بِاللَطمِ وَالخَبطِ

وَيَقتل من ناواه بِاللَطمِ وَالخَبطِ

And you guarded me as a lion guards his cub,

And you protected me like a lion guards his cub

And kills whoever opposes him with slaps and blows.

And kills whoever dared approach it with slap and scratch

وَلَو كُنتُ أَدري أَن بِئراً يَغولني

وَلَو كُنتُ أَدري أَن بِئراً يَغولني

بِمَهواك مِنهُ لاحتبستك بِالرَبطِ

بِمَهواك مِنهُ لاحتبستك بِالرَبطِ

Had I known that a well would devastate me

Had I known that a well would swallow me

Through your fall there, I would have kept you tethered.

Along with you, I'd have tied you up lest you fall

وَلَكِنَّ أَيدي الحادِثاتِ مُصيبَة

وَلَكِنَّ أَيدي الحادِثاتِ مُصيبَة

إِذا أَرسلت سهم المَنيَّةِ لا تُخطي

إِذا أَرسلت سهم المَنيَّةِ لا تُخطي

But the hands of calamity strike true:

But the hands of fate are devastating

When they loose death’s arrow, they do not miss.

When they unleash the arrow of death—none can stop it

فَماذا الَّذي أَنعاه مِنكَ وَما الَّذي

فَماذا الَّذي أَنعاه مِنكَ وَما الَّذي

أَعدده من كَفِّكَ الباطِشِ السَبطِ

أَعدده من كَفِّكَ الباطِشِ السَبطِ

So what shall I mourn in you, and what

So what was it that I gained from you and what

Shall I recount of your powerful, supple paw,

Was it that I harvested from your strong, crushing grip?

وَمِن حُسنِ لَونٍ في قَميصِكَ بَعدَما

وَمِن حُسنِ لَونٍ في قَميصِكَ بَعدَما

رأيتُكَ تَزجي لي وَتَحكم بِالقِسطِ

رأيتُكَ تَزجي لي وَتَحكم بِالقِسطِ

And of the lovely color in your shirt, after

And from the fair hue on your shirt after I saw you

I saw you send things my way and judge with justice?

Bartering justice and rule justly for me?

وَهَل نافِعي أَنّي أَرثيك بَعدَما

وَهَل نافِعي أَنّي أَرثيك بَعدَما

رأَيتُكَ تَزجي لي وَتحكم بِالقِسطِ

رأَيتُكَ تَزجي لي وَتحكم بِالقِسطِ

And will it help me to lament you, after

What good is it that I now eulogize you after I saw you

I saw you send things my way and judge with justice?

Bartering justice and rule justly for me?

وَما أَنتَ إِلّا مثل حَظّي الَّذي نأى

وَما أَنتَ إِلّا مثل حَظّي الَّذي نأى

وَتصحيفه يا مَن يُصَوِّر بِالخَطِّ

وَتصحيفه يا مَن يُصَوِّر بِالخَطِّ

And you are only like my fortune, which has gone away,

You were but an embodiment of my luck which has waned

And its mispointed form, O you who draw in script.

And, O transcriber, misspelled and miswritten with every letter!