أَلا عَلِّلاني وَاِعلَما أَنَّني غَرَر

أَلا عَلِّلاني وَاِعلَما أَنَّني غَرَر

وَما خِلتُ يُجديني الشَفاقُ وَلا الحَذَر

وَما خِلتُ يُجديني الشَفاقُ وَلا الحَذَر

Come, comfort me, you two, and know that I am in peril.

Alas, comfort me and know that I am deceived

Nor did I think apprehension or caution would help me.

I was never helped by precaution or forethought

وَما خِلتُ يُجديني أَساتي وَقَد بَدَت

وَما خِلتُ يُجديني أَساتي وَقَد بَدَت

مَفاصِلُ أَوصالي وَقَد شَخَصَ البَصَر

مَفاصِلُ أَوصالي وَقَد شَخَصَ البَصَر

Nor did I think my healers could help me, now that

I was never helped by my medicines though my joints

the joints of my limbs showed and my gaze had grown fixed.

And limbs are disjointed and my sight grows dim

وَجاءَ نِساءُ الحَيِّ مِن غَيرِ أَمرَةٍ

وَجاءَ نِساءُ الحَيِّ مِن غَيرِ أَمرَةٍ

زَفيفاً كَما زَفَّت إِلى العَطَنِ البَقَر

زَفيفاً كَما زَفَّت إِلى العَطَنِ البَقَر

And the women of the clan came unbidden,

The women of the tribe came without a leader

hurrying, as cattle hurry to their resting ground by the water.

Wailing like cows led to slaughter

وَجاؤوا بِماءٍ بارِدٍ وَبِغِسلَةٍ

وَجاؤوا بِماءٍ بارِدٍ وَبِغِسلَةٍ

فَيا لَكَ مِن غُسلٍ سَيتبَعُهُ عِبَر

فَيا لَكَ مِن غُسلٍ سَيتبَعُهُ عِبَر

And they brought cold water and a cleanser.

They brought cold water and washing rags

And oh, what a washing, to be followed by tears!

Oh what a washing to be followed by tears

فَنائِحَةٌ تَبكي وَلِلنَوحِ دَرسَةٌ

فَنائِحَةٌ تَبكي وَلِلنَوحِ دَرسَةٌ

وَأَمرٌ لَها يَبدو وَأَمرٌ لَها يُسَر

وَأَمرٌ لَها يَبدو وَأَمرٌ لَها يُسَر

Then a wailing woman weeps, with practiced lamentation;

A wailing woman weeps while another laments

one concern of hers is plain, and another is kept secret.

Some show grief plainly, some hide it within

وَمِنهُنَّ مَن قَد شَقَّقَ الخَمشُ وَجهَها

وَمِنهُنَّ مَن قَد شَقَّقَ الخَمشُ وَجهَها

مُسَلِّبَةً قَد مَسَّ أَحشاءَها العِبَر

مُسَلِّبَةً قَد مَسَّ أَحشاءَها العِبَر

And among them is one whose face scratching has torn,

Among them one whose cheeks are furrowed

clad in mourning, with tears touching her very entrails.

By flowing tears that pierce her heart

فَرَمّوا لَهُ أَثوابَهُ وَتفَجَّعوا

فَرَمّوا لَهُ أَثوابَهُ وَتفَجَّعوا

وَرَنَّ مُرِنّاتٌ وَثارَ بِه النَفَر

وَرَنَّ مُرِنّاتٌ وَثارَ بِه النَفَر

Then they readied his garments for him and lamented.

They cast his clothes over him and grieved

And wailing women cried out, and the men bore him away

Keening arose and people gathered around

إِلى حُفرَةٍ يَأوي إِلَيها بِسَعيِهِ

إِلى حُفرَةٍ يَأوي إِلَيها بِسَعيِهِ

فَذَلِكَ بَيتُ الحَقِّ لا الصوفُ وَالشَعَر

فَذَلِكَ بَيتُ الحَقِّ لا الصوفُ وَالشَعَر

to a pit he makes his refuge through his own striving.

To a grave he's consigned as his final home

For that is the true home, not one of wool and hair.

That is the house of truth, not wool or poetry

وَهالوا عَلَيه التُربَ رَطباً وَيابِساً

وَهالوا عَلَيه التُربَ رَطباً وَيابِساً

أَلا كُلُّ شَيءٍ ما سِوى تِلكَ يُجتَبَر

أَلا كُلُّ شَيءٍ ما سِوى تِلكَ يُجتَبَر

And they heaped earth upon him, moist and dry.

They heaped on him damp soil and dry

Indeed, everything except that can be mended.

Nothing lasts but that, all else is fleeting

وَقالَ الَّذينَ قَد شَجَوتُ وَساءَهُم

وَقالَ الَّذينَ قَد شَجَوتُ وَساءَهُم

مَكاني وَما يُغني التَأَمُّلُ وَالنَظَر

مَكاني وَما يُغني التَأَمُّلُ وَالنَظَر

And those I had saddened spoke, distressed

Those I made suffer and saddened said

by my plight—though reflection and looking avail nothing—:

Take my place, contemplation is in vain

قِفوا ساعَةً فَاِسَتمتِعوا مِن أَخيكُمُ

قِفوا ساعَةً فَاِسَتمتِعوا مِن أَخيكُمُ

بِقُربٍ وَذِكرٍ صالِحٍ حينَ يُدَّكَر

بِقُربٍ وَذِكرٍ صالِحٍ حينَ يُدَّكَر

Stay a moment, and take comfort from your brother,

Stay a while and find joy in remembering

through nearness and good remembrance when he is recalled.

Your brother in a prayer for his soul