ما كنتُ أَدري أَن يكونَ سعيدُ

ما كنتُ أَدري أَن يكونَ سعيدُ

مُقيماً بِأرضِ المحلِ وهو وحيدُ

مُقيماً بِأرضِ المحلِ وهو وحيدُ

I never knew that Sa‘id would be

I did not know that Sa'id would reside

dwelling in a land of desolation, all alone;

In the land of exile, all alone.

مُقيماً بأرضٍ لا أنيس له بها

مُقيماً بأرضٍ لا أنيس له بها

يُجافيهِ فيها مبغضٌ وودودُ

يُجافيهِ فيها مبغضٌ وودودُ

dwelling in a land where he has no companion,

Residing in a land with no friend,

where foe and loving friend alike shun him;

Where a hater and a lover shun him equally.

مُقيماً بها طولَ الزمانِ مجاوراً

مُقيماً بها طولَ الزمانِ مجاوراً

أُناساً حَوتهم في الترابِ لحودُ

أُناساً حَوتهم في الترابِ لحودُ

dwelling there for all time, a neighbor to

Residing there for ages, next to people

people whom graves have enclosed in the dust.

Whom the ground has swallowed in their graves.

وَما كنتُ أَدري أَن أرى حسنَ وجههِ

وَما كنتُ أَدري أَن أرى حسنَ وجههِ

يُهال عليهِ جلمدٌ وصعيدُ

يُهال عليهِ جلمدٌ وصعيدُ

Nor did I know I would see the beauty of his face

Nor did I know that I would see his beautiful face

with rock and earth heaped upon it;

Pelted by hailstones and gravel.

وَإِذ أُبصرُ الأيّام فيهِ تَكيدُني

وَإِذ أُبصرُ الأيّام فيهِ تَكيدُني

بِما يتمنّى كاشحٌ وحسودُ

بِما يتمنّى كاشحٌ وحسودُ

and as I see the days plot against me through him,

When I see the days plotting against me

with what a spiteful foe and an envier desire;

With what an envious rival wishes,

وَأَحثي عليهِ التربَ بالكفِّ مُسرعاً

وَأَحثي عليهِ التربَ بالكفِّ مُسرعاً

وَقَد كنتُ نملَ الأرضِ عنه أذودُ

وَقَد كنتُ نملَ الأرضِ عنه أذودُ

and hastily heap earth upon him with my palm,

I hastily throw dust on him with my palm,

though I once warded the ants of the earth away from him;

Though I used to prevent the ants from him.

وَأَرضى له في ظلمةِ القبرِ مسكناً

وَأَرضى له في ظلمةِ القبرِ مسكناً

إِلى يوم يُدعى صالحٌ وثمودُ

إِلى يوم يُدعى صالحٌ وثمودُ

and accept for him a dwelling in the darkness of the grave,

And I wish for him the darkness of the grave,

until the day Salih and Thamud are summoned.

Until the day the righteous and wicked are called.

فَيا سوءَ حالي يومَ عاينتُ وجههُ

فَيا سوءَ حالي يومَ عاينتُ وجههُ

وَقَد حالَ فيه طاردٌ وطريدُ

وَقَد حالَ فيه طاردٌ وطريدُ

Alas for my plight on the day I beheld his face,

So evil is my state when I saw his face

when pursuer and pursued had changed within it.

With someone pursuing and someone pursued.

وَقَد شَهِدت منّا البصائر واِنزوت

وَقَد شَهِدت منّا البصائر واِنزوت

نفوسٌ وَذابَت أضلعٌ وكبودُ

نفوسٌ وَذابَت أضلعٌ وكبودُ

And our inner eyes bore witness, while there shrank

Our insights bore witness and souls poured out,

souls, and ribs and livers melted.

Chests reached up to our throats,

وَقَد بَلَغت منّا القلوبُ حناجراً

وَقَد بَلَغت منّا القلوبُ حناجراً

لَنا واِقشعرّت للفراقِ جلودُ

لَنا واِقشعرّت للفراقِ جلودُ

And our hearts rose to our throats,

And our skins shuddered at the separation.

and our skins shuddered at parting.

A farewell without relish, his family

وَداعٌ ممرّ الطعمِ ليس لأهلهِ

وَداعٌ ممرّ الطعمِ ليس لأهلهِ

لقاءٌ إِلى يومِ المعاد يعودُ

لقاءٌ إِلى يومِ المعاد يعودُ

A bitter-tasting farewell: those who share it have no

Will have no reunion till the day of return.

reunion until the Day of Resurrection.

I bade him farewell one day while my tears

أُوادعهُ يوماً ودَمعي ودمعه

أُوادعهُ يوماً ودَمعي ودمعه

تظلُّ نحورٌ منهما وخدودُ

تظلُّ نحورٌ منهما وخدودُ

I bid him farewell one day; my tears and his

And his tears kept flowing down our cheeks.

leave necks and cheeks drenched.

It was as if the roof fell down on me, and the ground

كأنّ عليَّ السقفِ خرّ ولم تزل

كأنّ عليَّ السقفِ خرّ ولم تزل

بيَ الأرضُ مِن خوفِ الفراق تميدُ

بيَ الأرضُ مِن خوفِ الفراق تميدُ

As though the roof had fallen upon me, and still

Beneath me kept sinking from the fear of loss.

the earth reeled beneath me for fear of parting.

When I lose my son, who was my paradise,

إِذا فقدت اِبني وقد كانَ جنّتي

إِذا فقدت اِبني وقد كانَ جنّتي

فَهل لمسرّاتِ الزمانِ وجودُ

فَهل لمسرّاتِ الزمانِ وجودُ

If I have lost my son, who had been my paradise,

Do the joys of life have any existence?

then do the joys of time exist at all?

I taught him the science of eloquence, hoping

أعلّمه علمَ الفصاحةِ راجياً

أعلّمه علمَ الفصاحةِ راجياً

تقومُ حظوظٌ لي بهِ وجدودُ

تقومُ حظوظٌ لي بهِ وجدودُ

I taught him the art of eloquence, hoping

Fortunes for me through him would abound.

that fortunes and good luck would rise for me through him.

But the turns of fate came between me and him,

فَحالت صروفُ الدهرِ بيني وبينهُ

فَحالت صروفُ الدهرِ بيني وبينهُ

وَصافته مِن ريبِ الزمان وفودُ

وَصافته مِن ريبِ الزمان وفودُ

But the vicissitudes of time came between me and him,

And his destiny drew him away from any doubt.

and hosts of time's misfortunes befriended him.

So melt away, my liver, from anguish and yearning,

فَيا كَبدي ذوبي أسىً وتلهّفاً

فَيا كَبدي ذوبي أسىً وتلهّفاً

فَقَد ضاعَ وعدٌ واِستَقامَ وعيدُ

فَقَد ضاعَ وعدٌ واِستَقامَ وعيدُ

So, my liver, melt with grief and anguish,

For a promise is wasted and a threat realized.

for a promise has failed, and a threat has come true.

And exert yourself, my soul, for the nights are dejected,

وَيا نفس جدّي فالليالي خؤونةٌ

وَيا نفس جدّي فالليالي خؤونةٌ

وَإِن سَلفت منها لديك وعودُ

وَإِن سَلفت منها لديك وعودُ

And, my soul, strive, for the nights are treacherous,

Even if you are accustomed to promises from them.

though promises from them came to you before.

Do not seriously crave anything from your life,

وَلا تَر من دنياكَ جدّاً ورغبةً

وَلا تَر من دنياكَ جدّاً ورغبةً

فإنّي لَها طولَ البقا لزهودُ

فإنّي لَها طولَ البقا لزهودُ

And do not look to your world with zeal and desire,

For I have long been ascetic towards it.

for I renounce it as long as I live.

The sun of certainty has risen, leaving behind

فَقَد شَرقت شمسُ اليقينِ وخلّفت

فَقَد شَرقت شمسُ اليقينِ وخلّفت

بروق رجونا نفعها ورعودُ

بروق رجونا نفعها ورعودُ

For the sun of certainty has risen and left behind

Flashes of hope whose benefit and thunder we sought.

lightning flashes whose benefit we hoped for, and thunderclaps.

After it, from the east arose misfortunes,

وَقَد طلعَت مِن جانبِ الشرقِ بعده

وَقَد طلعَت مِن جانبِ الشرقِ بعده

نحوسٌ ومالَت لِلمغيب سعودُ

نحوسٌ ومالَت لِلمغيب سعودُ

And from the eastern side, after him, have risen

While good fortune inclined toward the west.

unlucky stars, while lucky stars have inclined toward setting.

Delight of my eye, I will inevitably come to a pool

أَقرّةَ عيني إنّ حوضاً وردتهُ

أَقرّةَ عيني إنّ حوضاً وردتهُ

فَلا بدّ لي مِن أن يحين ورودُ

فَلا بدّ لي مِن أن يحين ورودُ

O delight of my eye, you have indeed reached a pool;

Whose water you have reached, so I must arrive.

so my turn to reach it must inevitably come.

I will bring to water, worn out from destruction,

وَسوفَ أورد مُنتهاك من الردى

وَسوفَ أورد مُنتهاك من الردى

وَإِن خلتُ أنّ المنتهى لبعيدُ

وَإِن خلتُ أنّ المنتهى لبعيدُ

And I shall be brought to your final destination in death,

Even if I think the goal is far away.

though I thought that destination was far away.

And do not deny death, for death is apportioned equally,

وَلا تنكرنَّ الموتَ فالموتُ قسمةٌ

وَلا تنكرنَّ الموتَ فالموتُ قسمةٌ

تَساوى عليها سيّدٌ ومسودُ

تَساوى عليها سيّدٌ ومسودُ

And do not find death strange: death is an allotted share

Overcoming both master and slave.

in which master and subject stand equal.

The epochs of time will take away their people,

سَتذهبُ أحقابُ الزمانِ بأهلها

سَتذهبُ أحقابُ الزمانِ بأهلها

وَليسَ لخلقٍ في الزمان خلودُ

وَليسَ لخلقٍ في الزمان خلودُ

The ages of time will pass away with their people,

And no creature in time is immortal.

and no creature has immortality in time.

Life is but tribulation and joy,

وَما الدهرُ إلّا مِحنةٌ ومسرّةٌ

وَما الدهرُ إلّا مِحنةٌ ومسرّةٌ

وَما الناسُ إلّا مشتق وسعيدُ

وَما الناسُ إلّا مشتق وسعيدُ

And time is nothing but trial and joy,

And people are but suffering and happy.

and people are only the afflicted and the happy.

Your nights were all white, but

لَياليك بيضٌ كلّهنَّ وإنّما

لَياليك بيضٌ كلّهنَّ وإنّما

فَقَدناكَ وَالأيّام بعدك سودُ

فَقَدناكَ وَالأيّام بعدك سودُ

Your nights were white, every one of them; yet

We lost you, and the days after you are black.

we have lost you, and the days after you are black.

If you resembled Joseph in beauty,

فَإن كنتَ قَد أَشبهت في الحسن يوسفاً

فَإن كنتَ قَد أَشبهت في الحسن يوسفاً

فَفي الحزن إنّي عن أبيه أزيدُ

فَفي الحزن إنّي عن أبيه أزيدُ

And if you resembled Joseph in beauty,

In sorrow I exceed even his father.

then in sorrow I surpass his father.

The days did not let me forget seeing you,

وَلَم أنسهُ عهد الأيام ناظري

وَلَم أنسهُ عهد الأيام ناظري

يراك ودهري بالسرورِ يجودُ

يراك ودهري بالسرورِ يجودُ

Nor have I forgotten it—the days when my gaze

While my life overflowed with bliss.

saw you, and my time lavished joy;

When you were bright-faced, just reaching youth,

وَإِذ أنتَ طلقُ الوجهِ مقتبلُ الصِبا

وَإِذ أنتَ طلقُ الوجهِ مقتبلُ الصِبا

وَعيشكُ غضٌّ والزمان جديدُ

وَعيشكُ غضٌّ والزمان جديدُ

and when you were bright-faced, in the first bloom of youth,

Your life still fresh, and fate still new,

and your life was fresh, and time was new.

Moving about in your prime, so lovable,

يَروحُ ويَغدو في الشباب محبّباً

يَروحُ ويَغدو في الشباب محبّباً

عليك منَ الحسنِ البديعِ برودُ

عليك منَ الحسنِ البديعِ برودُ

He went forth at evening and at morning, beloved in youth,

The finest beauty shining brilliantly on you.

with robes of wondrous beauty upon you.