أَستَودِعُ اللَهَ في أَظعانِهِم قَمَراً

أَستَودِعُ اللَهَ في أَظعانِهِم قَمَراً

إِلَيهِ لَو ضَلَّتِ الأَقمارُ يُحتَكَمُ

إِلَيهِ لَو ضَلَّتِ الأَقمارُ يُحتَكَمُ

I entrust to God a moon amid their departing caravans,

I entrust to God their crescent moon

to whom the moons would turn for judgment, should they go astray.

To whom, were the moons to go astray, the moons would turn

عِندي سُهادٌ وَعِندَ الهاجِرينَ كَرىً

عِندي سُهادٌ وَعِندَ الهاجِرينَ كَرىً

فَاللَيلُ مُشتَرَكٌ بَيني وَبَينَهُمُ

فَاللَيلُ مُشتَرَكٌ بَيني وَبَينَهُمُ

Sleeplessness is mine, and slumber belongs to those who forsake me;

I have a pillow, and the emigrants have an abode

so the night is shared between me and them.

So the night is shared between me and them

بِأَيِّ وَجهٍ يَراني الناسُ بَعدُهُم

بِأَيِّ وَجهٍ يَراني الناسُ بَعدُهُم

حَيّا وَيا أَسَفا إِن قُلتُ بَعدَهُمُ

حَيّا وَيا أَسَفا إِن قُلتُ بَعدَهُمُ

How can people look upon me after them,

In what way will people see me alive after them

alive? And, alas, if I say 'after them'!

Alas, alas if I say after them

أَبكي الَّذي زالَ عِندَ التاجِ دَولَتُهُ

أَبكي الَّذي زالَ عِندَ التاجِ دَولَتُهُ

إِذا بَكى الناسُ مَن زَلَّت بِهِ القَدَمُ

إِذا بَكى الناسُ مَن زَلَّت بِهِ القَدَمُ

I weep for him whose power vanished beside the crown,

I weep for him whose power by the crown has passed

when people weep for one whose foot has slipped.

When people weep for those brought down

أَعزِز عَلَيَّ بِأَن ظَلَّت دِيارُهُمُ

أَعزِز عَلَيَّ بِأَن ظَلَّت دِيارُهُمُ

تُسدى الهُمومُ بِها أَو تُندَبُ الهِمَمُ

تُسدى الهُمومُ بِها أَو تُندَبُ الهِمَمُ

How grievous to me that their dwellings remain,

More burdensome for me that their homes are desolate

with sorrows woven there, or high aspirations mourned.

In them worries cease or ambitions weep

وَما لَبِستُ دُموعَ العَينِ عاطِلَةً

وَما لَبِستُ دُموعَ العَينِ عاطِلَةً

إِلّا وَفَيضُ دَمي في رُدنِها عَلَمُ

إِلّا وَفَيضُ دَمي في رُدنِها عَلَمُ

And never have I worn the eye's tears unadorned,

My tears' flow is never without meaning

save with my blood's outpouring as a stripe upon their sleeve.

Except that the outpouring of my blood in their flow is a flag

إِن يَنهَدِم بِكُمُ لِلدَهرِ بَيتُ عُلاً

إِن يَنهَدِم بِكُمُ لِلدَهرِ بَيتُ عُلاً

فَإِنَّ بَيتَ رِثائي لَيسسَ يَنهَدِمُ

فَإِنَّ بَيتَ رِثائي لَيسسَ يَنهَدِمُ

If a house of glory falls to time along with you,

If through you the house of glory for fate is demolished

then the verse of my elegy will not crumble.

Then my house of elegy will not be demolished

مَعنىً مِنَ الكَرَمِ المَهجورِ فُزتُ بِهِ

مَعنىً مِنَ الكَرَمِ المَهجورِ فُزتُ بِهِ

وَفي الرِثاءِ لِمَن لا يُرتَجى كَرَمُ

وَفي الرِثاءِ لِمَن لا يُرتَجى كَرَمُ

I have attained a form of neglected generosity,

A purpose of abandoned generosity I have gained

and there is generosity in mourning one from whom nothing is hoped.

And in eulogizing those whose generosity cannot be hoped for

وَكانَ حَقُّكُمُ لَو كانَ لي قِبَلٌ

وَكانَ حَقُّكُمُ لَو كانَ لي قِبَلٌ

أَن يَنصُرَ السَيفُ لا أَن يَنصُرَ القَلَمُ

أَن يَنصُرَ السَيفُ لا أَن يَنصُرَ القَلَمُ

And it was your due, had I the strength,

Your due would have been, had I resoluteness,

that the sword should aid you, not the pen.

That the sword, not the pen, bring victory