عزاء بني سمح فما قد لقي سمح

عزاء بني سمح فما قد لقي سمح

لتلقون ما عنه لجاء ولا نزح

لتلقون ما عنه لجاء ولا نزح

Take comfort, sons of Samḥ—for whatever Samḥ has met,

Take solace, sons of Samḥ: what Samḥ has met,

you shall surely meet; from it there is neither refuge nor escape.

you will surely meet; from it there is no refuge or escape.

فما فسحة الأعمار إِلا أمانيا

فما فسحة الأعمار إِلا أمانيا

إِذا انقضت الأَعمار لم يمنع الفسح

إِذا انقضت الأَعمار لم يمنع الفسح

The span of mortal lives is nothing but wishes;

For the length of our lives is nothing but wishful hopes;

when lives have run their course, no breadth of time avails.

when lifetimes end, their length affords no protection.

نؤمل آمالاً ومن دون نيلها

نؤمل آمالاً ومن دون نيلها

لعمري اللتيا والمهالك والترح

لعمري اللتيا والمهالك والترح

We cherish hopes, yet between us and their attainment—

We cherish hopes, but before their fulfillment

by my life—stand the nights, perils, and sorrow.

lie, by my life, hardship, deadly perils, and grief.

يموت غني القوم موتة مدقع

يموت غني القوم موتة مدقع

ويرمس عبد السوء ما رمس الفتح

ويرمس عبد السوء ما رمس الفتح

The rich man of his people dies a pauper’s death,

The rich man of the people dies the death of a pauper,

and the wretched slave is laid in earth just like the noble victor.

and the vile slave is buried just as al-Fatḥ was buried.

صبتنا تصاريف الليالي وغيها

صبتنا تصاريف الليالي وغيها

فكم جلب الخسران منا لنا الربح

فكم جلب الخسران منا لنا الربح

The vicissitudes of the nights and their delusions have beguiled us;

The turns of the nights and their misguidance have beguiled us;

how often gain, through our own doing, has brought us loss.

and how often has gain brought us loss of our own making!

شححنا بما تحوي يدانا لحبها

شححنا بما تحوي يدانا لحبها

وليس بنا عما يسيء بنا شح

وليس بنا عما يسيء بنا شح

We begrudged what our hands possess, for love of it,

We have been miserly with what our two hands hold, for love of it,

yet feel no such reluctance toward what brings us harm.

yet we do not hold back from what harms us.

نطيع هوى الشيطان فيما يريده

نطيع هوى الشيطان فيما يريده

ونعصي الَّذي منه الهداية والنصح

ونعصي الَّذي منه الهداية والنصح

We obey Satan’s desire in whatever he wishes,

We obey Satan's desire in whatever he wishes,

and disobey Him from whom come guidance and sincere counsel.

and disobey the One from whom come guidance and counsel.

نشحح للدنيا رجاء دوامها

نشحح للدنيا رجاء دوامها

فيوقعنا فيما يضر بنا الشح

فيوقعنا فيما يضر بنا الشح

We hoard for this world, hoping it will endure,

We cling greedily to this world, hoping it will endure,

and hoarding casts us into what brings us harm.

and miserliness casts us into what harms us.

ونسبح في لج الأَماني ودون ما

ونسبح في لج الأَماني ودون ما

ترجى المنايا حيث لم ينجنا السبح

ترجى المنايا حيث لم ينجنا السبح

We swim in the deep sea of hopes, though before whatever

And we swim in the deep sea of wishes, yet before what

is hoped for stand deaths, where swimming cannot save us.

is hoped for lies death, where swimming has not saved us.

أَلا إِننا موتى وأَبناؤها معا

أَلا إِننا موتى وأَبناؤها معا

وآباء أَموات فأني لنا السجح

وآباء أَموات فأني لنا السجح

Behold, we are dead—and all this world’s children together—

Behold, we are dead men and the world's sons at once,

and fathers to the dead; how then can we roam free?

and fathers of the dead—how, then, can ease be ours?

ومن أعجب الأَشياء ميت معزيا

ومن أعجب الأَشياء ميت معزيا

على فقد ميت ميتاً نحوهم ينحو

على فقد ميت ميتاً نحوهم ينحو

Among the strangest things is a dead man offering solace

And among the strangest things is a dead man consoling

for the loss of one dead, while dead himself and heading their way.

a dead man over a dead man's loss, while he heads their way.

ولولا التعازي سنة يقتدي بها

ولولا التعازي سنة يقتدي بها

لما كان لي فيها هجاء ولا مدح

لما كان لي فيها هجاء ولا مدح

Were condolences not an established custom people follow,

And were condolences not a custom to be followed,

I would have neither censure nor praise for them.

I would have in them neither satire nor praise.

فصبراً بني عبد السلام وأسوة

فصبراً بني عبد السلام وأسوة

فما سُقيت أَبناء حوا سقي سمح

فما سُقيت أَبناء حوا سقي سمح

So patience, sons of ʿAbd al-Salām, and solace in a common fate:

So be patient, sons of ʿAbd al-Salām, and take solace in others' example;

whatever draught the children of Eve were given, Samḥ was given.

for the draught given to Eve's children was given to Samḥ.

سقت قبر سمح كل يوم وليلة

سقت قبر سمح كل يوم وليلة

طوال الليالي الهمع الوطف الدلح

طوال الليالي الهمع الوطف الدلح

May Samḥ’s grave, every day and every night, be watered

May Samḥ's grave be watered each day and night,

through the long nights by streaming, rain-laden, heavily burdened clouds.

throughout the nights, by pouring, low-hanging, rain-laden clouds.