أَيا طِفلَ الشَفيقَةِ إِنَّ رَبّي

أَيا طِفلَ الشَفيقَةِ إِنَّ رَبّي

عَلى ما شاءَ مِن أَمرٍ مُقيتُ

عَلى ما شاءَ مِن أَمرٍ مُقيتُ

O child of the compassionate woman, surely my Lord

O child of the compassionate mother, my Lord

Has power over whatever matter He wills.

Has ordained as He willed, a detestable matter

تَكَلَّمُ بَعدَ مَوتِكَ بِاِعتِبارٍ

تَكَلَّمُ بَعدَ مَوتِكَ بِاِعتِبارٍ

وَقَد أَودى بِكَ النَبأُ المَقيتُ

وَقَد أَودى بِكَ النَبأُ المَقيتُ

You speak after your death, offering a lesson,

I speak after your death with remorse

Though the hateful tidings have already brought you to your end.

Since the detestable news took you away

تَقولُ حَلَلتُ عاجِلَتي بِكُرهي

تَقولُ حَلَلتُ عاجِلَتي بِكُرهي

فَعِشتُ وَكَم لُدِدتُ وَكَم سُقيتُ

فَعِشتُ وَكَم لُدِدتُ وَكَم سُقيتُ

You say: “I entered my earthly life against my will;

I gave up my immediate desires for my eventual ones

So I lived—how often I was dosed with medicine, how often given drink!

Thus did I live, and how I was weaned and given to drink

رَقيتُ الحَولَ شَهراً بَعدَ شَهرٍ

رَقيتُ الحَولَ شَهراً بَعدَ شَهرٍ

فَلَيتَني في الأَهِلَّةِ ما رُقيتُ

فَلَيتَني في الأَهِلَّةِ ما رُقيتُ

I climbed through the year, month after month;

I grew month after month

Would that, through those crescent moons, I had never received healing charms!

If only I had not grown in those months

فَلَمّا صيحَ بي وَدَنا فِطامي

فَلَمّا صيحَ بي وَدَنا فِطامي

تَيَمَّمَني الحِمامُ فَما وُقيتُ

تَيَمَّمَني الحِمامُ فَما وُقيتُ

Then, when I was called out to and my weaning drew near,

When the pigeons cooed at me and my weaning approached

Death sought me out, and I was not spared.

I was not protected from them

تَرَكتُ الدارَ خالِيَةً لِغَيري

تَرَكتُ الدارَ خالِيَةً لِغَيري

وَلَو طالَ المَقامُ بِها شَقيتُ

وَلَو طالَ المَقامُ بِها شَقيتُ

I left the dwelling empty for another;

I left the house empty for others

And had my stay there been prolonged, I would have suffered.

And had I stayed long in it, I would have suffered

نَقَيتُ فَما دَنِستُ وَلَو تَمادَت

نَقَيتُ فَما دَنِستُ وَلَو تَمادَت

حَياةٌ بي دَنِستُ فَما نَقيتُ

حَياةٌ بي دَنِستُ فَما نَقيتُ

I was pure and never defiled; had there lingered

I was purified so I did not become impure

Life in me, I would have been defiled, no longer pure.

And had I lived long, I would not have stayed pure

وَما يُدريكِ باكِيَتي عَساني

وَما يُدريكِ باكِيَتي عَساني

لِسُكنى الفَوزِ في الأُخرى اِنتُقيتُ

لِسُكنى الفَوزِ في الأُخرى اِنتُقيتُ

And how can you know, my mourner? Perhaps I

Who knows, perhaps my crying is so I

Was chosen to dwell in bliss in the hereafter.

Can attain success in the hereafter if I am chosen

رَقَتني الراقِياتُ وَحُمَّ يَومي

رَقَتني الراقِياتُ وَحُمَّ يَومي

فَغادَرَني كَأَنّي ما رُقيتُ

فَغادَرَني كَأَنّي ما رُقيتُ

The women recited healing charms over me, yet my day was decreed;

Those who weaned me were gentle, and on the day I left

So it left me as though I had never received healing charms.

It was as if I had never been weaned

هَبيني عِشتُ عُمرَ النَسرِ فيها

هَبيني عِشتُ عُمرَ النَسرِ فيها

وَكانَ المَوتُ آخِرَ ما لَقَيتُ

وَكانَ المَوتُ آخِرَ ما لَقَيتُ

Suppose I lived a vulture's lifetime there,

Alas! I lived the life of an eagle in it

And death was the last thing I encountered—

And death was the last I met

فَقيراً فَاِستُضِمتُ بِلا اِتِّقاءٍ

فَقيراً فَاِستُضِمتُ بِلا اِتِّقاءٍ

لِرَبّي أَو أَميراً فَاِتُّقيتُ

لِرَبّي أَو أَميراً فَاِتُّقيتُ

Poor, and thus oppressed with no fear

Poor - so I clung without caution

Of my Lord; or a prince, and thus feared.

To my Lord or as a prince so I was cautious

وَمِن صُنعِ المَليكِ إِلَيَّ أَنّي

وَمِن صُنعِ المَليكِ إِلَيَّ أَنّي

تَعَجَّلتُ الرَحيلَ فَما بَقَيتُ

تَعَجَّلتُ الرَحيلَ فَما بَقَيتُ

And one of the Sovereign's favors to me is that I

By the king's making, I

Hastened my departure and did not remain.

Hastened my departure so did not last

لَوَ اِنّي هَضبُ شابَةَ لَاِرتُقيتُ

لَوَ اِنّي هَضبُ شابَةَ لَاِرتُقيتُ

وَماءٌ في القَرارَةِ لَاِستُقيتُ

وَماءٌ في القَرارَةِ لَاِستُقيتُ

Were I the rocky heights of Shabah, I would have been climbed;

If only I were a young mountain gazelle, I would have climbed

And were I water in the hollow, I would have been drawn up.”

And water in a jug, I would have been scooped up