حرت ماذا أقول فيما دهاني

حرت ماذا أقول فيما دهاني

في بني ذخرته لزماني

في بني ذخرته لزماني

I am bewildered: what shall I say of what has befallen me

I am perplexed what to say of what has saddened me,

Concerning my son, whom I had kept in reserve for my days?

Among my people it was stored up for my time.

هل هو الدهر قد تعدى عليه

هل هو الدهر قد تعدى عليه

أم أمور جرت من الرحمن

أم أمور جرت من الرحمن

Is it Time that has wronged him,

Is it fate that has trespassed against it,

Or events that have come from the Most Merciful?

Or matters arranged by the Merciful?

إن يكن ذا فعاله فهو عدل

إن يكن ذا فعاله فهو عدل

أو يكن ذا جرى من الحدثان

أو يكن ذا جرى من الحدثان

If this is His doing, then it is justice;

If it be so, then it is justice,

Or if this has come from the vicissitudes of fate,

Or if it flows from events.

فعلى الجملة التي زخرفوها

فعلى الجملة التي زخرفوها

إن هذا ظلم بلا هذيان

إن هذا ظلم بلا هذيان

Then, according to the statement they have embellished:

In short, that edifice which they adorned,

This is indeed injustice—no mere raving.

If this be not injustice without madness!