فؤادي قريحٌ قد جفاه اصطباره

فؤادي قريحٌ قد جفاه اصطباره

ودمعي أبت إلا انسكابا غزاره

ودمعي أبت إلا انسكابا غزاره

My heart is wounded; its patient endurance has forsaken it.

My heart is a talent that its endurance has dried it

And my tears' abundant drops refuse anything but pouring forth.

And my tears refused except to flow abundantly

يسر الفتى بالعيش وهو مبيده

يسر الفتى بالعيش وهو مبيده

ويغتر بالدنيا وما هي داره

ويغتر بالدنيا وما هي داره

The young man rejoices in life, though it is his destroyer.

The young man is delighted with life while it destroys him

And he is beguiled by this world, though it is not his home.

And he is deceived by the world though it is not his abode

وفي عبر الأيام للمرء واعظ

وفي عبر الأيام للمرء واعظ

إذا صح فيها فكره واعتباره

إذا صح فيها فكره واعتباره

In the lessons of the days there is an admonisher for man,

And in the lessons of days there is for man a preacher

if his thinking and reflection upon them are sound.

If his thoughts and considerations in them are sound

فلا تحسبن يا غافل الدهر صامتا

فلا تحسبن يا غافل الدهر صامتا

فأفصح شيءٍ ليله ونهاره

فأفصح شيءٍ ليله ونهاره

So never suppose, heedless one, that time is silent:

So think not, O oblivious of fate, it is silent

its night and day are the most eloquent of things.

For the clearest thing is its night and day

أصخ لمناجاة الزمان فأنه

أصخ لمناجاة الزمان فأنه

سيغينك عن جهر المقال سراره

سيغينك عن جهر المقال سراره

Listen closely to time's whispered counsel, for

Listen to the whispering of time, for it

its whispering will spare you the need for words spoken aloud.

Will spare you the utterance of speech by its secrets

إدار على الماضين كأسا فكلهم

إدار على الماضين كأسا فكلهم

أبيحت مغانيه وأقوت دياره

أبيحت مغانيه وأقوت دياره

It passed a cup among those gone before: every one of them

Pass around to the departed a cup, for all of them

had his abodes exposed to plunder and his dwellings deserted.

Its meanings were made lawful and their homes were demolished

ولم يحمهم من أن يسقوا بكأسهم

ولم يحمهم من أن يسقوا بكأسهم

تناوش أطراف القنا واشتجاره

تناوش أطراف القنا واشتجاره

Nor were they shielded from being made to drink their cup

And none of them were protected from drinking of the cup

by the clash of spear-points and their interlocking.

The wrangling of fate and its contentions

وغالت أبا عبد المليك صروفه

وغالت أبا عبد المليك صروفه

وقد كان دهراً لا يباح ذماره

وقد كان دهراً لا يباح ذماره

And time's vicissitudes carried off Abu Abd al-Malīk,

And the turns of fortune exhausted Abu Abd al-Malik

though long had all he held sacred been inviolate.

Though he was once, his gambling was not permitted

فأصبح مجفوا وقد كان واصلاً

فأصبح مجفوا وقد كان واصلاً

وأمسى قصيا وهو دانٍ مزاره

وأمسى قصيا وهو دانٍ مزاره

So he became forsaken, though he had maintained ties,

So he became obscured, and he was a connection

and became remote, though his resting place is near.

And he ended isolated, while he is valued his shrine

ولم أنس إذ أودى الحمام بنفسه

ولم أنس إذ أودى الحمام بنفسه

فلم يبق إلا فعله وادكاره

فلم يبق إلا فعله وادكاره

Nor have I forgotten when death carried off his soul,

I do not forget when the dove took his soul

leaving nothing but his deeds and remembrance of him.

So nothing remained but his deeds and his generosity

إذا رقات عيني استهلت شؤونها

إذا رقات عيني استهلت شؤونها

لمأتم حزن قد أرن صواره

لمأتم حزن قد أرن صواره

Whenever my eye ceases weeping, its tear-ducts stream anew

When my eyes are softened, their sorrows unleash

for a gathering of grief whose herd of mourners cries aloud.

The grief of sadness, which tyranny provoked

تجاوب هذي تلك عند بكائها

تجاوب هذي تلك عند بكائها

كترجيع شول حين حنت عشاره

كترجيع شول حين حنت عشاره

This one answers that one as it weeps,

This replies to that in its weeping

like dry she-camels answering when their pregnant kin moan.

Like the cooing of doves when their young ones were taken

كأن لم يكن كالمزن يرهب صعقه

كأن لم يكن كالمزن يرهب صعقه

عدو ويرجى في المحول انهماره

عدو ويرجى في المحول انهماره

As though he had not been like rain clouds, their thunderbolts feared

As if he did not exist, like the watchman who fears its swooping

by an enemy, their downpour hoped for in times of drought.

An enemy, and hopes for its downpour in the floodplain

أما وعلي مروان أن مصابة

أما وعلي مروان أن مصابة

أثار أسىً تذكى على القلب ناره

أثار أسىً تذكى على القلب ناره

Indeed, by Marwan's high estate, the loss of him

But by Ali, Marwan's affliction

has stirred a sorrow whose fire blazes upon the heart.

Stirred a sorrow that ignites a fire in the heart

فلا شرب إلا قد تكدر صفوه

فلا شرب إلا قد تكدر صفوه

ولا نوم إلا قد تجافى غيراره

ولا نوم إلا قد تجافى غيراره

So no drink remains but its clarity is clouded,

So no drink except its purity is disturbed

nor any sleep but even its briefest doze has fled.

And no sleep except its warmth has turned away

فأي حيا للفضل أجلى غمامه

فأي حيا للفضل أجلى غمامه

ونظمٍ من العلياء حان انتشاره

ونظمٍ من العلياء حان انتشاره

What life-giving rain of virtue has had its clouds dispersed,

Which noble virtue made clear its clouds?

and what necklace of eminence has reached its time to scatter!

And whose poetry of the eminent has come to circulate?

خوى المجد من مروان وانهد طوده

خوى المجد من مروان وانهد طوده

وجد بمجد المرمات عثاره

وجد بمجد المرمات عثاره

Glory stands empty of Marwan, and its mountain has collapsed,

Glory has vanished from Marwan and his towering heights leaned

and the glory of [noble deeds?] suffered a grievous stumble.

And found in the glory of tombs its substitute

وما خلت أن الصبح يشرق بعده

وما خلت أن الصبح يشرق بعده

لعينٍ وإن الروض يبقى اخضراره

لعينٍ وإن الروض يبقى اخضراره

I never thought dawn would shine after him

And morning has not dawned after him with an eye

for any eye, or that the garden would keep its greenness.

Whose meadow remains verdant in its greenery

فيا طود عز زلزل الأرض هده

فيا طود عز زلزل الأرض هده

وبدر علا راع الأنام انكداره

وبدر علا راع الأنام انكداره

O mountain of might, whose collapse shook the earth,

So O lofty pillar that shook the ground in its firmness

and moon of eminence, whose darkening terrified mankind!

And full moon that saddened the people in its eclipse

هنيئاً للحد ضم شلوك أن غدا

هنيئاً للحد ضم شلوك أن غدا

عميد الندى والمجد فيه قراره

عميد الندى والمجد فيه قراره

Fortunate the grave that enfolds your remains, now that

Congratulations to the grandfather who tomorrow contained

the lord of generosity and glory has his resting place within it.

The unique perfume and settled glory in it

ولم أر درّاً قطُّ أصدافه الثرى

ولم أر درّاً قطُّ أصدافه الثرى

ولا بدر تمٍّ في التراب مغاره

ولا بدر تمٍّ في التراب مغاره

Never have I seen pearls with earth for their shells,

And I have not seen a pearl whose shells the earth covered

nor a full moon with its hiding place in the dust.

Nor a full moon that took refuge in the soil

عزاءً بني عبد العزيز وإن خلا

عزاءً بني عبد العزيز وإن خلا

من المجد مغناه وهد مناره

من المجد مغناه وهد مناره

Take comfort, sons of Abd al-Aziz, though emptied

Condolences, O Banu Abd al-Aziz, though

of glory is his abode, and its beacon is laid low.

Its shelter of glory and its beacon have emptied

ففيكم لهذا الصدع آسٍ وجابرٌ

ففيكم لهذا الصدع آسٍ وجابرٌ

وإن كان صعباً أسوه وانجباره

وإن كان صعباً أسوه وانجباره

For among you are a healer and a mender for this fracture,

For you are for this crack a consoler and healer

though its healing and knitting together are difficult.

Though severe its pain and unbearable

لكم شرف أرسى قواعد بيته

لكم شرف أرسى قواعد بيته

أبو بكر الساري إليكم نجاره

أبو بكر الساري إليكم نجاره

Yours is a nobility whose house's foundations were firmly laid by

For you is the noble lineage that established its foundations

Abu Bakr, whose noble stock flows down to you.

Abu Bakr al-Sari its carpenter for you

أجل وزير عطر الأرض ذكره

أجل وزير عطر الأرض ذكره

واخجل زهر النيرات فخاره

واخجل زهر النيرات فخاره

The most illustrious minister, whose renown perfumed the earth,

O excellent vizier whose mention scented the earth

and whose glory put the shining heavenly lights to shame.

And the blossoms of spears were humbled by his superiority

فلو كان للعلياء جيدٌ ومعصم

فلو كان للعلياء جيدٌ ومعصم

لأصبح منكم عقده وسواره

لأصبح منكم عقده وسواره

If eminence had a neck and a wrist,

Had the eminent a neck and a protector

its necklace and bracelet would surely be fashioned from you.

From you would be its choker and bracelet