وَلَدي قَد طالَ سُهدي وَنَحيبي

وَلَدي قَد طالَ سُهدي وَنَحيبي

جِئتُ أَدعوكَ فَهَل أَنتَ مُجيبي

جِئتُ أَدعوكَ فَهَل أَنتَ مُجيبي

My son, my sleeplessness and sobbing have lasted long.

My wailing and grief have been prolonged,

I have come to call you—will you answer me?

I came to call upon you, will you answer my plea?

جِئتُ أَروي بِدُموعي مَضجَعاً

جِئتُ أَروي بِدُموعي مَضجَعاً

فيهِ أَودَعتُ مِنَ الدُنيا نَصيبي

فيهِ أَودَعتُ مِنَ الدُنيا نَصيبي

I have come to water with my tears a resting place

I came to water with my tears the grave,

where I laid my share of this world.

In which I deposited my share of life.

لا تَخَف مِن وَحشَةِ القَبرِ وَلا

لا تَخَف مِن وَحشَةِ القَبرِ وَلا

تَبتَئِس إِنّي مُوافٍ عَن قَريبِ

تَبتَئِس إِنّي مُوافٍ عَن قَريبِ

Do not fear the grave's loneliness, nor

Do not fear the loneliness of the grave, nor

grieve; I shall join you soon.

Grieve, I will join you soon.

أَنا لا أَترُكُ شِبلي وَحدَهُ

أَنا لا أَترُكُ شِبلي وَحدَهُ

في جَديبٍ موحِشٍ غَيرِ رَحيبِ

في جَديبٍ موحِشٍ غَيرِ رَحيبِ

I will not leave my lion cub alone

I will not leave my cub alone,

in a barren, desolate, narrow place.

In a desolate, inhospitable wilderness.

أَوَ حينَ اِبتَزَّ دَهري قُوَّتي

أَوَ حينَ اِبتَزَّ دَهري قُوَّتي

وَذَوى عودي وَوافاني مَشيبي

وَذَوى عودي وَوافاني مَشيبي

And is it when my years have robbed me of my strength,

When the vicissitudes of life sapped my strength,

and my stem has withered and gray hair has come upon me,

And my firewood burned out, and old age overtook me.

وَاِكتَسى غُصنُكَ مِن أَوراقِهِ

وَاِكتَسى غُصنُكَ مِن أَوراقِهِ

تَحتَ شَمسِ العِزِّ وَالجاهِ الخَصيبِ

تَحتَ شَمسِ العِزِّ وَالجاهِ الخَصيبِ

and your branch has clothed itself in its leaves

And your branch was stripped of its leaves

beneath the sun of glory and flourishing prestige,

Under the sun of power and abundant prosperity.

وَرَجَونا فيكَ ما لَم يَرجُهُ

وَرَجَونا فيكَ ما لَم يَرجُهُ

مُنجِبُ الأَشبالِ في الشِبلِ النَجيبِ

مُنجِبُ الأَشبالِ في الشِبلِ النَجيبِ

and we hoped in you for what had never been hoped for

And we hoped in you what the sire of cubs never hoped

by a sire of cubs for his noble cub—

In the precious cub.

يَنتَويكَ المَوتُ في شَرخِ الصِبا

يَنتَويكَ المَوتُ في شَرخِ الصِبا

وَالشَبابُ الغَضُّ في البُردِ القَشيبِ

وَالشَبابُ الغَضُّ في البُردِ القَشيبِ

that death sets its sights on you in the prime of youth,

Death stalks you in the crack of youth

while tender youth is clad in a fresh new cloak?

And tender age in bitter cold.

لَم يَدَع آسيكَ جُهداً إِنَّما

لَم يَدَع آسيكَ جُهداً إِنَّما

غابَ عِلمُ اللَهِ عَن عِلمِ الطَبيبِ

غابَ عِلمُ اللَهِ عَن عِلمِ الطَبيبِ

Your healer spared no effort; it was only that

It left no remedy untried, but

God's knowledge lay beyond the physician's knowledge.

God’s knowledge eluded the physician’s knowledge.

إيهِ يا عَبدَ الحَميدِ اُنظُر إِلى

إيهِ يا عَبدَ الحَميدِ اُنظُر إِلى

والِدٍ جَمِّ الأَسى بادي الشُحوبِ

والِدٍ جَمِّ الأَسى بادي الشُحوبِ

Ah, Abd al-Hamid, look upon

Oh Abd al-Hamid, look at

a father full of grief, visibly pale,

A father overwhelmed with sorrow and pale.

ذاهِلٍ مِن فَرطِ ما حَلَّ بِهِ

ذاهِلٍ مِن فَرطِ ما حَلَّ بِهِ

بَينَ أَترابِكَ يَمشي كَالغَريبِ

بَينَ أَترابِكَ يَمشي كَالغَريبِ

stunned by the enormity of what has befallen him,

Bewildered with grief beyond limit

walking among your peers like a stranger.

Walking among your peers like a stranger.

كُلَّما أَبصَرَ مِنهُم واحِداً

كُلَّما أَبصَرَ مِنهُم واحِداً

هَزَّهُ الشَوقُ إِلى وَجهِ الحَبيبِ

هَزَّهُ الشَوقُ إِلى وَجهِ الحَبيبِ

Whenever he sees one of them,

Whenever he sees one of them,

longing for the beloved's face shakes him.

Yearning shakes him for the face of the beloved.

يَسأَلُ الأَغصانَ في أَزهارِها

يَسأَلُ الأَغصانَ في أَزهارِها

عَن أَخيها ذَلِكَ الغُصنِ الرَطيبِ

عَن أَخيها ذَلِكَ الغُصنِ الرَطيبِ

He asks the branches amid their blossoms

He asks the branches in their flowers

about their brother, that tender branch.

About their sister, that delicate branch.

يَسأَلُ الأَقمارَ في إِشراقِها

يَسأَلُ الأَقمارَ في إِشراقِها

عَن مُحَيّا غابَ مِن قَبلِ المَغيبِ

عَن مُحَيّا غابَ مِن قَبلِ المَغيبِ

He asks the moons in their radiance

He asks the moons in their shining

about a face that vanished before its setting.

About the vanished beloved.

غَمَرَ الحُزنُ نَواحي نَفسِهُ

غَمَرَ الحُزنُ نَواحي نَفسِهُ

وَأَذابَت لُبَّهُ سودُ الخُطوبِ

وَأَذابَت لُبَّهُ سودُ الخُطوبِ

Grief has engulfed every corner of his soul,

Grief flooded the regions of his soul

and dark calamities have melted his heart.

And the darkness of sorrows melted his heart.

فَهوَ لا يَنفَعُهُ العَيشُ وَهَل

فَهوَ لا يَنفَعُهُ العَيشُ وَهَل

تَصلُحُ الأَبدانُ مِن غَيرِ قُلوبِ

تَصلُحُ الأَبدانُ مِن غَيرِ قُلوبِ

So life does him no good; and can

So life is no use to him, for can

bodies be sound without hearts?

Bodies thrive without hearts?

طالِعي يا شَمسُ قَبراً ضَمَّهُ

طالِعي يا شَمسُ قَبراً ضَمَّهُ

بِالتَحايا في شُروقٍ وَغُروبِ

بِالتَحايا في شُروقٍ وَغُروبِ

Look upon, O sun, the grave that holds him,

Rise, o sun, over a grave which

with greetings at sunrise and sunset.

With greetings at dawn and dusk you encompass!

وَاِسكُني يا رَحمَةَ اللَهِ بِهِ

وَاِسكُني يا رَحمَةَ اللَهِ بِهِ

وَاِجعَلي فَيضَكِ مُنهَلَّ السُكوبِ

وَاِجعَلي فَيضَكِ مُنهَلَّ السُكوبِ

And dwell within it, O mercy of God,

Settle, o God's mercy, upon him

and let your bounty pour down in torrents.

And make your abundance the haven of the afflicted.