لو برَّد العذلُ من غليلي

لو برَّد العذلُ من غليلي

لم أحم سمعي عن العذول

لم أحم سمعي عن العذول

If reproach could cool some of my burning anguish,

If grief's chill would abate from my anguish,

I would not shield my hearing from the reproacher.

I would not deafen my ears to consolation.

لامَ خليُّ الحشا فقلبي

لامَ خليُّ الحشا فقلبي

ملآنُ من دائي الدخيل

ملآنُ من دائي الدخيل

A carefree-hearted man reproached me, but my heart

But the bosom friend of my innermost heart

is full of the sickness lodged deep within me.

Is filled with the ache of an uncured illness.

أثكلني الدهرُ وهو لاهٍ

أثكلني الدهرُ وهو لاهٍ

لم يدرِ ما لوعةُ الثكول

لم يدرِ ما لوعةُ الثكول

Time bereaved me, while he remained heedless;

Time has been harsh, though oblivious is he

he did not know the anguish of the bereaved.

To the torment of my desolate weeping.

لو صدعت نكبتي حشاه

لو صدعت نكبتي حشاه

إذا كَسا جسمه نحولي

إذا كَسا جسمه نحولي

Had my calamity split his heart,

If my misfortune's wound were laid bare

then my wasting would have clothed his body.

By a body emaciated and frail,

يقول ما لي أراك حزناً

يقول ما لي أراك حزناً

تحنُّ كالواله العجول

تحنُّ كالواله العجول

He says: Why do I see you grieving,

He would say, why do I see you so sad

moaning like a distraught she-camel bereft of her young?

That you moan like a camel bereft of her young?

تعزَّ إنَّ العزاء أولى

تعزَّ إنَّ العزاء أولى

بشيمة الكامل النبيل

بشيمة الكامل النبيل

Be consoled; consolation better befits

Take comfort - comfort's more fitting indeed

the character of the accomplished, noble man.

To one so perfect and nobly refined.

فقلت عنِّي وهل لغيري

فقلت عنِّي وهل لغيري

يا لائمي رنَّةُ العويل

يا لائمي رنَّةُ العويل

So I said: Leave me! Does anyone but me,

So I said, who but I should complain

O my reproacher, have this ringing wail?

With the sobbing and wail of the woeful?

قلبي بالصبر كانَ سيفاً

قلبي بالصبر كانَ سيفاً

وامتلأ اليوم بالفلول

وامتلأ اليوم بالفلول

My heart, through patience, was a sword,

With patience my heart was a sword long ago,

and today it is filled with notches.

Today it is rusted and ruined.

معلِّلي بالعزاء رفقاً

معلِّلي بالعزاء رفقاً

تحنو على قلبي العليل

تحنو على قلبي العليل

You who soothe me with consolation, be gentle;

Comfort me gently, have mercy on me,

show tenderness toward my ailing heart.

My ailing heart falters and crumbles.

كذبت لو قد عناك وجدي

كذبت لو قد عناك وجدي

ما نمت عن ليلي الطويل

ما نمت عن ليلي الطويل

You lie! Had my anguish afflicted you,

You lie if you claim I am consoled -

you would not have slept heedless of my long night.

I've not slept a night since this absence so long.

أسأل عن صبري الجميل

أسأل عن صبري الجميل

بعد افتقادي أبا خليل

بعد افتقادي أبا خليل

Am I asked for graceful patience

I ask about the fine patience I had

after losing Abu Khalil?

Before losing Abu Khalil, that pillar of faith.

قضى بحجر النهى عزيزاً

قضى بحجر النهى عزيزاً

والموت ضربٌ من الخمول

والموت ضربٌ من الخمول

He died, honored in wisdom's lap,

Death struck him down with a blow unexpected,

and death is a kind of obscurity.

For death itself can be lazy and dull.

وغسلته العُلى وقالت

وغسلته العُلى وقالت

بوركت من طاهرٍ غسيل

بوركت من طاهرٍ غسيل

And Glory washed him and said:

The angels then washed his pure earthly frame

Blessed are you, pure and washed clean!

And said: Blessed this body made clean.

ثمَّ نعت أيها المسجَّى

ثمَّ نعت أيها المسجَّى

والحمد في برده الجميل

والحمد في برده الجميل

Then she mourned, O you laid out,

They shrouded and prayed for him, saying:

while praise was in his beautiful mantle.

Praise to this noble soul now serene.

أما ترى أحمداً ينادي

أما ترى أحمداً ينادي

يا مقلتي في الدموع سيلي

يا مقلتي في الدموع سيلي

Do you not see Ahmad calling:

Ahmad calls in his weeping so bitter:

O my eye, flow with tears!

My dear friend, for my tears oh how free!

ومنك ينعى على نجيبٍ

ومنك ينعى على نجيبٍ

قرمٍ لأثقاله حمول

قرمٍ لأثقاله حمول

And in your loss he mourns a noble man,

And he mourns for a leader now gone,

a chief who bore his burdens.

Once firm though bent by time's heavy load.

يقول يا منهضي برفقٍ

يقول يا منهضي برفقٍ

من عثرة الدهر من مقيلي

من عثرة الدهر من مقيلي

He says: O you who gently raised me

Gently lead me, he pleads, from missteps

from Time's stumble—who will lift me up?

Of an age that has often misled.

أصول فيمن على زماني

أصول فيمن على زماني

يا دافني سيفي الصقيل

يا دافني سيفي الصقيل

With whom shall I charge against my times,

I depend for my life on the great ones gone by,

O you who bury my polished sword?

You who bury my polished sword's blade.

وهذه المكرماتُ تنعى

وهذه المكرماتُ تنعى

فتخلط النعيَ بالعويل

فتخلط النعيَ بالعويل

And these noble virtues announce his death,

These acts of grace that you mourn and recall

mingling that announcement with wailing.

Mix mourning with weeping untold.

قد حملوا واحدي بنعشٍ

قد حملوا واحدي بنعشٍ

خفّ بعبء النهى الثقيل

خفّ بعبء النهى الثقيل

They have borne my peerless one upon a bier

As one they carried my father's remains

that grew light with wisdom's heavy burden.

In a casket with time's burden old.

يا راحلاً للبلى إلى من

يا راحلاً للبلى إلى من

بعدك بين الورى رحيلي

بعدك بين الورى رحيلي

O you departed to decay, to whom

O you whose journey to dust starts today,

among humankind shall I journey after you?

After you is there refuge for me?

منك رباعُ العُلى برغمي

منك رباعُ العُلى برغمي

خلت ورغم الحجى الأصيل

خلت ورغم الحجى الأصيل

Glory's dwellings, without you and against my will,

Your rule was glory for me in spite of

stand empty, against deep-rooted wisdom's will as well.

The best and the wisest who disagree.

زهتْ زماناً بها الليالي

زهتْ زماناً بها الليالي

والسعدُ في ظلّها الظليل

والسعدُ في ظلّها الظليل

For a time, the nights shone resplendent in them,

For a time nights were brightened by you,

with happiness in their sheltering shade.

Rest and shade was your peace to bestow.

وغرُّ أيَّامها حسانٌ

وغرُّ أيَّامها حسانٌ

تمرُّ وضاحة الحجول

تمرُّ وضاحة الحجول

And their bright-faced days were beautiful,

Your days glistened with bountiful beauty

passing with gleaming anklets.

That still in our memory sweetly glow.

والناسُ من رائحٍ وغادٍ

والناسُ من رائحٍ وغادٍ

يثني بمعروفها الجميل

يثني بمعروفها الجميل

And people, traveling at evening or morning,

Travelers came and went singing your praises,

would praise their beautiful kindness.

Thanks for your generosity flowed.

واليوم ذاك الثناءُ أضحى

واليوم ذاك الثناءُ أضحى

نوحاً على رزئه الجليل

نوحاً على رزئه الجليل

And today that praise has become

But that praise is now sorrow and grieving

a lament over the grievous loss of him.

For you and your glory a shroud.

كنت لشبليَّ أمس أنعى

كنت لشبليَّ أمس أنعى

واليوم أنعى أبا الشبول

واليوم أنعى أبا الشبول

Yesterday I mourned my two lion cubs;

Yesterday's eulogy was for my youth,

and today I mourn the father of the cubs.

Today I mourn the father of youth.

تتابعوا للمنون عنِّي

تتابعوا للمنون عنِّي

تتابعَ الشهب للأفول

تتابعَ الشهب للأفول

One after another they left me for death,

Loss upon loss fate unpitying brings me;

like bright stars following one another to their setting.

Like shooting stars swiftly they swoop.

جفاهم الدهرُ بعد وصلٍ

جفاهم الدهرُ بعد وصلٍ

والدهرُ كالعاشق الملول

والدهرُ كالعاشق الملول

Time spurned them after intimacy,

Time has parted dear friends joined in union,

and Time is like a lover soon grown weary.

Though time is a lover who swoons.

لم يبقَ إلاَّ القليلُ منهم

لم يبقَ إلاَّ القليلُ منهم

والخيرُ في ذلك القليل

والخيرُ في ذلك القليل

Only a few of them remain,

Only a few of that noble band remain;

and goodness dwells in those few.

Yet the best may be found in their few.

فروعُ مجدٍ شذا علاهم

فروعُ مجدٍ شذا علاهم

يشهد بالطيبِ للأُصول

يشهد بالطيبِ للأُصول

Branches of glory: the fragrance of their eminence

Branches of glory surviving the loss

attests the sweetness of their roots.

With sweetness attest to the roots.

من أحمدٍ قدرُه عليٌّ

من أحمدٍ قدرُه عليٌّ

ومن أخٍ للنهى خليل

ومن أخٍ للنهى خليل

Among them is Ahmad, whose standing is lofty,

There is Ali's reign after Ahmad,

and a brother—Khalil, wisdom's close friend.

And Khalil's bold brother who shoots.

قبيلة المجد مَن سواكم

قبيلة المجد مَن سواكم

لم يعرف المجد من قبيل

لم يعرف المجد من قبيل

O tribe of glory, none besides you

No tribe knew glory before you -

has glory ever known as a tribe.

To you glory's own tribe accrues.

عذراً إذا لم أقلْ عزاءً

عذراً إذا لم أقلْ عزاءً

ما هذه قولة الثكول

ما هذه قولة الثكول

Pardon me if I speak no consolation;

Forgive me for offering no comfort here -

such is not the speech of the bereaved.

Such is the way when death renews

وطابَ قبرٌ به توارى

وطابَ قبرٌ به توارى

محمدٌ ذو الحجى الأصيل

محمدٌ ذو الحجى الأصيل

And blessed be the grave in which lies hidden

Grief in a heart that can barely endure.

Muhammad, endowed with deep-rooted wisdom.

Blessed the grave that hides my friend true!

أغناه ما فيه من سماحٍ

أغناه ما فيه من سماحٍ

عن سقي جفن الحيا البخيل

عن سقي جفن الحيا البخيل

The generosity within it spared it the need

The noble soul that resides in that place

for watering from miserly rain's eyelid.

Is rich beyond measure in virtue.