ليالي النوى علمتني النحيبا

ليالي النوى علمتني النحيبا

وزاد الجوى نار وجدي لهيبا

وزاد الجوى نار وجدي لهيبا

The nights of separation taught me how to sob;

The nights of separation taught me to sob,

And passion’s anguish fanned my longing’s fire to flame.

And anguish made the fire of my longing burn fiercer.

أناديك عثمان والقلب مضنى

أناديك عثمان والقلب مضنى

وما كان عهدي أن لا تجيبا

وما كان عهدي أن لا تجيبا

I call to you, O Uthman, my heart worn thin—

I call to you, Uthman, with a heart worn out,

Never did I expect of you that you would not reply.

And I had never known you not to answer.

بلى قد رمتك عوادي الليالي

بلى قد رمتك عوادي الليالي

وهيهات رميتها أن تخيبا

وهيهات رميتها أن تخيبا

Indeed, the onslaughts of the nights have struck you,

Yes, the ravages of the nights have struck you,

And far be it from their shot to miss its mark.

And there is no hope that their shot should miss.

فجاء الطبيب ويا ليت شعري

فجاء الطبيب ويا ليت شعري

أينج الطبيب اذا ما أصيبا

أينج الطبيب اذا ما أصيبا

The physician came—and oh, if only I knew:

Then came the physician—ah, would that I knew:

Can a physician save one once he has been stricken?

Can the physician survive when he is stricken?

وعادك فاستشعر اليأس لما

وعادك فاستشعر اليأس لما

رأيناه يمشي الينا كئيبا

رأيناه يمشي الينا كئيبا

He visited you and sensed despair; when

And he visited you; we felt despair when

We saw him walking toward us, he was downcast.

We saw him walking toward us, dejected.

فبتنا وقد أرق الخطب عينا

فبتنا وقد أرق الخطب عينا

ودب الأسى بالقلوب الدبيبا

ودب الأسى بالقلوب الدبيبا

We spent the night, the calamity denying our eyes sleep,

So we passed the night, calamity keeping our eyes awake,

While sorrow crept stealthily through the hearts.

And sorrow creeping its slow way through our hearts,

جثواً لديك ولما يئسنا

جثواً لديك ولما يئسنا

أقمنا على كل عضو رقيبا

أقمنا على كل عضو رقيبا

They knelt beside you; and when we despaired,

Kneeling beside you; and when we despaired,

We stationed a watcher over every limb.

We set a watcher over every limb.

براك السقام فأمسيتَ مضنى

براك السقام فأمسيتَ مضنى

وقد كنت بالأمس غصنا رطيبا

وقد كنت بالأمس غصنا رطيبا

Sickness wore you down, and you became exhausted,

Illness wore you down, and you grew frail,

Though only yesterday you were a fresh, supple bough.

Though yesterday you were a supple bough.

فنمت وأسلمت لله روحا

فنمت وأسلمت لله روحا

طهورا الى ربه قد أنيبا

طهورا الى ربه قد أنيبا

Then you slept and yielded up to God a soul

Then you slept and surrendered to God a soul

Pure, which had turned in repentance to its Lord.

Pure, already returned to its Lord.

وأمسيت محتجبا عن عيون

وأمسيت محتجبا عن عيون

أسالت لفقدك دمعا سكيبا

أسالت لفقدك دمعا سكيبا

And you became hidden from the eyes

And you were veiled from eyes

That shed copious tears at losing you.

That shed copious tears at losing you.

فيا راحلا شيعته القلوب

فيا راحلا شيعته القلوب

وكادت لنكبته أن تذوبا

وكادت لنكبته أن تذوبا

O departed one, whom hearts escorted,

So, O departed one, hearts escorted you,

And nearly melted beneath the blow of losing you.

And nearly melted at the tragedy that befell you.

لقد كنت فينا تقيا وفيا

لقد كنت فينا تقيا وفيا

وكنت هماما وشهما أديبا

وكنت هماما وشهما أديبا

Indeed, you were among us devout and faithful,

Indeed, among us you were devout and faithful,

A man of mettle, noble and cultivated.

And you were valiant, noble-hearted, and cultured.

على العهد ما دمت حيا واني

على العهد ما دمت حيا واني

أرى العيش بعدك لي لن يطيبا

أرى العيش بعدك لي لن يطيبا

I stand by our bond as long as I live, and I

I shall keep faith as long as I live, and I

See no sweetness for me in life after you.

See that life after you will never be sweet to me.

وان كنت قد غبت عن مقلتي

وان كنت قد غبت عن مقلتي

فإنك عن خاطري لن تغيبا

فإنك عن خاطري لن تغيبا

Though you have vanished from my sight,

And though you have vanished from my sight,

You will never be absent from my thoughts.

Yet you will never vanish from my mind.

تبين الليالي لنا عن شؤون

تبين الليالي لنا عن شؤون

تحير في فهمهن اللبيبا

تحير في فهمهن اللبيبا

The nights disclose to us affairs

The nights reveal to us affairs

Whose meaning bewilders even the wise;

That baffle the wise who would understand them.

صروف تمر بنا صامتات

صروف تمر بنا صامتات

وقد فقدن في وعظهن الخطيبا

وقد فقدن في وعظهن الخطيبا

Silent vicissitudes pass us by,

Turns of fortune pass over us in silence,

Their admonitions bereft of a preacher.

And in their admonitions they lack a preacher.