إِبكِ بَكَت عَيناكَ ثُمَّ تَبادَرَت

إِبكِ بَكَت عَيناكَ ثُمَّ تَبادَرَت

بِدَمٍ يَعُلُّ غُروبَها بِسِجامِ

بِدَمٍ يَعُلُّ غُروبَها بِسِجامِ

Weep—your eyes have wept, then raced each other to overflow,

Weep—your eyes wept, then gushed

with tears that drench their channels in streaming floods.

With blood that repeatedly drenches their tear-channels in torrents.

ماذا بَكَيتَ عَلى الَّذينَ تَتابَعوا

ماذا بَكَيتَ عَلى الَّذينَ تَتابَعوا

هَلّا ذَكَرتَ مَكارِمَ الأَقوامِ

هَلّا ذَكَرتَ مَكارِمَ الأَقوامِ

Why do you weep for those who followed one another in death?

What tears have you shed for those who departed one after another?

Why not recall the noble virtues of the tribes,

Why did you not recall the peoples’ noble deeds,

وَذَكَرتَ مِنّا ماجِداً ذا هِمَّةٍ

وَذَكَرتَ مِنّا ماجِداً ذا هِمَّةٍ

سَمحَ الخَلائِقِ ماجِدَ الإِقدامِ

سَمحَ الخَلائِقِ ماجِدَ الإِقدامِ

and remember from among us a noble man of high resolve,

And recall a noble man among us, possessed of resolve,

generous in character, glorious in daring—

Generous in character, noble in daring?

أَعني النَبِيَّ أَخا التَكَرُّمِ وَالعُلى

أَعني النَبِيَّ أَخا التَكَرُّمِ وَالعُلى

وَأَبَرَّ مَن يولي عَلى الأَقسامِ

وَأَبَرَّ مَن يولي عَلى الأَقسامِ

I mean the Prophet, brother to munificence and lofty glory,

I mean the Prophet, brother to generosity and exalted rank,

the truest of all who swear their solemn oaths?

And the most faithful to his oaths of all who swear.

فَلِمِثلُهُ وَلِمِثلُ ما يَدعو لَهُ

فَلِمِثلُهُ وَلِمِثلُ ما يَدعو لَهُ

كانَ المُمَدَّحَ ثُمَّ غَيرَ كَهامِ

كانَ المُمَدَّحَ ثُمَّ غَيرَ كَهامِ

For one like him, and for a cause like that to which he calls,

So, for his like, and for the like of what he calls for,

the one thus praised was then no blunted blade.

He was much praised, and, moreover, no laggard.