أما شُعوبٌ فخيّمَت بشعابِ

أما شُعوبٌ فخيّمَت بشعابِ

فسطت عليَّ وقطّعت أسبابِي

فسطت عليَّ وقطّعت أسبابِي

As for Shu‘ūb, Death, she has encamped in the ravines;

Though tribes pitched tents on the mountain clefts

Then she assailed me and severed my ties.

They stretched over me and severed my ties

لم يكفها أنّي فقدت شبيبتي

لم يكفها أنّي فقدت شبيبتي

وكفى به رزءاً فراقُ شبابِي

وكفى به رزءاً فراقُ شبابِي

It did not suffice her that I had lost my youth—

It did not suffice that I lost my youth

And parting from my youth was calamity enough—

And the parting of youth was affliction enough

حتى رَمَتنِي صائباتُ سِهَامِهَا

حتى رَمَتنِي صائباتُ سِهَامِهَا

بعد الصِّبا بتفاقُدِ الأحبابِ

بعد الصِّبا بتفاقُدِ الأحبابِ

Until her unerring arrows struck me,

Until their arrows struck me down

After youth, through the loss of loved ones.

After youth, missing friends and loved ones

مدَّت إليّ يَمينَهَا وشِمَالَهَا

مدَّت إليّ يَمينَهَا وشِمَالَهَا

صلة القطوع وهَجمَةَ النّهَاب

صلة القطوع وهَجمَةَ النّهَاب

She stretched her right hand and her left toward me,

They extended to me their right and their left

With a severer's bond and a plunderer's onslaught.

The bond of separation and the attack of the voracious

فاستأصلت أصلِي وفرعي أهلَكَت

فاستأصلت أصلِي وفرعي أهلَكَت

أبويَّ ثم تعقَّبَت أعقابِي

أبويَّ ثم تعقَّبَت أعقابِي

So she uprooted my root and my branch; she destroyed

They uprooted my origin and destroyed my branch

My parents, then pursued my descendants.

My father, then pursued my footsteps

لِلّهِ ذاكَ القبرُ ماذا ضمَّ مِن

لِلّهِ ذاكَ القبرُ ماذا ضمَّ مِن

فَضلِ الحِجَى ومحاسنِ الآدابِ

فَضلِ الحِجَى ومحاسنِ الآدابِ

By God, that grave—what it holds of

To Allah belongs that grave, what virtues

Excellent intellect and the graces of good manners,

Of nobility and beauty of manners lie within

وسماحةٍ ورجاحةٍ وأمانةٍ

وسماحةٍ ورجاحةٍ وأمانةٍ

وصيانةٍ وطهارةِ الأثوابِ

وصيانةٍ وطهارةِ الأثوابِ

And generosity, sound judgment, and trustworthiness,

Of generosity, dignity, honesty

And chastity and purity of garments,

And chastity, purity of dress

وشمائل مرضيّة معسُولَةٍ

وشمائل مرضيّة معسُولَةٍ

كالشُهدِ ممزوجاً بماءِ سحابِ

كالشُهدِ ممزوجاً بماءِ سحابِ

And pleasing, honeyed qualities,

Of pleasing traits, gentle as honey

Like honey mingled with water from clouds.

Mixed with the water of clouds

كُن في كفالةِ أحمدٍ خيرِ الوَرَى

كُن في كفالةِ أحمدٍ خيرِ الوَرَى

فَلَنَا به زُلفَى وحُسنُ مآبِ

فَلَنَا به زُلفَى وحُسنُ مآبِ

Be in the care of Ahmad, the best of creation;

Be in the safekeeping of Ahmed, best of creation

For through him we have nearness and a goodly return.

Through him we gain favor and beautiful returns

وتغمدتكَ من المهَيمِنِ رحمةٌ

وتغمدتكَ من المهَيمِنِ رحمةٌ

فَلَنَا به زُلفَى وحُسنُ مآبِ

فَلَنَا به زُلفَى وحُسنُ مآبِ

And may mercy from the Guardian enfold you;

May the Guardian envelop you in mercy

For through him we have nearness and a goodly return.

Through him we gain favor and beautiful returns

حتى أراكَ مُكَرَّماً ومنعَّماً

حتى أراكَ مُكَرَّماً ومنعَّماً

في الخُلدِ بين كواعب أترابِ

في الخُلدِ بين كواعب أترابِ

Until I see you honored and enjoying bliss

That I may see you honored and blessed

In eternal Paradise, among full-breasted maidens of equal age.

In eternity among the maidens of paradise