أَبَعْدَكَ أَتَّقِي نُوَبَ الزَّمانِ

أَبَعْدَكَ أَتَّقِي نُوَبَ الزَّمانِ

أَبَعْدَكَ أَرْتَجِي دَرَكَ الأَمانِي

أَبَعْدَكَ أَرْتَجِي دَرَكَ الأَمانِي

After you, shall I fear the calamities of time?

Without you I avoid the strokes of fate

After you, shall I hope to attain my wishes?

Without you my hopes are delayed

أَيَجْمُلُ بِيَ الْعَزاءُ وَأَنْتَ ثاوٍ

أَيَجْمُلُ بِيَ الْعَزاءُ وَأَنْتَ ثاوٍ

أَيَحْسُنُ بِي الْبَقاءُ وَأَنْتَ فانِ

أَيَحْسُنُ بِي الْبَقاءُ وَأَنْتَ فانِ

Is consolation fitting for me while you lie buried?

Does consolation befit me while you lie in dust?

Is it fitting for me to live on while you have perished?

Does life please me while you are gone?

لِكُلِّ رَزِيَّةٍ أَلَمٌ وَمَسٌّ

لِكُلِّ رَزِيَّةٍ أَلَمٌ وَمَسٌّ

وَلا كَرَزِيَّةِ الْمَلِكَ الهِجانِ

وَلا كَرَزِيَّةِ الْمَلِكَ الهِجانِ

Every calamity has its pain and sting,

For every mishap there is pain and touch

but none is like the loss of the noble king.

Except for the mishap of the eternal King

وما أَنا بِالرَّبِيطِ الْجَأْشِ فِها

وما أَنا بِالرَّبِيطِ الْجَأْشِ فِها

فَأَسْلُوَهُ وَلا الثَّبْتِ الْجَنانِ

فَأَسْلُوَهُ وَلا الثَّبْتِ الْجَنانِ

And I am not so composed of heart amid this

I am not like the shaky coward in it

as to forget him, nor steadfast in spirit.

So I appease him, nor the courageous

أُلامُ عَلَى امْتِناعِ الشِّعْرِ مِنِّي

أُلامُ عَلَى امْتِناعِ الشِّعْرِ مِنِّي

وَما عِنْدَ اللَّوائِمِ ما دَهانِي

وَما عِنْدَ اللَّوائِمِ ما دَهانِي

I am blamed because poetry will not come from me,

I blame the reluctance of poetry from me

yet my reproachers do not bear what has befallen me.

And the slanderers have nothing to smear me

أَلِي قَلْبٌ أَلِي لُبٌّ فَأَمْضِي

أَلِي قَلْبٌ أَلِي لُبٌّ فَأَمْضِي

مَضاءَ السَّيْفِ فِهِ وَالسِّنانِ

مَضاءَ السَّيْفِ فِهِ وَالسِّنانِ

Have I a heart, have I a mind, to press on

Do I have a heart, do I have a mind so I endure

through it with the keenness of sword and spear-point?

The course of the sword in it and the spear

كَفى بِدَلِيلِ حُزْنِي أَنَّ دَمْعِي

كَفى بِدَلِيلِ حُزْنِي أَنَّ دَمْعِي

أَطاعَ وَأَنَّ فِكْرِيَ قَدْ عَصانِي

أَطاعَ وَأَنَّ فِكْرِيَ قَدْ عَصانِي

It is proof enough of my grief that my tears

The proof of my sorrow is enough that my tears

have obeyed, while my thought has disobeyed me.

Obeyed and my thoughts disobeyed me

إِذا خَطَرَتْ لِمَجْدِ الدِّينِ ذِكرى

إِذا خَطَرَتْ لِمَجْدِ الدِّينِ ذِكرى

وَجَدْتُ الشِّعْرَ حَيْثُ الشِّعْرَيانِ

وَجَدْتُ الشِّعْرَ حَيْثُ الشِّعْرَيانِ

Whenever a memory of Majd al-Din comes to mind,

When the glory of religion is remembered

I find poetry where the two Dog Stars are.

I find poetry where the two carotid arteries are

وَما إِنْ ذاكَ تَقْصِيرٌ بِحَقٍّ

وَما إِنْ ذاكَ تَقْصِيرٌ بِحَقٍّ

وَلكِنَّ الأَسى قَيْدُ اللِّسانِ

وَلكِنَّ الأَسى قَيْدُ اللِّسانِ

And that is no neglect of duty,

That is not negligence in truth

but grief is the tongue's fetter.

But sorrow is the fetter of the tongue

وَمَنْ كَمُصِيبَتِي وَعَظِيمِ رُزْئِي

وَمَنْ كَمُصِيبَتِي وَعَظِيمِ رُزْئِي

أُصِيبَ وَمَنْ عَراهُ كَما عَرانِي

أُصِيبَ وَمَنْ عَراهُ كَما عَرانِي

And who, by calamity and grievous loss like mine,

Whoever is stricken like me and has great calamity

has been stricken, and whom has it struck as it struck me?

Is stricken, whoever is exposed like I am exposed

أَعَضْبَ الدَّوْلَةِ اخْتَرَمَتْكَ مِنّا

أَعَضْبَ الدَّوْلَةِ اخْتَرَمَتْكَ مِنّا

يَدٌ ما لِلأَنامِ بِها يَدانِ

يَدٌ ما لِلأَنامِ بِها يَدانِ

O ʿAḍb al-Dawla, you were snatched away from us

The fate that separated you from us

by a hand that no mortal hands can withstand.

A hand that has no equal for the people

وكُنْتَ السَّيْفَ تُشْحَذُ شَفْرَتاهُ

وكُنْتَ السَّيْفَ تُشْحَذُ شَفْرَتاهُ

لِفَلِّ كَتِيبَةٍ وَلِفكِّ عانِ

لِفَلِّ كَتِيبَةٍ وَلِفكِّ عانِ

And you were the sword whose two edges were sharpened

You used to sharpen the blade for

to rout a battalion and free a captive.

Every brave battalion and resolute hero

فَقُطِّعَ بِالنَّوائِبِ صَفْحَتاهُ

فَقُطِّعَ بِالنَّوائِبِ صَفْحَتاهُ

وَفُلِّلَ بِالْخُطُوبِ الْمَضْرِبانِ

وَفُلِّلَ بِالْخُطُوبِ الْمَضْرِبانِ

Then its two flat sides were cut to pieces by calamities,

So its edge was severed by misfortunes

and its two striking edges blunted by disasters.

And its striking places made blunt by calamities

سَحابٌ لِلأَباعِدِ مُسْتَهِلُّ

سَحابٌ لِلأَباعِدِ مُسْتَهِلُّ

وَبَحْرٌ مُسْتَفِيضٌ لِلأَدانِي

وَبَحْرٌ مُسْتَفِيضٌ لِلأَدانِي

A raincloud pouring for those far away,

A cloud for distances rising

and an overflowing sea for those near;

And an overflowing sea for the nearby

وَبَدْرٌ لَوْ أَضاءَ لَما أَسِينا

وَبَدْرٌ لَوْ أَضاءَ لَما أَسِينا

عَلى أَنْ لا يُضِيءَ النَّيِّرانِ

عَلى أَنْ لا يُضِيءَ النَّيِّرانِ

and a full moon—had it shone, we would not have grieved

A moon that if it shone we would not grieve

that the two luminaries did not shine.

That it does not illuminate the fires

سَأُنْفِقُ ما بَقِيتُ عَلَيْكَ عُمْرِي

سَأُنْفِقُ ما بَقِيتُ عَلَيْكَ عُمْرِي

بُكاءً شَأْنُهُ أَبَداً وَشانِي

بُكاءً شَأْنُهُ أَبَداً وَشانِي

As long as I live, I shall spend my life on you,

I will spend what remains of my life weeping for you

in weeping, forever my life's occupation and mine.

Its manner forever weeping and me

وَلَو أَنِّي قَتَلْتُ عَلَيْكَ نفْسِي

وَلَو أَنِّي قَتَلْتُ عَلَيْكَ نفْسِي

مُكافاةً لِحقِّكَ ما كَفانِي

مُكافاةً لِحقِّكَ ما كَفانِي

And even if I killed myself in grief for you,

If I killed myself for your right

in repayment of what is owed you, it would not suffice me.

In recompense for your due it would not suffice me