بكيْتُ فما أَجْدى حَزِنْتُ فما أَغْنَى

بكيْتُ فما أَجْدى حَزِنْتُ فما أَغْنَى

ولابدَّ لي أَنْ أُجْهِدَ الدَّمع والحُزنَا

ولابدَّ لي أَنْ أُجْهِدَ الدَّمع والحُزنَا

I wept, but it availed nothing; I grieved, but it did no good.

I wept but it was of no use, I grieved but to no avail,

And I must exhaust tears and grief.

And I have no choice but to exert my tears and grief.

قَبِيحٌ قبِيحٌ أَنْ أَرَى الدَّمْع لاَ يَفي

قَبِيحٌ قبِيحٌ أَنْ أَرَى الدَّمْع لاَ يَفي

وأَقبحُ مِنْهُ أَنْ أَرَى القَلْبَ لاَ يَفْنىَ

وأَقبحُ مِنْهُ أَنْ أَرَى القَلْبَ لاَ يَفْنىَ

Shameful, shameful, that I should see tears fall short;

How ugly it is that tears do not suffice,

And more shameful still, that I should see the heart not perish.

And uglier still that the heart does not perish.

مضى الجَوْهَرُ الأَعْلَى وأَيُّ مُروءَة

مضى الجَوْهَرُ الأَعْلَى وأَيُّ مُروءَة

إِذا ما ادَّخرْنا بعدَه العَرَضَ الأَدْنَى

إِذا ما ادَّخرْنا بعدَه العَرَضَ الأَدْنَى

The noblest substance has passed away—and what honor is there

The supreme jewel is gone - what manliness is there

If, after him, we store up the lowliest accident?

If we hoard inferior finery after it?

ثكِلتْ خليلاً صِرْتُ من بَعْدِ ثُكْله

ثكِلتْ خليلاً صِرْتُ من بَعْدِ ثُكْله

فُرَادَى وجاءَ الهمُّ من بَعدِه مَثْنَى

فُرَادَى وجاءَ الهمُّ من بَعدِه مَثْنَى

I lost a dear friend; after losing him I became

I lost a friend and after his loss grew desolate,

Alone, while sorrow came after him twofold.

Alone, as cares came to me in pairs.

وقد كَانَ مَثْوىَ القَلبِ مَغْنى سرورِه

وقد كَانَ مَثْوىَ القَلبِ مَغْنى سرورِه

فقد خَرِبَ المثْوىَ وقد أَقْفَر المَغْنَى

فقد خَرِبَ المثْوىَ وقد أَقْفَر المَغْنَى

And the heart's abode had been the dwelling of its joy;

My heart once found its dwelling a source of joy,

So the abode has fallen to ruin, and the dwelling stands deserted.

That dwelling lies in ruins, that source of joy a waste.