أَبكيكِ لَو نَهَضَت بِحَقِّكِ أَدمُعُ

أَبكيكِ لَو نَهَضَت بِحَقِّكِ أَدمُعُ

وَأَقولُ لَو أَنَّ النَّوائِبَ تَسمَعُ

وَأَقولُ لَو أَنَّ النَّوائِبَ تَسمَعُ

I would weep for you, if tears could rise to fulfill your due,

I would weep for you, if tears could do you justice;

and I would speak, if calamities could hear.

and I would speak, if calamities could hear.

وَأُخادِعُ الأَيّامَ وَهيَ مَلِيَّةٌ

وَأُخادِعُ الأَيّامَ وَهيَ مَلِيَّةٌ

بِنتاجِ كُلِّ مُلِمَّةٍ لا تُخدَعُ

بِنتاجِ كُلِّ مُلِمَّةٍ لا تُخدَعُ

I try to outwit Time, though it is laden

And I try to deceive the days, though they are rich

with the outcome of every calamity—and cannot be outwitted.

in the offspring of every calamity and cannot be deceived.

لا تَغبِطَنَّ عَلى البَقاءِ مُرَزَّأ

لا تَغبِطَنَّ عَلى البَقاءِ مُرَزَّأ

إِنَّ المُوَدِّعَ إِلفَهُ لَموَدّعُ

إِنَّ المُوَدِّعَ إِلفَهُ لَموَدّعُ

Do not envy a bereaved man his survival:

Never envy one bereaved for surviving:

he who bids his beloved farewell is himself like one departing.

for he who bids his beloved farewell is himself bid farewell.

ماطِل بِطَرفِكَ يا زَمانُ فَإِنَّهُ

ماطِل بِطَرفِكَ يا زَمانُ فَإِنَّهُ

لَم يَبقَ عِندي لِلصَّبابَةِ مَوضِعُ

لَم يَبقَ عِندي لِلصَّبابَةِ مَوضِعُ

Delay your stroke against him, O Time,

Hold back your glance, O Time, for

for he has left no room in me for another affliction.

no room for yearning remains in me.

أَو فارمِني بِسِهامِ خَطبِكَ جاهِداً

أَو فارمِني بِسِهامِ خَطبِكَ جاهِداً

إِن كانَ في قَوسِ الحَوادِثِ مَنزَعُ

إِن كانَ في قَوسِ الحَوادِثِ مَنزَعُ

Or shoot me with the arrows of your affliction, exerting all your might,

Or else shoot me with the arrows of your calamity, with all your might,

if the bow of fortune still has strength to draw.

if calamity's bow has any draw left.

لا سَالَمَتني النّائِباتُ فَإِنَّني

لا سَالَمَتني النّائِباتُ فَإِنَّني

ثِلجُ الفُؤادِ إِذاً تَقودُ فَأَتبَعُ

ثِلجُ الفُؤادِ إِذاً تَقودُ فَأَتبَعُ

May calamities never spare me, for I

May calamities never make peace with me, for I

am calm of heart when they lead and I follow.

am then cool of heart: they lead, so I follow.

وَعَدِمتُ أَوطاني فآنسُ أَرضِها

وَعَدِمتُ أَوطاني فآنسُ أَرضِها

وَحشٌ وَأَضيَقُها عَليَّ الأَوسَعُ

وَحشٌ وَأَضيَقُها عَليَّ الأَوسَعُ

I have lost my homelands, and the familiar comfort of their soil

And I have lost my homelands: their most welcoming ground

has become desolate; even their widest spaces have narrowed around me.

is wilderness; narrowest to me is their widest space.

أَوضَحتَ لي سُبُلَ الهُمومِ كَأَنَّما

أَوضَحتَ لي سُبُلَ الهُمومِ كَأَنَّما

صَبري تَخبُّ بِهِ الرّكابُ وَتوضِعُ

صَبري تَخبُّ بِهِ الرّكابُ وَتوضِعُ

You have made the paths of sorrow clear to me, as though

You laid bare for me the paths of sorrow, as though

my patience were a road along which caravans hurry and race.

the riding camels were trotting and hastening away with my patience.

وَأَضَقتَ ذَرعي بِالعَزاء وَطالَما

وَأَضَقتَ ذَرعي بِالعَزاء وَطالَما

أَمسى رَحيباً إِذ تَضيقُ الأَذرُعُ

أَمسى رَحيباً إِذ تَضيقُ الأَذرُعُ

My capacity for consolation has grown narrow, though often

And you made my endurance unequal to consolation, though so often

it became spacious when every other capacity constricted.

it was ample when others' endurance failed.

وَحَجَبتَ عَن عَيني الضِّياء كَأَنَّما ال

وَحَجَبتَ عَن عَيني الضِّياء كَأَنَّما ال

آفاقُ غَربٌ لَيسَ فيهِ مَطلَعُ

آفاقُ غَربٌ لَيسَ فيهِ مَطلَعُ

You have veiled the light from my eyes, as though the

And you veiled the light from my eye, as though the

horizons were a west with no sunrise.

horizons were a west with no place for sunrise.

فَلتَفخَرِ الأَيّامُ أَنَّ مُلِمَّةً

فَلتَفخَرِ الأَيّامُ أَنَّ مُلِمَّةً

مِنها أهالُ بِوَقعِها وَأرَوَّعُ

مِنها أهالُ بِوَقعِها وَأرَوَّعُ

Let Time boast that one calamity of mine

So let the days boast that a calamity

can appall and terrify by the force of its fall.

of theirs leaves me appalled and terrified by its impact.

قُبحاً لِيَومِكَ فَالنَّوائِبُ بَعدَهُ

قُبحاً لِيَومِكَ فَالنَّوائِبُ بَعدَهُ

جَلَلٌ وَكُلُّ رَزِيَّةٍ لا تَفجَعُ

جَلَلٌ وَكُلُّ رَزِيَّةٍ لا تَفجَعُ

Shame upon the day of your death: all calamities after it

A curse on your day! For calamities after it

are trifles, and no misfortune can truly grieve me.

are trifles, and no bereavement brings grief.

أَشكو فِراقَكِ ثُمَّ أَعلَمُ عِندَهُ

أَشكو فِراقَكِ ثُمَّ أَعلَمُ عِندَهُ

أَنَّ السَّبيلَ إِلى لِقائِكِ مَهيَعُ

أَنَّ السَّبيلَ إِلى لِقائِكِ مَهيَعُ

I lament our separation, yet alongside it I know

I lament parting from you, then know in its wake

that the road to meeting you lies broad and open.

that the way to meeting you is wide and open.

وَرَجوتُ قُربَكِ وَالدِّيارُ بَعيدَة

وَرَجوتُ قُربَكِ وَالدِّيارُ بَعيدَة

فَاليَومَ أَخفَقَ في اللِّقاءِ المَطمَعُ

فَاليَومَ أَخفَقَ في اللِّقاءِ المَطمَعُ

I hoped for your nearness while our dwellings were far apart;

And I hoped for your nearness, though the dwellings were distant;

today even the hope of meeting you has failed.

but today the hope of meeting you has failed.

لَو كانَ يَنفَعُني السُّلوُّ نَبَذتُهُ

لَو كانَ يَنفَعُني السُّلوُّ نَبَذتُهُ

أَسَفاً عَلَيكِ فَكَيفَ إِذ لا يَنفَعُ

أَسَفاً عَلَيكِ فَكَيفَ إِذ لا يَنفَعُ

If forgetting could benefit me, I would cast it away

If forgetting grief could help me, I would cast it aside

out of grief for you—how much more so, when it cannot avail!

in sorrow for you—how much more when it cannot help?

هَيهاتَ يَجمَعُ شَملَ صَبرٍ نافِر

هَيهاتَ يَجمَعُ شَملَ صَبرٍ نافِر

قَلبٌ بِأَيدي الحادِثاتِ مُوَزَّعُ

قَلبٌ بِأَيدي الحادِثاتِ مُوَزَّعُ

Far indeed is the gathering of patience’s scattered fragments once it has fled:

Never can fleeing patience be gathered together

my heart lies divided among the hands of calamities.

by a heart torn apart in the hands of calamities.

أَحنو الضُّلوعَ عَلى بَواعِثِ غُلَّةٍ

أَحنو الضُّلوعَ عَلى بَواعِثِ غُلَّةٍ

ضِمنَ ادِّكارِكَ أَنَّها لا تَنقَعُ

ضِمنَ ادِّكارِكَ أَنَّها لا تَنقَعُ

I fold my ribs over the springs of a burning thirst,

I fold my ribs around the sources of a burning thirst;

knowing, whenever I remember you, that they cannot be quenched.

remembrance of you has guaranteed that it will never be quenched.

وَأَلومُ طولَ اللَّيلِ أَرقُبُ فَجرَهُ

وَأَلومُ طولَ اللَّيلِ أَرقُبُ فَجرَهُ

أَو ما ابيضاضُ الصُّبحِ بَعدَكِ أَسفَعُ

أَو ما ابيضاضُ الصُّبحِ بَعدَكِ أَسفَعُ

I blame the long night as I await its dawn;

And I reproach the long night, awaiting its dawn;

or is not even the whiteness of dawn dark after you?

or is not dawn's whiteness dusky after you?

قَرَعَت إِلَيكَ ثَنِيّةٌ مَطروقَةٌ

قَرَعَت إِلَيكَ ثَنِيّةٌ مَطروقَةٌ

قَضَتِ المَنيِيَّةُ أَنَّها لا تَمنَعُ

قَضَتِ المَنيِيَّةُ أَنَّها لا تَمنَعُ

I set out toward you along a well-trodden mountain pass

A well-trodden mountain pass has been traversed toward you;

which Death decreed could never be barred.

Death decreed that it could not be barred.

ما كانَ أَوعَر نَهجِها لَو أَنَّهُ

ما كانَ أَوعَر نَهجِها لَو أَنَّهُ

خِرَق بِأَطرافِ الأَسِنَّةِ يُرقَعُ

خِرَق بِأَطرافِ الأَسِنَّةِ يُرقَعُ

How rugged was its road—if only it were a rent

How rugged its path would have been, had it

that the points of spears could mend!

been a rent to be patched with the points of spears!

لا تَبعُدَنَّ مَصارِعٌ مَطلولَةٌ

لا تَبعُدَنَّ مَصارِعٌ مَطلولَةٌ

ما حُطِّمَت فيها الرِّماحُ الشُّرَّعُ

ما حُطِّمَت فيها الرِّماحُ الشُّرَّعُ

May unavenged fields of slaughter never be far from me,

May the unavenged deathbeds never be far away,

whenever upright lances are shattered there—

where no leveled spears were shattered;

وَمُسَنَّدونَ تَعاقَروا كَأسَ الرَّدى

وَمُسَنَّدونَ تَعاقَروا كَأسَ الرَّدى

وَدَعا بِسَهمِهِم الحِمامُ فَأَسرَعوا

وَدَعا بِسَهمِهِم الحِمامُ فَأَسرَعوا

and stalwart men vie with one another in drinking the cup of death,

and reclining men who shared the cup of death,

summoned by death to their allotted share, and hastening to it.

and Death called them to their allotted share, so they hastened.

بَرَكَ الزَّمانُ عَلَيهِمُ بِجِرانِهِ

بَرَكَ الزَّمانُ عَلَيهِمُ بِجِرانِهِ

وَهَفَت بِهِم ريحُ الخُطوبِ الزّعزَعُ

وَهَفَت بِهِم ريحُ الخُطوبِ الزّعزَعُ

Time knelt upon them with the weight of its breast,

Time knelt upon them, pressing down its neck;

and the tempestuous wind of calamities swept them away.

and calamity's tempestuous wind swept them away.

خُرسٌ إِذا نادَيتَ إِلّا أَنَّهُم

خُرسٌ إِذا نادَيتَ إِلّا أَنَّهُم

وُعِظوا بِما يَزَعُ اللَّبيبَ فَأَسمَعوا

وُعِظوا بِما يَزَعُ اللَّبيبَ فَأَسمَعوا

They are mute when I call—except that they are

Mute when you call, yet they

admonishers through what sobers the discerning; how clearly they speak!

were admonished by what restrains the wise, and thus made themselves heard.

وَفَوارِسٌ عَهِدوا السُّيوفَ ذَوائِداً

وَفَوارِسٌ عَهِدوا السُّيوفَ ذَوائِداً

عَن سِربِهِم لَو صادَفَت ما تَقطَعُ

عَن سِربِهِم لَو صادَفَت ما تَقطَعُ

Horsemen who knew their swords as extensions

And horsemen who had known swords as defenders

beyond their troop, cutting down whatever they encountered.

of their flock, had the swords met something they could cut.

نَبَذوا الأَنامَ فَما أَضاءَ بِنَقعِهِم

نَبَذوا الأَنامَ فَما أَضاءَ بِنَقعِهِم

عَضبٌ يُشامُ وَلا سِنان يَلمَعُ

عَضبٌ يُشامُ وَلا سِنان يَلمَعُ

They left all mankind behind; amid their dust-cloud

They forsook humankind; no light shone amid their dust

no keen sword could be glimpsed, nor any spearhead gleam.

from a drawn keen blade, nor did any spearhead gleam.

البيضُ تُزهِرُ وَالدُّروعُ مُفاضَةٌ

البيضُ تُزهِرُ وَالدُّروعُ مُفاضَةٌ

وَالخَيلُ تَمرَحُ وَالقَنا يَتَزَعزَعُ

وَالخَيلُ تَمرَحُ وَالقَنا يَتَزَعزَعُ

White swords flashing, coats of armor flowing full,

White blades gleam, and coats of mail hang full-length;

horses prancing, and lances swaying.

and horses frisk, and the spear-shafts quiver.

وَالدَّهرُ يَفتِكُ بِالنُّفوسِ حِمامُهُ

وَالدَّهرُ يَفتِكُ بِالنُّفوسِ حِمامُهُ

فَلِمَن يُعَدُّ كَريمُهُ أَو يَجمَعُ

فَلِمَن يُعَدُّ كَريمُهُ أَو يَجمَعُ

Time—whose death relentlessly ravages souls—

And Time—its death strikes down souls;

for whom, then, should a noble man lay up or amass wealth?

for whom, then, are its treasures prepared or gathered?

عَجَباً لِمَن يُبقي ذَخائِرَ مالِهِ

عَجَباً لِمَن يُبقي ذَخائِرَ مالِهِ

وَيَظَلُّ يَحفَظُهُنَّ وَهوَ مُضَيَّعُ

وَيَظَلُّ يَحفَظُهُنَّ وَهوَ مُضَيَّعُ

How strange that anyone should preserve the stores of his wealth

How strange the man who preserves his stores of wealth

and keep guarding them while he himself is being lost;

and goes on guarding them while he himself is neglected!

وَلِغافِل وَلَه بِكُلِّ ثَنِيَّةٍ

وَلِغافِل وَلَه بِكُلِّ ثَنِيَّةٍ

مُلقى لَهُ بَطن الصَّفائِحِ مَضجَعُ

مُلقى لَهُ بَطن الصَّفائِحِ مَضجَعُ

and how strange for a heedless man, when at every turn

And the heedless man, though at every mountain pass

the hollow of stone slabs lies spread for him as a bed.

a bed lies ready for him beneath the stone slabs!

أَتُراهُ يَحسَبُ أَنَّهُم ما أَسأَروا

أَتُراهُ يَحسَبُ أَنَّهُم ما أَسأَروا

مِن كَأسِهِم أَضعافَ ما يُتَجَرَّعُ

مِن كَأسِهِم أَضعافَ ما يُتَجَرَّعُ

Does he suppose they did not hasten

Do you think he supposes they have not left behind

to drink from their cup many times what he must swallow?

from their cup many times what he must gulp down?

لَو كانَ يَمنَعكَ القِراعُ مَلأتَها

لَو كانَ يَمنَعكَ القِراعُ مَلأتَها

جُرداً يَغُصُّ بِها الفَضاء البَلقَعُ

جُرداً يَغُصُّ بِها الفَضاء البَلقَعُ

Had combat been able to protect you, you would have filled the field

Had battle been able to protect you, you would have filled it

with sleek steeds until the barren expanse was choked by them,

with sleek steeds that would choke the barren expanse.

وَأَثَرتَ في حَلَقِ الدُّروعِ عِصابَةً

وَأَثَرتَ في حَلَقِ الدُّروعِ عِصابَةً

كَالدَّهرِ تَخفِضُ ما يَشاء وَيَرفَعُ

كَالدَّهرِ تَخفِضُ ما يَشاء وَيَرفَعُ

and raised amid the rings of armor a warrior-band

And you would have roused, within the rings of mail, a band

like Time itself, lowering whom it willed and raising whom it willed.

like Time, bringing low what it wills and raising it up.

لَكِنَّها الأَقدارُ لَيسَ أَمامَها

لَكِنَّها الأَقدارُ لَيسَ أَمامَها

ما يُستَجَنُّ بِهِ وَلا يُستَدفَعُ

ما يُستَجَنُّ بِهِ وَلا يُستَدفَعُ

But these are the decrees of fate; before them there is

But these are fate's decrees; before them there is

no shelter in which to hide and no means of repelling them.

nothing to shelter behind or to ward them off with.

يا قَبرُ فيكَ الصّالِحاتُ دَفِينَةٌ

يا قَبرُ فيكَ الصّالِحاتُ دَفِينَةٌ

أَفَما تَضيقُ بِهِنَّ أَو تَتَصَدَّعُ

أَفَما تَضيقُ بِهِنَّ أَو تَتَصَدَّعُ

O grave, within you virtues lie buried;

O grave, within you good deeds lie buried;

do they not make you too narrow, or cause you to split apart?

do you not, then, grow cramped with them, or split apart?

لَو كُنتَ تُبلَغُ ما أَقولُ أَطَلتُ ما

لَو كُنتَ تُبلَغُ ما أَقولُ أَطَلتُ ما

أَشكو إِلَيكَ مِنَ الهُموم وَأَضرَعُ

أَشكو إِلَيكَ مِنَ الهُموم وَأَضرَعُ

If you could comprehend what I say, I would dwell at length upon what

If what I say could reach you, I would prolong

I lament to you of my sorrows, and I would implore you.

my complaints to you of sorrows, and my pleas.

حَيّاكَ فَجريُّ النَّسيمِ كَأَنَّهُ

حَيّاكَ فَجريُّ النَّسيمِ كَأَنَّهُ

أَبَداً بِطيبِ ثَنائِها يَتَضَوَّعُ

أَبَداً بِطيبِ ثَنائِها يَتَضَوَّعُ

May the dawn-fresh breeze salute you, as though it

May the dawn breeze salute you, as though it

forever breathed fragrance with its praise of you.

were forever fragrant with the sweetness of praise for her.

وَسَقَتكَ أَجفاني فَأَنتَ بِمَعزلِ

وَسَقَتكَ أَجفاني فَأَنتَ بِمَعزلِ

عَن أَن يُتاحَ لَكَ السَّحابُ الهُمَّعُ

عَن أَن يُتاحَ لَكَ السَّحابُ الهُمَّعُ

My eyelids have watered you, for you lie beyond the reach

And may my eyelids water you, for you are cut off

of any pouring clouds that might be granted you.

from having the pouring clouds bestowed upon you.

إِن لَم يَكُن عقرٌ عَلَيكَ فَإِنَّها

إِن لَم يَكُن عقرٌ عَلَيكَ فَإِنَّها

كَبِدٌ مُحَرَّقَةٌ وَقَلبٌ موجَعُ

كَبِدٌ مُحَرَّقَةٌ وَقَلبٌ موجَعُ

If this is no sacrifice offered over you, then it is

If no slaughtered offering lies upon you, there remain

a burning liver within me, and an aching heart.

a scorched liver and an aching heart.