قَد سارَ اِسكَندَرُ المَحبوبُ فَاِنصَدَعَت

قَد سارَ اِسكَندَرُ المَحبوبُ فَاِنصَدَعَت

لَهُ قُلوبُ بَني زَينيةٍ اَسَفا

لَهُ قُلوبُ بَني زَينيةٍ اَسَفا

Beloved Iskandar has departed, and thereupon broke apart

Beloved Iskandar has departed, and shattered

the hearts of Banū Zaynaba, grieving for him.

are the hearts of the Zayniyya family in grief for him.

كَالغُصنِ جَفَّ سَريعاً ماءَ نَضرتِهِ

كَالغُصنِ جَفَّ سَريعاً ماءَ نَضرتِهِ

فَباتَ يَسقيهِ ماءُ الدَمعِ إِذ ذَرَفا

فَباتَ يَسقيهِ ماءُ الدَمعِ إِذ ذَرَفا

Like a bough, the sap of his bloom swiftly dried;

He was like a branch whose fresh sap quickly dried up;

so through the night, the water of tears watered it as it flowed.

so flowing tears watered him through the night.

لَم يَرحَمِ البَينُ فيهِ قَلبَ والدِهِ

لَم يَرحَمِ البَينُ فيهِ قَلبَ والدِهِ

وَلا رَثى لِصباهُ لا وَلا عَطَفا

وَلا رَثى لِصباهُ لا وَلا عَطَفا

Separation, in taking him, showed no mercy to his father’s heart,

Parting from him showed his father's heart no mercy,

nor pitied his tender years—no, nor relented.

Nor pitied his youth—no, nor showed compassion.

فَاِكتُب عَلى لَوحِ رَمسٍ أَرِّخوهُ لَهُ

فَاِكتُب عَلى لَوحِ رَمسٍ أَرِّخوهُ لَهُ

يَبكي الحَمامُ عَلى غُصنٍ قَد اِنقَصَفا

يَبكي الحَمامُ عَلى غُصنٍ قَد اِنقَصَفا

So write upon his tombstone the chronogram they made for him:

So inscribe upon a tombstone—make this his chronogram:

“The dove weeps over a bough that has snapped.”

The doves weep over a branch that has snapped.