إلى متى اللّهوُ والأحبابُ قد رحلوا

إلى متى اللّهوُ والأحبابُ قد رحلوا

يا من بفانية اللّذّات يشتغل

يا من بفانية اللّذّات يشتغل

How long this idle pleasure, when loved ones have already departed?

How long will there be frivolity and dear friends who have departed,

O you who are absorbed in fleeting pleasures.

O you who is busy with the fleeting pleasures of life?

كم جرّعَتْك كؤوسُ البَيْنِ من غُصَصٍ

كم جرّعَتْك كؤوسُ البَيْنِ من غُصَصٍ

فالعين باكية والقلب مشتعِل

فالعين باكية والقلب مشتعِل

How many choking pangs have the cups of separation made you swallow!

How many cups of separation have made you drink bitterness,

So the eye weeps, and the heart is aflame.

So the eye weeps while the heart blazes?

وكم نحبتَ على صبٍّ علِقْتَ به

وكم نحبتَ على صبٍّ علِقْتَ به

وأصدقاءَ سُوَيدا القلب قد نزلوا

وأصدقاءَ سُوَيدا القلب قد نزلوا

And how often have you sobbed over a lover to whom you were attached,

And how you have yearned for a beloved you were attached to,

And friends who had settled in the very core of your heart!

And bosom friends whose hearts were intimate.

قد سافروا سَفَراً جَدَّ المَسِيرُ بهم

قد سافروا سَفَراً جَدَّ المَسِيرُ بهم

فيه فليس إلى رُجْعَاهُمُ أمل

فيه فليس إلى رُجْعَاهُمُ أمل

They have set out on a journey whose course sped them onward,

They have travelled a journey from which there is no return,

On which there is no hope of their return.

In it - so there is no hope of their coming back.

وبدّلونا بسكنى حفرةٍ قبُحت

وبدّلونا بسكنى حفرةٍ قبُحت

وخلّفونا وَدَمْعُ العين منهطل

وخلّفونا وَدَمْعُ العين منهطل

And they exchanged our company for dwelling in a loathsome pit,

And they have replaced us with the dwelling of an ugly grave,

And left us behind, the eye's tears pouring down.

Leaving us while the tears of the eye are pouring down.

وعاد حُسْنُهُمُ قُبْحاً وأُنْسُهُمُ

وعاد حُسْنُهُمُ قُبْحاً وأُنْسُهُمُ

وَحْشاً وحزنُهم نَامٍ ومُتَّصِلُ

وَحْشاً وحزنُهم نَامٍ ومُتَّصِلُ

And their beauty turned to ugliness, and their companionship

And their beauty has become ugliness, their company solitude,

To desolation; grief for them grows and remains unbroken.

Their joy slumbering, continuous sorrow.

فالنّطق منطبِق والجفنُ منغلِق

فالنّطق منطبِق والجفنُ منغلِق

واللّونُ منمحقُ والوصل منفصل

واللّونُ منمحقُ والوصل منفصل

So speech is stilled, and the eyelid is shut;

So speech is sealed, the eyelid closed,

And color is effaced, and the bond is severed;

The color effaced, the union severed.

والأذن في صَمَمٍ والسّاقُ في سكن

والأذن في صَمَمٍ والسّاقُ في سكن

واليدُّ في سدل فالكلّ منخذل

واليدُّ في سدل فالكلّ منخذل

And the ear is deaf, and the leg is still;

The ear is deaf, the leg still,

And the hand hangs limp, so all is helpless.

The hand limp, all are defeated.

يا من تُرَى ما لذاك الحسن منخسفاً

يا من تُرَى ما لذاك الحسن منخسفاً

وما دهاه وحارت عنده الحِيَلُ

وما دهاه وحارت عنده الحِيَلُ

O you—why, I wonder, is that beauty eclipsed?

O you whose perfect beauty has waned,

And what befell it, leaving all remedies baffled?

And its splendor confounded all stratagems.

دهاه أمرٌ عظيم لا مَرَدَّ له

دهاه أمرٌ عظيم لا مَرَدَّ له

قضى به اللّهُ والإنسان يحتمل

قضى به اللّهُ والإنسان يحتمل

A mighty calamity befell it, one that cannot be averted;

Something mighty has confounded it, inexorable,

God decreed it, and humankind must bear it.

Decreed by Allah, and man must endure.

يحقّ للعين أن تبكي لفُرقتها

يحقّ للعين أن تبكي لفُرقتها

أَحِبَّةً ليس في دَهْرِي لهم بَدَل

أَحِبَّةً ليس في دَهْرِي لهم بَدَل

The eye has every right to weep at its parting from

It is fitting for the eye to weep at parting with

Loved ones for whom there is no replacement in my lifetime.

Dear ones for whom I have no substitute.

خلَّوْا فؤادي كئيبا بالفراق وقد

خلَّوْا فؤادي كئيبا بالفراق وقد

توطّنوا حفرةً سوداءَ تُبتذل

توطّنوا حفرةً سوداءَ تُبتذل

They left my heart sorrowful through separation, and have

They left my heart depressed with separation, and

Settled in a black pit held in contempt.

Took up residence in a gloomy, contemptible grave.

فَكّرْ فإِنّ نعيمَ الأمر منتقلُ

فَكّرْ فإِنّ نعيمَ الأمر منتقلُ

واعْمَلْ لمُلْكٍ عظيمٍ ليس ينتقل

واعْمَلْ لمُلْكٍ عظيمٍ ليس ينتقل

Reflect, for the bliss of this life is transient;

Consider, for the boon of life passes,

And work for a mighty kingdom that does not pass away.

And work for an everlasting kingdom that does not pass.

فما يَسُرُّ امْرَءًا أهلٌ ولا وَلدٌ

فما يَسُرُّ امْرَءًا أهلٌ ولا وَلدٌ

وليس ينفعُ إلاّ العلمُ والعملُ

وليس ينفعُ إلاّ العلمُ والعملُ

For neither family nor child gladdens a person,

For man takes no pleasure in family or wealth,

And nothing avails but knowledge and deeds.

Nothing avails but knowledge and righteous deeds.

الأهل تلقى بديلاً بَعدَ مِيتِتها

الأهل تلقى بديلاً بَعدَ مِيتِتها

والمالُ للغير قهراً عنك ينتقل

والمالُ للغير قهراً عنك ينتقل

The family finds a replacement after death,

After her death, a wife finds a replacement,

And wealth passes from you to others against your will.

And wealth perforce passes from you to another.

والبنت تمشي لِبَعْلٍ عنك ذاهبةً

والبنت تمشي لِبَعْلٍ عنك ذاهبةً

والابنُ يبقى زمانا ثم يشتغل

والابنُ يبقى زمانا ثم يشتغل

And the daughter walks away from you to a husband;

A daughter walks to her husband, leaving you,

And the son stays a while, then becomes busy.

And a son remains for a time, then is busy.

باللّه يا راحلاً نحو الأحبّة سَلْ

باللّه يا راحلاً نحو الأحبّة سَلْ

عنهمْ وسَلِّمْ عليهم بعد إِذ تَصِلُ

عنهمْ وسَلِّمْ عليهم بعد إِذ تَصِلُ

By God, O traveler bound for the loved ones, inquire

By Allah, O traveller to the beloved, ask

About them, and greet them once you arrive.

News of them, and convey greetings when you arrive.

وقل لهم إنّنا عنك أُسَارى أَسىً

وقل لهم إنّنا عنك أُسَارى أَسىً

وعن قريب إليكم نحن نرتحِلُ

وعن قريب إليكم نحن نرتحِلُ

And tell them that, parted from you, we are captives of grief,

And say to them: We are captives of sorrow without you,

And before long we shall journey to you.

And soon we will be journeying to join you.