وعينك ما للعين بعدك مسرح

وعينك ما للعين بعدك مسرح

ولا لمزار الدمع بعدك من غبّ

ولا لمزار الدمع بعدك من غبّ

By your eyes, after you the eye has nowhere to roam;

By your eye, the eye has no place to wander after you,

nor, after you, does the haunt of tears know any respite.

nor do the visits of tears after you ever pause.

إذا خطرت لي منك في القلب خطرة

إذا خطرت لي منك في القلب خطرة

تأوهت من كربي وحن لها قلبي

تأوهت من كربي وحن لها قلبي

Whenever a thought of you crosses my heart,

When a thought of you crosses my heart,

I groan in anguish, and my heart yearns after it—

I groan in anguish, and my heart yearns for it:

حنين صوادي العيس ضحوة خمسها

حنين صوادي العيس ضحوة خمسها

روامي بالأحداق للمنهل العذب

روامي بالأحداق للمنهل العذب

like thirst-crazed camels at forenoon on their fifth day,

the yearning of thirsty pale camels at their fifth-day watering's forenoon,

casting their glances toward the sweet watering place.

casting their eyes toward the sweet watering-place.

فقدتك فقد البدن مطرح جنبها

فقدتك فقد البدن مطرح جنبها

رواغي تحت الليل تخبط بالركب

رواغي تحت الليل تخبط بالركب

I lost you as she-camels lose one cast down beside them,

I lost you as stout camels lose the place to lay their sides,

bellowing beneath the night and striking out with their knees.

bellowing beneath the night, floundering on their knees.

فكم زفرة لي فيك تعقب زفرة

فكم زفرة لي فيك تعقب زفرة

وسرب دموعٍ يشرئب إلى سرب

وسرب دموعٍ يشرئب إلى سرب

How many a sigh for you follows upon a sigh,

How many a sigh of mine for you follows another sigh,

and troop after troop of tears presses on;

and one flock of tears cranes toward another flock.

وكم لهفة لي فيك في أثر عبرة

وكم لهفة لي فيك في أثر عبرة

بقلب هفا صب ودمع جرى سكب

بقلب هفا صب ودمع جرى سكب

how many a pang for you follows a tear,

How many a pang of longing for you follows a tear,

from a lover’s fluttering heart, while tears run streaming.

with a lovesick, fluttering heart, and tears flowing in torrents.

بكيتك حتى قد قضى الدمع نحبه

بكيتك حتى قد قضى الدمع نحبه

عليك فهلا قد قضيتُ به نحبي

عليك فهلا قد قضيتُ به نحبي

I wept for you until my tears fulfilled their appointed end;

I wept for you until my tears had breathed their last

over you—would that through them I had fulfilled my own.

over you—why did I not, through them, breathe my last?

فللعين عين بالدموع سفوحة

فللعين عين بالدموع سفوحة

وللغرب غرب يستهل على غرب

وللغرب غرب يستهل على غرب

The eye has become a spring, pouring forth tears,

For the eye has a spring gushing with tears,

and outpouring breaks upon outpouring.

and torrent upon torrent of tears pours down.

تركت لذيذ العيش فيك كأنما

تركت لذيذ العيش فيك كأنما

يمثل لي عينيك في الأكل والشرب

يمثل لي عينيك في الأكل والشرب

For you I abandoned every sweetness of life, as though

I have abandoned life's sweetness for you, as though

your eyes appeared to me in everything I eat and drink.

eating and drinking conjure your eyes before me.

ولست علىما بي من الهم ناسياً

ولست علىما بي من الهم ناسياً

تذكر حال منك في البعد والقرب

تذكر حال منك في البعد والقرب

Despite the grief within me, I never forget

And despite the grief within me, I have not forgotten

to recall how you were, whether far or near.

to recall how you were, whether far away or near.

بقيت على حب يرقص بالحشا

بقيت على حب يرقص بالحشا

عليك وظني قد بقيت على الحب

عليك وظني قد بقيت على الحب

I remain faithful to a love that dances in my breast

I have held to a love that dances in my heart

for you, believing that you too remained faithful to love.

for you, and I believe you too have held to love.

ولا تحسبن أن الذي بي هين

ولا تحسبن أن الذي بي هين

فبي منك فوق الترب ما بك في الترب

فبي منك فوق الترب ما بك في الترب

Do not suppose that what afflicts me is slight:

Do not suppose that what I bear is slight:

because of you, I bear above the earth what you bear beneath it.

for through you I bear, above the soil, what you bear within the soil.

لقد كنت رحب الصدر جلداً على النوى

لقد كنت رحب الصدر جلداً على النوى

فمذ بنت لا قد بنت قد ضاق بي رحبي

فمذ بنت لا قد بنت قد ضاق بي رحبي

I once was broad of breast, steadfast against separation;

I once was broad of heart, steadfast through separation;

but since you departed—yes, truly departed—my spacious heart has narrowed.

but since you left—would that you had not!—my spaciousness has closed in on me.

وكنت على سلم مع الدهر برهةً

وكنت على سلم مع الدهر برهةً

فصرت مع الأيام فيك على حرب

فصرت مع الأيام فيك على حرب

For a while I lived at peace with passing time;

For a while I was at peace with time;

now, because of you, I am at war with the days.

but now, over you, I am at war with the days.

وحسبي خصم في الزمان متنازع

وحسبي خصم في الزمان متنازع

ينازعني العلق الثمين على غصب

ينازعني العلق الثمين على غصب

Enough for me is an adversary contending with me in time,

Contentious time is adversary enough for me,

wrenching a precious treasure from me by force.

wresting my precious treasure from me by force.

ولو كان خطبي بعد فقدك واحد

ولو كان خطبي بعد فقدك واحد

حملت لوكن حمل خطب على خطب

حملت لوكن حمل خطب على خطب

Had the calamity after losing you been only one,

Had my calamity after losing you been only one,

I could have borne it; but calamity is heaped upon calamity.

I would have borne it—but it is calamity heaped upon calamity.

أغالب أيامي وهن عواكس

أغالب أيامي وهن عواكس

مقاصد آمالي ومن ليَ بالغلب

مقاصد آمالي ومن ليَ بالغلب

My days have betrayed me, turning back

I struggle against my days, while they thwart

all that my hopes aimed at—and who can master them?

the aims of my hopes; who can secure me victory?

ما بال هذا الدهر يعجم صعدتي

ما بال هذا الدهر يعجم صعدتي

كأني والدهر الألد على ألب

كأني والدهر الألد على ألب

Why does this age keep testing the shaft of my spear,

Why does this age test the hardness of my spear,

as though this implacable foe and I were leagued against each other?

as though I and bitterly hostile time were locked in enmity?

لعمرك ما نبئت والسيف مرهف ال

لعمرك ما نبئت والسيف مرهف ال

مضارب إن السيف ينبو بلا ضرب

مضارب إن السيف ينبو بلا ضرب

By your life, I had never heard—while a sword’s striking

By your life, I have never heard—when a sword has sharpened

edges were keen—that a sword could recoil without a blow.

striking edges—that a sword glances off without a blow.

فأين زعيم العجم والعرب أين من

فأين زعيم العجم والعرب أين من

دعي بفتى الفتيان في العجم والعرب

دعي بفتى الفتيان في العجم والعرب

Where is the leader of Persians and Arabs? Where is he who

Where, then, is the leader of Persians and Arabs; where is he

was called the champion of champions among Persians and Arabs?

who was called the youth of youths among Persians and Arabs?

وأين ابن أم المجد طار إلى علا

وأين ابن أم المجد طار إلى علا

شرافتها تعلو على الأنجم الشهب

شرافتها تعلو على الأنجم الشهب

Where is the son of glory’s own mother, who soared to heights

And where is the son of glory's mother, who soared to heights

whose nobility rises above the radiant stars?

whose nobility rises above the radiant stars?

وأين مصون العرض ما نيل عرضه

وأين مصون العرض ما نيل عرضه

وباذل عرض المال بالنائل النهب

وباذل عرض المال بالنائل النهب

Where is the guardian of honor, whose honor was never touched,

And where is he of inviolate honor, whose honor was never assailed,

who cheapened wealth’s honor, despoiling it through lavish gifts?

who lavished his worldly wealth as bounty free for the taking?

وأين الذي إن عطلت للعلى رحى

وأين الذي إن عطلت للعلى رحى

غدا قطبها ثم استدارت على القطب

غدا قطبها ثم استدارت على القطب

Where is he who, whenever the mill of glory ceased to turn,

And where is he who, if the mill of greatness fell idle,

became its pivot, and around that pivot it revolved?

became its axle, and then it revolved upon that axle?

واين الذي قد عزَّ في الموت حزبه

واين الذي قد عزَّ في الموت حزبه

وصارع حزب الموت وهو بلا حزب

وصارع حزب الموت وهو بلا حزب

Where is he whose company grew mighty in the face of death,

And where is he whose allies were scarce in death,

who wrestled death’s host though he himself had no host?

and who wrestled death's host without a host of his own?

أرى الآلة الحدباء يحمل فوقها

أرى الآلة الحدباء يحمل فوقها

رجال رسوا هضباً على الهضب الحدب

رجال رسوا هضباً على الهضب الحدب

I see the bowed bier borne aloft,

I see the hump-backed bier, upon which are carried

with men upon its arched height, firm as massive hills.

men who stood firm as hills upon hump-backed hills.

ندبناك يا أزكى الرفاق وإنما

ندبناك يا أزكى الرفاق وإنما

ندبناك للندب الحسين أخ الندب

ندبناك للندب الحسين أخ الندب

We lamented you, O purest of companions; in truth,

We mourned you, purest of companions; and we only

in you we mourned the valiant al-Husayn, brother of valiant men.

mourned you for gallant Husayn, brother of the gallant one.

وما مات من أبقى لنا بعد فقده

وما مات من أبقى لنا بعد فقده

فتى مثله ضرباً شقيق الفتى الضرب

فتى مثله ضرباً شقيق الفتى الضرب

He has not died who, after his loss, left us

And he has not died who, after his loss, left us

a youth like him in prowess, full brother to that valiant youth;

a youth of his own stamp, full brother of that wiry youth,

وكوكب فضلٍ عزَّ في الناس خدنه

وكوكب فضلٍ عزَّ في الناس خدنه

فليس له ترب سوى النجم من ترب

فليس له ترب سوى النجم من ترب

a star of excellence whose peer among mankind is rare—

and a star of excellence whose peer is rare among people;

he has no equal on earth save a star among the stars;

for among peers, he has no peer except a star.

جواداً متى بالجود يبسط راحة

جواداً متى بالجود يبسط راحة

يظل لها يغضي حياءً حيا السحب

يظل لها يغضي حياءً حيا السحب

a generous man who, whenever he stretches out his palm in giving,

A generous man: whenever he opens his palm in bounty,

makes even the rain clouds lower their gaze before it in modesty.

the clouds' rain keeps its gaze lowered before it in shame.

عزاؤكما والحادثات نوازل

عزاؤكما والحادثات نوازل

على مذهب الأمحال بالمنزل الخصب

على مذهب الأمحال بالمنزل الخصب

May consolation be yours both, while calamities descend,

Consolation to you both, as calamities descend

amid fortune’s changing ways, in the fertile abode.

as drought does upon a fertile abode.

ولا زال ممطور من الروض ممرع

ولا زال ممطور من الروض ممرع

يرف على مثواك بالمندل الرطب

يرف على مثواك بالمندل الرطب

And may a rain-watered, luxuriant garden forever

And may a rain-watered, luxuriant meadow ever

wave over your resting place with moist mandal.

sway above your resting place with moist aloeswood.