أَبَعْدَ مُصَابِ الأُمِّ آلَفُ مَضْجَعَاً

أَبَعْدَ مُصَابِ الأُمِّ آلَفُ مَضْجَعَاً

وَآوِي إِلَى خَفْضٍ مِنْ العَيْشِ أَو ظِلِّ

وَآوِي إِلَى خَفْضٍ مِنْ العَيْشِ أَو ظِلِّ

After the loss of my mother, can I find comfort in a bed,

After the affliction that befell my mother, I sought refuge in a simpler life,

and take refuge in a life of ease or in shade?

Her grave will suckle my eyes with her tears,

سَتُرْضِعُ عَيْنِي قَبْرَهَا مِنْ دُمُوعِهَا

سَتُرْضِعُ عَيْنِي قَبْرَهَا مِنْ دُمُوعِهَا

بِمَا كُلِّفَتْهُ مِنْ رَضَاعِي وَمِنْ حَمْلِي

بِمَا كُلِّفَتْهُ مِنْ رَضَاعِي وَمِنْ حَمْلِي

My eye will suckle her grave with its tears,

For the milk and pregnancy with which she was burdened for me,

in return for her burden of nursing me and carrying me.

I swear, had you seen me at her death,

فَأُقْسِمُ لَوْ أَبْصَرْتَنِي عِنْدَ مَوْتِهَا

فَأُقْسِمُ لَوْ أَبْصَرْتَنِي عِنْدَ مَوْتِهَا

وَعَيْنِي تَسُحُّ الدَّمْعَ سَجْلاً عَلَى سَجْلِ

وَعَيْنِي تَسُحُّ الدَّمْعَ سَجْلاً عَلَى سَجْلِ

So I swear, had you seen me when she died,

My eyes pouring tears in streams upon streams,

with my eye pouring tears, bucketful upon bucketful,

You would have lamented a branch that weeps over its root,

رَثَيْتَ نَصْلٍ يَأْخُذُ المَوْتُ جَفْنَهُ

رَثَيْتَ نَصْلٍ يَأْخُذُ المَوْتُ جَفْنَهُ

وَأُعْجِبْتَ مِنْ فَرْعٍ يَنُوحُ عَلَى أَصْلِ

وَأُعْجِبْتَ مِنْ فَرْعٍ يَنُوحُ عَلَى أَصْلِ

you would have pitied a blade whose sheath death takes away,

And marveled at a twig grieving after its trunk,

and marveled at a branch mourning its root.

He makes light of my agony, but it is no simple thing,

يُهَوِّنُ مِنْ وَجْدِي وَلَيْسَ بِهَيِّنٍ

يُهَوِّنُ مِنْ وَجْدِي وَلَيْسَ بِهَيِّنٍ

سَلاَمَتُهَا بِالْمَوْتِ مِنْ جُرْعَةِ الثُّكْلِ

سَلاَمَتُهَا بِالْمَوْتِ مِنْ جُرْعَةِ الثُّكْلِ

My anguish is eased—though it is no slight anguish—

Her salvation through death from a draught of bereavement,

by her being spared, through death, the draught of losing a child.

I should have gone before her,

وَكَانَ عَلَيْهَا اَنْ أُقَدَّمُ قَبْلَهَا

وَكَانَ عَلَيْهَا اَنْ أُقَدَّمُ قَبْلَهَا

أَشَّدَّ وَأَدْهَى مِنْ تَقَدُّمِهَا قَبْلِي

أَشَّدَّ وَأَدْهَى مِنْ تَقَدُّمِهَا قَبْلِي

And for her, my being sent ahead of her would have been

More painful and grievous than her going before me,

harder and more grievous than her going ahead of me.

So she was ransomed from her sorrow through me and my regret,

فَقَدْ فُدِيَتْ مِنْ غَمِّهَا بِي بِحَسْرَتِي

فَقَدْ فُدِيَتْ مِنْ غَمِّهَا بِي بِحَسْرَتِي

عَلَيْهَا وَفِيْمَا بِيْنَ ذَلِكَ مَا يُسْلِي

عَلَيْهَا وَفِيْمَا بِيْنَ ذَلِكَ مَا يُسْلِي

For she was ransomed from her grief over me by my sorrow

For her, and in all of that is my consolation.

for her; and in that exchange lies some consolation.