وَقفٌ عَلى الفيضِ أنفاسٌ مصعَّدةٌ

وَقفٌ عَلى الفيضِ أنفاسٌ مصعَّدةٌ

وَأدمعٌ أرْسَلَتْهُنَّ الجفونُ دما

وَأدمعٌ أرْسَلَتْهُنَّ الجفونُ دما

Sighs heaved aloft are given over to outpouring,

Breaths ascending stand at the outpouring,

And tears the eyelids have shed as blood.

And tears shed by eyelids flow as blood.

تنكَّرَ الدهرُ واربدَّتْ مخايلُه

تنكَّرَ الدهرُ واربدَّتْ مخايلُه

من بعدِ نكثتْ أيامُه الذمما

من بعدِ نكثتْ أيامُه الذمما

Time has turned hostile, and its portents have darkened,

Time changed and its hopes grew cold,

After its days had broken their pledges.

After its days broke their bond.

فكلُّ ساعةِ أُنسٍ أَوْرثتْ حزناً

فكلُّ ساعةِ أُنسٍ أَوْرثتْ حزناً

وَكل راحةِ نفسِ أعقبتْ ألما

وَكل راحةِ نفسِ أعقبتْ ألما

For every hour of companionship has bequeathed sorrow,

So every hour of intimacy bequeathed sorrow,

And every respite of the soul has brought pain in its wake.

And every rest for the soul succeeded in pain.

لا تدَّخرْ جَلَداً أو مدمعاً لغدٍ

لا تدَّخرْ جَلَداً أو مدمعاً لغدٍ

ما بعد ذا اليوم ما يُخشى وَإِنْ عظما

ما بعد ذا اليوم ما يُخشى وَإِنْ عظما

Do not save fortitude or a tear for tomorrow;

Do not hoard any composure or tears for tomorrow,

After this day, nothing is to be feared, however great.

What comes after this day is to be feared even if grand.

فهل أتاكَ حديثُ التاجِ حين هوى

فهل أتاكَ حديثُ التاجِ حين هوى

والعرشُ لما وَهى (بالشام) فانهدما

والعرشُ لما وَهى (بالشام) فانهدما

So has the tale reached you of the crown when it fell,

Has the story of the crown reached you when it fell,

And the throne, when it weakened in al-Sham and collapsed?

And the throne collapsed when it wavered in Damascus?

عزَّ (النبيَّ) وَخَفِّفْ (للوصيِّ) أَسىً

عزَّ (النبيَّ) وَخَفِّفْ (للوصيِّ) أَسىً

فالبثُّ خامَرَ منذ اليوم قلبهما

فالبثُّ خامَرَ منذ اليوم قلبهما

Console the Prophet, and ease the Successor's sorrow;

Comfort the Prophet and lighten the sorrow of the Successor,

For anguish has pervaded both their hearts since this day.

For sadness has dwelled in their hearts since that day.

وابرد غليلَ (أَبي بكر) وَ (صاحبه)

وابرد غليلَ (أَبي بكر) وَ (صاحبه)

وَواس (عثمانَ) في خطبٍ طغى وَطما

وَواس (عثمانَ) في خطبٍ طغى وَطما

And cool the burning grief of Abu Bakr and his companion,

And cool the rage of Abu Bakr and his companion,

And console Uthman amid a calamity that surged and overflowed.

And console Uthman in speeches that transgressed and were unjust.

شاطرْ بني (عبد شمس) ما أَهمَّهم

شاطرْ بني (عبد شمس) ما أَهمَّهم

(مروانّهم) و (الأشجَّ) العدلَ والحكما

(مروانّهم) و (الأشجَّ) العدلَ والحكما

Share with the sons of Abd Shams what has distressed them:

Share with the clan of Shams what troubled them-

Their Marwan, al-Ashajj the Just, and al-Hakam.

Their Marwan, their injustice, and their tyranny.

وَآس من آل (عباس) (رشيدهمُ)

وَآس من آل (عباس) (رشيدهمُ)

و (الهاديين) و (مأْمونا) و (معتصما)

و (الهاديين) و (مأْمونا) و (معتصما)

And console, among the house of Abbas, their Rashid,

And heal those of the Abbasids who were rightly-guided,

And the Hadis, and Ma'mun, and Mu'tasim.

And the rightly-guided ones, al-Mansur, and al-Mu'tasim.

ما أصعبَ الحزنَ إنْ باح الحزينُ به

ما أصعبَ الحزنَ إنْ باح الحزينُ به

وَما أحرَّ عَلَى الأَحشاء منكتما

وَما أحرَّ عَلَى الأَحشاء منكتما

How hard grief is when the grieving one speaks of it,

How difficult is sadness when the grieved reveals it,

And how it burns the innards when kept hidden!

And how hot it is inside when suppressed!

زرْ ساحةَ القصرِ قصر الملكِ تَلْقَ به

زرْ ساحةَ القصرِ قصر الملكِ تَلْقَ به

ما يجعلُ العينَ تذري الدمعَ منسجما

ما يجعلُ العينَ تذري الدمعَ منسجما

Visit the palace courtyard, the king's palace: there you will find

Visit the palace courtyard, the king’s palace,

What makes the eye shed tears in streams.

Where spilt tears flow copiously.

أرجاؤه مقشعراتٌ لقد نشرتْ

أرجاؤه مقشعراتٌ لقد نشرتْ

كآبةُ البينِ في أجوائه غمما

كآبةُ البينِ في أجوائه غمما

Its precincts shudder; already spread abroad

Its spaces are shuddered, for the gloom of separation

Are clouds cast by parting's gloom throughout its air.

Has spread its clouds in its atmosphere.

أضحتْ خلاءَ مغانيه وآزره

أضحتْ خلاءَ مغانيه وآزره

من مرهفٍ مخذماً أو مرهف فلما

من مرهفٍ مخذماً أو مرهف فلما

Its abodes stand empty, and what upheld it—

Its deserted music chambers and residences

A keen blade—lies shattered, or another keen blade notched.

Have become either dilapidated or completely ruined.

وَموقفٍ عَبَسَ الموتُ الزؤامُ به

وَموقفٍ عَبَسَ الموتُ الزؤامُ به

كان (الوزير) به جذلان مبتسما

كان (الوزير) به جذلان مبتسما

And at a post where grim death scowled,

And a stand where death’s humiliation loomed

The minister was joyous and smiling.

Was where the minister smiled happily.

يبوِّئُ القوم للهيجا مقاعدَهم

يبوِّئُ القوم للهيجا مقاعدَهم

من هابطٍ وادياً أو مرتقٍ أَكما

من هابطٍ وادياً أو مرتقٍ أَكما

He assigned the men their positions for battle,

It assigns positions to the brave in its council,

One descending into a valley, another climbing hills.

From one descending a valley or ascending a summit.

ما زال يقدمُ والأبطالُ محجمةٌ

ما زال يقدمُ والأبطالُ محجمةٌ

حتى المنية منه أَصبحتْ أمما

حتى المنية منه أَصبحتْ أمما

He kept advancing while the heroes held back,

It continued to put forth while the heroes submitted

Until death stood close to him.

Until death from it became a common occurrence.

فما تردَّدَ في تفضيلِ موردِها

فما تردَّدَ في تفضيلِ موردِها

عن أَنْ يقال (وَزير الحربِ) قد هُزما

عن أَنْ يقال (وَزير الحربِ) قد هُزما

So he did not hesitate to choose its watering place

It did not hesitate to prefer its fate

Rather than have it said, 'The Minister of War has been defeated.'

To when it was said: “the minister of war was defeated.”

في ذمةِ اللهِ أشلاءٌ مجندلةٌ

في ذمةِ اللهِ أشلاءٌ مجندلةٌ

تقحَّمتْ جاحمَ الهيجاءِ مضطرما

تقحَّمتْ جاحمَ الهيجاءِ مضطرما

In God's keeping lie mangled remains laid low,

In God’s protection are scattered limbs,

That plunged into the raging fire of battle.

That plunged ardently into the fray.

قد أبلغوا النفسَ عذراً في مصارِعهم

قد أبلغوا النفسَ عذراً في مصارِعهم

وَمبلغٌ نفسَه عذراً كَمَنْ سلما

وَمبلغٌ نفسَه عذراً كَمَنْ سلما

They fully vindicated their souls where they fell,

They delivered their souls an excuse in their battles,

And one who vindicates his soul is as one who survives unharmed.

And one who delivers his soul is as one who surrenders.

ما (العلقميُّ) وَإِنْ جلَّتْ خيانتهُ

ما (العلقميُّ) وَإِنْ جلَّتْ خيانتهُ

وكان في الغدر ما بين الورى علما

وكان في الغدر ما بين الورى علما

Not even al-Alqami, though his treachery was great,

Al-Alqami, even if his betrayal was exposed

And though he was an emblem of betrayal among mankind,

And he was known between mankind for his treachery,

ببالغِ شأْوَ قومٍ لا أَباً لهمُ

ببالغِ شأْوَ قومٍ لا أَباً لهمُ

من جاحدٍ عرفاً أو كافرٍ نعما

من جاحدٍ عرفاً أو كافرٍ نعما

Could reach the measure of a people—may they have no father!—

Is not like one who denies a people their rights

Deniers of kindness or ingrates for blessings.

Or disbelieves in blessings he received.

أعمى عيونَهمُ الدينارُ حيث عَلى

أعمى عيونَهمُ الدينارُ حيث عَلى

قلوبهمْ وعَلى أسماعهمْ ختما

قلوبهمْ وعَلى أسماعهمْ ختما

The dinar blinded their eyes, for upon

The dinar blinded their eyes when

Their hearts and upon their hearing it set a seal.

Their hearts and ears were sealed.

كادوا لأُمتهمْ لكنْ لأنفسهمْ

كادوا لأُمتهمْ لكنْ لأنفسهمْ

كادوا لو أنَّ رشيداً بينهم علما

كادوا لو أنَّ رشيداً بينهم علما

They plotted against their nation, but against themselves

They almost destroyed their nation, but themselves-

They plotted—if only a wise man among them had known!

They almost destroyed, had reason between them been known.

وَكيف بالرشدِ في قوم كبيرهمُ

وَكيف بالرشدِ في قوم كبيرهمُ

من فوق عرنينه بالغدر قد وَسما

من فوق عرنينه بالغدر قد وَسما

And how could there be sound judgment among a people whose chief

How can there be reason among people whose leader

Has been branded with treachery above the bridge of his nose?

Was marked above his neck by betrayal?

يا داحيَ الأرضِ هل ترضى بما اجترحتْ

يا داحيَ الأرضِ هل ترضى بما اجترحتْ

أَبناؤها وَهمُ ومَنْ عَقَّ أو ظلما

أَبناؤها وَهمُ ومَنْ عَقَّ أو ظلما

O Spreader of the earth, do You approve what has been wrought

O roamer of the earth, are you pleased with what

By its sons—by them and whoever was undutiful or unjust?

Its children perpetrated, and those who transgressed or were unjust?

فاخسفْ بهم أرضَهمْ وابعثْ عواصفَها

فاخسفْ بهم أرضَهمْ وابعثْ عواصفَها

وَكوِّرِ الشمسَ وانثرْ نجمَها زِيَما

وَكوِّرِ الشمسَ وانثرْ نجمَها زِيَما

So make their land sink with them, and unleash its tempests,

Then make their land subside with its storms

And fold up the sun, and scatter its stars in separate bands.

And fold the sun and scatter its stars around.

واجعلْ مياهَهمُ غوْراً بما ظلموا

واجعلْ مياهَهمُ غوْراً بما ظلموا

واحبسْ سماءَك أَو أمطرهُم نقما

واحبسْ سماءَك أَو أمطرهُم نقما

And make their waters sink beyond reach for their wrongdoing,

And make their waters a chasm for their injustice,

And withhold Your sky, or rain punishments upon them.

And withhold your sky or rain upon them revenge.

يا صاحبَ العرشِ لا تقلقك عاصفةٌ

يا صاحبَ العرشِ لا تقلقك عاصفةٌ

هبَّتْ عليه بنحسٍ شيَّبَ اللمما

هبَّتْ عليه بنحسٍ شيَّبَ اللمما

O master of the throne, let no storm trouble you

O Lord of the Throne, no storm concerns you

That blew upon it with ill fortune that greyed the locks.

That blew upon it out of misfortune that caused gray hairs.

فعرشُ ملكك قد أضحتْ قواعدُه

فعرشُ ملكك قد أضحتْ قواعدُه

في قلبِ كلِّ أبيّ ثَّبتتْ قدما

في قلبِ كلِّ أبيّ ثَّبتتْ قدما

For the foundations of your royal throne have now come

For the throne of Your kingdom, its foundations

To stand firm-footed in the heart of every unbowed man.

In the heart of every devotee have been firmly established.

وَتاجُ ملكك ما ينفكُّ ميسمه

وَتاجُ ملكك ما ينفكُّ ميسمه

عَلى جبينك للرائين مرتسما

عَلى جبينك للرائين مرتسما

And the mark of your royal crown remains

And the crown of Your kingdom does not cease to be drawn

Imprinted upon your brow for all beholders.

As an emblem upon Your forehead for those who see.

وَلا غضاضة في تركِ البلادِ وَقَدْ

وَلا غضاضة في تركِ البلادِ وَقَدْ

(خُيِّرتَ أمرين ضاعَ الحزمُ بينهما)

(خُيِّرتَ أمرين ضاعَ الحزمُ بينهما)

And there is no shame in leaving the land, when you have

There is no blemish in leaving the country when

Been given two choices, between which sound judgment was lost.

"You are given two choices, composure is lost between them."