بنفسِيَ مَن أبكَى السمواتِ موتُهُ

بنفسِيَ مَن أبكَى السمواتِ موتُهُ

بغَيثٍ ظَننَّاهُ نوالَ يمينِهِ

بغَيثٍ ظَننَّاهُ نوالَ يمينِهِ

My life be ransom for him whose death made the heavens weep

With my soul I mourn the death

My soul is ransom for him whose death made the heavens weep,

With rain we thought was the bounty of his right hand.

Of one we thought would bring us rain

With rain that we deemed the bounty of his right hand;

فما استَعبَرَت إِلاَّ أسًى وتأسفاً

فما استَعبَرَت إِلاَّ أسًى وتأسفاً

وإِلا فماذا القطرُ في غيرِ حينِهِ

وإِلا فماذا القطرُ في غيرِ حينِهِ

They shed tears only from grief and sorrow;

The skies wept only in sorrow and regret

They shed no tears save out of sorrow and regret,

Otherwise, why this rain outside its season?

Else, why would the raindrops fall out of season?

For otherwise, what means this rain out of its season?