يا عَينُ جودي بِدَمعٍ مِنكِ مِدرارِ

يا عَينُ جودي بِدَمعٍ مِنكِ مِدرارِ

لا تُعذِري في البُكا لا حينَ إِعذارِ

لا تُعذِري في البُكا لا حينَ إِعذارِ

O eye, be generous with tears that stream from you.

O eye, be generous with flowing tears from you

Make no excuses about weeping; this is no time for excuses.

Do not excuse me from crying, not even when excusing

أَبكانِيَ الدَهرُ مِمّا كانَ أَضحَكَني

أَبكانِيَ الدَهرُ مِمّا كانَ أَضحَكَني

وَالدَهرُ يَخلِطُ إِحلاءً بِإِمرارِ

وَالدَهرُ يَخلِطُ إِحلاءً بِإِمرارِ

Time has made me weep over what once made me laugh.

Time made me laugh at what had made me cry

And time mingles sweetness with bitterness.

And time mixes sweetness with bitterness

إِقرا السَلامَ عَلى قَبرٍ تَضَمَّنَهُ

إِقرا السَلامَ عَلى قَبرٍ تَضَمَّنَهُ

ماذا تَضَمَّنَ مِن جودٍ وَأَيسارِ

ماذا تَضَمَّنَ مِن جودٍ وَأَيسارِ

Convey greetings of peace to a grave that holds him—

Say peace upon a grave that contains

What generosity and affluence it holds!

What it contains of generosity and ease

حُلوُ الشَمائِلِ مَأمورُ الغَوائِلِ مَأ

حُلوُ الشَمائِلِ مَأمورُ الغَوائِلِ مَأ

مُولُ النَوافِلِ مَحَضٌ زَندُهُ واري

مُولُ النَوافِلِ مَحَضٌ زَندُهُ واري

Sweet of character, 'commanded in perils' [unclear as written], looked to

Of beautiful traits, commanded to avoid sins

For gifts; pure, his firestick kindling.

Pure in his optional acts of worship

اللَهُ أَلبَسَهُ في عودٍ مَغرِسِهِ

اللَهُ أَلبَسَهُ في عودٍ مَغرِسِهِ

ثِيابَ حَمدٍ نَقِيّاتٍ مِنَ العارِ

ثِيابَ حَمدٍ نَقِيّاتٍ مِنَ العارِ

God clothed him, in the stock where he took root,

God dressed him in a planted stick

In garments of praise, unstained by disgrace.

With clothes of praise, clean of disgrace

دَفّاعُ مُعضِلَةٍ حَمّالُ مُثقِلَةٍ

دَفّاعُ مُعضِلَةٍ حَمّالُ مُثقِلَةٍ

دَرّاكُ وِترٍ وَدَفّاعٌ لِأَوتارِ

دَرّاكُ وِترٍ وَدَفّاعٌ لِأَوتارِ

A warder-off of dire troubles, a bearer of crushing burdens,

Repeller of problems, bearer of burdens

An achiever of vengeance and a warder-off of vendettas.

Catcher of strings and defender of lutes

الجودُ شيمَتُهُ كَالبَدرِ سُنَّتُهُ

الجودُ شيمَتُهُ كَالبَدرِ سُنَّتُهُ

يَكادُ أَن يَهتَدي في نورِهِ الساري

يَكادُ أَن يَهتَدي في نورِهِ الساري

Generosity was his nature; his countenance was like the full moon,

Generosity was his trait, like the full moon was his way

A night traveler could almost find his way by his light.

That one could almost find guidance in its flowing light

جاءَ القَضاءُ بِمِقدارِ الحِمامِ لَهُ

جاءَ القَضاءُ بِمِقدارِ الحِمامِ لَهُ

فَحَلَّ قَعرَ ضَريحٍ بَينَ أَحجارِ

فَحَلَّ قَعرَ ضَريحٍ بَينَ أَحجارِ

Fate came with death's appointed measure for him,

Fate came with the measure of destiny for him

So he settled in the depths of a tomb, among stones.

So he settled at the bottom of a grave among stones

مُصيبَةٌ نَزَلَت كَأَنَّها قَذَفَت

مُصيبَةٌ نَزَلَت كَأَنَّها قَذَفَت

لا بَل وَقَد فَعَلَت في القَلبِ بِالنارِ

لا بَل وَقَد فَعَلَت في القَلبِ بِالنارِ

A calamity descended, as though it had hurled

An affliction came as if it had thrown

Fire into the heart—no, indeed it did.

Rather, it had set the heart aflame

أَفنى البُكاءُ دُموعَ العَينِ فَاِنهَمَلَت

أَفنى البُكاءُ دُموعَ العَينِ فَاِنهَمَلَت

عَلى أَخي بِدِماءٍ فَيضُها جارِ

عَلى أَخي بِدِماءٍ فَيضُها جارِ

Weeping exhausted the eye's tears, and it poured forth

Crying exhausted the eye's tears, so they dripped

Blood over my brother, its torrent flowing.

With blood for my brother, gushing

كَم قائِلاً بَعدَهُ حُزناً وَقائِلَةً

كَم قائِلاً بَعدَهُ حُزناً وَقائِلَةً

يا ضَيعَنا بَعدَ حَمّادِ بنِ سَيّارِ

يا ضَيعَنا بَعدَ حَمّادِ بنِ سَيّارِ

How many a man and woman said in sorrow after him:

How many speakers grieved after him, and how many

Alas, how lost we are after Hammad ibn Sayyar!

Said: "Woe unto us after Hammad ibn Sayyar"

إِن يُنصِتِ القَومُ لا يَنطِق بِفاحِشَةٍ

إِن يُنصِتِ القَومُ لا يَنطِق بِفاحِشَةٍ

أَو يَنطِقوا فَمُصيبٌ غَيرُ مِهذارِ

أَو يَنطِقوا فَمُصيبٌ غَيرُ مِهذارِ

If the people fell silent, he uttered no foul word;

If the people are silent, he does not speak obscenely

Or if they spoke, he spoke aptly, without babbling.

Or if they speak, he is a dignified, unfrivolous speaker

كانَ الرَبيعُ إِذا ضَنَّ السَحابُ لَهُم

كانَ الرَبيعُ إِذا ضَنَّ السَحابُ لَهُم

وَفي اللَوازِبِ مُرتاداً لِمُمتارِ

وَفي اللَوازِبِ مُرتاداً لِمُمتارِ

He was their spring when the clouds grew miserly,

Spring used to be stingy with its rain for them

And in pressing hardships, a resort for those seeking provisions.

And it frequented the pastures for the skilled horseman

يا حَسرَتا يا أَخي مَن ذا أُؤَمِّلُهُ

يا حَسرَتا يا أَخي مَن ذا أُؤَمِّلُهُ

لِلدَهرِ بَعدَكَ في عُسري وَإِيساري

لِلدَهرِ بَعدَكَ في عُسري وَإِيساري

Alas, my brother! Who is there for me to look to

Oh what a loss, O brother of mine, who can I hope

Against time after you, in my hardship and my ease?

For after you in ease and hardship

أَم مَن لَنا إِن مُلِمّاتٌ بِنا نَزَلَت

أَم مَن لَنا إِن مُلِمّاتٌ بِنا نَزَلَت

أَم مَن لِحاجَةِ ذي القُربى وَلِلجارِ

أَم مَن لِحاجَةِ ذي القُربى وَلِلجارِ

Or who will stand by us if calamities befall us?

Or who is there for us if calamities befell us

Or who will meet a kinsman's need, and the neighbor's?

Or for the need of a relative or neighbor

فَجَأتَني بِفِراقٍ لا لِقاءَ لهُ

فَجَأتَني بِفِراقٍ لا لِقاءَ لهُ

وَكُنتُ أَبكيكَ في نَأيِي وَأَسفاري

وَكُنتُ أَبكيكَ في نَأيِي وَأَسفاري

You startled me with a parting that has no reunion,

You surprised me with a parting that has no meeting

And I used to weep for you in my absence and my travels.

And I used to cry for you in my remoteness and travels

فَالآنَ أَبكي بُكاءً لا اِنقِطاعَ لَهُ

فَالآنَ أَبكي بُكاءً لا اِنقِطاعَ لَهُ

بِدَمعِ عَينٍ غَزيرِ السَيبِ مِدرارِ

بِدَمعِ عَينٍ غَزيرِ السَيبِ مِدرارِ

So now I weep a weeping without end,

Now I cry a crying that has no end

With an eye's tears, abundant in flow, streaming.

With a streaming, pouring eye of tears

أَتى بِتَبلِ المَنايا يا أَخي قَدَرٌ

أَتى بِتَبلِ المَنايا يا أَخي قَدَرٌ

صَلّى عَلَيكَ الإِلَهُ الخالِقُ الباري

صَلّى عَلَيكَ الإِلَهُ الخالِقُ الباري

A decree brought death's vengeance, my brother.

O brother, a fateful decree came with the cups of demise

May God, the Creator, the Maker, bless you.

The God, Creator and Righteous prayed over you

قَطَعتَني مِن رَجاءٍ كُنتُ آمُلُهُ

قَطَعتَني مِن رَجاءٍ كُنتُ آمُلُهُ

فَصِرتُ بَعدَكَ بَينَ البابِ وَالدارِ

فَصِرتُ بَعدَكَ بَينَ البابِ وَالدارِ

You cut me off from a hope I had cherished,

You cut me off from a hope I was hoping for

So after you I was left between the door and the house.

So I became after you stuck between the door and the house

ما لِلحَوادِثِ لا يُغبِبنَ بَعدَكَ إِن

ما لِلحَوادِثِ لا يُغبِبنَ بَعدَكَ إِن

يَهِضنَ عَظمي بِإِقبالٍ وَإِدبارِ

يَهِضنَ عَظمي بِإِقبالٍ وَإِدبارِ

Why do calamities leave no respite after you, if

Whatever happens after you, if they pass, will not make me heedless

They break my bones anew, coming and going?

If my bones get up for prosperity or decline