نُعاتِبُ حيثُ لا نرجو الجَوابا

نُعاتِبُ حيثُ لا نرجو الجَوابا

زَماناً ليسَ يَسْتمِعُ العِتابا

زَماناً ليسَ يَسْتمِعُ العِتابا

We reproach where we hope for no answer,

We complain where we have no hope of an answer

An age that does not listen to reproach.

To a time that does not listen to reproach

ونشكو ظُلمَهُ شكوى غَريقٍ

ونشكو ظُلمَهُ شكوى غَريقٍ

إلى مَوجٍ يزيدُ بها اضطِرَابا

إلى مَوجٍ يزيدُ بها اضطِرَابا

And we complain of its injustice as a drowning man complains,

And we complain of its injustice like a drowning man

To waves that grow more turbulent at his complaint.

To waves that only increase turbulence

زَمانٌ ليسَ نبرحُ كلَّ يومٍ

زَمانٌ ليسَ نبرحُ كلَّ يومٍ

نَرَى فيهِ اعوجاجاً وانِقلابا

نَرَى فيهِ اعوجاجاً وانِقلابا

An age: day after day, we never cease

A time from which we do not escape every day

To see crookedness and upheaval in it.

Seeing in it crookedness and upheaval

يُقادُ بهِ العزيزُ إلى ذَليلٍ

يُقادُ بهِ العزيزُ إلى ذَليلٍ

ويقتنِصُ الغُرَابُ بهِ العُقابا

ويقتنِصُ الغُرَابُ بهِ العُقابا

In it the mighty is led to the lowly,

In which the dear one is led to the lowly

And in it the crow hunts down the eagle.

And the raven snatches the eagle in it

يموتُ اللَّيْثُ في الفَلواتِ جوعاً

يموتُ اللَّيْثُ في الفَلواتِ جوعاً

وتُبشِمُ كَثْرَةُ الشَّبَعِ الكِلابا

وتُبشِمُ كَثْرَةُ الشَّبَعِ الكِلابا

The lion dies of hunger in the wilderness,

The lion dies of hunger in the wilderness

And overfeeding sickens the dogs.

And the overfed dogs bark loudly

ويذْهبُ من نُريدُ لهُ بَقاءً

ويذْهبُ من نُريدُ لهُ بَقاءً

ويَبقَى مَن نُريدُ لهُ ذَهابا

ويَبقَى مَن نُريدُ لهُ ذَهابا

And those we wish would remain depart,

And he whom we want to live goes away

And those we wish would depart remain.

While he whom we want gone stays

مضَى عنَّا ابنُ فيَّاضٍ ففاضَتْ

مضَى عنَّا ابنُ فيَّاضٍ ففاضَتْ

عليهِ مَدامعٌ تحكي السَّحابا

عليهِ مَدامعٌ تحكي السَّحابا

Ibn Fayyad departed from us, and there flowed

Ibn Fiyyad’s son left us and his

Over him tears that mirrored the clouds.

Tears flowed like rainclouds

مَدامعُ في الخُدودِ جَرَتْ مِياهاً

مَدامعُ في الخُدودِ جَرَتْ مِياهاً

ولكن في الحَشا صارَت حِرَابا

ولكن في الحَشا صارَت حِرَابا

Tears that ran as water down the cheeks,

Tears flowed down his cheeks like water

But in the heart they became spears.

But in his innermost heart they were raging wars

نجا من حربِ دَنياهُ عزيزاً

نجا من حربِ دَنياهُ عزيزاً

فمن يدْعوهُ منصوراً أصابا

فمن يدْعوهُ منصوراً أصابا

He escaped the war of his earthly life with honor,

He escaped the war of his world safely

So whoever calls him Mansur—victorious—is right.

So who calls him victorious hits the mark

تُظلِّلُهُ الملائِكُ في ثَرَاهُ

تُظلِّلُهُ الملائِكُ في ثَرَاهُ

بأجنِحةٍ رَفَعْنَ لهُ قِبابا

بأجنِحةٍ رَفَعْنَ لهُ قِبابا

The angels shade him in his grave,

The angels shade him in his burial place

With wings they have raised as domes for him.

With wings they stretched over him like canopies

كريمٌ ما عَرفْنا فيهِ عَيباً

كريمٌ ما عَرفْنا فيهِ عَيباً

ولا خُلُقاً يَسؤُ بهِ الصِّحابا

ولا خُلُقاً يَسؤُ بهِ الصِّحابا

A generous man in whom we knew no fault,

A generous man whom we knew no fault in

Nor any trait by which he distressed his companions.

Nor character that would displease companions

ولم يكُ قَطُّ يُغصِبُ نفسَ رَاضٍ

ولم يكُ قَطُّ يُغصِبُ نفسَ رَاضٍ

ولكن كانَ يسْترَضي الغِضابا

ولكن كانَ يسْترَضي الغِضابا

And he never once coerced a contented soul,

He never wrongfully seized a willing soul

But he would seek to appease the angry.

But sought to appease wrath

فَقَدْناهُ ولم نَفْقِدْ ثَناهُ

فَقَدْناهُ ولم نَفْقِدْ ثَناهُ

فكانَ البُعدُ يُوهِمُنا اقتِراباَ

فكانَ البُعدُ يُوهِمُنا اقتِراباَ

We lost him, but did not lose his good name,

We've lost him but not lost his company

So distance gave us the illusion of nearness.

So that absence made us feel him near

تقولُ قُلوبُنا إذْ أوْدَعوهُ

تقولُ قُلوبُنا إذْ أوْدَعوهُ

تُرَاباً لَيتنا كُنَّا تُرَابا

تُرَاباً لَيتنا كُنَّا تُرَابا

Our hearts said, when they laid him

Our hearts say as they bade him farewell

In the dust: 'Would that we were dust!'

In the dust, "Would that we were dust!"

صديقٌ لي صَدوقٌ من صِباهُ

صديقٌ لي صَدوقٌ من صِباهُ

ولم ينسَ الصَّداقةَ حينَ شابا

ولم ينسَ الصَّداقةَ حينَ شابا

A true friend to me since his youth,

A friend of mine, truthful since his youth

And he did not forget friendship when his hair turned gray.

Who did not forget friendship when he matured

بَكَيتُ عليهِ واستْدعيتُ صبري

بَكَيتُ عليهِ واستْدعيتُ صبري

فصارَ الصَّبرُ حزناً وانتِحابا

فصارَ الصَّبرُ حزناً وانتِحابا

I wept for him and summoned my patience,

I cried over him and summoned my patience

So patience turned to sorrow and sobbing.

So patience turned into sorrow and lament

ومَن لم يَصطبِرْ طَوْعاً تَوَلَّى

ومَن لم يَصطبِرْ طَوْعاً تَوَلَّى

عليهِ العَجْزُ فاصطَبرَ اغتصابا

عليهِ العَجْزُ فاصطَبرَ اغتصابا

And whoever does not endure willingly is overcome

He who does not willingly show patience

By helplessness, and endures under compulsion.

Helplessness forces patience upon him