يا أُختَ خَيرِ أَخٍ يا بِنتَ خَيرِ أَبٍ

كِنايَةً بِهِما عَن أَشرَفِ النَسَبِ

O sister of the best brother, o daughter of the best father

O sister of the finest brother, O daughter of the noblest sire,

Referring to their nobility over all other lineages

Invoking them defines a lineage of the highest, purest fire.

أُجِلُّ قَدرَكِ أَن تُسْمَيْ مُؤَبَّنَةً

وَمَن يَصِفكِ فَقَد سَمّاكِ لِلعَرَبِ

I esteem your worth to be called well-mannered

I hold your rank too high to name you merely one by men lamented,

And whoever describes you has named you as epitome of Arabs

For he who speaks your virtues has to all the Arabs you presented.

لا يَملِكُ الطَرِبُ المَحزونُ مَنطِقَهُ

وَدَمعَهُ وَهُما في قَبضَةِ الطَرَبِ

Sorrow does not allow the grieved one control over his words

The sorrow-stricken soul can rule neither his speech nor tongue,

Or tears, as they are under sorrow's grasp

Nor yet control his tears, while both by gripping anguish are wrung.

غَدَرتَ يا مَوتُ كَم أَفنَيتَ مِن عَدَدٍ

بِمَن أَصَبتَ وَكَم أَسكَتَّ مِن لَجَبِ

O Death you have betrayed, how many you have ended

O Death, you acted treacherously; how many hosts you have slain,

With those you have afflicted and how many boisterous talks you have silenced

By striking her, how much great clamor have you hushed in vain.

وَكَم صَحِبتَ أَخاها في مُنازَلَةٍ

وَكَم سَأَلتَ فَلَم يَبخَل وَلَم تَخِبِ

How much you have accompanied her brother in adversity

How often in the clash of war you walked beside her brother,

And how much you have asked but neither was stingy nor lied

You asked of him; he did not stint, nor did you fail each other.

طَوى الجَزيرَةَ حَتّى جاءَني خَبَرٌ

فَزِعتُ فيهِ بِآمالي إِلى الكَذِبِ

It traversed Al-Jazira until news came to me

The news traversed Al-Jazira, rushing till it reached my ear,

I hoped it was lies due to my aspirations

And in my panic, I sought refuge in the hope 'twas false I hear.

حَتّى إِذا لَم يَدَع لي صِدقُهُ أَمَلاً

شَرِقتُ بِالدَمعِ حَتّى كادَ يَشرَقُ بي

Until when its honesty left me no hope

But when its undeniable truth left me no room to feign,

I gushed tears nearly gushing myself

I choked upon my tears until they choked the life within my vein.

تَعَثَّرَت بِهِ في الأَفواهِ أَلسُنُها

وَالبُردُ في الطُرقِ وَالأَقلامُ في الكُتُبِ

Tongues tripped over it,

Tongues stumbled in the mouths of men to speak the heavy word,

And so did pens in books and cold on paths

And couriers on the roads and pens on scrolls were scarcely heard.

كَأَنَّ فَعلَةَ لَم تَمْلَأْ مَواكِبُها

دِيارَ بَكرٍ وَلَم تَخلَع وَلَم تَهِبِ

As if a calamity had not filled her processions

As though the tribe of Fa‘lah never filled the plains with their parade,

The abodes of Bakr, had not been evacuated or blown away

Nor Bakr’s lands, nor robes bestowed, nor gifts that they displayed.

وَلَم تَرُدَّ حَياةً بَعدَ تَولِيَةٍ

وَلَم تُغِث داعِياً بِالوَيلِ وَالحَرَبِ

Nor had it returned a departed soul,

They could not call a life back home once it had turned to flee,

Or helped a weeping implorer, distraught and war-ridden

Nor save the one who cried aloud in ruin and misery.

أَرى العِراقَ طَويلَ اللَيلِ مُذ نُعِيَت

فَكَيفَ لَيلُ فَتى الفِتيانِ في حَلَبِ

I see Iraq with long nights since she was mourned

I see Iraq’s long night stretch out since her death-tidings fell,

So how are the nights of the young man of the youth in Aleppo

How then must be the night of that brave youth within Aleppo’s shell?

يَظُنُّ أَنَّ فُؤادي غَيرُ مُلتَهِبٍ

وَأَنَّ دَمعَ جُفوني غَيرُ مُنسَكِبِ

He assumes my heart is not aflame

He thinks my heart is not inflamed with fire of grief and pain,

And that the tears of my eyelids do not cascade

And that the torrent from my eyes does not like rainfall rain.

بَلى وَحُرمَةِ مَن كانَت مُراعِيَةً

لِحُرمَةِ المَجدِ وَالقُصّادِ وَالأَدَبِ

Yes, by the sanctity of her who regarded highly

Nay! By the sanctity of her who guarded well the right,

The sanctity of glory, chivalry and propriety

Of glory’s law, of guests’ appeal, of culture’s sacred light.

وَمَن مَضَت غَيرَ مَوروثٍ خَلائِقُها

وَإِن مَضَت يَدُها مَوروثَةَ النَشَبِ

And she whose traits that have passed were not bequeathed

She passed, and left no heir behind to claim her virtues’ store,

Even if her leadership was hereditary of ambition

Though when her hand departed, heirs inherited her ore.

وَهَمُّها في العُلى وَالمَجدِ ناشِئَةً

وَهَمُّ أَترابِها في اللَهوِ وَاللَعِبِ

And her ambition was for the heights and glory

Her soul was set on height and glory from her earliest days,

While the ambition of her peers is for nonsense and play

While all her peers were lost in games and childish, playful ways.

يَعلَمنَ حينَ تُحَيّا حُسنَ مَبسِمِها

وَلَيسَ يَعلَمُ إِلّا اللَهُ بِالشَنَبِ

They know, when her smile is greeted, the beauty of her smile

They know, when she is greeted, how her smiling mouth is fair,

And none knows her dimples except Allah

But of the honeyed freshness there, only God is aware.

مَسَرَّةٌ في قُلوبِ الطيبِ مَفرِقُها

وَحَسرَةٌ في قُلوبِ البَيضِ وَاليَلَبِ

A delight she diffused in the hearts of the good

The parting of her hair brings joy to perfume’s very heart,

And sorrow in the hearts of the white and warped

While swords and helmets feel the sting of envy’s bitter dart.

إِذا رَأى وَرَآها رَأسَ لابِسِهِ

رَأى المَقانِعَ أَعلى مِنهُ في الرُتَبِ

When the wearer of her veil saw her, he saw

If any warrior saw her veil and saw his helmet’s crest,

The veils higher than him in stature

He’d judge the veils as higher ranked, and by true glory blessed.

وَإِن تَكُن خُلِقَت أُنثى لَقَد خُلِقَت

كَريمَةً غَيرَ أُنثى العَقلِ وَالحَسَبِ

And if she was created female, she was nevertheless created

And though she was created female in her form and mold,

Generous - not female in mind and lineage

She bore no female weakness in her mind or lineage old.

وَإِن تَكُن تَغلِبُ الغَلباءُ عُنصُرَها

فَإِنَّ في الخَمرِ مَعنىً لَيسَ في العِنَبِ

And if she surpassed the masters in nature

And if the Taghlib blood prevailed within her elemental make,

Then wine has a quality grapes do not encompass

So does the wine possess a soul the grapes cannot partake.

فَلَيتَ طالِعَةَ الشَمسَينِ غائِبَةٌ

وَلَيتَ غائِبَةَ الشَمسَينِ لَم تَغِبِ

If only she who sees the two suns would disappear

Would that the sun which rises now were hidden from our view,

And she who does not see them had not disappeared

And would the sun now set in death were rising here anew.

وَلَيتَ عَينَ الَّتي آبَ النَهارُ بِها

فِداءُ عَينِ الَّتي زالَت وَلَم تَؤُبِ

And that the eye darkness fell for

Would that the eye of Day, which now returns to light the plain,

Was ransom for the eye that faded and did not return

Were ransom for the eye of her who comes not back again.

فَما تَقَلَّدَ بِالياقوتِ مُشبِهُها

وَلا تَقَلَّدَ بِالهِندِيَّةِ القُضُبِ

So neither the ruby wore something resembling her

No woman like her ever donned the ruby’s crimson grace,

Nor did agates wear indian carnelian

Nor girded on the Indian blade to seek the battle-place.

وَلا ذَكَرتُ جَميلاً مِن صَنائِعِها

إِلّا بَكَيتُ وَلا وُدٌّ بِلا سَبَبِ

And whenever I mentioned any of her works

I never recall a grace she did, or kindness she bestowed,

I cried, for there is no platonic love without a reason

But that I weep; for never love without a reason flowed.

قَد كانَ كُلُّ حِجابٍ دونَ رُؤيَتِها

فَما قَنِعتِ لَها يا أَرضُ بِالحُجُبِ

Every veil before seeing her was not enough for her, O land, as covers

Before her face, a thousand veils were hung to guard her room,

Nor did the eyes of mankind perceive her

Were you not satisfied, O Earth, with veils, to add the tomb?

وَلا رَأَيتِ عُيونَ الإِنسِ تُدرِكُها

فَهَل حَسَدتِ عَلَيها أَعيُنَ الشُهُبِ

So were you envious of her, O eyes of elders?

You saw that human eyes were barred from gazing on her light,

And have you (land) heard a greeting that pained her?

Did you then envy stars their watch, to hide her from their sight?

وَهَل سَمِعتِ سَلاماً لي أَلَمَّ بِها

فَقَد أَطَلتُ وَما سَلَّمتُ مِن كَثَبِ

For I have been sleepless, and not rested a bit

And did you hear a greeting word that I to her addressed?

And how can our dying, that was buried, reach her

For I have lingered, yet no kiss upon her brow I pressed.

وَكَيفَ يَبلُغُ مَوتانا الَّتي دُفِنَت

وَقَد يُقَصِّرُ عَن أَحيائِنا الغَيَبِ

When the absent struggle to reach even those alive?

How shall my greeting reach the dead, now buried deep away,

O best of patience, visit the hearts most deserving of her

When absence fails to reach the ones who live in light of day?

يا أَحسَنَ الصَبرِ زُر أَولى القُلوبِ بِها

وَقُل لِصاحِبِهِ يا أَنفَعَ السُحُبِ

And say to their companions: O most beneficial clouds

O fairest Patience, visit him whose heart for her is torn,

And O people of merit! Without excluding anyone

And tell her kin: "O raining cloud, of all bounty born,"

وَأَكرَمَ الناسِ لا مُستَثنِياً أَحَداً

مِنَ الكِرامِ سِوى آبائِكَ النُجُبِ

From all the other meritorious people except your noble fathers

"Most noble of the race of men—I no exception make—"

Time made your symbol one in two bodies

"Save for your noble sires alone, whose path you overtake."

قَد كانَ قاسَمَكَ الشَخصَينِ دَهرُهُما

وَعاشَ دُرُّهُما المَفديُّ بِالذَهَبِ

And the evanescence of their pearls ransomed by gold lasted

Fate shared with you these precious two, while time allowed them breath,

And the one seeking the abandoned has returned

But now the Pearl is lost, though Gold remains to mourn in death.

وَعادَ في طَلَبِ المَتروكِ تارِكُهُ

إِنّا لَنَغفُلُ وَالأَيّامُ في الطَلَبِ

We forget while days keep seeking

The one who left now turns around to seek what he passed by,

However short the time between them was

We slumber in our heedlessness, while days in pursuit fly.

ماكانَ أَقصَرَ وَقتاً كانَ بَينَهُما

كَأَنَّهُ الوَقتُ بَينَ الوِردِ وَالقَرَبِ

It was as if the time between flowers and branches

How brief the span of time that lay between the two of you,

May your Lord reward your sorrows with forgiveness

As brief as 'twixt the camels' sip and reaching water due.

جَزاكَ رَبُّكَ بِالأَحزانِ مَغفِرَةً

فَحُزنُ كُلِّ أَخي حُزنٍ أَخو الغَضَبِ

For the sorrow of every grieving brother is the sorrow of rage

May God reward your sorrows now with mercy’s gentle grace,

While you are people whose souls are ardent

For grief that strikes a brother's heart makes anger interlace.

وَأَنتُمُ نَفَرٌ تَسخو نُفوسُكُمُ

بِما يَهَبنَ وَلا يَسخونَ بِالسَلَبِ

With what He bestows rather than with what He deprives

You are a folk whose spirits give with generosity,

You have attained amongst all kings

Of gifts you grant, but never yield to plundering decree.

حَلَلتُمُ مِن مُلوكِ الناسِ كُلِّهِمِ

مَحَلَّ سُمرِ القَنا مِن سائِرِ القَصَبِ

The status of the brown liquor from all other chaffs

Among the kings of all the earth, you hold the station high,

So may nights not wear you down, though their hands

That spear-shafts hold above the reeds that in the marshes lie.

فَلا تَنَلكَ اللَيالي إِنَّ أَيدِيَها

إِذا ضَرَبنَ كَسَرنَ النَبعَ بِالغَرَبِ

If they tap, they'd break the spring with departure

Let not the nights afflict you, for their hands are harsh and rude,

Nor may they support an enemy whom you subdue

If they should strike, they break the oak with willow-wood crude.

وَلا يُعِنَّ عَدُوّاً أَنتَ قاهِرُهُ

فَإِنَّهُنَّ يَصِدنَ الصَقرَ بِالخَرَبِ

For they deter the falcon with ruins

Nor let them aid a foe whom you have conquered and subdued,

If they were joyed by a beloved then saddened for his sake

For Fate can snare the hunting hawk with prey he pursued.

وَإِن سَرَرنَ بِمَحبوبٍ فَجَعنَ بِهِ

وَقَد أَتَينَكَ في الحالَينِ بِالعَجَبِ

They have surprised you equally in both states

If they delight us with a love, they strike us with its loss,

And maybe one assumes he has attained their limits

In joy and grief, they bring you wonders impossible to cross.

وَرُبَّما اِحتَسَبَ الإِنسانُ غايَتَها

وَفاجَأَتهُ بِأَمرٍ غَيرِ مُحتَسَبِ

Only to be struck by an unforeseen matter

And oft a man may calculate the end of his design,

And none has fulfilled his wishes regarding them

Yet Fate surprises him with ends he never could divine.

وَما قَضى أَحَدٌ مِنها لُبانَتَهُ

وَلا اِنتَهى أَرَبٌ إِلّا إِلى أَرَبِ

Or reached a time limit save another

No man has ever satisfied the hunger of his soul,

People dispute amongst each other, without agreeing

Nor reached a wish, but that it led to yet another goal.

تَخالَفَ الناسُ حَتّى لا اِتِّفاقَ لَهُم

إِلّا عَلى شَجَبٍ وَالخُلفُ في الشَجَبِ

Except on pleas of the apology, disputing even pleas

Mankind is torn by difference, no concord can they keep,

So it was said: "the soul of a human is salvaged safely"

Except on death—though how they die is where the schisms sleep.

فَقيلَ تَخلُصُ نَفسُ المَرءِ سالِمَةً

وَقيلَ تَشرَكُ جِسمَ المَرءِ في العَطَبِ

And it was said: "the human body shares in the spoils"

For some maintain the soul of man escapes the body whole,

He who contemplates life and its blend

While others say it shares the ruin that takes the body’s toll.

وَمَن تَفَكَّرَ في الدُنيا وَمُهجَتِهِ

أَقامَهُ الفِكرُ بَينَ العَجزِ وَالتَعَبِ

Is rendered by thought between frustration and fatigue

And he who ponders on this world, and on his spirit’s state,

Is left by thought 'twixt helplessness and weariness of fate.