خطبتني الخطوب بالهم لما

حدثتني بألسن الحدثان

You betrothed me with worries when

You told me with the tongues of the two old friends

نكبتني في ابني بل سلبتني

نور عيني فأظلم النيران

You brought me down through my son, rather you robbed me

Of the light of my eye so the fires darkened

طمست فرقدي بعد طلوع

وعجيب أن يطمس الفرقدان

You obscured my brightness after its emergence

And it's wondrous that the two bright stars could be obscured

يا لها نكبة على نكبة جا

ءت وجرحاً ينكى بجرح ثاني

Oh what a calamity upon calamity that came

And wounds that make one moan with another wound

ومصاباً على مصاب وثكلا

بعد ثكل أصيب منه جناني

And affliction over affliction and bereavement

After bereavement I was afflicted in my soul

أيها العاذل المعزي بفقدي

لبني ذخرته لزماني

O consoler who consoles me for the loss

Of my son, whom I hoarded for my time

اتئد لا تعزني بعزاء

ليس مثلي يغتر بالهذيان

Do not try to console me with consolation

That is not like me, fooled by delusions

إن في مهجتي لهيب سعير

بعضها محرق لظى النيران

In my mind there is the flame of hellfire

Some of it burning with the heat of fires

وعظيماً من البلايا قطيعاً

وغموراً قد ضاعفت أحزاني

And much of calamities, a large group

And deep sorrows that multiplied my sorrows

ودموعاً تنهل من دم جفني

على وجنتي كالعقيان

And tears that flow from the blood of my eyelids

Onto my cheeks like springs

وفقدت السلو فقد رقادي

فتراني مراقب السرحان

And I lost comfort so I lost my sleep

So you see me observing the Pleiades

بدل العيش بعد فقد حسين

بهموم وترحة وهوان

Instead of living after the loss of Hussein

With worries, agony, and disgrace

وكرهت الحياة والعمر لما

غاب عن ناظري وأخلى مكاني

And I hated life and age when

He disappeared from my sight and left my place

لو رآني العدو رق لما بي

وبكى لي الصديق مما دهاني

If an enemy saw me, he would have mercy

And a friend would cry for what pained me

في بني فجعت فيه فمالي

عنه صبر يقرني بمكان

Through my son I was anguished so how can I

Have patience that pairs me to a place

حرت في طبه وحار الأطبا

ء وخابت ظنوننا للأماني

I fretted over his tomb and the doctors were confused

And our hopes for wellness were unfulfilled

من مداواته ولم يقف الدا

ء ولم ينجح الدوا في أوان

From his treatment, and the cure did not stand

And medicine did not work in time

يا دموعي ويا زفيري أعينا

ني بنار الخليل والطوفان

Oh my tears and oh my sighs help me

With the fire of bereavement and the flood

لهف نفسي غداة سار إلى التر

ب وقد رحلوه عن أوطاني

My soul pined the next day when he went to the soil

And they had sent him away from my homelands

رحلوه إلى القرافة رغماً

أودعوه للحد والأكفان

They sent him to the cemetery by force

They placed him for the grave and shrouds

غيبوه عن ناظري وضميري

هو فيه مصور للعيان

They hid him from my sight and conscience

He is depicted in it to envision

وخلا منه منزلاً كان معمو

راً قديماً بلفظه والمعاني

And his house that was once filled

With his expressions and meanings was emptied of him

فبقايا آثاره سخنة العي

ن وألفاظه شجا الآذان

So the remnants of his traces have hot eyes

And his words have piercing ears

غاب عني السرور مذ غاب

واسودَّ بياض الرجاء والجدران

Joy disappeared from me since he disappeared

And the whiteness of hope and walls darkened

يا خليلي ساعداني بنوح

أو بدمع أولا فلا تعذلاني

Oh my two friends, help me with crying

Or with tears or do not blame me

وارحماني فقد تضاعف همي

ودموعي قد قرحت أجفاني

And have mercy on me for my worries have multiplied

And my tears have ulcerated my eyelids

واندباه عني فقد كل فكري

والمراثي ملت حديث لساني

And mourn him for me for all my thoughts are of him

And the elegies have filled my tongue

كل عام للموت عندي نصيب

في سراة البنين والأخوان

Every year death takes a share from me

In the families of sons and brothers

فأرى الموت والخطوب جميعاً

يثكلاني فكيف لا ينكلان

So I see death and calamities both

Bereaving me so how can they not dishearten me

فأنا الدهر لم أزل باكي

العين كئيباً مكابد الأحزان

For indeed I have not ceased crying

My eye sorrowful, enduring sorrows

لا تلمني يا عاذلي إن قلبي

موجع من تفرق الأقران

Do not blame me, oh consoler of me, if my heart is

Hurt from the separation of friends