مَلامَكِ عَنّي جَلّ خَطبٌ فَأَوجَعا

ذَريني وَما بي قَبل أَن يَتَصَدّعا

My angel, cease reproaching me, for grief has left me sick

Leave me be, lest before this my heart break into pieces

أَلَم تَعلَمي أَنَّ المَلومَ معذَّب

وَأَن أَخي لاقى الحِمامَ فَوَدّعا

Know you not that the blamed is tortured so?

And that my brother met the fate of all, and so did pass away

وَأَعدَدتُه لِلنَّائِباتِ ذَخيرَة

فَأَضحى أَجَلَّ النَّائِباتِ وَأَفظَعا

I prepared him well for life's misfortunes

So he became the greatest of misfortunes, and the most dire

وَدافَعتُ عَنهُ المَوتَ بِالمالِ جاهِداً

فَأَوردته مِنهُ عَلى الرُّغمِ مَشرَعا

And I warded off death from him with all my wealth

Yet I brought it to him in the end, despite my efforts

أَبا جَعفَر إِن كانَ قَدّمك الرَّدى

أَمامي وَعاداكَ الحِمامُ فَأَسرَعا

Father Ja'far, if fate has brought you low

And the fates have turned against you and made haste

وَخَلَّيتَني لِلنَّائِباتِ دَريئَةً

أَظَلُّ بِها في كُل يَوم مرَوَّعا

Leaving me easy prey for every disaster

So each day I cower, distraught with fear

فَعَينِيَ ما تَنفَكُّ عَبرَى سَخينَةً

عَلَيك وَرُكني خاضِعا مُتضعضِعا

My eyes cease not in shedding scalding tears for you

And without you I bow, humbled and brought low

وَبعدك لا آسى عَلى فَقدِ هالِكٍ

مَضيتَ فَهَوّنتَ المَصائِب أَجمَعا

With you gone, I grieve no more for the dead

For when you left, you made all grief lighter

سَأَحمِي الكَرى عَيني وَأَفتَرِش الثَّرى

حَياتِيَ إِذ صارَ الثَّرى لَكَ مَضجَعا

I will shield my eyes from seeing others, and spread myself upon the earth

For my life, when the earth became your bed

وَقيتُك ما أَخشاه جُهدي وَلَم أُطِق

لِرَدِّ قَضاء اللَّهِ إِذ حَلَّ مَدفَعا

I protected you from what I feared, though I'd no power

To turn back what God ordained when it came to pass

فَلَو أَنَّني خُيّرتُ لَم يَعدُني الرَّدى

وَكُنت المُعَزّى عَن أَخيك المُفَجَّعا

And if I'd been given a choice, fate would not let me

And I'd have been comforted for the loss of you, my brother

وَإِنّي لأَستَحيي المَعاشِرَ أَن أُرى

خِلافك حَيّاً بِالبَقاءِ مُمَتَّعا

For I'm ashamed before all people that I should live

While you are dead, and I still drawing breath

وَما مَرَّ يَوم في البَلاءِ كَيَومه

أَمرَّ وَأَنأى عن عَزاءٍ وَأَشنَعا

No day has passed in this ordeal like the day you left

It was so bitter, it allowed no comfort, no consolation

وَبَينَ ضُلوعي غُصّة مُستَكِنّة

مُجاوِرَة قَلبا بذكرك مُوجَعا

Within my chest there lies a settled anguish

That keeps my heart in pain with the memory of you

وَهَوَّنَ وَجدي فيكَ أَنّ أَمامَنا

سِوى دارنا داراً سَتَجمَعُنا مَعا

It eases my torment that we know

Beyond our home here lies a home where we will meet again