يا قَضيباً ذَوى وَكانَ نَضيرا

يا قَضيباً ذَوى وَكانَ نَضيرا

ما رَأَينا لَهُ الغَداةَ نَظيرا

ما رَأَينا لَهُ الغَداةَ نَظيرا

O tender branch, now withered, once so fresh!

O bough that withered, once so verdant,

This very day, we have seen no peer for him.

we saw no equal to him this morning.

أَظلَمَت بَعدَهُ الدِيارُ وَقَد كا

أَظلَمَت بَعدَهُ الدِيارُ وَقَد كا

نَ سِراجاً بِها وَبَدراً مُنيرا

نَ سِراجاً بِها وَبَدراً مُنيرا

After him, the dwellings darkened, though he had

The dwellings darkened after him, though he had been

been their lamp and a radiant full moon.

a lamp within them and a radiant full moon.

غَيَّبَتهُ الأَرضونَ عَنّا وَما خِل

غَيَّبَتهُ الأَرضونَ عَنّا وَما خِل

تُ أَديمَ التُرابِ يَحوي البُدورا

تُ أَديمَ التُرابِ يَحوي البُدورا

The earths concealed him from us; never did I

The earth hid him from us, and I never thought

think the skin of dust could hold full moons.

the earth’s surface could contain full moons.

لا وَلا خِلتُ أَنَّ شُهبَ الدَراري

لا وَلا خِلتُ أَنَّ شُهبَ الدَراري

بَعدَ أَوجِ العُلى تَحِلُّ القُبورا

بَعدَ أَوجِ العُلى تَحِلُّ القُبورا

No—nor did I think that radiant stars,

No, nor did I think that the blazing lights of radiant stars,

after glory’s zenith, would lodge in graves.

after glory’s zenith, would dwell in graves.

يا حَبيباً فِراقُهُ أَخرَبَ القَل

يا حَبيباً فِراقُهُ أَخرَبَ القَل

بَ وَقَد كانَ مَنزِلاً مَعموراً

بَ وَقَد كانَ مَنزِلاً مَعموراً

O beloved, whose parting laid the heart in ruins,

O beloved, whose parting laid the heart in ruins,

though once it was a flourishing home.

though once it had been a thriving home.

فاجَأَتنا بِالنَدبِ أَصواتُ ناعي

فاجَأَتنا بِالنَدبِ أَصواتُ ناعي

كَ وَكادَت قُلوبُنا أَن تَطيرا

كَ وَكادَت قُلوبُنا أَن تَطيرا

The cries of the herald mourning you struck us suddenly,

Your death-announcer’s cries of lament startled us,

and our hearts nearly flew from us.

and our hearts nearly took flight.

فَنَفَينا الرُقادَ عَن كُلِّ عَينٍ

فَنَفَينا الرُقادَ عَن كُلِّ عَينٍ

فَجَّرَتها دُموعُها تَفجيرا

فَجَّرَتها دُموعُها تَفجيرا

So we banished sleep from every eye,

So we banished sleep from every eye

and tears burst each one into torrents.

that its tears had made gush in torrents.

ما رَأى الناسُ قَبلَ مَثواكَ يَوماً

ما رَأى الناسُ قَبلَ مَثواكَ يَوماً

كانَ بِالبَينِ شَرَّهُ مُستَطيرا

كانَ بِالبَينِ شَرَّهُ مُستَطيرا

Before your resting-place, people had never seen a day

Before you were laid to rest, people had never seen a day

whose evil, born of parting, spread so far.

whose harm through parting spread so far.

وَلَقَد خِفتُ مِن فِراقِكَ يَوماً

وَلَقَد خِفتُ مِن فِراقِكَ يَوماً

باكِياً بِالثَبورِ يَنعى ثَبيرا

باكِياً بِالثَبورِ يَنعى ثَبيرا

Indeed, I had dreaded a day of parting from you,

Indeed, I had feared a day of separation from you

a day weeping “Ruin!” as it mourned Thabir.

that wept with cries of woe and mourned Thabir.

فَبِرُغمي أَن لا أَرى مِنكَ وَجهاً

فَبِرُغمي أَن لا أَرى مِنكَ وَجهاً

يَرجِعُ الطَرفُ مِن سَناهُ حَسيرا

يَرجِعُ الطَرفُ مِن سَناهُ حَسيرا

How bitterly against my will, that I see your face no more—

So, to my sorrow, I no longer behold your face,

a face whose radiance sent the gaze back weary.

from whose radiance the gaze returns exhausted.

كُنتَ ريحانَةَ القُلوبِ فَقَد دا

كُنتَ ريحانَةَ القُلوبِ فَقَد دا

رَ بِكَ التُربُ عَنبَراً وَعَبيرا

رَ بِكَ التُربُ عَنبَراً وَعَبيرا

You were the hearts’ fragrant basil; now all

You were the sweet basil of hearts, and so

the dust surrounding you is ambergris and perfume.

the dust, through you, has turned to ambergris and perfume.

كُنتَ شَهماً مَعَ الحَداثَةِ في السِن

كُنتَ شَهماً مَعَ الحَداثَةِ في السِن

نِ وَجَلداً عَلى البَلاءِ صَبورا

نِ وَجَلداً عَلى البَلاءِ صَبورا

Though tender in years, you were noble and brave,

You were noble-hearted, despite your youth in years,

steadfast and patient under affliction.

and steadfast in affliction, deeply patient.

وَحَمَلتَ الأَثقاكَ عَنّي فَأَمسى

وَحَمَلتَ الأَثقاكَ عَنّي فَأَمسى

بِكَ طَرفي بَينَ الأَنامِ قَريرا

بِكَ طَرفي بَينَ الأَنامِ قَريرا

You bore the heavy burdens for me, until my eye,

And you bore the burdens for me, so

through you, rested content among all humankind.

through you, my eye found comfort among humankind.

فَجَزاكَ الإِلَهُ عَن ذَلِكَ الصَب

فَجَزاكَ الإِلَهُ عَن ذَلِكَ الصَب

رِ عَلى الهَولِ جَنَّةً وَحَريرا

رِ عَلى الهَولِ جَنَّةً وَحَريرا

May God reward you for that steadfast patience

May God reward you for that patience

before terror—with Paradise and silk;

in the face of terror with a garden and silk;

وَأَراكَ الإِلَهُ في جَنَّةِ الخُل

وَأَراكَ الإِلَهُ في جَنَّةِ الخُل

دِ نَعيماً بِها وَمُلكاً كَبيرا

دِ نَعيماً بِها وَمُلكاً كَبيرا

and may God show you, in the Garden of Eternity,

and may God show you, in the Garden of Eternity,

bliss there, and a mighty kingdom.

bliss therein and a vast kingdom.