عزاءً فما يصنع الجازعُ

عزاءً فما يصنع الجازعُ

ودَمعُ الأسى أبدا ضائعُ

ودَمعُ الأسى أبدا ضائعُ

Take comfort: what can the grief-stricken do?

What can the mourner do?

And tears of sorrow are always wasted.

The tears of sorrow are never in vain

بكَى الناسُ من قبلُ أحبابَهم

بكَى الناسُ من قبلُ أحبابَهم

فهل منهُمُ أحدٌ راجعُ

فهل منهُمُ أحدٌ راجعُ

People before us wept for their loved ones;

People before cried over their loved ones

has any one of them returned?

But did any of them come back?

عرفنا المصائبَ قبلَ الوقوع

عرفنا المصائبَ قبلَ الوقوع

فما زادنا الحادثُ الواقعُ

فما زادنا الحادثُ الواقعُ

We knew calamities before they struck;

We knew of misfortunes before they happened

what, then, has the present calamity added?

Yet when they happened, it did not increase us except in pain

ولكنَّ ما ينظر الناظرو

ولكنَّ ما ينظر الناظرو

نَ ليس كما يسمعُ السامعُ

نَ ليس كما يسمعُ السامعُ

But what the beholders see

But what onlookers see

is not like what the listener hears.

Is not like what the hearer hears

يُدَلَّى ابنُ عشرين في لحدِه

يُدَلَّى ابنُ عشرين في لحدِه

وتِسعون صاحبُها راتعُ

وتِسعون صاحبُها راتعُ

A twenty-year-old is lowered into his burial niche,

A twenty-year old is lowered into his grave

while a man of ninety lives at ease.

While his ninety year old friend remains

وفي رأس ذا اسودٌ حالكٌ

وفي رأس ذا اسودٌ حالكٌ

وفي فرعِ ذا أبيضٌ ساطعُ

وفي فرعِ ذا أبيضٌ ساطعُ

And on this one's head is pitch-black hair,

On one head is pitch-black hair

and in that one's tresses, gleaming white.

On another, white hair blowing in the wind

ليعلم من شكَّ أن المنو

ليعلم من شكَّ أن المنو

نَ هوجاءُ ما عندها شافعُ

نَ هوجاءُ ما عندها شافعُ

So that whoever doubts may know that Death

So let those who doubt know that fate

is reckless, with no intercessor before her.

Is a whirlwind against which there is no protection

وإن هُنَيدةَ من عاشَها

وإن هُنَيدةَ من عاشَها

لفى عيشةٍ بعدها طامعُ

لفى عيشةٍ بعدها طامعُ

Indeed, whoever lives a hundred years

And that one who lives out his days

still longs for a life beyond them.

Still hopes for more life afterwards

فقل لىَ ما السرُّ في ذى الحيا

فقل لىَ ما السرُّ في ذى الحيا

ة تُهوى وطائُرها واقعُ

ة تُهوى وطائُرها واقعُ

So tell me: what is the secret of this life,

So tell me, what is the secret of this life

loved, though its bird is falling?

That is loved but fate always takes it away

يهيم عليها الكسوبُ الحريصُ

يهيم عليها الكسوبُ الحريصُ

ويعشقها الساجدُ الراكعُ

ويعشقها الساجدُ الراكعُ

The greedy earner is infatuated with it,

The ambitious struggle for it

and the man who prostrates and bows adores it.

And the worshipper prostrates before it

وللمرء لو كان يُنجى الفر

وللمرء لو كان يُنجى الفر

ر في الأرض مضطرَبٌ واسعُ

ر في الأرض مضطرَبٌ واسعُ

And for a man, if flight could save him,

And if a man could be saved

there is ample room to roam upon the earth.

By turmoil and strife on earth

ومَن حتُفه بين أضلاعه

ومَن حتُفه بين أضلاعه

أيمنعه أنّه دارعُ

أيمنعه أنّه دارعُ

And one whose death lies between his ribs—

And one taken amidst his ribs

does being armored protect him?

Could armor protect him?

وكلُّ أبىٍّ لداعى الحِمام

وكلُّ أبىٍّ لداعى الحِمام

متى يدْعُه سامعٌ طائعُ

متى يدْعُه سامعٌ طائعُ

And every defiant man, before Death's caller,

Every father called by the cooing dove

listens and obeys whenever he calls him.

If he hears, is obedient

يسلِّم مهجتَهُ سائما

يسلِّم مهجتَهُ سائما

كما مدَّ راحتَه البائعُ

كما مدَّ راحتَه البائعُ

He hands over his lifeblood, bargaining,

He surrenders his soul willingly

as a seller stretches out his palm.

Like a seller extending his hand

وحى الضَّيْزن عن متنهِ

وحى الضَّيْزن عن متنهِ

وحسَّانُ اسلمه فارعُ

وحسَّانُ اسلمه فارعُ

And [it swept] al-Ḍayzan from its back;

Disease left its mount suddenly

and Fāriʿ gave up Ḥassān.

And Hassaan submitted like one fleeing

وهبَّت على تُبّع نفحةٌ

وهبَّت على تُبّع نفحةٌ

فلم يبقَ من رهطهِ تابعُ

فلم يبقَ من رهطهِ تابعُ

And a gust blew over Tubbaʿ,

And a whiff came upon Tubba

so no follower from his clan remained.

None of his entourage remained

ولو أنّ من حَدَثٍ سالما

ولو أنّ من حَدَثٍ سالما

لما خَسَفَ القمرُ الطالعُ

لما خَسَفَ القمرُ الطالعُ

And had anyone been safe from calamity,

Had Salama been safe from fate

the rising moon would not have been eclipsed,

The ascending moon would not have collapsed

ولا صِيدَ في شَرَكِ النائباتِ

ولا صِيدَ في شَرَكِ النائباتِ

فتىً لشروطِ القتَى جامعُ

فتىً لشروطِ القتَى جامعُ

nor would misfortunes' snare have trapped

And no young prey escapes the claws of fate

a youth endowed with every virtue of manhood.

If it possesses the qualities of the slain

غلامٌ كأنبُوبةِ السمهر

غلامٌ كأنبُوبةِ السمهر

ى تُعي إذا رامها الصادعُ

ى تُعي إذا رامها الصادعُ

A boy like the shaft of a Samharī lance,

A boy like a Samhar pipe

defying the one who tries to split it.

When the chanter seeks him, submits

شمائُلهُ مثلُ نَوْر الرّيا

شمائُلهُ مثلُ نَوْر الرّيا

ضِ نَمنمَها باكرٌ هامعُ

ضِ نَمنمَها باكرٌ هامعُ

His qualities were like the gardens' blossoms,

His features like the light of dawn

embroidered by a drenching morning shower.

Brought out by early morning clouds

تكاد تبكّى عليه الغصونُ

تكاد تبكّى عليه الغصونُ

إذا ناح قُمرِيُّها الساجعُ

إذا ناح قُمرِيُّها الساجعُ

The branches almost weep for him

The branches nearly weep for him

when their cooing turtledove laments.

When his lovely moon sets

عجبتُ لذاك الحُلِىِّ المصوغِ

عجبتُ لذاك الحُلِىِّ المصوغِ

لنا كيف يُفسِده الصانعُ

لنا كيف يُفسِده الصانعُ

I marveled at that ornament wrought

I am amazed that such a finely wrought necklace

for us: how can the Maker ruin it?

Is corrupted by its maker

تخرَّمه ورُواءُ الشبا

تخرَّمه ورُواءُ الشبا

بِ لم يدرِكم طولُه الذارعُ

بِ لم يدرِكم طولُه الذارعُ

He snatched him away, while the bloom of youth

He pierces it though the bloom of youth

had a span the measurer did not yet know,

Did not reach you, or its period end

على حين أُفرغَ في قالَب ال

على حين أُفرغَ في قالَب ال

جمال ورونقُه الطابعُ

جمال ورونقُه الطابعُ

just when he had been cast in a mold of

While he who was created with beauty

beauty and its radiance by the Molder.

And an elegant form

وكيف توقِّى الفتى ما يخافُ

وكيف توقِّى الفتى ما يخافُ

إذا كان حاصدَه الزارعُ

إذا كان حاصدَه الزارعُ

And how can a youth guard against what he fears,

How can the youth avoid what he fears

if his sower is also his reaper?

When his reaper is the planter?

ومن فوقهِ ظُلَلٌ كالغمامِ

ومن فوقهِ ظُلَلٌ كالغمامِ

ومن تحته جبلٌ مانعُ

ومن تحته جبلٌ مانعُ

And above him are canopies like clouds,

Above him shadows like clouds

and beneath him a protecting mountain.

Below him, an impregnable mountain

وأقرانُ فضلانَ في عزِّةٍ

وأقرانُ فضلانَ في عزِّةٍ

يدور بها الفلَكُ السابعُ

يدور بها الفلَكُ السابعُ

And Faḍlān's peers enjoy a power

And peers excel in dignity

around which the seventh sphere revolves.

The celestial orbit revolves around them

ولو شاء قصَّر باعَ الردى

ولو شاء قصَّر باعَ الردى

فلم يرمِهِ الساعدُ النازعُ

فلم يرمِهِ الساعدُ النازعُ

Had he wished, he would have shortened death's reach,

And if he willed, he could shorten the hand of fate

so the bow-drawing arm would not have struck him.

But the diverting arm did not deflect it

ولكنَّه جاءه سائلا

ولكنَّه جاءه سائلا

فجاد به صدرُه الواسعُ

فجاد به صدرُه الواسعُ

But it came to him as a petitioner,

Rather, it came to him asking

so his broad breast gave him freely.

So his generous breast gave it away

أأسرفتَ في الجودِ حتى استما

أأسرفتَ في الجودِ حتى استما

حَ أحبابَك الزمنُ الخادعُ

حَ أحبابَك الزمنُ الخادعُ

Have you been so extravagant in giving that

Did you exceed in your generosity

deceitful Time begged your loved ones as gifts?

Until fate deceived your loved ones, O time?