لَقَد كُنتُ أَرجو أَن تَعودَ وَتَغنَما

لَقَد كُنتُ أَرجو أَن تَعودَ وَتَغنَما

وَتَنسى عَناءً قَد مَضى وَتَصَرَّما

وَتَنسى عَناءً قَد مَضى وَتَصَرَّما

I had indeed hoped that you would return and prosper,

I had hoped you would return and be rewarded,

and forget a hardship that had passed and ended;

And forget the past hardship and become dignified,

وَتَعتَذِرُ الأَيّامُ عَمّا تَحامَلَت

وَتَعتَذِرُ الأَيّامُ عَمّا تَحامَلَت

عَلَيكَ وَيَمحو اليَومُ ما الأَمسُ قَدُما

عَلَيكَ وَيَمحو اليَومُ ما الأَمسُ قَدُما

and that the days would apologize for bearing down

And the days would apologize for what they put you through,

upon you, and today erase what yesterday had brought.

And today would erase what yesterday established.

فَما راعَني إِلّا مُصابَكَ تارِكاً

فَما راعَني إِلّا مُصابَكَ تارِكاً

لَيالِيَّ أَيّاماً وَيَومِيَ مُظلِما

لَيالِيَّ أَيّاماً وَيَومِيَ مُظلِما

Nothing startled me but your calamity, leaving

But I was not preoccupied except by your tragedy, leaving

my nights like days and my day dark.

My nights as days, and my days gloomy,

وَسَهمٌ تَلقاهُ فُؤادي وَإِنَّهُ

وَسَهمٌ تَلقاهُ فُؤادي وَإِنَّهُ

لِآلَمٍ ما لاقى نِبالاً وَأَسهُما

لِآلَمٍ ما لاقى نِبالاً وَأَسهُما

And my heart received an arrow; indeed it

And my heart was struck by an arrow, and it

was the most painful of the arrows and shafts it had encountered.

Was painful unlike any arrows and spears.

أَجَل لَم تَزَل حَتّى أُصِبتَ بِمُلحِمٍ

أَجَل لَم تَزَل حَتّى أُصِبتَ بِمُلحِمٍ

فَتَفَتَّأَ حَتّى المَوتُ تَذكُرُ مُلحِما

فَتَفَتَّأَ حَتّى المَوتُ تَذكُرُ مُلحِما

Yes, you carried on until Mulhim's loss struck you;

Indeed, you did not stop until you were struck by adversity,

so you will keep remembering Mulhim until death.

So much so that even death recalls adversity.

مَصابٌ تَشاطَرناهُ طَراً فَكُلُّنا

مَصابٌ تَشاطَرناهُ طَراً فَكُلُّنا

يَبكي عَلى مَفقودِكَ الدَمعُ وَالدِما

يَبكي عَلى مَفقودِكَ الدَمعُ وَالدِما

A calamity we all have shared; each of us

A tragedy we shared, so all of us

weeps tears and blood for the one you have lost.

Cry over your loss, with tears and blood.

رَأَينا عَظيماً قَبلَهُ حادِثُ النَوى

رَأَينا عَظيماً قَبلَهُ حادِثُ النَوى

لَعَمري فَجاءَ البَينَ أَدهى وَأَعظَما

لَعَمري فَجاءَ البَينَ أَدهى وَأَعظَما

Before it, we had deemed the calamity of separation great;

We saw you great before the incident of An-Nawā,

by my life, this parting proved more dreadful and greater.

By my life, then separation came, more painful and greater.

وَكُنّا نُرَجّي فَرحَةً بِزَفافِهِ

وَكُنّا نُرَجّي فَرحَةً بِزَفافِهِ

فَوا حَسرتاً اِعتَضنا مِنَ العُرسِ مَأتَما

فَوا حَسرتاً اِعتَضنا مِنَ العُرسِ مَأتَما

And we had hoped for joy at his wedding,

And we were hoping for joy in his wedding,

but alas! We received a funeral in place of the wedding.

But alas, instead of a wedding we were struck by bereavement.

وَصارَت بِهِ تِلكَ التَهاني مَراثِياً

وَصارَت بِهِ تِلكَ التَهاني مَراثِياً

وَناحَ الَّذ قَد شاءَ أَن يَتَرَنَّما

وَناحَ الَّذ قَد شاءَ أَن يَتَرَنَّما

And through him those congratulations became elegies,

And with it those congratulations became elegies,

and the one who had wished to sing lamented.

And he wept who had wanted to chant.

فَتىً لَم يَكُن إِلّا بِأَعوامِهِ فَتى

فَتىً لَم يَكُن إِلّا بِأَعوامِهِ فَتى

فَقَد كانَ في عَقلِ الرِجالِ وَأَحلَما

فَقَد كانَ في عَقلِ الرِجالِ وَأَحلَما

A youth who was a youth only in his years;

A young man not but in his years,

for he had the understanding of grown men, and was more forbearing.

Yet he was a man in reason and forbearance.

تَقَبَّلَ بِالصَبرِ الجَميلِ بَلاءَهُ

تَقَبَّلَ بِالصَبرِ الجَميلِ بَلاءَهُ

وَحَلى بِشُهدِ الطَبعِ ما كانَ عَلقَما

وَحَلى بِشُهدِ الطَبعِ ما كانَ عَلقَما

He accepted his affliction with beautiful patience,

He faced his affliction with beautiful patience,

and with his nature's honey sweetened what had been bitter colocynth.

And sweetened what was bitter with his good nature.

تَحَمَّل مِن بِلواهُ وَهوَ مُراهِقٌ

تَحَمَّل مِن بِلواهُ وَهوَ مُراهِقٌ

لَعَمري ما لَو حَلَّ طَوداً تَهَدَّما

لَعَمري ما لَو حَلَّ طَوداً تَهَدَّما

Though still an adolescent, he bore such affliction

He endured his tribulation while still a teenager,

as, by my life, would have shattered a mountain had it befallen it.

By my life, were it to befall a mountain it would crumble.

كَأَنَّ الَّذي فيهِ مِنَ العَقلِ قَد أَتى

كَأَنَّ الَّذي فيهِ مِنَ العَقلِ قَد أَتى

لِنَزدادَ فيهِ حَسرَةً وَتَأَلُّما

لِنَزدادَ فيهِ حَسرَةً وَتَأَلُّما

As though the understanding within him had come

It is as if the reason in him had come

so that our grief and anguish over him might grow.

Only to increase our anguish and pain.

فَأَيَّ فُؤادٍ لا يَذوبُ لِمِثلِهِ

فَأَيَّ فُؤادٍ لا يَذوبُ لِمِثلِهِ

وَأَيُّ سُرورٍ لا يَكونَ مُحرِما

وَأَيُّ سُرورٍ لا يَكونَ مُحرِما

So what heart would not melt for one like him,

So which heart would not melt for one like him?

and what joy would not be forbidden?

And which joy would not become prohibited?

أَتَوفيقٌ ثِق ما أَنتَ في الخَطبِ واحِداً

أَتَوفيقٌ ثِق ما أَنتَ في الخَطبِ واحِداً

وَلَكِنَّهُ حَزَنٌ عَلَينا تَقَسَّما

وَلَكِنَّهُ حَزَنٌ عَلَينا تَقَسَّما

O Tawfiq, rest assured: you are not alone in this calamity;

O Tawfiq, trust that you are peerless in calamity,

but it is a grief divided among us.

Yet it is a sadness upon us all.

وَإِن كُنتَ مَجروحَ الفُؤادِ فَكُلُّنا

وَإِن كُنتَ مَجروحَ الفُؤادِ فَكُلُّنا

غَدا لَكَ مَجروحُ الفُؤادِ مِكلَما

غَدا لَكَ مَجروحُ الفُؤادِ مِكلَما

And if your heart is wounded, each of us

And if your heart is wounded, then all of us

has become wounded and stricken at heart for you.

Tomorrow will be wounded in heart, together.

تَناثَرَ دَمعي فَوقَ طَرسَ أَخطَهُ

تَناثَرَ دَمعي فَوقَ طَرسَ أَخطَهُ

لِذاكَ غَدا نَثري وَنَظمي تَوأَما

لِذاكَ غَدا نَثري وَنَظمي تَوأَما

My tears scattered over the page I write upon;

My tears scattered above the soil of his grave,

thus my prose and my verse became twins.

So my scattering and composing became twins.

يَخَيَّلُ لي مَبكاكَ عِندَ وَداعَهُ

يَخَيَّلُ لي مَبكاكَ عِندَ وَداعَهُ

خَيلاً عَلى بُعدِ الدِيارِ مِجسَما

خَيلاً عَلى بُعدِ الدِيارِ مِجسَما

I picture your weeping as you bade him farewell,

I imagine your crying when bidding him farewell

a vision made tangible despite the distance between our homes.

Like a vision from afar fully embodied.

مَضى وَبَقيتُ العُمرَ تَذكُرُ فَقدَهُ

مَضى وَبَقيتُ العُمرَ تَذكُرُ فَقدَهُ

فَيا لَيتَ شِعري مَن تَرَوَّحَ مِنكُما

فَيا لَيتَ شِعري مَن تَرَوَّحَ مِنكُما

He passed away, and you remain, remembering his loss all your life;

He left, and I remain remembering his loss,

would that I knew which of you two has found relief.

So I wish I knew which one of you found relief.

مَضى وَلَو الماضي يُهنا عَلى الرَدى

مَضى وَلَو الماضي يُهنا عَلى الرَدى

لَقُلتُ لَهُ اِضحَك ضاحِكاً مُتَبَسِّما

لَقُلتُ لَهُ اِضحَك ضاحِكاً مُتَبَسِّما

He passed away; and if the departed could be congratulated on death,

He left, and if only the departed could be swayed from demise,

I would say to him: Laugh, laughing and smiling.

I would say to him, “Smile with a smiling face.”

فَما هَذِهِ الدارُ العَزيزَةُ عِندَنا

فَما هَذِهِ الدارُ العَزيزَةُ عِندَنا

بِأَهلٍ لَعَمري أَن تُعَزَّ وَتُكرِما

بِأَهلٍ لَعَمري أَن تُعَزَّ وَتُكرِما

For this abode, so dear to us,

For by my life, this dear house is not one

is not worthy, by my life, of being cherished and honored.

With people, if you want it honored and cherished.

إِذا سَبَرَ الناسُ الأُمورَ بَدَت لَهُم

إِذا سَبَرَ الناسُ الأُمورَ بَدَت لَهُم

حَقائِقَ لا تُبقى فُؤاداً مُتَيَّما

حَقائِقَ لا تُبقى فُؤاداً مُتَيَّما

When people probe into matters, there appear to them

When people examine matters, realities appear to them

truths that leave no heart enamored.

That leave no heart desolate.

فَكَم فَرِحٍ فيها بِخَيرٍ أَصابَهُ

فَكَم فَرِحٍ فيها بِخَيرٍ أَصابَهُ

يَعودُ عَلَيهِ حَسرَةً وَتَنَدُّما

يَعودُ عَلَيهِ حَسرَةً وَتَنَدُّما

How many rejoice in it over good fortune that befalls them,

How much joy in it from good that befell him

only for it to return to them as grief and regret.

Returns as regret and remorse.

وَكَم نِعمَةٍ تَبدو فَتَرجِعُ نَقمَةً

وَكَم نِعمَةٍ تَبدو فَتَرجِعُ نَقمَةً

وَمَغنَمَ قَومِ عادٍ مِن بَعدُ مُغرِما

وَمَغنَمَ قَومِ عادٍ مِن بَعدُ مُغرِما

And how many a blessing appears, then turns into a curse,

And how much blessing appears then returns a curse,

and a gain for a people later becomes a loss.

And gains like Aad’s that became losses.

عَزاءَكَ يا اِبنَ العَمِّ هَل ثَمَّ حيلَةٌ

عَزاءَكَ يا اِبنَ العَمِّ هَل ثَمَّ حيلَةٌ

تَصُدُّ بِها ذاكَ القَضاءَ المُحتَما

تَصُدُّ بِها ذاكَ القَضاءَ المُحتَما

Take comfort, O cousin: is there any means

Is there a way, O nephew, to repel

by which you can avert that inevitable decree?

That decreed fate?

وَمِثلِكُ مَن قَد غَلَّبَ العَقلَ وَالحَجى

وَمِثلِكُ مَن قَد غَلَّبَ العَقلَ وَالحَجى

عَلى حِسِّهِ عِندَ المَصابِ وَحَكَّما

عَلى حِسِّهِ عِندَ المَصابِ وَحَكَّما

And one like you has given reason and discernment precedence

And one like you who reason and wisdom

over his feelings in calamity, and made them arbiters.

Have overcome feeling in calamity and empowered.

رَجَوتُ إِلَهي في بَنيكَ الأُلى بَقوا

رَجَوتُ إِلَهي في بَنيكَ الأُلى بَقوا

بِأَن يَسلَموا في جانِبَيكَ وَتَسَلَّما

بِأَن يَسلَموا في جانِبَيكَ وَتَسَلَّما

I have placed my hope in my God for your sons who remain,

I hoped, my God, that your excellent children remain

that they stay safe beside you, and you too remain safe;

To be safe in Your care and prosper,

وَيَملَأُ مَرآهُم عُيونَكَ قُرَّةً

وَيَملَأُ مَرآهُم عُيونَكَ قُرَّةً

وَيَغدوا بُدوراً في البِلادِ وَأَنجُما

وَيَغدوا بُدوراً في البِلادِ وَأَنجُما

and that the sight of them fill your eyes with delight,

And their mirrors fill with joy in Your eyes,

and that they become full moons and stars throughout the land.

And they become full moons in the land and stars.