ألا غادِ دمعَ العينِ إنْ كنتَ غاديا

ألا غادِ دمعَ العينِ إنْ كنتَ غاديا

فلستُ ألومُ اليومَ بعدك باكيا

فلستُ ألومُ اليومَ بعدك باكيا

Come, visit the eye's tears at dawn, if you are setting out at dawn;

Oh tears, flow from my eyes if you are about to flow,

for after you, I blame no weeper today.

For today after you left I will not blame the day for weeping,

ولو كنتُ لا أخشى دموعاً غزيرةً

ولو كنتُ لا أخشى دموعاً غزيرةً

تنُمُّ على ما بي كتَمْتُك ما بِيا

تنُمُّ على ما بي كتَمْتُك ما بِيا

And if I did not fear copious tears

And if I did not fear abundant tears

that betray what ails me, I would hide my affliction from you.

That would sleep in me, I would have concealed you not at all,

وغيرُ لساني ناطقٌ بسريرتي

وغيرُ لساني ناطقٌ بسريرتي

فلم يُنجِني أنّي ملكتُ لسانِيا

فلم يُنجِني أنّي ملكتُ لسانِيا

Something other than my tongue speaks my inner secret,

And my tongue speaks my innermost thoughts

so controlling my tongue has not saved me.

So it did not protect me that I held my tongue,

أَعِنِّي على شَجْوي بشجوٍ مضاعفٍ

أَعِنِّي على شَجْوي بشجوٍ مضاعفٍ

ولا تدنِني قلباً من الحزنِ خاليا

ولا تدنِني قلباً من الحزنِ خاليا

Help me in my sorrow with redoubled sorrow,

Help me in my lament with redoubled lament,

and bring no heart near me that is free of grief.

And bring not my heart near to being empty of sorrow,

ولا تُسْلِنِي عمّنْ رُزِئْتُ وإنْ تُرِدْ

ولا تُسْلِنِي عمّنْ رُزِئْتُ وإنْ تُرِدْ

مساعفتي في الرُّزءِ لم تك ساليا

مساعفتي في الرُّزءِ لم تك ساليا

Do not console me for the one I have lost; if you wish

And ask me not about whom I was harmed though you wish

to aid me in bereavement, you cannot be untroubled.

To redouble my harm, you would not have asked,

إذا صاحبي أضحى وبي مثلُ ما به

إذا صاحبي أضحى وبي مثلُ ما به

غداةَ تلاقينا أطَلْنا التَّشاكِيا

غداةَ تلاقينا أطَلْنا التَّشاكِيا

When morning finds my companion, and I suffer as he does,

When my companion has become in the morning after we met

on the morning we meet, we prolong our mutual lament.

What is in me, we complained of our suffering,

يَلومُ المُعافى وهو خِلوٌ من الأذى

يَلومُ المُعافى وهو خِلوٌ من الأذى

ولم يَعْنِهِ من أمره ما عنانِيا

ولم يَعْنِهِ من أمره ما عنانِيا

The unharmed man reproaches, free of suffering,

The unharmed blames though he is free of harm,

and what troubled me in his plight has not troubled him.

And what happened to him did not trouble me,

وَلو كان ما بي من هوىً لمُحَجَّبٍ

وَلو كان ما بي من هوىً لمُحَجَّبٍ

أقام على هجري أطَعْتُ اللّواحيا

أقام على هجري أطَعْتُ اللّواحيا

Were my anguish love for a veiled beloved

And if what is in me were love for an unseen beloved

who persisted in forsaking me, I would heed the reproachers.

I would have obeyed the censurers,

وَهمٌّ عراني من أخٍ عَصَفَتْ به

وَهمٌّ عراني من أخٍ عَصَفَتْ به

صُروفُ اللّيالي ليتَه ما عَرانيا

صُروفُ اللّيالي ليتَه ما عَرانيا

But sorrow befell me over a brother swept away by

And a concern stripped me of a brother whom

the vicissitudes of nights—would it had not befallen me!

The turns of the nights blew away--would that it had not stripped me!

فقرّبَ منّي كلَّ ما كان شاحطاً

فقرّبَ منّي كلَّ ما كان شاحطاً

وَبَعّد منّي كلَّ ما كان دانيا

وَبَعّد منّي كلَّ ما كان دانيا

It brought close to me all that had been far,

So it brought near me all that was far away

and drove far from me all that had been near.

And distanced me from all that was near,

وَقُلتُ لِمَنْ أَلقى إِليَّ نعيَّهُ

وَقُلتُ لِمَنْ أَلقى إِليَّ نعيَّهُ

على الكُرْهِ منّي لا أبا لك ناعيا

على الكُرْهِ منّي لا أبا لك ناعيا

I said to the one who brought me news of his death,

And I said to the one who conveyed his death to me

against my will: “May you be fatherless, herald of death!

Against my will, I will not cry for you,

هَتَفْتَ إلى قلبي بفقد محمّدٍ

هَتَفْتَ إلى قلبي بفقد محمّدٍ

فغادَرْتَ أيّامي عليَّ ليالِيا

فغادَرْتَ أيّامي عليَّ ليالِيا

You cried to my heart the loss of Muhammad,

You cried out to my heart about the loss of Muhammad

and left my days as nights to me.”

So you made my days for me nights,

ولمّا تباكينا عليه وعُرِّيَتْ

ولمّا تباكينا عليه وعُرِّيَتْ

طَماعتُنا منه شَأَوْتُ البَواكيا

طَماعتُنا منه شَأَوْتُ البَواكيا

When we wept together over him, and stripped bare was

And when we wept for him and our greed for him was laid bare

our hope of him, I outstripped the mourners.

I became weary of weeping,

فقلْ لأُناسٍ أمكنوا من أديمهمْ

فقلْ لأُناسٍ أمكنوا من أديمهمْ

بما ركبوا منه هناكَ العَواريا

بما ركبوا منه هناكَ العَواريا

Say, then, to men who exposed their own skins

So say to people who enabled themselves by what they rode on him

through the shameful deeds they wrought upon him there:

There as the robes of honor,

خذوها كما شاء العقوقُ عَضيهةً

خذوها كما شاء العقوقُ عَضيهةً

وجرّوا بها حتّى المماتِ المخازيا

وجرّوا بها حتّى المماتِ المخازيا

Take it as a shameful imputation, as disloyalty has willed,

Take it as transgression dictated to you

and drag its disgraces behind you until death.

And drag it until death in the burial grounds,

ولا تَرْحَضوها بالمعاذير عنكُمُ

ولا تَرْحَضوها بالمعاذير عنكُمُ

فَلَن تُخفِيَ الأقوالُ ما كان باديا

فَلَن تُخفِيَ الأقوالُ ما كان باديا

Do not wash it off yourselves with excuses,

And do not quibble before you about excuses,

for words will never hide what was plain.

For words will not conceal what was evident,

ألُؤْماً مبيناً للعوين وأنتُمُ

ألُؤْماً مبيناً للعوين وأنتُمُ

تعدّون عِرْقاً في الأكارم خافياً

تعدّون عِرْقاً في الأكارم خافياً

Such baseness, plain to the eyes, while you

I blame you openly to the eyes though you

claim a hidden strain among the noble!

Count a vein among the generous as hidden,

فلو كنتُمُ منهُ كما قيل فيكمُ

فلو كنتُمُ منهُ كما قيل فيكمُ

لَكَفْكَفْتُمُ عنه سيوفاً نَوابيا

لَكَفْكَفْتُمُ عنه سيوفاً نَوابيا

Had you been of that stock, as was said of you,

For if you were from him as was said about you

you would have kept even dull swords away from him.

You would have curbed the swords from him,

خطَوْتُمْ إليه بالحِمامِ ذِمامَكمْ

خطَوْتُمْ إليه بالحِمامِ ذِمامَكمْ

فأَنَّى ولم تخطوا إليه العواليا

فأَنَّى ولم تخطوا إليه العواليا

You overstepped your pledge to bring him death;

You walked against him with the doves of your turbans

but how, when you had crossed no tall spears to reach him?

So how when you did not walk the high roads?

أفي الحقِّ أَن تَعدوا عليه ولم يكنْ

أفي الحقِّ أَن تَعدوا عليه ولم يكنْ

على مثلكمْ ما غَدَرَ النّاسُ عاديا

على مثلكمْ ما غَدَرَ النّاسُ عاديا

Is it just that you attack him, though he was never

Is it true that you transgressed upon him when he had not

an aggressor against your like, while men dealt in treachery?

Transgressed upon the likes of you what the people transgressed of old?

فَما نَفعُكم إنْ نِلتُمُ منه غِيلَةً

فَما نَفعُكم إنْ نِلتُمُ منه غِيلَةً

وما ضرَّه أنْ زَلَّ في التُّرْبِ هاويا

وما ضرَّه أنْ زَلَّ في التُّرْبِ هاويا

What gain have you, if you struck him by stealth,

So what benefitted you when you attained a portion from him

and what harm did he suffer by slipping and falling into the dust?

And what harmed him when he fell into the dust fallen?

فَتكتُم به غَدْراً فألّا وكفُّهُ

فَتكتُم به غَدْراً فألّا وكفُّهُ

تُقَلِّبُ مَسنونَ الغِرارَيْنِ ماضيا

تُقَلِّبُ مَسنونَ الغِرارَيْنِ ماضيا

You slew him treacherously—why not while his hand

For you conceal about him a betrayal--so restrain it

wielded a keen blade, sharpened on both edges,

You flip the aged guileful ones of the past,

على قارحٍ مثلِ العَلاةِ وتارةً

على قارحٍ مثلِ العَلاةِ وتارةً

تراه كسرْحانِ البسيطةِ عادِيا

تراه كسرْحانِ البسيطةِ عادِيا

on a full-grown steed like an anvil, and at times

At one point like the lofty plateau and at another

you saw him racing like a wolf of the open plain?

You see it as the smooth plain,

ملكتمْ عليه مِنَّةً لو نهضتُمُ

ملكتمْ عليه مِنَّةً لو نهضتُمُ

إلى كَسْبِها نِلتُمْ بذاك الأمانِيا

إلى كَسْبِها نِلتُمْ بذاك الأمانِيا

You had the power to do him a favor; had you risen

You possessed from him a favor which if you rose

to earn it, you would have attained your wishes thereby.

To gain it you would have attained wishes,

ولكنّكم ضيّعتموه شَقاوةً

ولكنّكم ضيّعتموه شَقاوةً

فكنتُمْ كمُهرِيقِ الإداوةِ صادِيا

فكنتُمْ كمُهرِيقِ الإداوةِ صادِيا

But in your wretchedness you squandered him,

But you wasted it wickedly

so you were like a thirsty man emptying a waterskin.

So you were like the pouring of harm,

وهوّن وَجْدي أَنّ قتلاً أراحَهُ

وهوّن وَجْدي أَنّ قتلاً أراحَهُ

ولم يتحمّلْ للِّئامِ الأياديا

ولم يتحمّلْ للِّئامِ الأياديا

It eased my grief that being killed gave him rest,

And comfort my anguish that killing gave him rest

and he bore no burden of favors from the base.

And he did not endure the evil hands,

فيا لَيتَ أنّي يوم ذاك شَهِدتُهُ

فيا لَيتَ أنّي يوم ذاك شَهِدتُهُ

فدافعتُ عنه باليدين الأعاديا

فدافعتُ عنه باليدين الأعاديا

Oh, if only I had been there with him that day,

Oh would that I on that day witnessed him

and fought off his enemies with both hands,

And defended him from the enemies with my hands,

وروّيتُ من ماء التّرائبِ والطُّلى

وروّيتُ من ماء التّرائبِ والطُّلى

من الغادِرين صَعْدَتي وسِنانِيا

من الغادِرين صَعْدَتي وسِنانِيا

and quenched with the water of breastbones and throats

And I quenched my rage and the coats of mail

of the treacherous my straight lance and my spearhead.

From the traitors with my grinders and my fangs,

بَني مَزْيَدٍ لا تقتلوا بأخيكُمُ

بَني مَزْيَدٍ لا تقتلوا بأخيكُمُ

من القومِ خَوّارَ الأنابيبِ خاويا

من القومِ خَوّارَ الأنابيبِ خاويا

Sons of Mazyad, do not kill in requital for your brother

O sons of Muzaynah, do not kill your brother

a hollow, weak-jointed man from those people.

From the people--the vile water-skin lickers,

وَإِنْ تثأَروا فالثّأْرُ بالحيِّ كلِّهِ

وَإِنْ تثأَروا فالثّأْرُ بالحيِّ كلِّهِ

وما ذاك من داءِ الرّزيّةِ شافيا

وما ذاك من داءِ الرّزيّةِ شافيا

If you take revenge, let it be against the whole tribe,

And if you seek vengeance, then vengeance is with the whole tribe

though even that will not heal the sickness of bereavement.

And that is no cure for the meanness,

ألا قوّضوا تلك الخيامَ على الرُّبا

ألا قوّضوا تلك الخيامَ على الرُّبا

وكُبّوا جِفاناً للقِرى ومَقارِيا

وكُبّوا جِفاناً للقِرى ومَقارِيا

Come, take down those tents upon the hilltops,

Nay, demolish those tents upon the meadow

and overturn the hospitality bowls and guest-serving vessels.

And silence the neighboring settlements,

وجُزّوا رقابَ الخيلِ حولَ قبابهِ

وجُزّوا رقابَ الخيلِ حولَ قبابهِ

فلستُ براضٍ أنْ تجزّوا النّواصيا

فلستُ براضٍ أنْ تجزّوا النّواصيا

Sever the horses' necks around his domed tents,

And cut off the necks of horses around his tomb

for I am not content that you should only cut their forelocks.

For I am not pleased that you cut off the tails,

وحُثّوا عويلَ النّادباتِ وأبرزوا

وحُثّوا عويلَ النّادباتِ وأبرزوا

إليهنّ عُوناً منكمُ وعَذارِيا

إليهنّ عُوناً منكمُ وعَذارِيا

Urge the mourning women's wailing, and bring forth

And urge on the wailing of the mourning women and show them

to them matrons and maidens from among you.

From you help and chaste ones,

ولا تسكنوا تلك المغانِيَ بعده

ولا تسكنوا تلك المغانِيَ بعده

فقد أوحَشَتْ تلك المغاني مَغانِيا

فقد أوحَشَتْ تلك المغاني مَغانِيا

Do not dwell in those abodes after him,

And do not silence after him those songs

for those abodes have made my abodes desolate.

For those songs were made lonely by those songs

وَلَولا الّذي أَبقى لنا اللَّهُ بعده

وَلَولا الّذي أَبقى لنا اللَّهُ بعده

بمَثْوى عليٍّ لاِفتَقدنا المعاليا

بمَثْوى عليٍّ لاِفتَقدنا المعاليا

Were it not for the one God has left us after him,

And were it not for Him who made the family of ‘Ali to remain for us after him

at Ali's resting place, we would have lost the lofty virtues.

By the abode of ‘Ali we would have lost the high objectives,

هَوى كوكبٌ وَالبدرُ في الأفقِ طالعٌ

هَوى كوكبٌ وَالبدرُ في الأفقِ طالعٌ

فما ضرّ مُرتاداً ولا ضلَّ ساريا

فما ضرّ مُرتاداً ولا ضلَّ ساريا

A star has fallen, while the full moon rises on the horizon;

A star set and the moon rose on the horizon

so no seeker has suffered, nor has a night-traveler lost his way.

So it did not harm a visitor or mislead a traveller,

إذا طعنوا لَزّوا الكُلى في نحورها

إذا طعنوا لَزّوا الكُلى في نحورها

وإنْ ضربوا قدّوا الطُلى والتَّراقِيا

وإنْ ضربوا قدّوا الطُلى والتَّراقِيا

When they thrust, they press the kidneys into the upper chests;

When they pierce, they split the kidneys in their throats

and when they strike, they cleave throats and collarbones.

And when they strike, they extend the coats of mail and the plates,

بِداراً إلى السَّرحِ المُفيء بقفرةٍ

بِداراً إلى السَّرحِ المُفيء بقفرةٍ

فَقد هاج راعي السَّرْحِ أُسْداً ضواريا

فَقد هاج راعي السَّرْحِ أُسْداً ضواريا

Hasten to the herd returning across a wasteland,

With an estate to the shaded pasture in the wilderness

for the herd's keeper has roused ravening lions.

For the shepherd of the pasture aroused a fierce lion,

ولا تَتَعمَّد جانِيَ القومِ منهمُ

ولا تَتَعمَّد جانِيَ القومِ منهمُ

فكلُّ اِمرئٍ في الحيِّ أصبح جانيا

فكلُّ اِمرئٍ في الحيِّ أصبح جانيا

Do not single out the tribe's culprit among them,

And do not seek out the crime of the group among them

for every man in the tribe has become a culprit.

For each man in the tribe has become in the morning a criminal,

سقَى اللَّهُ قبراً حلّ غربيَّ واسطٍ

سقَى اللَّهُ قبراً حلّ غربيَّ واسطٍ

ولا زال من نَوْءِ السَّماكَيْن حاليا

ولا زال من نَوْءِ السَّماكَيْن حاليا

May God water a grave lying west of Wasit,

May God water a grave that lodged in the west of Wasit

and may it remain adorned by the rain of the two Simak stars.

And it does not cease from the downpour of the two clouds,

ولا بَرحت غُرُّ السّحائبِ تُرْبَهُ

ولا بَرحت غُرُّ السّحائبِ تُرْبَهُ

تُنشِّرُ حَوْذاناً به وأقاحيا

تُنشِّرُ حَوْذاناً به وأقاحيا

May bright clouds never leave its soil,

And the pride of the clouds does not stop perfuming it

making buttercups and daisies bloom there.

Spreading vegetation around it and wild rue,

تَعزَّ اِبنَ حَمْدٍ فالمصائبُ جَمّةٌ

تَعزَّ اِبنَ حَمْدٍ فالمصائبُ جَمّةٌ

يُصِبْنَ عدوّاً أوْ يُصِبْنَ مصافيا

يُصِبْنَ عدوّاً أوْ يُصِبْنَ مصافيا

Take comfort, Ibn Hamd, for calamities are many;

Take comfort, son of Hamad, for disasters are complete:

they strike a foe, or strike a loyal friend.

They strike an enemy or strike sympathizers.

وَهَلْ نَحن في الأيّامِ إلّا معاشرٌ

وَهَلْ نَحن في الأيّامِ إلّا معاشرٌ

نُقضّي ديوناً أوْ نردّ عواريا

نُقضّي ديوناً أوْ نردّ عواريا

Are we, through the days, anything but a company

Do we live for anything but fortunes

paying debts or returning borrowed things?

To pay debts or return nakedness?

أجِلْ في الورى طَرْفاً فإنّك مبصرٌ

أجِلْ في الورى طَرْفاً فإنّك مبصرٌ

قبوراً مُثولاً أوْ دياراً خواليا

قبوراً مُثولاً أوْ دياراً خواليا

Cast your gaze among mankind, for you will see

So lift your eyes in the land, for you are seeing

graves standing before you, or deserted dwellings.

Graves overturned or abandoned houses,

وداءُ الرّدى في النّاسِ أعيا دواءُهُ

وداءُ الرّدى في النّاسِ أعيا دواءُهُ

فلا تشكُ داءً أوْ تصيبَ مُداويا

فلا تشكُ داءً أوْ تصيبَ مُداويا

The disease of death among men has defied a cure;

And the disease of devastation in people its cure eludes,

so complain of no illness until you find a healer.

So do not doubt a disease or prescribe cures,

إِذا شئتَ أنْ تَلْقى مُنى العيش كلِّه

إِذا شئتَ أنْ تَلْقى مُنى العيش كلِّه

فَكُنْ بالّذي يَقضي به اللّهُ راضِيا

فَكُنْ بالّذي يَقضي به اللّهُ راضِيا

If you wish to attain all life's desires,

If you wish to attain the full purpose of life

then be content with what God decrees.

Then be content with what God ordains,

وكيف أُعاطيك العَزاءَ وإنّما

وكيف أُعاطيك العَزاءَ وإنّما

مُصابُك فيه يا اِبنَ حَمْدٍ مصابيا

مُصابُك فيه يا اِبنَ حَمْدٍ مصابيا

But how can I offer you consolation, when

But how can I console you when in truth

your bereavement for him, Ibn Hamd, is my own?

My calamity in it, O son of Hamad, is my calamity,

وَلَست أُبالِي مَن مَضى من أصادِقِي

وَلَست أُبالِي مَن مَضى من أصادِقِي

إذا كنتَ لِي وُقِّيتُ فَقْدَك باقيا

إذا كنتَ لِي وُقِّيتُ فَقْدَك باقيا

I care not which of my friends has passed away,

And I do not care who of my friends has passed away

if you remain with me—may I be spared your loss.

If you were spared to me, so I survived your loss,