بِأَبي وَجهُ هِلالٍ

بِأَبي وَجهُ هِلالٍ

طالَ في السِجنِ سِرارِه

طالَ في السِجنِ سِرارِه

May my father be ransom for Hilal’s face—

My father be ransom for that crescent-moon face,

long has his concealment in prison endured.

whose dark phase in prison has lasted long.

رَهنُ بَيتٍ لَيلُهٌ في

رَهنُ بَيتٍ لَيلُهٌ في

هِ سَواءٌ وَنَهارُه

هِ سَواءٌ وَنَهارُه

Confined to a house, his night in

A captive in a house whose night

it is no different from his day.

and day are alike.

وَالقَريبُ الدارِ لا يَد

وَالقَريبُ الدارِ لا يَد

نو عَلى القُربِ مَزارُه

نو عَلى القُربِ مَزارُه

Though his dwelling is near, no visitor draws

Though his dwelling is close, a visit

near to him, despite that nearness.

to him is no nearer for all that closeness.

غائِبٌ هَدَّ قُوى رُك

غائِبٌ هَدَّ قُوى رُك

ني وَأَضناني اِدِّكارُه

ني وَأَضناني اِدِّكارُه

Absent, he has shattered the strength of my support,

An absent one who has shattered my pillar's strength;

and remembering him has wasted me away.

remembering him has wasted me away.

أَوحَشَت مِنهُ وَقَد كا

أَوحَشَت مِنهُ وَقَد كا

نَت أَنيساتٍ دِيارُه

نَت أَنيساتٍ دِيارُه

His dwellings have grown desolate without him, though

Desolate without him, though once

once they were my familiar companions.

his dwellings were full of company.

أَيَّ ذِمرٍ غالَتِ الأَي

أَيَّ ذِمرٍ غالَتِ الأَي

يامُ مَمنوعٍ ذِمارُه

يامُ مَمنوعٍ ذِمارُه

What a valiant man the days have carried

What a champion has been struck down by

off—his honor still inviolable!

the days—one whose honor and dependents were secure!

رَوَّعَت أَحداثُها مِن

رَوَّعَت أَحداثُها مِن

هُ فَتىً ما ريعَ جارُه

هُ فَتىً ما ريعَ جارُه

Time’s calamities struck terror into a youth

Their calamities have struck terror into

by whom no neighbor had ever been terrified—

a youth whose neighbor never knew fear.

مِثلُ نَصلِ الأَشرَفي ال

مِثلُ نَصلِ الأَشرَفي ال

عَضبُ مَطروراً غِرارُه

عَضبُ مَطروراً غِرارُه

like the blade of an Ashrafi sword,

Like the blade of an Ashrafi sword—

keen, its cutting edge burnished;

keen, its cutting edge finely honed.

راجِحُ الحِلمِ رَزينٌ

راجِحُ الحِلمِ رَزينٌ

في المُلِمّاتِ وَقارُه

في المُلِمّاتِ وَقارُه

sound in judgment, composed,

Weighty in forbearance; steadfast

his dignity steadfast in grave affairs;

amid calamities is his dignity.

طاهِرٌ مِن كُلِّ عَيبٍ

طاهِرٌ مِن كُلِّ عَيبٍ

جَيبُهُ عَفٌّ إِزارُه

جَيبُهُ عَفٌّ إِزارُه

pure of every blemish,

Pure of every fault

his breast unstained, his loins chaste;

is his bosom; his loincloth is chaste.

شائِبُ الهِمَّةِ وَال

شائِبُ الهِمَّةِ وَال

عَزِمِ وَما شابَ عِذارُه

عَزِمِ وَما شابَ عِذارُه

mature in lofty purpose and

Gray-haired in aspiration and

resolve, though no grey had touched his cheek;

resolve, though his sideburns have not grayed.

ساهِرُ المَعروفِ لا تَر

ساهِرُ المَعروفِ لا تَر

قُدُ في اللَزبَةِ نارُه

قُدُ في اللَزبَةِ نارُه

his beneficence ever wakeful—never does

Ever wakeful in beneficence; never does

his fire sleep in times of distress.

his fire sleep in times of hardship.

وَإِذا شَبَّ ضِرامُ ال

وَإِذا شَبَّ ضِرامُ ال

جَدبِ وَاِشتَدَّ اِستِعارُه

جَدبِ وَاِشتَدَّ اِستِعارُه

And when the flame of drought blazed up

And when the blaze of

and its conflagration raged,

drought flares up and its burning grows fierce,

وَغَدَت مُغتَصَّةً تَف

وَغَدَت مُغتَصَّةً تَف

هَقُ بِالضيفانِ دارُه

هَقُ بِالضيفانِ دارُه

his house, packed almost to choking,

and his house becomes crowded,

brimmed over with guests.

overflowing with guests,

فَلَهُ أَعقابُ ما يَب

فَلَهُ أَعقابُ ما يَب

قى وَلِلضَيفِ خيارُه

قى وَلِلضَيفِ خيارُه

Then only what remained afterward was his,

then he has the scraps of what

while the guest received its choicest portion.

remains, and the guest has the choicest.

فَرعُ جودٍ وَتُقىً

فَرعُ جودٍ وَتُقىً

يَحلو لِجانيهِ ثِمارُه

يَحلو لِجانيهِ ثِمارُه

A bough of generosity and piety,

A bough of generosity and piety,

whose fruit is sweet to whoever gathers it.

whose fruits are sweet to whoever gathers them.

وَرِثَ السودَدَ قِدماً

وَرِثَ السودَدَ قِدماً

عَن أَبٍ زاكٍ نُجارُه

عَن أَبٍ زاكٍ نُجارُه

Long had he inherited lordly honor

Long since he inherited nobility

from a father whose lineage was pure.

from a father of pure stock.

كَيفَ لا أَبكي أَسيراً

كَيفَ لا أَبكي أَسيراً

عَزَّ أَن يُفدى إِسارُه

عَزَّ أَن يُفدى إِسارُه

How could I not weep for a prisoner

How can I not weep for a captive

whose captivity is so hard to ransom?

whose bonds are so hard to ransom away?

وَتَرَتهُ نُوَبٌ لا

وَتَرَتهُ نُوَبٌ لا

يُرتَجى مِنها اِنتِصارُه

يُرتَجى مِنها اِنتِصارُه

Afflictions have wronged him, with no

Calamities have wronged him; no

hope of redress against them.

redress against them can be hoped for.

وَمَتى يُثأَرُ مَن أَص

وَمَتى يُثأَرُ مَن أَص

بَحَ عِندَ الدَهرِ ثارُه

بَحَ عِندَ الدَهرِ ثارُه

And when shall vengeance be taken for one

And when can one be avenged

whose blood-debt is held by Time itself?

whose claim for vengeance lies with Time?

لَيتَ شِعري زَمَنٌ أَخ

لَيتَ شِعري زَمَنٌ أَخ

نى عَلَيهِ ما اِعتِذارُه

نى عَلَيهِ ما اِعتِذارُه

Would that I knew: what excuse can an age

Would that I knew: the age that

that destroyed him offer?

ravaged him—what excuse has it?

لا أَقالَ اللَهُ دَهراً

لا أَقالَ اللَهُ دَهراً

لَم يُقَل فيهِ عِثارُه

لَم يُقَل فيهِ عِثارُه

May God never spare an age

May God not pardon an age

that did not pardon his stumble.

in which his stumble was not pardoned.

فَلَقَد كانَ رَبيعاً

فَلَقَد كانَ رَبيعاً

رَبعُهُ أَمناً جِوارُه

رَبعُهُ أَمناً جِوارُه

For indeed, he was a spring;

For his dwelling was indeed a springtime,

his quarter dwelt safely beneath his protection.

and his neighborhood was safety.

خُلُقٌ يُحمَدُ في العُس

خُلُقٌ يُحمَدُ في العُس

رِ وَفي اليُسرِ اِختِبارُه

رِ وَفي اليُسرِ اِختِبارُه

A character praised whenever tested

A character found praiseworthy in hardship

in hardship and in ease.

and in ease when put to the test.

يا جَواداً فاتَ أَن يُل

يا جَواداً فاتَ أَن يُل

حَقَ في الجودِ غُبارُهُ

حَقَ في الجودِ غُبارُهُ

O generous one—none could ever

O generous one, too far ahead for

catch even your dust in generosity!

your dust to be overtaken in generosity.

بِكَ كانَت نُضرَةُ ال

بِكَ كانَت نُضرَةُ ال

عَيشِ فَواللَت وَاِخضارُه

عَيشِ فَواللَت وَاِخضارُه

Through you life possessed its bloom

Through you came the freshness of

and verdure; now both have departed.

life, and its greenness—now gone.

لا حَلا بَعدَكَ يا نَج

لا حَلا بَعدَكَ يا نَج

لَ الدَوامِيِّ مَزارُه

لَ الدَوامِيِّ مَزارُه

May no visit be sweet after you, O

May no visit to it be sweet after you, O son

scion of al-Dawami.

of al-Dawami.

وَبِرَغمي أَن أَرى رَب

وَبِرَغمي أَن أَرى رَب

عَكَ وَالذُلُّ شِعارُه

عَكَ وَالذُلُّ شِعارُه

How bitterly, against my will, I see your

And against my will I see your dwelling,

abode wearing humiliation as its badge,

with humiliation as its inner garment,

مُظلِمَ الأَرجاءِ لا يُر

مُظلِمَ الأَرجاءِ لا يُر

فَعُ لِلساري مَنارُه

فَعُ لِلساري مَنارُه

dark in every quarter, with no

dark in its quarters, with no

beacon raised for the night traveler,

beacon raised for the night traveler;

مُستَكينٌ حُزنُهُ با

مُستَكينٌ حُزنُهُ با

دٍ عَليهِ وَاِنكِسارُه

دٍ عَليهِ وَاِنكِسارُه

abject, its sorrow showing

subdued, its sorrow shows

upon it, together with its brokenness.

upon it, and so does its brokenness.

فَهوَ لا يُعشي مَقاري

فَهوَ لا يُعشي مَقاري

هِ وَلا يَرغو عِشارُه

هِ وَلا يَرغو عِشارُه

No longer does it dazzle those who draw

So it serves no supper in its guest-bowls,

near, nor do its pregnant she-camels call.

nor do its pregnant she-camels bellow.

لا وَلا تُرهَفُ لِلكو

لا وَلا تُرهَفُ لِلكو

مِ المَطافيلِ شِفارُه

مِ المَطافيلِ شِفارُه

No—nor are its blades sharpened for

No, nor are its blades honed for

great nursing she-camels with calves.

the high-humped she-camels with young.

هَذِهِ نَفثَةُ شاكٍ

هَذِهِ نَفثَةُ شاكٍ

خانَهُ فيكَ اِصطِبارُه

خانَهُ فيكَ اِصطِبارُه

This is the pent-up breath of a mourner

This is a breath from one who laments,

whose endurance has betrayed him over you.

whose patience has betrayed him over you.

قَصُرَت نَجدَتُهُ فَال

قَصُرَت نَجدَتُهُ فَال

دَمعُ وَالحُزنُ قَصارُه

دَمعُ وَالحُزنُ قَصارُه

His power to aid has fallen short, so

His power to help has fallen short; so

tears and grief are the utmost he can reach.

tears and sorrow are all he can offer.

لَأَطيلَنَّ مَدى الحُز

لَأَطيلَنَّ مَدى الحُز

نِ لِمَن طالَ اِستِتارُه

نِ لِمَن طالَ اِستِتارُه

I shall surely prolong the span of sorrow

I shall surely lengthen sorrow's span

for one whose concealment has lasted so long.

for him whose concealment has lasted long.

يا لَها زَفرَةَ وَجدٍ

يا لَها زَفرَةَ وَجدٍ

فيكَ لا يُحبو أُوارُه

فيكَ لا يُحبو أُوارُه

Ah, what a sigh—what yearning for you,

Oh, what a sigh of anguish

whose blaze can never die down!

over you—its burning heat never subsides!