أَتانا بَريدانِ مِن واسِطٍ

أَتانا بَريدانِ مِن واسِطٍ

يَخُبّانِ بِالكُتُبِ المُعجَمَه

يَخُبّانِ بِالكُتُبِ المُعجَمَه

Two couriers came to us from Wasit,

Two couriers came to us from Wasit

Trotting with letters in dotted script.

Bearing books with collected poems

أَقولُ وَما البُعدُ إِلا الرَدى

أَقولُ وَما البُعدُ إِلا الرَدى

أَمَسلَمَ لا تَبعدَن مَسلَمَه

أَمَسلَمَ لا تَبعدَن مَسلَمَه

I say—and separation is nothing but death—

I say, separation is but perdition

O Maslam, never be far away, Maslama!

O Muslim! Do not separate from a Muslim

فَقَد كُنتَ نوراً لَنا في البِلادِ

فَقَد كُنتَ نوراً لَنا في البِلادِ

تَضيءُ فَقَد أَصبَحَت مُظلِمَه

تَضيءُ فَقَد أَصبَحَت مُظلِمَه

For you were a light for us in the land,

For you were a light for us in the countries

Shining—now it has become dark.

Illuminating, but now darkened

كَتَمنا نَعِيَّكَ نَخشى اليَقينَ

كَتَمنا نَعِيَّكَ نَخشى اليَقينَ

فَجَلّى اليَقينُ عَنِ الجُمجُمَه

فَجَلّى اليَقينُ عَنِ الجُمجُمَه

We concealed the news of your death, fearing certainty;

We wished to deny you, fearing certainty

Then certainty dispelled the equivocation.

But certainty revealed the skull

وَكَم مِن يَتيمٍ تَلافَيتَهُ

وَكَم مِن يَتيمٍ تَلافَيتَهُ

بِأَرضِ العَدُوِّ وَكَم أَيِّمَه

بِأَرضِ العَدُوِّ وَكَم أَيِّمَه

And how many an orphan you rescued

And how many orphans did you care for

In the enemy’s land—and how many a widow!

In enemy land, and many a widow

وَكُنتَ إِذا الحَربُ دَرَّت دَماً

وَكُنتَ إِذا الحَربُ دَرَّت دَماً

نَصَبتَ لَها رايَةً مُعلَمَه

نَصَبتَ لَها رايَةً مُعلَمَه

And you, whenever war poured forth blood,

And when war spilled blood

Would raise for it a clearly marked banner.

You raised a marked flag against it