فيا لها بلوةٌ جلى ومازلةٌ

فيا لها بلوةٌ جلى ومازلةٌ

كأنما الدهرُ قد دارت دوائرُهُ

كأنما الدهرُ قد دارت دوائرُهُ

Oh, what a mighty affliction and calamity!

What an adversity and tribulation she underwent!

As though Time’s cycles of misfortune had come round.

As if the vicissitudes of fate revolved against her

فلو تجسم ما بي من أسى لغدا

فلو تجسم ما بي من أسى لغدا

بحراً وقد زخر الأعماق زاخره

بحراً وقد زخر الأعماق زاخره

For if the sorrow within me took bodily form, it would become

If my anguish took physical form, it would flow

A sea, its surging waters overflowing the depths.

As a sea with surging, billowing waves

فإن للحزن أجفاناً مقرحة

فإن للحزن أجفاناً مقرحة

كأنما أغمدت فيها بواتره

كأنما أغمدت فيها بواتره

For grief has eyelids raw with sores,

For sorrow has inflamed eyelids

As though its keen swords had been sheathed in them.

As though flashes of lightning were embedded in them

ألا انظروا يا أهل الود ذا شجن

ألا انظروا يا أهل الود ذا شجن

زمانه بصحيح الود كاسره

زمانه بصحيح الود كاسره

Look, O people of affection, upon one burdened with grief,

Look, O kindred souls, at this melancholy -

Whom Time is breaking through his sincere love.

Its era severed the cord of devotion

إن الضمائر تأبى أن يكون لها

إن الضمائر تأبى أن يكون لها

نعت فقلبي لم تنعت ضمائره

نعت فقلبي لم تنعت ضمائره

Indeed, innermost feelings refuse to be given

Hearts refuse to be described

A description; so my heart’s feelings remain undescribed.

So I will not describe what is in my heart

حذرت خطباً ولم ينجع به حذري

حذرت خطباً ولم ينجع به حذري

إذ نلت ما كنت في دهري أحاذره

إذ نلت ما كنت في دهري أحاذره

I guarded against calamity, but my caution was powerless against it,

I was wary of calamities, but my wariness was futile

For I suffered what I had feared throughout my life.

When I attained what I had feared in my life

أين الذي كان في ليلي يسامرني

أين الذي كان في ليلي يسامرني

بخلوتي وأنا وحدي أسامره

بخلوتي وأنا وحدي أسامره

Where is the one who used to converse with me through my nights,

Where is he who conversed with me in my night solitude?

In my seclusion, while I conversed with him alone?

When I was alone, conversing with him

كأنما الدهر مغرى في اذاي به

كأنما الدهر مغرى في اذاي به

لذاك لم ترتفع عني حواذره

لذاك لم ترتفع عني حواذره

As though Time were bent on hurting me through him,

As if fate enticed me, only to betray me

And so its terrors did not lift from me.

That is why worries never ceased to burden me

ما كنت أحسب إلفي أن يغادرني

ما كنت أحسب إلفي أن يغادرني

رغماً علي ولا أني أغادره

رغماً علي ولا أني أغادره

I never thought my dear companion would leave me

I never imagined my friend would abandon me

Against my will, or that I would leave him.

Against my will, and I would not abandon him

كنا كزندين كل عضده عضد

كنا كزندين كل عضده عضد

موازن لأخيه بل مؤازره

موازن لأخيه بل مؤازره

We were like two forearms, each with a supporting upper arm,

We were like two arms, each supporting the other

A match for its brother—nay, its helper.

Balanced, even reinforcing one another

لكن غدونا كما الطرفين ليس يرى

لكن غدونا كما الطرفين ليس يرى

طرفٌ أخاه ولا يلقاه باصره

طرفٌ أخاه ولا يلقاه باصره

But we became like two eyes: never does

Yet we turned like two sides that cannot see

One eye see its brother, nor does its gaze meet him.

One another, or meet face to face

أو كالسهى وسهيلٌ حيل بينهما

أو كالسهى وسهيلٌ حيل بينهما

بالبعد في فلك ما دار دائره

بالبعد في فلك ما دار دائره

Or like al-Suha and Suhayl, kept apart

Like Suhail and Suhayl, separated by the vastness

By distance in a celestial sphere, as long as its circling body turns.

Of the revolving celestial sphere

ذي شيمةُ الدهر ما لذت موارده

ذي شيمةُ الدهر ما لذت موارده

إلا وقد أكدرت منه مصادره

إلا وقد أكدرت منه مصادره

Such is Time’s nature: its watering places are never sweet

Such is the nature of fate - its waters are never sweet

Without its paths of departure already being muddied by it.

Except when its sources are muddied