حاشاكَmay you be spared منfrom وحشةٍloneliness تحتbeneath الثرىthe earth وجلاfearful
حاشاكَ من وحشةٍ تحت الثرى وجلا
ياO سائراًtraveler صرتI have become فيin حزنيmy grief لهof him مثلاa likeness
يا سائراً صرت في حزني له مثلا
May you never tremble at loneliness beneath the earth,
Far from you is the loneliness beneath the soil, O you who became an example for my sorrow as you traveled.
O traveler, whose likeness I have become in my grief.
My heart drags the train of bliss because of your nearness, while time is kind.
سقياًa blessing of rain لقربِكupon your nearness والأيامand the days عاطفةtender
سقياً لقربِك والأيام عاطفة
والقلبand the heart يسحبtrails أذيالthe hems الهناof happiness جذلاjoyfully
والقلب يسحب أذيال الهنا جذلا
May rain bless your nearness, when the days were tender,
My hearing has become deaf to the whispers of maidens, and your eyelid's sword surpasses sharpness for me.
and the heart trailed the hems of happiness in delight;
Where smiling peeks from the plumpness of youth, overflowing with joy, and the cheerful dawn heralds success.
والسمعand the ear قدalready صمَّgrew deaf عنto نجوىthe whispers عواذلهof its reproachers
والسمع قد صمَّ عن نجوى عواذله
وسيفand the sword جفنكof your eyelid عندِيfor me يسبقoutstrips العذلاreproach
وسيف جفنك عندِي يسبق العذلا
and the ear had grown deaf to its reproachers' whispers,
While I cleave to a home until the days moved and passed away.
and your eyelid's sword outstripped reproach for me;
I complain to God of a clear affliction that has no end, and a journey of determination unlike [ordinary] travels.
حيثwhere التبسُّمthe smile طلاَّعa climber الثنيَّةthe front tooth منfrom
حيث التبسُّم طلاَّع الثنيَّة من
فرطexcess السرورof joy وبشرand the gladness الطلعةof the countenance بنson of جلاJala
فرط السرور وبشر الطلعة بن جلا
where the smile scaled the ridge of the teeth from
I see in it the bier's resurrection in secret—no she-camel nor camel for this secret journey.
overflowing joy, and the face's gladness was Ibn Jala.
Would that the daughters of the bier make me happy with the tears of grief for the moon that has set!
فبينماso while أناI معطوفٌlovingly bound علىto سكنٍa beloved
فبينما أنا معطوفٌ على سكنٍ
حتَّىwhen suddenly تحرَّكتshifted الأيامthe days فانْتقلاand so he departed
حتَّى تحرَّكت الأيام فانْتقلا
Then, while I was lovingly bound to a beloved,
My longing for you—but is longing of benefit when the tears fall and slip away?
the days suddenly shifted, and he departed.
Time left none of the moments I awaited except the last of life, which laments the first.
أشكوI complain إلىto اللهGod بيناًa separation لاno انْقضاءend لهُto it
أشكو إلى الله بيناً لا انْقضاء لهُ
ورحلةand a journey للنوىinto estrangement لاnot تشبهresembles الرحلاother journeys
ورحلة للنوى لا تشبه الرحلا
I complain to God of a separation without end,
And a soil that welcomes sorrow's visitor as if it grows lavender and sweet basil.
and a journey into estrangement unlike other journeys:
Its exterior is happy but its essence has stolen away the gardens' freshly plucked greens.
بيناًa separation أرىI see فيهin it للنعشِof the bier انْبعاثa setting forth سرىby night
بيناً أرى فيه للنعشِ انْبعاث سرى
لاno ناقةshe-camel للسرىfor the night journey فيهin it ولاand no جملاhe-camel
لا ناقة للسرى فيه ولا جملا
a separation in which I see the bier setting out by night,
I stop my weary body to lament it. O you who saw a mourner detain the late morn!
with neither she-camel nor he-camel for its night journey.
Yearning, I reached the ties of youth but my heart from the grief of mourning did not reach.
فليتso, if only أنthat بناتthe Daughters النعشof the Bier تسعدنيwould aid me
فليت أن بنات النعش تسعدني
بأدمعِwith tears النوءof the rain-star للبدرِfor the full moon الذيthat أفلاhas set
بأدمعِ النوء للبدرِ الذي أفلا
If only the Daughters of the Bier would aid me
O you who are gone! The hands of destiny have taken him. How evil is what befell the loved ones!
with the rain-star's tears for the full moon that has set.
If your person were to become distant, then the least and easiest of what I suffered did not kill me.
لهفيmy anguish عليكfor you وهلand is لهفٌanguish بنافعةof any use
لهفي عليك وهل لهفٌ بنافعة
إذاwhen تحدَّرran down دمعthe tears العينof the eye وانْهملاand poured forth
إذا تحدَّر دمع العين وانْهملا
My anguish for you! But is anguish of any use
Or if death were to preoccupy itself with us after, it has left in my heart to sorrow a preoccupation.
when the eye's tears run down and pour forth?
Alas for the kindness in you of well-matched form! It made the fire of sorrow a substitute after it.
لمdid not يتركleave الدهرtime منof أوقاتthe moments منتظريof what I await
لم يترك الدهر من أوقات منتظري
إلاexcept وآخرand the end عمرof life تندبlaments الأوَّلاthe beginning
إلا وآخر عمر تندب الأوَّلا
Time has left none of the moments I awaited
Would that death had glanced aside at another than you! It has adorned itself in you and celebrated.
without life's end lamenting its beginning.
Would that your blooming branch had lived out its youth! It did not grow up before it was said to have withered.
وتربةand a grave يتلقَّىgreets الحزنsorrow زائرهاits visitor
وتربة يتلقَّى الحزن زائرها
كأنَّهاas though it تنبتsprouts التبريحtorment والوَجلاَand dread
كأنَّها تنبت التبريح والوَجلاَ
And a grave where sorrow greets its visitor,
I ransom that life which, while you were in it, was most delightful to me. I do not care if life was generous or stingy!
as though it sprouted torment and dread;
Patience called my heart the day you departed, so I said no. And my sickness called, “Why not?”
حديثهnew الظهرon the surface إلاyet أنthat باطنهاits depths
حديثه الظهر إلا أن باطنها
قدindeed اسْتجنَّhas concealed جنانthe heart الروضةof the garden الخضلاlush
قد اسْتجنَّ جنان الروضة الخضلا
new on the surface, yet its depths
A sickness I possessed whose meaning was emaciation. So if dissolution comes with sickness, it comes pretending.
have concealed the lush heart of the garden.
And tears that have overwhelmed the person who looks upon them, so that crying excessively was most common for him.
أسْتوقفI halt الجسدthe body المضنىwasted لأندبهاto mourn it
أسْتوقف الجسد المضنى لأندبها
ياO منwho رأىhas seen نادباًa mourner يسْتوقفbringing to a halt الطَّللاthe ruined dwelling
يا من رأى نادباً يسْتوقف الطَّللا
I halt my wasted body to lament that grave;
I will not attain your nearness from the abode of bliss tomorrow if my heart's essence has inclined from its passion for you.
who ever saw a mourner bringing a ruin to a halt?
O most grievous death, may it bereave his mind! It has remained, but as for its patience, it is lost.
متيَّماًlove-stricken نصلتhave faded فوداًthe two temples شبيبتهof his youth
متيَّماً نصلت فوداً شبيبته
وقلبهand his heart منfrom حدادِthe mourning black الحزنof grief ماnot نصلاhas faded
وقلبه من حدادِ الحزن ما نصلا
A love-stricken man, the temples of his youth faded pale,
How good is life in my eyes while you are in it! While you are in the earth’s embrace, it is not so!
yet his heart has never lost the black of sorrow's mourning.
May your grave be watered with satisfaction and may the clouds’ litters never cease gravitating around its corners!
ياO غائباًabsent one ذهبتcarried away أيديthe hands الحمامof death بهwith him
يا غائباً ذهبت أيدي الحمام به
بعداًbanishment ليومكfor your day ماذاwhat بالحشاto the heart فعلاit has done
بعداً ليومك ماذا بالحشا فعلا
O absent one, carried away by the hands of death,
cursed be your day—what it has done to my heart!
إنif ينأis far away شخصكyour body إنيindeed I بعدafter فرقتهits departure
إن ينأ شخصك إني بعد فرقته
أدنىthe least وأيسرand the lightest ماof what قاسيتI endured ماthat which قتلاhas killed
أدنى وأيسر ما قاسيت ما قتلا
If your body is far away, then, after its departure,
the least and lightest of what I endured was deadly.
أوor ينقضيcomes to an end للمناياfor the fates of death بعدناafter us شغلwork
أو ينقضي للمنايا بعدنا شغل
فقدthen indeed تركنَthey have left بقلبِيin my heart للأسىfor sorrow شغلاwork
فقد تركنَ بقلبِي للأسى شغلا
Or if the fates of death have finished their work after us,
they have left sorrow work to do within my heart.
آهاًah! لعطفِfor the joining معانٍof qualities فيكin you ذيpossessing نسقharmony
آهاً لعطفِ معانٍ فيك ذي نسق
جعلتwas made منfrom بعدهafter it نارthe fire الأسىof sorrow بدلاa substitute
جعلت من بعده نار الأسى بدلا
Ah, for the harmonious joining of qualities in you,
replaced afterward by the fire of sorrow!
هلاَّwhy not بغيرِكbeside someone other than you ألقىlaid down الموتdeath جانبةits side
هلاَّ بغيرِك ألقى الموت جانبة
لقدindeed تأنَّقtook exquisite care فيكwith you الموتdeath واحْتفلاand spared no effort
لقد تأنَّق فيك الموت واحْتفلا
Why did death not lie down beside someone other than you?
Death truly took exquisite care with you and spared no effort.
هلاَّwhy not قضىlived out غصنكyour branch الزاهيflourishing شبيبتهits youth
هلاَّ قضى غصنك الزاهي شبيبته
فماfor not ترعرعit had grown حتَّىbefore قيلit was said قدْalready ذَبلاit had withered
فما ترعرع حتَّى قيل قدْ ذَبلا
Why did your flourishing branch not live out its youth?
No sooner had it grown than they said, 'It has withered.'
أفدِيI would ransom الذيthe one who كانَwas ليfor me عيشاًa life ألذُّI delight بهin him
أفدِي الذي كانَ لي عيشاً ألذُّ به
فماso not أباليI care أجادَgave generously العيشlife أمor بخلاwas miserly
فما أبالي أجادَ العيش أم بخلا
I would ransom the one who was my life, in whom I delighted;
so I care not whether life has been generous or stingy.
دعاcalled التجلُّدfortitude قلبيmy heart يومon the day رحلتهof his departure
دعا التجلُّد قلبي يوم رحلته
فقلتso I said لاno ودعاand it called سقميmy sickness فقالُso it said هلاwelcome!
فقلت لا ودعا سقمي فقالُ هلا
Fortitude called to my heart on the day of his departure;
I said, 'No'; it called my sickness, which replied, 'Welcome!'
سقمa sickness ملكتI possessed بهthrough it معنىthe meaning النحولof emaciation فإنthen if
سقم ملكت به معنى النحول فإن
جاءَcame الخلالthe toothpick بسقمٍwith sickness جاءَcame منتحلاan impostor
جاءَ الخلال بسقمٍ جاءَ منتحلا
A sickness through which I made the very meaning of wasting mine; if
a toothpick came claiming sickness, it would come as an impostor.
ومقلةand an eye قدindeed طغىhas rebelled إنسانthe pupil ناظرهاof its eye
ومقلة قد طغى إنسان ناظرها
فكانَso it became أكثرthe most شيءthing بالبكاin weeping جدلاcontention
فكانَ أكثر شيء بالبكا جدلا
And an eye whose pupil has rebelled,
so in weeping it became the most contentious of all things.
لاmay not نلتI attain قربكyour nearness منfrom دارِthe abode النعيمِof bliss غداًtomorrow
لا نلت قربك من دارِ النعيمِ غداً
إنif كانَwas قلبيmy heart المعنىtormented عنaway from هواكَlove for you سلاhas forgotten
إن كانَ قلبي المعنى عن هواكَ سلا
May I never be near you in the abode of bliss tomorrow,
if my tormented heart has forgotten its love for you.
ياO منيةwish الصبّof the ardent lover أماas for ثكلthe bereavement مهجتهof his soul
يا منية الصبّ أما ثكل مهجته
فقدthen indeed أقامَhas remained وأمَّاand as for صبرهاits patience فخلاso it has departed
فقد أقامَ وأمَّا صبرها فخلا
O wish of the ardent lover, as for his soul's bereavement,
it has remained, while its patience has departed.
ماhow أحسنَbeautiful العيشlife فيin عينيmy eyes وأنتَwhile you بهin it
ما أحسنَ العيش في عيني وأنتَ به
أماbut وأنتwhile you are بأكنافwithin the folds الترابof the earth فلاthen no
أما وأنت بأكناف التراب فلا
How beautiful life was in my eyes when you were in it!
But with you in the earth's folds, no!
سقيmay water ضريحكyour tomb رضوانٌRidwan ولاand may not برحتcease
سقي ضريحك رضوانٌ ولا برحت
ركائبthe mounts السحبof the clouds فيin أقطارهits bounds ذُللاdocile
ركائب السحب في أقطاره ذُللا
May Ridwan water your tomb, and may there always remain
the cloud-mounts, docile throughout its bounds.
Partial English translation: 28 of 56 Arabic lines translated.