وا بأبي مَنْ لم يدَعْ

وا بأبي مَنْ لم يدَعْ

فيّ مكاناً للألَمْ

فيّ مكاناً للألَمْ

Ah, may my father be ransom for him who left

By the one I beseech who left

no room in me for pain.

No room for pain within me—

بدرٌ أبى ضياؤُه

بدرٌ أبى ضياؤُه

أن تتغشّاهُ الظُلَمْ

أن تتغشّاهُ الظُلَمْ

A full moon whose radiance refused

A moon whose light refused

to let darkness envelop him.

To let darkness enshroud it—

أبصرتُه في مأتمٍ

أبصرتُه في مأتمٍ

يا مأتماً عليّ تَمْ

يا مأتماً عليّ تَمْ

I saw him at a mourning gathering—

I saw it in sorrow's place;

ah, mourning that fell fully upon me!

Oh, what sorrow has befallen me!

وقلت لمّا أن بَكى

وقلت لمّا أن بَكى

كأنّه قدِ ابتَسَمْ

كأنّه قدِ ابتَسَمْ

And when he wept, I said,

And when it wept, I said:

“It is as though he has smiled.”

It is as though it has smiled.

للهِ فيه جامعاً

للهِ فيه جامعاً

أحسنَ أوصافِ القلَمْ

أحسنَ أوصافِ القلَمْ

God be praised for him, who combines

By God, it is a repository

the finest qualities of the pen.

Of the pen's finest attributes.