أَغَدَتْ زِيَادَتُنَا إِلَى النُّقْصَانِ

أَغَدَتْ زِيَادَتُنَا إِلَى النُّقْصَانِ

أَمْ نُقْصُنَا قَدْ صَارَ لِلرُّجْحَانِ

أَمْ نُقْصُنَا قَدْ صَارَ لِلرُّجْحَانِ

Has our increase turned into decrease,

Has our increase faded into diminution,

Or has our loss now become a gain?

or has our loss become a greater weight?

أَمْ كَانَ كُلٌّ مِنْهُمَا فِي حَقِّ مَا

أَمْ كَانَ كُلٌّ مِنْهُمَا فِي حَقِّ مَا

جَلَبَ الأُجُورَ وَفَادِحَ الأَشْجَانِ

جَلَبَ الأُجُورَ وَفَادِحَ الأَشْجَانِ

Or did each of them apply to that which

Or were both of them, in truth, the cause

Brought rewards and crushing sorrows?

that brought about rewards and grievous sorrows?

الأَجْرُ وَالْوَجْدُ الْعَظِيمُ هُمَا هُمَا

الأَجْرُ وَالْوَجْدُ الْعَظِيمُ هُمَا هُمَا

قَدْ أَوْقَفَانِي مَوْقِفَ الْحَيْرَانِ

قَدْ أَوْقَفَانِي مَوْقِفَ الْحَيْرَانِ

Reward and mighty anguish—those very two—

The reward and the immense anguish are one and the same,

Have made me stand in bewilderment.

they have brought me to a standstill in sheer bewilderment.

فَإِنِ الْتَفَتُّ لِذَا عَرَفْتُ بَهَاءَهُ

فَإِنِ الْتَفَتُّ لِذَا عَرَفْتُ بَهَاءَهُ

وَبَقَاءَهُ لَوْلاَ عُلُوُّ الثَّانِي

وَبَقَاءَهُ لَوْلاَ عُلُوُّ الثَّانِي

For if I turn to this one, I recognize its splendor,

For if I turn to the former, I recognize its splendor

And its permanence, were it not for the other's dominance.

and its permanence, were it not for the dominance of the latter.

فَإِذَا رَكَنْتُ لَهُ وَذَلِكَ غَايَتِي

فَإِذَا رَكَنْتُ لَهُ وَذَلِكَ غَايَتِي

سَالَتْ غُرُوبُ الدَّمْعِ مِنْ أَجْفَانِي

سَالَتْ غُرُوبُ الدَّمْعِ مِنْ أَجْفَانِي

So when I lean on it—and that is my aim—

And when I lean toward it, and that is my ultimate goal,

Torrents of tears flow from my eyelids.

torrents of tears stream from my eyelids.

وَصَرَخْتُ مُحْتَرِقاً وَصِحْتُ مُوّلَّهاً

وَصَرَخْتُ مُحْتَرِقاً وَصِحْتُ مُوّلَّهاً

يَا دَمْعُ زِدْ سَيْلاً عَلَى زَيْدَانِ

يَا دَمْعُ زِدْ سَيْلاً عَلَى زَيْدَانِ

And I scream, burning, and shout, distraught:

I cried out in burning pain, and shouted in distraction:

O tears, increase your flood over Zaydan!

O tears, pour forth a greater flood for Zaydan!

زَيْدَانَ نَجْلِ أَبِيهِ سِرِّ مَلِيكِنَا

زَيْدَانَ نَجْلِ أَبِيهِ سِرِّ مَلِيكِنَا

سَمْشِ الْمُلُوكِ وَبَاهِرِ السُّلْطَانِ

سَمْشِ الْمُلُوكِ وَبَاهِرِ السُّلْطَانِ

Zaydan, his father's son, the confidant of our king,

Zaydan, the son of his father, the secret of our king,

The sun of kings, dazzling in sovereign power.

the sun of kings and the dazzling sultan.

زَيْدَانَ زَيْدِ الْخَيْلِ وَالْفُرْسَانِ

زَيْدَانَ زَيْدِ الْخَيْلِ وَالْفُرْسَانِ

وَالْخَيْرِخَيْرِ الْمُفْضِلِ الْمَنَّانِ

وَالْخَيْرِخَيْرِ الْمُفْضِلِ الْمَنَّانِ

Zaydan, Zayd of horses and horsemen,

Zaydan, the Zayd of steeds and cavaliers,

And of goodness, the best of generous, lavish givers;

and the essence of goodness, the gracious, the benevolent.

وَأَبِي الثَّنَاءِ الْحُرِّ يُنْبِتُهُ لَهُ

وَأَبِي الثَّنَاءِ الْحُرِّ يُنْبِتُهُ لَهُ

حَقْلُ السَّخَاءِ بِوَابِلِ الإِحْسَانِ

حَقْلُ السَّخَاءِ بِوَابِلِ الإِحْسَانِ

And father of noble praise, which is grown for him

The father of noble praise, cultivated for him

By generosity's field, with a downpour of kindness.

by the field of generosity with the pouring rain of charity.

نَبْكِيهِ مَا دَامَتْ عُصُورُ الْفَانِي

نَبْكِيهِ مَا دَامَتْ عُصُورُ الْفَانِي

نَبْكِيهِ مَا دَامَتْ غُصُونُ الْبَانِ

نَبْكِيهِ مَا دَامَتْ غُصُونُ الْبَانِ

We weep for him as long as the ages of mortal life endure;

We weep for him as long as the ages of this mortal world endure,

We weep for him as long as the bān tree's branches endure.

we weep for him as long as the branches of the ban-tree sway.

نَبْكِيهِ مِلْءَ عُيُونِنَا وَقُلُوبِنَا

نَبْكِيهِ مِلْءَ عُيُونِنَا وَقُلُوبِنَا

نَبْكِيهِ بِالإِسْرَارِ وَالإِعْلاَنِ

نَبْكِيهِ بِالإِسْرَارِ وَالإِعْلاَنِ

We weep for him, filling our eyes and hearts;

We weep for him to the brim of our eyes and our hearts,

We weep for him in secret and openly.

we weep for him in secret and in the open.

نَبْكِي السَّخِيَّ بِكُلِّ مَضْنُونٍ بِهِ

نَبْكِي السَّخِيَّ بِكُلِّ مَضْنُونٍ بِهِ

نَبْكِي الْمُهَيْمِنَ الْعَيْنِ لِلْأَعْيَانِ

نَبْكِي الْمُهَيْمِنَ الْعَيْنِ لِلْأَعْيَانِ

We weep for the man generous with all that is jealously guarded;

We weep for the generous one who gave all that others withheld,

We weep for him whose eye watches over the notables.

we weep for the watchful guardian over the eminent ones.

نَبْكِي الْمُصِرَّ عَلَى مَبَرَّةِ أُمِّهِ

نَبْكِي الْمُصِرَّ عَلَى مَبَرَّةِ أُمِّهِ

وَأَبِيهِ خَيْرِ أَبٍ بِذِي الأَزْمَانِ

وَأَبِيهِ خَيْرِ أَبٍ بِذِي الأَزْمَانِ

We weep for him who persists in kindness to his mother,

We weep for the one who persisted in devotion to his mother,

And his father, the best of fathers in these times.

and his father, the finest father of these times.

نَبْكِي الْمُعَظِّمَ أَجْرَ كُلِّ مُؤَمِّلٍ

نَبْكِي الْمُعَظِّمَ أَجْرَ كُلِّ مُؤَمِّلٍ

لِعَطَائِهِ ذِي الْوَابِلِ الْهَتَّانِ

لِعَطَائِهِ ذِي الْوَابِلِ الْهَتَّانِ

We weep for him who magnifies the reward of everyone hoping

We weep for the one who magnified the reward of every hopeful soul,

For his bounty, with its unceasing downpour.

for his gifts that fell like pouring, incessant rain.

نَبْكِي الشَّرِيفَ الْمَحْضَ كُلُّ خِلَالِهِ

نَبْكِي الشَّرِيفَ الْمَحْضَ كُلُّ خِلَالِهِ

جَلَلٌ وَكُلُّ شُؤُونِهِ ذُو شَانِ

جَلَلٌ وَكُلُّ شُؤُونِهِ ذُو شَانِ

We weep for the man of pure nobility; all his qualities

We weep for the pure noble, all of whose traits

Are grand, and all his affairs have distinction.

are majestic, and all of whose affairs hold great significance.

نَبْكِي عُلاَهُ وَمَا لَنَا مِنْ طَاقَةٍ

نَبْكِي عُلاَهُ وَمَا لَنَا مِنْ طَاقَةٍ

تُوفِي عُلاَهُ بُكَاءَهَا بِبَيَانِ

تُوفِي عُلاَهُ بُكَاءَهَا بِبَيَانِ

We weep for his eminence, yet we lack the strength

We weep for his eminence, though we lack the strength

To give his eminence its due in eloquent lament.

to fulfill the weeping his eminence deserves through mere eloquence.

نَبْكِيهِ تَبْرِيداً لِحَرِّ قُلُوبِنَا

نَبْكِيهِ تَبْرِيداً لِحَرِّ قُلُوبِنَا

بِمُحَبَّرِ الأَلْحَانِ وَالأَوْزَانِ

بِمُحَبَّرِ الأَلْحَانِ وَالأَوْزَانِ

We weep for him to cool the heat of our hearts,

We weep for him to cool the burning heat of our hearts,

With finely wrought melodies and meters.

through embellished melodies and poetic meters.

وَنَقُولُ إِثْرَ تَنَهُّدٍ يُغْرِي الْجَوَى

وَنَقُولُ إِثْرَ تَنَهُّدٍ يُغْرِي الْجَوَى

طَلَباً لِمَا يُرْضِيهِ مِنْ رِضْوَانِ

طَلَباً لِمَا يُرْضِيهِ مِنْ رِضْوَانِ

And after a sigh that stirs anguish, we say,

And we say, following a sigh that stirs our deepest sorrow,

Seeking the divine favor that would please him:

seeking the divine pleasure that would satisfy him:

أَهْدَى الإِلَهُ إِلَيْكَ كُلَّ تَحِيَّةٍ

أَهْدَى الإِلَهُ إِلَيْكَ كُلَّ تَحِيَّةٍ

مَحْفُوفَةٍ بِالرَّوْحِ وَالرَّيْحَانِ

مَحْفُوفَةٍ بِالرَّوْحِ وَالرَّيْحَانِ

May God bestow upon you every greeting,

May God bestow upon you every greeting,

Enfolded in repose and sweet basil.

enveloped in tranquility and sweet basil.

وَهَفَتْعَلَيْكَ نَوَاسِمُ الْغُفْرَانِ

وَهَفَتْعَلَيْكَ نَوَاسِمُ الْغُفْرَانِ

تُزْجِي لَكَ الرَّحَمَاتِ مِنْ رَحْمَانِ

تُزْجِي لَكَ الرَّحَمَاتِ مِنْ رَحْمَانِ

And may the breezes of forgiveness waft over you,

And may the gentle breezes of forgiveness flutter over you,

Bearing you mercies from the All-Merciful.

driving mercies toward you from the Most Merciful.

وَبَكَى عَلَيْكَ الْفَضْلُ حَقَّ بُكَائِهِ

وَبَكَى عَلَيْكَ الْفَضْلُ حَقَّ بُكَائِهِ

وَالْفَضْلُ مَنْ يَبْكِيهِ لَيْسَ بِفَانِ

وَالْفَضْلُ مَنْ يَبْكِيهِ لَيْسَ بِفَانِ

And may virtue weep over you as it rightly should,

And grace itself has wept for you with its truest tears,

For whoever virtue mourns does not perish.

and he for whom grace weeps shall never truly perish.