ثَهلانُ لَو كانَ لي لِأَمسَت

ثَهلانُ لَو كانَ لي لِأَمسَت

عَلَيكَ أَحشاؤُهُ نضاجا

عَلَيكَ أَحشاؤُهُ نضاجا

Had Thahlan been mine, by evening

If I had a Thahlan for last night

If Mount Thahlan bore what I bear, its stone entrails would have turned to roasting embers for your sake.

its innards would be seared with grief for you.

whose innards were scorched for you,

Darkness has descended upon me at dawn, for you were truly my illuminating lamp.

جَنَّ عَلَيَّ الظَلامُ صُبحاً

جَنَّ عَلَيَّ الظَلامُ صُبحاً

وَإِنَّما كُنتَ لي سراجا

وَإِنَّما كُنتَ لي سراجا

Darkness enveloped me at dawn,

Darkness would dawn upon me

My tears have flowed red over you; indeed, they are tempered with my own blood.

and you alone were my lamp.

when you were my lamp,

The wounds of my heart bleed for you; no healer knows a cure for them.

جَرَت دُموعي عَلَيكَ حُمراً

جَرَت دُموعي عَلَيكَ حُمراً

إِنَّ لَها مِن دَمي مِزاجا

إِنَّ لَها مِن دَمي مِزاجا

My tears flowed red for you;

My tears ran crimson for you

My calamity is immense and my patience rare, and my distress finds no release.

indeed, some of my blood is mingled in them.

For they were well-mixed with my blood,

You turned the honey of life into bitter aloe, and the ebony of youth into white ivory.

جِراحُ قَلبي عَلَيكَ تَدمى

جِراحُ قَلبي عَلَيكَ تَدمى

لَم يَدرِ آسٍ لَها عِلاجا

لَم يَدرِ آسٍ لَها عِلاجا

The wounds of my heart bleed for you;

My heart's wounds bleed for you

I tested my patience but my bereavement raged; I said weeping would heal, yet it only blazed fiercer.

no healer knew a cure for them.

With no healer knowing their remedy,

I knew not what ailed me that I persisted in grief, for I was never one to dwell in obstinacy.

جَلَّ مُصابي وَعَزَّ صَبري

جَلَّ مُصابي وَعَزَّ صَبري

وَلَم تَجِد كُربَتي اِنفِراجا

وَلَم تَجِد كُربَتي اِنفِراجا

My affliction grew great, and my patience grew scarce,

My affliction is grave and my patience wanting

I have shunned my sleep—would that I had risen to whisper prayers to the One who hears all pleas.

and my anguish found no relief.

With no relief coming their way,

My heaven bestowed a star, born of the noblest of its ancient moons.

جَعَلتَ شَهدَ الحَياةِ صاباً

جَعَلتَ شَهدَ الحَياةِ صاباً

وَآبنوس الشَبابِ عاجا

وَآبنوس الشَبابِ عاجا

You turned life's honey to bitter sap,

You made life's nectar bitter aloe

Through him, on the day glory appeared, the darkness of night and the dust of battle were cleared away.

and youth's ebony to ivory.

And the fruit of youth sour and unripe,

He debated me once, and his grasp of argument exhausted my own eloquence.

جَرَّبتُ صَبري فَهاجَ ثُكلي

جَرَّبتُ صَبري فَهاجَ ثُكلي

وَقُلتُ يَشفي البُكا فَهاجا

وَقُلتُ يَشفي البُكا فَهاجا

I tested my patience, and my bereavement flared;

I tested my patience so my mourning surged

A sickness within him forced me to swallow poison, twisting his straight form into crooked frailty.

and I said weeping would heal, but my grief flared.

And said tears may soothe the billowing grief,

May God reward my tears with good; they brought me aid, even if they could not fulfill my deepest need.

جَهَلتُ ما لي لجَجتُ حُزناً

جَهَلتُ ما لي لجَجتُ حُزناً

وَلَم أَكُن أَعرِفُ اللجاجا

وَلَم أَكُن أَعرِفُ اللجاجا

I knew not what ailed me; I persisted in sorrow,

I was ignorant, why did I stubbornly grieve

You were my jewel, and my people the thread; after you, they shall never again fashion a crown.

and I had never known obstinacy.

When I knew nothing of stubbornness?

جَفوتُ نومي وَلَيتَ أَنّي

جَفوتُ نومي وَلَيتَ أَنّي

قُمتُ فَناجَيتُ مَن يُناجى

قُمتُ فَناجَيتُ مَن يُناجى

I shunned my sleep; and would that I

I denied myself sleep, oh would that

had risen and communed with the One addressed in prayer.

I had risen to converse with the confidant!

جادَت سَمائي بِكَوكَبٍ مِن

جادَت سَمائي بِكَوكَبٍ مِن

أَعتَقِ أَقمارِها نتاجا

أَعتَقِ أَقمارِها نتاجا

My sky bestowed a star from

My skies shone with a star

the noblest of its moons by birth.

Freed from the fetters of its moons,

جَلَت بِهِ يَومَ لاحَ فهرٌ

جَلَت بِهِ يَومَ لاحَ فهرٌ

غياهَبَ اللَيل وَالعجاجا

غياهَبَ اللَيل وَالعجاجا

Through him, on the day he shone, Fihr dispelled

It blazed when dawn peered through

the deep darkness of night and the clouds of dust.

The dark tumultuous night,

جادَلَني مَرَّةً فَأَعيا

جادَلَني مَرَّةً فَأَعيا

براعَتي فَهمُهُ اِحتِجاجا

براعَتي فَهمُهُ اِحتِجاجا

He debated me once, and confounded

It argued with me once rendering me

my skill with his understanding in argument.

Helpless with its masterly contention,

جَرَّعَني السُمَّ فيهِ داءٌ

جَرَّعَني السُمَّ فيهِ داءٌ

بَدَّلَ تَقويمهُ اِعوِجاجا

بَدَّلَ تَقويمهُ اِعوِجاجا

An illness in him made me swallow poison,

It made me drink poison which turned

turning his upright form to crookedness.

Its sound constitution crooked,

جَزى الإِلهُ الدُموعَ خَيراً

جَزى الإِلهُ الدُموعَ خَيراً

أَسعَدنَني لَو قَضَينَ حاجا

أَسعَدنَني لَو قَضَينَ حاجا

May God reward the tears with good;

May God reward tears amply

they would have comforted me, had they met my needs.

I would be happy if they fulfilled a need,

جَوهَرَتي وَالسلوكُ قَومي

جَوهَرَتي وَالسلوكُ قَومي

بَعدَكَ لا يَعقِدونَ تاجا

بَعدَكَ لا يَعقِدونَ تاجا

My jewel—and my people are the threads—

My gem and the conduct of my people

after you, they will string no crown.

After you will fashion no crown.