فَإِن يَكُن عَقَّ فيكَ فالٌ

فَإِن يَكُن عَقَّ فيكَ فالٌ

فَاللَهُ يجزيهِ بِالعُقوقِ

فَاللَهُ يجزيهِ بِالعُقوقِ

If an omen has proved false concerning you,

So if an augur has been faithless concerning you,

If a hopeful omen has proven undutiful regarding you,

God will repay it for its faithlessness.

God will requite him for that faithlessness.

Then may God requite it with the punishment for disobedience.

قَضى لَكَ اللَهُ يَومَ يَقضي

قَضى لَكَ اللَهُ يَومَ يَقضي

بَينَ الأَباطيلِ وَالحُقوقِ

بَينَ الأَباطيلِ وَالحُقوقِ

May God judge in your favor on the day He judges

May God judge in your favor on the day He judges

God has decreed in your favor on the Day He judges

between false claims and rightful claims.

between falsehoods and truths.

Between falsehoods and the inescapable truths.

قُرَّةَ عَيني مَتى التَلاقي

قُرَّةَ عَيني مَتى التَلاقي

عَلَّكَ تَشفي مِنَ الحَريقِ

عَلَّكَ تَشفي مِنَ الحَريقِ

Delight of my eye, when shall we meet?

Delight of my eye, when shall we meet?

O delight of my eye, when shall the meeting be?

Perhaps you will heal me of this burning.

Perhaps you will heal me of the burning.

Perhaps you might heal this burning inner pain.

قِيامَتي يَومَ مُتَّ قامَت

قِيامَتي يَومَ مُتَّ قامَت

فَكَيفَ لَم تلق في الطَريقِ

فَكَيفَ لَم تلق في الطَريقِ

My resurrection rose on the day you died—

My Day of Judgment dawned the day you died;

My Resurrection Day commenced the moment you died;

how, then, did you not meet me on the road?

so how did you not meet me on the road?

So how is it that I have not met you on the path?

قَصَّرَني الذَنبُ أَن تَراني

قَصَّرَني الذَنبُ أَن تَراني

أَم بك نَومٌ عَنِ المَشوقِ

أَم بك نَومٌ عَنِ المَشوقِ

Has sin kept me from being seen by you,

Has sin kept me from your sight,

Has sin held me back from being seen by you,

or are you asleep to the one who yearns for you?

or are you asleep, heedless of the yearning one?

Or does sleep distract you from this yearning heart?

قِف كَيفَ أَغرَقت في دُموعي

قِف كَيفَ أَغرَقت في دُموعي

وَلَم تَكُن مُنقذ الغَريقِ

وَلَم تَكُن مُنقذ الغَريقِ

Stop—see how you have drowned me in my tears,

Stop! How have you drowned me in my tears,

Halt and see how I have drowned in my own tears,

yet were no rescuer of the drowning man.

yet not been the drowning man's rescuer?

While you were not there to save the drowning man.

قُدّامي الهَولُ يا بُنَيَّ

قُدّامي الهَولُ يا بُنَيَّ

كُنتُ رَفيقاً فَكُن رَفيقي

كُنتُ رَفيقاً فَكُن رَفيقي

Terror lies before me, my dear son;

Terror lies before me, my little son;

Terror lies before me, O my little son;

I was your companion, so be mine.

I was your companion; so be mine.

I was once a companion to you, so now be a companion to me.

قُدني إِذا كُنتَ في فَريقٍ

قُدني إِذا كُنتَ في فَريقٍ

فازوا إِلى ذلِكَ الفَريقِ

فازوا إِلى ذلِكَ الفَريقِ

Lead me, if you are among a company

Lead me, if you are among a company

Lead me, if you are among a company

who have won passage to that company.

who have triumphed, to that company.

That has triumphed, into that very fold.

قُل لي إِنَّ النَهارَ لَيلٌ

قُل لي إِنَّ النَهارَ لَيلٌ

أَينَ سَنى وَجهِكَ الأَنيقِ

أَينَ سَنى وَجهِكَ الأَنيقِ

Tell me that daylight is night—

Tell me that day is night:

Tell me—for indeed the day has turned to night—

where is the radiance of your lovely face?

where is the radiance of your lovely face?

Where is the radiance of your graceful face?

قَدِمت فَاِنعَم بِطيبِ عَيشٍ

قَدِمت فَاِنعَم بِطيبِ عَيشٍ

وَاِشفَع لِوانٍ عَنِ السَبوقِ

وَاِشفَع لِوانٍ عَنِ السَبوقِ

You have arrived; delight, then, in a pleasant life,

You have arrived; so enjoy a pleasant life,

You have gone ahead, so enjoy a blissful existence,

and intercede for one who lags behind in going ahead.

and intercede for one lagging behind the swift forerunner.

And intercede for the weary one who lags behind the forerunner.

قَنعتُ بِالطَيفِ وَاِنتِحابي

قَنعتُ بِالطَيفِ وَاِنتِحابي

يَمنَعُ مِن طَيفِكَ الطَروقِ

يَمنَعُ مِن طَيفِكَ الطَروقِ

I contented myself with a vision of you, but my sobbing

I have settled for the dream-vision, yet my sobbing

I would be content with a visiting vision, yet my wailing

keeps your apparition from visiting by night.

keeps me from your night-visiting shade.

Prevents your ghost from traveling to me in sleep.

قَلَّب فيكَ الزَمانُ عَيناً

قَلَّب فيكَ الزَمانُ عَيناً

كُنتَ اِقتِراحي فَصِرت ضيقي

كُنتَ اِقتِراحي فَصِرت ضيقي

Time cast an eye upon you;

Time has turned its eye upon you;

Time has cast a shifting eye upon you;

you were my heart’s desire, then became my anguish.

you were my heart's desire, and became my anguish.

You were my fondest hope, but have become my distress.

قَلَّ سُروراً وَضاقَ ذَرعاً

قَلَّ سُروراً وَضاقَ ذَرعاً

خِلوٌ مِن اِبنٍ وَمِن صَديقِ

خِلوٌ مِن اِبنٍ وَمِن صَديقِ

How little joy he has, how utterly his patience fails—

His joy has dwindled, and his endurance failed—

He has grown scarce in joy and short on patience,

one bereft of both son and friend.

one bereft of a son and of a friend.

Bereft of a son and devoid of a friend.

قدّر ما لَيسَ مِنهُ بُدٌّ

قدّر ما لَيسَ مِنهُ بُدٌّ

مَوتٌ بِبَطحاءَ أَو بِنيقِ

مَوتٌ بِبَطحاءَ أَو بِنيقِ

Accept as decreed what cannot be escaped:

What cannot be escaped has been decreed:

Fate has decreed that from which there is no escape:

death on a lowland plain or a mountain peak.

death, on a pebbly plain or on a mountain peak.

Death, whether in the valley's bed or on the mountain peak.