ظلي وَأَنتَ الشَفيعُ إِنّي

ظلي وَأَنتَ الشَفيعُ إِنّي

يَرحَمُني مالِكُ المُلوكِ

يَرحَمُني مالِكُ المُلوكِ

My shadow—and you are the intercessor—surely I

You are my shade and my intercessor—indeed I,

will receive mercy from the Master of kings.

Am granted mercy by the King of Kings.

كَلّا بَلِ المُصطَفى شَفيعي

كَلّا بَلِ المُصطَفى شَفيعي

حَقّاً يَقيناً بِلا شُكوكِ

حَقّاً يَقيناً بِلا شُكوكِ

No! Rather, the Chosen One is my intercessor,

Nay, rather the Chosen One is my intercessor,

truly, certainly, without a doubt.

In truth and certainty, devoid of any doubt.

كَبائِري عَنكَ مُبعِداتي

كَبائِري عَنكَ مُبعِداتي

إِن لَم أَنَل رَحمَةَ المَليكِ

إِن لَم أَنَل رَحمَةَ المَليكِ

My grave sins will keep me far from you

My major sins are what keep me far from you,

if I do not attain the Sovereign's mercy.

If I do not attain the mercy of the King.

كَفى بِها موبِقاً وَحَسبي

كَفى بِها موبِقاً وَحَسبي

رَبٌّ تَعالى عَنِ الشَريكِ

رَبٌّ تَعالى عَنِ الشَريكِ

They are ruin enough; and sufficient for me is

They suffice as a destructive force, and it is enough for me

a Lord exalted above having any partner.

To have a Lord exalted above any partner.

كَلِّم أَباكَ الَّذي يُنادي

كَلِّم أَباكَ الَّذي يُنادي

وَهوَ مِنَ السُقمِ في نُهوكِ

وَهوَ مِنَ السُقمِ في نُهوكِ

Speak to your father, who calls out,

Speak to your father who calls out to you,

and he is worn down by sickness.

While he is ravaged by the exhaustion of grief.

كادَ يَموتُ اِشفِهِ بِلَفظٍ

كادَ يَموتُ اِشفِهِ بِلَفظٍ

مِن فَمِكَ الطَيِّبِ الضَحوكِ

مِن فَمِكَ الطَيِّبِ الضَحوكِ

He is near death; heal him with a word

He is near death; heal him with a single utterance

from your sweet, laughing mouth.

From your sweet, smiling mouth.

كُنتَ شِفائي فَلا شِفاءٌ

كُنتَ شِفائي فَلا شِفاءٌ

إِلّا بِتَأنيبِكَ المحوكِ

إِلّا بِتَأنيبِكَ المحوكِ

You were my cure; so there is no cure

You were my cure, so now there is no cure,

except through your woven rebuke.

Except in your firmly woven reproach.

كلَّ حُسامي وَأَنتَ ناءٍ

كلَّ حُسامي وَأَنتَ ناءٍ

فَلَيسَ في الهامِ بِالمَحيكِ

فَلَيسَ في الهامِ بِالمَحيكِ

My sword has grown blunt, with you far away,

My sword has grown blunt while you are far away,

so it no longer cuts into heads.

So it no longer cleaves through the heads.

كَتَبتُ آيات ثُكلِهِ في

كَتَبتُ آيات ثُكلِهِ في

خَدّي بِالمَدمَعِ السَفوكِ

خَدّي بِالمَدمَعِ السَفوكِ

I wrote the signs of mourning him on

I have inscribed the verses of his loss upon

my cheek with streaming tears.

My cheek, using flowing tears as ink.

كَذبتُ لَو كُنتُ ذا وَفاءٍ

كَذبتُ لَو كُنتُ ذا وَفاءٍ

تَرَكتُ في طُرقِهِ سُلوكي

تَرَكتُ في طُرقِهِ سُلوكي

I lied: had I been faithful,

I lied; for had I truly been faithful,

I would have given up walking along his paths.

I would have abandoned my own path to follow his.

كَم مَعشَرٍ فَضلُهُ عَلَيهِم

كَم مَعشَرٍ فَضلُهُ عَلَيهِم

فَضلُ رَقيقٍ عَلى رَكيكِ

فَضلُ رَقيقٍ عَلى رَكيكِ

His superiority over many a company

How many a crowd has he surpassed in merit,

was that of the refined over the feeble.

Like the merit of the refined over the weak.

كَلَمحَةِ الطَرفِ مُتَّ يا اِبني

كَلَمحَةِ الطَرفِ مُتَّ يا اِبني

فَآه مِن مَوتِكَ الوَشيكِ

فَآه مِن مَوتِكَ الوَشيكِ

In the blink of an eye you died, my son;

Like the blink of an eye you died, O my son,

so alas for your swift death!

So alas for your death that came so soon.

كَأَنَّكَ الشَمسُ في طُلوعٍ

كَأَنَّكَ الشَمسُ في طُلوعٍ

وَفي غُروبٍ وَفي دُلوكِ

وَفي غُروبٍ وَفي دُلوكِ

You are like the sun at its rising,

As if you were the sun in its rising,

and at its setting, and at its decline.

And in its setting, and in its decline.

كَرمت طَبعاً وَطِبت نَقداً

كَرمت طَبعاً وَطِبت نَقداً

فَأَنتَ كَالعَسجَدِ السَبيكِ

فَأَنتَ كَالعَسجَدِ السَبيكِ

You were noble by nature and pure when assayed,

You were noble in nature and pure in essence,

so you are like gold cast into an ingot.

For you are like an ingot of molten gold.

كَأَنَّ عَيني عَلَيكَ أَمسَت

كَأَنَّ عَيني عَلَيكَ أَمسَت

تَنثُرُ دُرّاً مِنَ السُلوكِ

تَنثُرُ دُرّاً مِنَ السُلوكِ

It is as though my eye, mourning you, has come to

It is as though my eye, weeping for you, has begun

scatter pearls from their strings.

To scatter pearls from a broken string.