والدة للَه كم مرةٍ

والدة للَه كم مرةٍ

أغرقني حظي بإكرامها

أغرقني حظي بإكرامها

A mother—by God, how many a time

A mother—by God, how often

my good fortune engulfed me in her kindness.

my fortune immersed me in her kindness!

وكم لأجلي في الليالي دعت

وكم لأجلي في الليالي دعت

وأسدلت دمعاً بأيامها

وأسدلت دمعاً بأيامها

How often, for my sake, through the nights she prayed

And how often, for my sake, she prayed at night

and let fall tears throughout her days.

and let tears fall throughout her days.

والآن عاداني زماني بما

والآن عاداني زماني بما

أسمعني من فرط آلامها

أسمعني من فرط آلامها

And now my time has turned against me through what

And now my time has turned against me through what

it has made me hear of her exceeding pain.

it has made me hear of her overwhelming pains.

وبعدها أحرق لي مهجتي

وبعدها أحرق لي مهجتي

وزاد إضرامي كإضرامها

وزاد إضرامي كإضرامها

After her, it set my very soul aflame

And her absence has burned my heart,

and heightened my burning until it matched hers.

and heightened my burning, like hers.

يا ليت لو ساعدني ساعةً

يا ليت لو ساعدني ساعةً

وصرت من جملة خدامها

وصرت من جملة خدامها

If only it would aid me for a single hour

Oh, if only it would help me for an hour,

so I might become one of her servants,

and I could become one of her servants!

أو ليته يرحم لي مهجة

أو ليته يرحم لي مهجة

لسقمها باتت بأسقامها

لسقمها باتت بأسقامها

or if only it would show mercy to a heart of mine

Or if only it would show mercy to my heart,

that, sick over her sickness, spent the night in pain.

which, through her illness, has lain beset by her ailments.

تلك التي للَه مصروفةً

تلك التي للَه مصروفةً

أيامها في مد أعوامها

أيامها في مد أعوامها

That rare treasure of mine, devoted wholly to God—

She whose devotion to God filled

her days throughout the long span of her years.

her days throughout the span of her years:

حليمة صالحة دائماً

حليمة صالحة دائماً

تسعى إلى الخبر بإقدامها

تسعى إلى الخبر بإقدامها

Forbearing and righteous always,

forbearing and righteous, always,

she eagerly sought out the news.

she strives toward [goodness?] with bold resolve.

طاهرة طيبة دأبها التق

طاهرة طيبة دأبها التق

وى كما شاع بأقوامها

وى كما شاع بأقوامها

Pure and good, her constant practice was devout—

Pure and good, her constant practice is piety,

—ness, as was widely known among her people.

as was known among her people.

سخية تبذل في ربها ال

سخية تبذل في ربها ال

لقمة باستحلاء إطعامها

لقمة باستحلاء إطعامها

Generous, for her Lord she would give the

Generous, she gives for her Lord the

morsel, delighting in feeding others.

morsel, finding sweetness in feeding others.

وترغب الخير لمن أسلموا

وترغب الخير لمن أسلموا

من عرب الدنيا وأعجامها

من عرب الدنيا وأعجامها

She wished goodness for all who had embraced Islam,

And she wishes goodness for those who embraced Islam,

among the world’s Arabs and non-Arabs.

among the world's Arabs and non-Arabs.

تود إن وافى فقير لها

تود إن وافى فقير لها

ضيفاً بأن يثوي على هامها

ضيفاً بأن يثوي على هامها

She wished, whenever a poor man came to her

She wishes, if a poor man comes to her

as a guest, that he might lodge upon the crown of her head.

as a guest, that he might dwell upon her head.

سليمة القلب وجل الذي

سليمة القلب وجل الذي

ما سير المكر بأوهامها

ما سير المكر بأوهامها

Pure of heart—and exalted is He who

Sound of heart—and exalted is the One who

never let deceit pass through her thoughts.

never set deceit stirring in her imaginings.

شريفة الطبع ومن لطفها

شريفة الطبع ومن لطفها

ترغب في خدمة خدامها

ترغب في خدمة خدامها

Noble in nature; and such was her kindness

Noble in nature, and out of her gentleness,

that she longed to serve even her own servants.

she longs to serve her own servants.

أواه ما أحلى زماناً مضى

أواه ما أحلى زماناً مضى

بقربها ونيل أنعامها

بقربها ونيل أنعامها

Ah, how sweet was that time now gone—

Ah, how sweet was the time gone by,

being near her and receiving her favors.

near her, receiving her favors!

وحين لامانع عن قربها

وحين لامانع عن قربها

وشم بديها وأكمامها

وشم بديها وأكمامها

And when no barrier kept me from her nearness,

And when nothing barred me from being near her

or from breathing in the scent of her hands and sleeves.

and breathing the scent of her [hands?] and sleeves.

للَه أشكو بعدها أنه

للَه أشكو بعدها أنه

لمهجتي جاء بإضرامها

لمهجتي جاء بإضرامها

To God I complain that, after her, it

To God I complain of her absence: it

came and set my very soul ablaze,

has come to my heart, setting it aflame,

وأنه قابل لي جثتي

وأنه قابل لي جثتي

لسطوة الفقد بإعدامها

لسطوة الفقد بإعدامها

and that it placed my body

and has confronted my body

before loss’s onslaught, to be annihilated.

with annihilation through the onslaught of loss.

من مخبر أمي باني لها

من مخبر أمي باني لها

ذبت وإن تدري بإلهامها

ذبت وإن تدري بإلهامها

Who will tell my mother that, for her,

Who will tell my mother that, for her,

I have melted away—even if inspiration tells her?

I have melted away, though she knows through her inspiration?

ليت نسيماً مر عن رمسها

ليت نسيماً مر عن رمسها

يقوم عن وجدي بإفهامها

يقوم عن وجدي بإفهامها

If only a breeze passing over her grave

If only a breeze that passed by her grave

would make my yearning known to her.

would make my longing known to her!

أو ليته يحملني مسرعاً

أو ليته يحملني مسرعاً

بالسير يأتي بي لقدامها

بالسير يأتي بي لقدامها

Or if only it could carry me swiftly,

Or if only it would carry me swiftly

speeding on its way and bringing me before her.

on its journey and bring me before her.

أذ تلك في نص حديث النبي

أذ تلك في نص حديث النبي

جنة خلدي تحت أقدامها

جنة خلدي تحت أقدامها

For she, in the very text of the Prophet’s saying,

For, as the very words of the Prophet's saying declare of her,

is my eternal Paradise beneath her feet.

my eternal paradise lies beneath her feet.