خَلّى طفَيْلٌ عَلَيّ الهَمَّ وَانْشَعَبَا

خَلّى طفَيْلٌ عَلَيّ الهَمَّ وَانْشَعَبَا

فَهَدَّ ذَلِكَ رُكْنِي هَدَّةً عَجَبَا

فَهَدَّ ذَلِكَ رُكْنِي هَدَّةً عَجَبَا

Tufayl left grief upon me and departed.

Tufayl brought grief upon me, splitting it open,

So that shattered my pillar with an astonishing blow.

That shocked my core with amazing force.

وَابْنَيْ سمَيَّةَ لا أنْسَاهمَا أَبداً

وَابْنَيْ سمَيَّةَ لا أنْسَاهمَا أَبداً

فِي مَنْ نَسِيتُ وَكل كَانَ لي نَصَبَا

فِي مَنْ نَسِيتُ وَكل كَانَ لي نَصَبَا

And Sumayya's two sons—I shall never forget them

And my two sons, Sumayya - I'll never forget them

among those I have forgotten; and each was a grief to me.

Among those I forgot, though all brought me agony.

وَما طُفَيْلٌ بِوَقَّافٍ إذَا افْتَرَسَتْ

وَما طُفَيْلٌ بِوَقَّافٍ إذَا افْتَرَسَتْ

زُرقُ الأسِنَّةِ هَيَّابٍ إذَا رَكِبَا

زُرقُ الأسِنَّةِ هَيَّابٍ إذَا رَكِبَا

And Tufayl was no laggard when prey was devoured

And Tufayl is no guardian, when the blue blades

by the blue spearheads, nor was he timid when he rode.

Of fierce tongues attack, once they ride.

فَاذْهَبْ فَلاَ يُبْعِدَنْكَ اللهُ مِنْ رَجُل

فَاذْهَبْ فَلاَ يُبْعِدَنْكَ اللهُ مِنْ رَجُل

فَقَدْ تَرَكْتَ رَقِيقاً عَظْمُهُ وَصِبا

فَقَدْ تَرَكْتَ رَقِيقاً عَظْمُهُ وَصِبا

So go; may God not cast you away—what a man you were!

So go - may Allah not distance you from a man

For you have left one frail of bone and ailing.

Who left behind a slave whose bone matured early.

فَإِنْ سَلَكْتَ سَبِيلاً كُنْتَ سَالِكَهَا

فَإِنْ سَلَكْتَ سَبِيلاً كُنْتَ سَالِكَهَا

وَلاَ مَحَالَةَ أنْ يَأتِي الَّذِي كُتِبَا

وَلاَ مَحَالَةَ أنْ يَأتِي الَّذِي كُتِبَا

For if you took a path, you were to follow it;

If you take a path you used to take

and what was written must inevitably come.

What's destined will inevitably come.

فَمَا لَفَظْتُكَ مِنْ رِيٍّ وَلاَ شِبَعٍ

فَمَا لَفَظْتُكَ مِنْ رِيٍّ وَلاَ شِبَعٍ

وَلاَ ظَللت بِبَاقِي الْعَيْشٍِ مُرْتَقِبَا

وَلاَ ظَللت بِبَاقِي الْعَيْشٍِ مُرْتَقِبَا

For I did not cast you off because my thirst or hunger was sated,

I spared you no luxury, or plenty,

nor did I remain looking forward to the life still left.

Nor lingered, expecting more years.

تَرَكْتَنِي حِينَ لا مَالٌ أعِيشُ بِهِ

تَرَكْتَنِي حِينَ لا مَالٌ أعِيشُ بِهِ

وَحِينَ جُن زَمَانُ النَّاسِ أوْ كَلِبَا

وَحِينَ جُن زَمَانُ النَّاسِ أوْ كَلِبَا

You left me when I had no wealth to live on,

You left me when I've no money to live by,

and when the age of men went mad or turned rabid.

When people's times turned feral, or doggish.

وَأخْطَأتَنِي الْمَنَايَا لاَ تُطَالِعُني

وَأخْطَأتَنِي الْمَنَايَا لاَ تُطَالِعُني

حَتَّى كَبِرْتُ وَلَمْ يَتْرُكْنَ لِي نَشَبَا

حَتَّى كَبِرْتُ وَلَمْ يَتْرُكْنَ لِي نَشَبَا

And death's visitations missed me, never appearing before me,

And death avoided me - it doesn't check on me,

until I grew old, and they left me no wealth.

Till I grew old, and it left me no youth.

وَكُنْتُ بَعْدَ طُفَيْلٍ كَالَّذِي نَضَبَتْ

وَكُنْتُ بَعْدَ طُفَيْلٍ كَالَّذِي نَضَبَتْ

عَنْهُ الْمِيَاهُ وَفَاضَ المَاءُ فَانْقَضَبَا

عَنْهُ الْمِيَاهُ وَفَاضَ المَاءُ فَانْقَضَبَا

And after Tufayl I was like one from whom had ebbed

After Tufayl, I was like one whose water ran out,

the waters; the water overflowed, then ceased.

As water gushed forth, then was blocked.

فَلاَ بَعِيرَ لهُ في الأرْضِ يَرْكَبُهُ

فَلاَ بَعِيرَ لهُ في الأرْضِ يَرْكَبُهُ

وَإنْ سَعَى إثْرَ مَنْ قَدْ فَاتَهُ لَغِبَا

وَإنْ سَعَى إثْرَ مَنْ قَدْ فَاتَهُ لَغِبَا

So he has no camel on earth to ride,

He has no camel on earth to ride,

and if he hastens after one who has outpaced him, he grows weary.

And if he pursued one gone, he'd be duped.

وَسَارَ مِنْ أرْضِ خَاقَانَ التي غَلَبَتْ

وَسَارَ مِنْ أرْضِ خَاقَانَ التي غَلَبَتْ

أبْنَاءَ فَارِسَ فِي أرْجَائِهَا غلبا

أبْنَاءَ فَارِسَ فِي أرْجَائِهَا غلبا

And he traveled from the land of Khaqan, which had overcome

He went from Khagan's land that overpowered

the sons of Persia throughout its reaches, utterly,

The Persians' sons in its far reaches.

حَتَّى وَرَدْتَ حِيَاضَ المَوْتِ فَانْكَشَفَتْ

حَتَّى وَرَدْتَ حِيَاضَ المَوْتِ فَانْكَشَفَتْ

عَنْكَ الكَتَائِبُ لاَ تُخْفِي لَهَا عَقِبَا

عَنْكَ الكَتَائِبُ لاَ تُخْفِي لَهَا عَقِبَا

until you reached death's pools, and there withdrew

Until you reached the basin of death, and there dispersed

from you the battalions, not hiding their heels.

The battalions, not hiding any trace.

وَمِنْ سِجِسْتَانَ أَسْبَابٌ تُزَيّنهَا

وَمِنْ سِجِسْتَانَ أَسْبَابٌ تُزَيّنهَا

لَكَ المَنِيَّةُ حَيْناً كَانَ مُجْتَنَبَا

لَكَ المَنِيَّةُ حَيْناً كَانَ مُجْتَنَبَا

And from Sijistan come means made fair

And from Sijistan, there are causes adorning

for you by death—a doom once shunned.

Your death, when it was once avoided.

وَغَادَرُوكَ صَرِيعاً رَهْنَ مَعْرَكَةٍ

وَغَادَرُوكَ صَرِيعاً رَهْنَ مَعْرَكَةٍ

تَرَى النُّورَ عَلَى القَتْلَى بِهِ عُصَبَا

تَرَى النُّورَ عَلَى القَتْلَى بِهِ عُصَبَا

And they left you fallen, hostage to a battlefield;

They abandoned you a corpse hostage to a battle

you see the light in bands over the slain there.

In which you see light upon the dead, binding them.

تَعَاهَدُوا ثُم لَمْ يُوفُوا بِمَا عَهٍدُوا

تَعَاهَدُوا ثُم لَمْ يُوفُوا بِمَا عَهٍدُوا

وَأَسْلَمُوا لَلْعَدُوّ السَّبْيَ وَالسَّلَبَا

وَأَسْلَمُوا لَلْعَدُوّ السَّبْيَ وَالسَّلَبَا

They pledged to one another, then did not fulfill what they pledged,

They made a pact then failed to keep their word,

and surrendered the captives and the plunder to the enemy.

Handing over captives and loot to the enemy.

يَا سَوْءَةَ الْقَوْم إنْ تُسْبَى نِسَاؤُهُمْ

يَا سَوْءَةَ الْقَوْم إنْ تُسْبَى نِسَاؤُهُمْ

وَهُمْ كَثِيرٌ يَرَوْنَ الْخِزْيَ وَالحَرَبا

وَهُمْ كَثِيرٌ يَرَوْنَ الْخِزْيَ وَالحَرَبا

O shame upon the people, if their women are taken captive,

Oh what an evil folk, whose women are made captive

while they are many, watching disgrace and dispossession!

As they, many, witness dishonor and war.

فَامْلِكْ عَزَاءَكَ إنْ رُزْءٌ بُلِيتَ بِهِ

فَامْلِكْ عَزَاءَكَ إنْ رُزْءٌ بُلِيتَ بِهِ

فَلَنْ يَرُد بُكَاءُ المَرْءِ مَا ذَهَبَا

فَلَنْ يَرُد بُكَاءُ المَرْءِ مَا ذَهَبَا

So hold fast to your fortitude if a loss afflicts you,

So master your consolation if you're taunted by it -

for a person's weeping will never bring back what has gone.

A man's weeping won't restore what's gone.

وَلَيْسَ يَشْفِي حَزِيناً مِنْ تَذَكُّرِهِ

وَلَيْسَ يَشْفِي حَزِيناً مِنْ تَذَكُّرِهِ

إِلا البُكَاءُ إذَا مَا نَاحَ وَانْتَحَبَا

إِلا البُكَاءُ إذَا مَا نَاحَ وَانْتَحَبَا

And nothing soothes a grieving man when he remembers him

And remembering doesn't comfort a griever

except weeping, when he wails and sobs.

Except weeping, when he moans and laments.