الفِكرُ فيكَ مُقَصِّرُ الآمالِ

الفِكرُ فيكَ مُقَصِّرُ الآمالِ

وَالحِرصُ بَعدَكَ غايَةُ الجُهّالِ

وَالحِرصُ بَعدَكَ غايَةُ الجُهّالِ

Thinking of you cuts hopes short.

Thinking of you shortens hopes,

And greed after you is the aim of fools.

And longing for you is the epitome of ignorance.

لَو كانَ يَخلُدُ بِالفَضائِلِ فاضِلٌ

لَو كانَ يَخلُدُ بِالفَضائِلِ فاضِلٌ

وُصِلَت لَكَ الآجالُ بِالآجالِ

وُصِلَت لَكَ الآجالُ بِالآجالِ

If a virtuous man could live forever through his virtues,

If the virtuous were immortalized by virtues,

Lifetimes would have been joined to lifetimes for you.

Your life would have been extended endlessly.

أَو كُنتَ تُفدى لَاِفتَدَتكَ سَراتُنا

أَو كُنتَ تُفدى لَاِفتَدَتكَ سَراتُنا

بِنَفائِسِ الأَرواحِ وَالأَموالِ

بِنَفائِسِ الأَرواحِ وَالأَموالِ

Or, could you be ransomed, our nobles would have ransomed you

Or if you could be ransomed, our valuables

With the most precious lives and wealth.

And precious souls would have redeemed you.

أَو كانَ يُدفَعُ عَنكَ بَأسٌ أَقبَلَت

أَو كانَ يُدفَعُ عَنكَ بَأسٌ أَقبَلَت

شَرعاً تَكَدَّسُ بِالقَنا العَسّالِ

شَرعاً تَكَدَّسُ بِالقَنا العَسّالِ

Or, if harm could be warded off from you, they would have advanced

Or if harm headed your way could be deflected,

With lances leveled, surging with quivering spears.

Honeycombs would have shielded you completely.

أَعزِز عَلى ساداتِ قَومِكَ أَن تُرى

أَعزِز عَلى ساداتِ قَومِكَ أَن تُرى

فَوقَ الفِراشِ مُقَلَّبَ الأَوصالِ

فَوقَ الفِراشِ مُقَلَّبَ الأَوصالِ

How grievous for the lords of your people that you should be seen

It pains your noble kin to see you

Upon the bed, your limbs being turned over.

Tossing in bed, writhing in agony.

وَالسُمرُ عِندَكَ لَم تُدَقَّ صُدورُها

وَالسُمرُ عِندَكَ لَم تُدَقَّ صُدورُها

وَالخَيلُ واقِفَةٌ عَلى الأَطوالِ

وَالخَيلُ واقِفَةٌ عَلى الأَطوالِ

And the brown spears beside you have not had their points shattered,

No joyful gatherings are held around you,

And the horses stand at their tethering ropes,

As horses stand motionless, swords unused.

وَالسابِغاتُ مَصونَةٌ لَم تُبتَذَل

وَالسابِغاتُ مَصونَةٌ لَم تُبتَذَل

وَالبيضُ سالِمَةٌ مَعَ الأَبطالِ

وَالبيضُ سالِمَةٌ مَعَ الأَبطالِ

And the full-length coats of mail are kept safe, unused,

Honored wives’ chambers are untouched,

And the white swords remain unscathed with the champions.

Valiant men and white swords dormant.

وَإِذا المَنِيَّةُ أَقبَلَت لَم يَثنِها

وَإِذا المَنِيَّةُ أَقبَلَت لَم يَثنِها

حِرصُ الحَريصِ وَحيلَةُ المُحتالِ

حِرصُ الحَريصِ وَحيلَةُ المُحتالِ

And when death comes, it is not turned back by

When death approached, no scheming

The anxious one's care or the schemer's cunning.

Or effort of the eager could deter it.

ما لِلخُطوبِ وَما لِأَحداثِ الرَدى

ما لِلخُطوبِ وَما لِأَحداثِ الرَدى

أَعجَلنَ جابِرَ غايَةَ الإِعجالِ

أَعجَلنَ جابِرَ غايَةَ الإِعجالِ

What ails calamities, and what ails death's blows?

No disasters or strokes of fate

They hurried Jabir away with the utmost haste,

Could hasten the work of the Destined.

لَمّا تَسَربَلَ بِالفَضائِلِ وَاِرتَدى

لَمّا تَسَربَلَ بِالفَضائِلِ وَاِرتَدى

بُردَ العُلا وَاِعتَمَّ بِالإِقبالِ

بُردَ العُلا وَاِعتَمَّ بِالإِقبالِ

When he had clothed himself in virtues and donned

When he donned the garb of virtue and wore

The mantle of glory, and wore good fortune as his turban,

The cloak of greatness and came forth gloriously,

وَتَشاهَدَت صَيدُ المُلوكِ بِفَضلِهِ

وَتَشاهَدَت صَيدُ المُلوكِ بِفَضلِهِ

وَأَرى المَكارِمَ مِن مَكانٍ عالِ

وَأَرى المَكارِمَ مِن مَكانٍ عالِ

And proud kings jointly bore witness to his excellence,

Kings' prey was made visible by his grace,

And he displayed noble deeds from a lofty station.

And he saw generosity from a lofty place.

أَأَبا المُرَجّى غَيرُ حُزنِيَ دارِسٌ

أَأَبا المُرَجّى غَيرُ حُزنِيَ دارِسٌ

أَبَداً عَلَيكَ وَغَيرُ قَلبِيَ سالِ

أَبَداً عَلَيكَ وَغَيرُ قَلبِيَ سالِ

O Abu al-Murajja, it is not my grief that will fade

Will any but my sorrow last forever over you?

Ever, for you, nor my heart that will find solace.

Will any heart but mine continue melting?

لازِلتَ مَغدُوَّ الثَرى مَطروقَهُ

لازِلتَ مَغدُوَّ الثَرى مَطروقَهُ

بِسَحابَةٍ مَجرورَةِ الأَذيالِ

بِسَحابَةٍ مَجرورَةِ الأَذيالِ

May your soil ever be visited at dawn and by night

You remain shrouded in dust, enwrapped

By a cloud with trailing skirts.

In a trailing, dragged cloud.

وَحُجِبنَ عَنكَ السَيِّئاتُ وَلَم يَزَل

وَحُجِبنَ عَنكَ السَيِّئاتُ وَلَم يَزَل

لَكَ صاحِبٌ مِن صالِحِ الأَعمالِ

لَكَ صاحِبٌ مِن صالِحِ الأَعمالِ

And may evil deeds be veiled from you, and may there always remain

Evil was veiled from you, and you always had

For you a companion from among righteous deeds.

A companion of righteous deeds.