راحَت نُضارُ فَلا عَيشٌ يَلَذُ لَنا

راحَت نُضارُ فَلا عَيشٌ يَلَذُ لَنا

وَخَلَّفت بِفُؤادي الهمَّ وَالحزنا

وَخَلَّفت بِفُؤادي الهمَّ وَالحزنا

Nuḍār is gone; no life can now delight us,

Nudar is gone, so life holds no sweetness for us,

leaving sorrow and grief within my heart.

and she has left anxiety and sorrow in my heart.

فَما عَرَت مُهجَتي حالٌ تسرُّ بِها

فَما عَرَت مُهجَتي حالٌ تسرُّ بِها

وَلا رَأَت مُقلَتي مِن بَعدِها حَسَنا

وَلا رَأَت مُقلَتي مِن بَعدِها حَسَنا

No state has befallen my soul in which it can rejoice,

So no state has come upon my soul in which it finds joy,

nor has my eye seen beauty since she departed.

nor has my eye seen anything lovely since she left.

كانَت نضارُ لَنا رُوحا نَعيشُ بِها

كانَت نضارُ لَنا رُوحا نَعيشُ بِها

فَتُنعِشُ الأَشرفينِ العَين وَالأُذُنا

فَتُنعِشُ الأَشرفينِ العَين وَالأُذُنا

Nuḍār was the spirit by which we lived,

Nudar was our soul, through whom we lived,

reviving the two noblest senses: eye and ear.

thus enlivening the two noblest senses, the eye and the ear.

فَالسَمعُ مِن لَفظِها للدُرِّ مُلتَقطٌ

فَالسَمعُ مِن لَفظِها للدُرِّ مُلتَقطٌ

وَالطَرفُ مِن لَحظِها بِالحُسنِ قَد فُتِنا

وَالطَرفُ مِن لَحظِها بِالحُسنِ قَد فُتِنا

The ear, hearing her words, would gather pearls,

Thus hearing gathered pearls from her words,

and the eye, looking upon her, was captivated by beauty.

and sight was bewitched by the beauty of her glance.

ذاتُ اِرتياحٍ إِلى القُرآنِ تَسرُدُهُ

ذاتُ اِرتياحٍ إِلى القُرآنِ تَسرُدُهُ

طَوراً وَتَسرُدُ طَوراً بَعدَها السُنَنا

طَوراً وَتَسرُدُ طَوراً بَعدَها السُنَنا

She delighted in the Qur’an and recited it in full,

She delighted in the Quran, reciting it

then at other times recited the Prophetic traditions after it.

at times, and at others reciting the prophetic traditions afterward.

وَذاتُ بِرٍّ لِذي فَقرٍ وَمَسكَنةٍ

وَذاتُ بِرٍّ لِذي فَقرٍ وَمَسكَنةٍ

تَبرُّهُ خِلسَةً لا تَرقبُ العَلَنا

تَبرُّهُ خِلسَةً لا تَرقبُ العَلَنا

She was charitable to those in poverty and need,

And she was charitable to one in poverty and destitution,

helping them secretly, never seeking public notice.

helping him in secret, seeking no public notice.

يَفدِي نُضيرَةَ أَترابٌ لَهُنَّ هَوىً

يَفدِي نُضيرَةَ أَترابٌ لَهُنَّ هَوىً

بِزينَةٍ وَارتياحٍ ههُنا وَهنا

بِزينَةٍ وَارتياحٍ ههُنا وَهنا

Peers would give themselves for Nuḍayra, though their hearts are set

May her peers be a ransom for Nudayra, their desires set

on finery and pleasure, here and there.

on adornment and pleasure, here and there,

وَهمُّها هِيَ في أَجرٍ تحصِّلُه

وَهمُّها هِيَ في أَجرٍ تحصِّلُه

وَفي عُلومٍ تُزَكّي كُلَّ مَن زَكنا

وَفي عُلومٍ تُزَكّي كُلَّ مَن زَكنا

Her own concern, however, was a reward she might earn

while her own concern was the reward she earned

and fields of learning that purify everyone of discernment:

and branches of learning that refine all who understand:

فقهٍ وَنحوٍ وَتَأريخٍ وَمَعرِفَةٍ

فقهٍ وَنحوٍ وَتَأريخٍ وَمَعرِفَةٍ

وَلَحظِ فكرٍ إِلى نيلِ العُلومِ رَنا

وَلَحظِ فكرٍ إِلى نيلِ العُلومِ رَنا

jurisprudence, grammar, history, and knowledge,

jurisprudence, grammar, history, and knowledge,

and thoughtful reflection whose gaze aspired to attain the sciences.

and thought's gaze, fixed on attaining knowledge.

قَد نَوَّرَ اللَهُ بِالتَقوى بَصيرَتَها

قَد نَوَّرَ اللَهُ بِالتَقوى بَصيرَتَها

فَلَم يضيّع لَها في غَيرِها الزَمَنا

فَلَم يضيّع لَها في غَيرِها الزَمَنا

God had illumined her inward sight with piety,

God had illumined her inner sight through piety,

so He did not let her time be wasted on anything else.

so He did not let her time be wasted on anything else.

حَجَّت وَزارَت رَسولَ اللَهِ ثُمَ أَتَت

حَجَّت وَزارَت رَسولَ اللَهِ ثُمَ أَتَت

لِمصرَ قَد أَحرَزَت أَجراً وَحُسنَ ثَنا

لِمصرَ قَد أَحرَزَت أَجراً وَحُسنَ ثَنا

She made the pilgrimage, visited God’s Messenger, and then came

She made the pilgrimage and visited God's Messenger, then came

to Egypt, having gained reward and fair renown.

to Egypt, having gained reward and high praise.

فَصيحةٌ ثَقَّفَت بِالنَحوِ مَنطِقَها

فَصيحةٌ ثَقَّفَت بِالنَحوِ مَنطِقَها

فَلَن تَرى فيهِ لا لَحنا وَلا لَكنا

فَلَن تَرى فيهِ لا لَحنا وَلا لَكنا

Eloquent, she disciplined her speech through grammar,

Eloquent, she refined her speech through grammar,

so you would find in it neither grammatical fault nor stammer.

so you will find in it neither grammatical error nor faulty pronunciation.

تُجيلَ طَرفَ يَراعٍ بِالأَنامِلِ في

تُجيلَ طَرفَ يَراعٍ بِالأَنامِلِ في

مَيدانِ طُرسٍ مُطيعاً لَم يَكُن حَرنا

مَيدانِ طُرسٍ مُطيعاً لَم يَكُن حَرنا

She would send a reed pen’s tip roving with her fingertips in

She guides a reed pen's tip with her fingertips through

the arena of a page, obedient and never balking.

the arena of a page, obedient and never restive.

يَمشي عَلى رَأسِهِ في الطُرسِ مَبتدأً

يَمشي عَلى رَأسِهِ في الطُرسِ مَبتدأً

فَإِن جَرى جَذَبَت مِن رَأسِهِ الرَسَنا

فَإِن جَرى جَذَبَت مِن رَأسِهِ الرَسَنا

It walks upon its head across the page when first setting out;

It walks on its head upon the page as it begins;

then, if it runs, she draws the reins from its head.

and if it runs, she pulls the rein from its head.

يَنحَطُّ أَعلاهُ إِذ يَسمو بِأَسفَلِهِ

يَنحَطُّ أَعلاهُ إِذ يَسمو بِأَسفَلِهِ

فعلُ الزَمانِ بِنا أَقبِح بِهِ زَمَنا

فعلُ الزَمانِ بِنا أَقبِح بِهِ زَمَنا

Its upper end sinks as it rises upon its lower—

Its upper end sinks as its lower end rises—

the work of Time upon us: how foul an age it is!

such is Time's treatment of us—how vile an age it is!