يُضَيَّعُ مَفروضٌ وَيُغفَلُ واجِبُ

يُضَيَّعُ مَفروضٌ وَيُغفَلُ واجِبُ

وَإِنّي عَلى أَهلِ الزَمانِ لَعاتِبُ

وَإِنّي عَلى أَهلِ الزَمانِ لَعاتِبُ

An ordained duty is neglected, and an obligation ignored.

A prescribed duty is neglected, and an obligation overlooked;

Indeed, I bear a grievance against the people of this age.

and I am indeed reproachful toward the people of this age.

أَتُندَبُ أَطلالُ البِلادِ وَلا يُرى

أَتُندَبُ أَطلالُ البِلادِ وَلا يُرى

لِإِلبيرَةٍ مِنهُم عَلى الأَرضِ نادِبُ

لِإِلبيرَةٍ مِنهُم عَلى الأَرضِ نادِبُ

Are the ruins of whole lands lamented, while none is seen

Are the ruins of lands lamented, while none is seen

anywhere on earth lamenting Elvira?

among them on earth to mourn Elvira?

عَلى أَنَّها شَمسُ البِلادِ وَأُنسُها

عَلى أَنَّها شَمسُ البِلادِ وَأُنسُها

وَكُلُّ سِواها وَحشَةٌ وَغَياهِبُ

وَكُلُّ سِواها وَحشَةٌ وَغَياهِبُ

Though she was the sun of the land and its solace,

Though she is the sun of the lands and their solace,

and all besides her was desolation and darkness.

and all besides her is desolation and deep darkness.

وَكَم مِن مُجيبٍ كانَ فيها لِصارِخٍ

وَكَم مِن مُجيبٍ كانَ فيها لِصارِخٍ

تُجابُ إِلى جَدوى يَدَيهِ السَباسِبُ

تُجابُ إِلى جَدوى يَدَيهِ السَباسِبُ

How many a man there answered a sufferer’s cry—

And how many a man in her would answer a cry for help,

for the bounty of his hands, the wastelands were crossed.

for the bounty of whose hands the barren plains were crossed!

وَكَم مِن نَجيبٍ أَنجَبَتهُ وَعالِمٍ

وَكَم مِن نَجيبٍ أَنجَبَتهُ وَعالِمٍ

بِأَبوابِهِم كانَت تُناخُ الرَكائِبُ

بِأَبوابِهِم كانَت تُناخُ الرَكائِبُ

How many a noble son she brought forth, and how many a scholar

And how many noble men and scholars she brought forth,

at whose doors caravans made their camels kneel.

at whose doors riding camels were made to kneel!

وَكَم بَلَغَت فيها الأَماني وَقُضِّيَت

وَكَم بَلَغَت فيها الأَماني وَقُضِّيَت

لِصَبٍّ لُباناتٌ بِها وَمَآرِبُ

لِصَبٍّ لُباناتٌ بِها وَمَآرِبُ

How many hopes were attained within her, and how many needs fulfilled

And how often hopes came true in her, and fulfilled

for a yearning lover—desires and aims achieved through her.

for a lovesick lover were longings and aims there.

وَكَم طَلَعَت فيها الشُموسُ وَكَم مَشَت

وَكَم طَلَعَت فيها الشُموسُ وَكَم مَشَت

عَلى الأَرضِ أَقمارٌ بِها وَكَواكِبُ

عَلى الأَرضِ أَقمارٌ بِها وَكَواكِبُ

How many suns rose within her, and how many

And how many suns rose in her, and how many walked

moons and stars walked upon her earth.

upon the earth there—moons and stars!

وَكَم فَرَسَت فيها الظِباءُ ضَراغِماً

وَكَم فَرَسَت فيها الظِباءُ ضَراغِماً

وَكَم صَرَعَت فيها الكُماةَ كَواعِبُ

وَكَم صَرَعَت فيها الكُماةَ كَواعِبُ

How many lions the gazelles preyed upon there,

And how often gazelles preyed upon lions in her!

and how many warriors budding maidens felled.

And how often budding-breasted maidens felled armored warriors in her!

لَعَهدي بِها مُبيَضَّةَ اللَيلِ فَاغتَدَت

لَعَهدي بِها مُبيَضَّةَ اللَيلِ فَاغتَدَت

وَأَيّامُها قَد سَوَّدَتها النَوائِبُ

وَأَيّامُها قَد سَوَّدَتها النَوائِبُ

I remember her whitening the night; but then she became—

Indeed, I remember her nights shining white; now she stands

her days blackened by calamities.

with her days blackened by calamities.

وَما كانَ فيها غَيرُ بُشرى وَأَنعُمٍ

وَما كانَ فيها غَيرُ بُشرى وَأَنعُمٍ

فَلَم يَبقَ فيها الآنَ إِلّا المَصائِبُ

فَلَم يَبقَ فيها الآنَ إِلّا المَصائِبُ

Nothing had dwelt within her but glad tidings and blessings;

And there was nothing in her but glad tidings and blessings;

now nothing remains there but disasters.

so now nothing remains in her but calamities.

غَدَت بَعدَ رَبّاتِ الحِجالِ قُصورُها

غَدَت بَعدَ رَبّاتِ الحِجالِ قُصورُها

يَباباً تُغاديها الصَبا وَالجَنائِبُ

يَباباً تُغاديها الصَبا وَالجَنائِبُ

After housing ladies of curtained chambers, her palaces became

Her palaces, their ladies of curtained chambers gone, became

a wasteland, visited morning after morning by east winds and crosswinds.

desolate wastes, visited at dawn by the east wind and south winds.

فَآهٍ أُلوفاً تَقتَضي عَدَدَ الحَصا

فَآهٍ أُلوفاً تَقتَضي عَدَدَ الحَصا

عَلى عَهدِها ماعاهَدَتها السَحائِبُ

عَلى عَهدِها ماعاهَدَتها السَحائِبُ

Ah, a thousandfold—sighs as numerous as the pebbles—

Ah, then! Thousands of sighs, as numerous as the pebbles,

for her former age, so long as the clouds kept faith with her!

for her bygone days, as long as the clouds keep faith with her.

عَجِبتُ لِما أَدري بِها مِن عَجيبَةٍ

عَجِبتُ لِما أَدري بِها مِن عَجيبَةٍ

فَيالَيتَ شِعري أَينَ تِلكَ العَجائِبُ

فَيالَيتَ شِعري أَينَ تِلكَ العَجائِبُ

I marvel at the wondrous things I know of her.

I marveled at the wonders I knew within her;

Would that I knew: where are those marvels now?

so, if only I knew where those wonders are!

وَما فَعَلَت أَعلامُها وَفِئامُها

وَما فَعَلَت أَعلامُها وَفِئامُها

وَأَرآمُها أَم أَينَ تِلكَ المَراتِبُ

وَأَرآمُها أَم أَينَ تِلكَ المَراتِبُ

And what became of her luminaries and her throngs,

And what became of her eminent men and her throngs,

her white gazelles? Where are those lofty ranks?

and her white gazelles? Or where are those ranks?

وَأَينَ بِحارُ العِلمِ وَالحِلمِ وَالنَدى

وَأَينَ بِحارُ العِلمِ وَالحِلمِ وَالنَدى

وَأَينَ الأَكُفُّ الهامِياتُ السَواكِبُ

وَأَينَ الأَكُفُّ الهامِياتُ السَواكِبُ

Where are the oceans of knowledge, forbearance, and generosity?

And where are the seas of knowledge, forbearance, and generosity?

Where are those rain-pouring, ever-streaming hands?

And where are the hands that rain down and pour forth?

شَقَقنا عَلى مَن ماتَ مِنهُم جُيوبَنا

شَقَقنا عَلى مَن ماتَ مِنهُم جُيوبَنا

وَكانَ قَليلاً أَن تُشَقَّ التَرائِبُ

وَكانَ قَليلاً أَن تُشَقَّ التَرائِبُ

For those among them who died, we tore open our garments,

We tore our collars for those among them who died,

though even tearing open our breasts would have been too little.

and even rending our breastbones would have been too little.

وَإِن فُقِدَت أَعيانُهُم فَلَتوجَدَن

وَإِن فُقِدَت أَعيانُهُم فَلَتوجَدَن

مَدى الدَهرِ أَفعالٌ لَهُم وَمَناقِبُ

مَدى الدَهرِ أَفعالٌ لَهُم وَمَناقِبُ

Though their eminent persons are gone, there shall surely remain

And though their persons are gone, there will surely be found

throughout all time deeds and noble virtues of theirs.

throughout the ages, their deeds and virtues.

وَقَد بَقِيَت في الأَرضِ مِنهُم بَقِيَّةٌ

وَقَد بَقِيَت في الأَرضِ مِنهُم بَقِيَّةٌ

كَأَنَّهُم فيها نُجومٌ ثَواقِبُ

كَأَنَّهُم فيها نُجومٌ ثَواقِبُ

Yet a remnant of them has survived upon the earth,

And a remnant of them has remained upon the earth,

like piercing-bright stars within it.

as though they were piercingly bright stars upon it.

فَلِلَّهِ ثاويهِم وَلِلَّهِ حَيُّهُم

فَلِلَّهِ ثاويهِم وَلِلَّهِ حَيُّهُم

فَكُلٌّ جَوادٌ باهِرُ الفَضلِ واهِبُ

فَكُلٌّ جَوادٌ باهِرُ الفَضلِ واهِبُ

How admirable are their departed and their living!

So to God belong their departed, and to God their living;

Each is generous, resplendent in virtue, freely giving.

for each is generous, dazzling in virtue, a giver.

لَساءَلتُ عَنهُم رَسمَها فَأَجابَني

لَساءَلتُ عَنهُم رَسمَها فَأَجابَني

أَلا كُلَّ شَيءٍ ما خَلا اللَهَ ذاهِبُ

أَلا كُلَّ شَيءٍ ما خَلا اللَهَ ذاهِبُ

I questioned her surviving trace about them, and it answered me:

Indeed, I asked her remaining trace about them, and it answered me:

“Behold, everything except God is passing away.”

Lo, everything except God passes away.

يُخاطِبُنا أَن قَد أُخِذتُ بِذَنبِكُم

يُخاطِبُنا أَن قَد أُخِذتُ بِذَنبِكُم

وَما أَحَدٌ مِنكُم عَنِ الذَنبِ تائِبُ

وَما أَحَدٌ مِنكُم عَنِ الذَنبِ تائِبُ

It addresses us: “I have been struck down for your sin,

It tells us: I have been seized for your sin,

yet not one of you has repented of sin.

and none of you repents of sin.

وَأَن قَد قَسَت أَكبادُكُم وَقُلوبُكُم

وَأَن قَد قَسَت أَكبادُكُم وَقُلوبُكُم

وَما مِنكُم داعٍ إِلى اللَهِ راغِبُ

وَما مِنكُم داعٍ إِلى اللَهِ راغِبُ

Your inmost selves and your hearts have grown hard,

And your livers and hearts have hardened,

and none among you calls to God with longing.

and none among you is a supplicant yearning toward God.

لَشَكلُكُمُ أَولى وَأَجدَرُ بِالبُكا

لَشَكلُكُمُ أَولى وَأَجدَرُ بِالبُكا

عَلى مِثلِهِ حَقّاً تَقومُ النَوادِبُ

عَلى مِثلِهِ حَقّاً تَقومُ النَوادِبُ

Your kind has a better and greater claim to be wept for;

Surely your condition is worthier and more deserving of tears;

over one of your kind, truly, should the mourning women arise.”

over its like, truly, mourning women rise.