جُفوفَ البَلى أَسرَعتِ في الغُصُنِ الرَطبِ

جُفوفَ البَلى أَسرَعتِ في الغُصُنِ الرَطبِ

وَخَطبَ الرَدى وَالمَوتِ أَبرَحتَ مِن خَطبِ

وَخَطبَ الرَدى وَالمَوتِ أَبرَحتَ مِن خَطبِ

O withering of decay, you have hastened through the moist bough;

The withering of decay hastened in the moist branch,

and O calamity of doom and death, how grievous a calamity you are!

And the vicissitudes of fate and death ceased from vicissitude.

لَقَد شَرِقَت في الشَرقِ بِالمَوتِ غادَةٌ

لَقَد شَرِقَت في الشَرقِ بِالمَوتِ غادَةٌ

تَعَوَّضتُ مِنها غُربَةَ الدارِ في الغَربِ

تَعَوَّضتُ مِنها غُربَةَ الدارِ في الغَربِ

Indeed, a maiden in the East has choked on death;

The sun did indeed rise in death with misfortune in the east,

in her stead, I have gained exile in the West, far from home.

I was compensated by it for the misery of the house in the west.

وَأَلبَسَني ثَوباً مِنَ الحُزنِ وَالأَسى

وَأَلبَسَني ثَوباً مِنَ الحُزنِ وَالأَسى

هِلالٌ عَلَيهِ نَسجُ ثَوبٍ مِنَ التُربِ

هِلالٌ عَلَيهِ نَسجُ ثَوبٍ مِنَ التُربِ

And I was clothed in a robe of sorrow and grief

It clothed me in a garment of sorrow and anguish,

by a crescent moon upon whom a robe of dust was woven.

A crescent moon on which is woven a garment of dust.

أَقولُ وَقَد قالوا اِستَراحَت بِمَوتِها

أَقولُ وَقَد قالوا اِستَراحَت بِمَوتِها

مِنَ الكَربِ رَوحُ المَوتِ شَرٌّ مِنَ الكَربِ

مِنَ الكَربِ رَوحُ المَوتِ شَرٌّ مِنَ الكَربِ

I say—though they have said, 'Through her death she found rest

I say, though they have said, with her death was relieved

from anguish'—death's relief is worse than anguish.

From anguish, the soul of death is worse than anguish.

لَقَد نَزَلَت ضَنكاً مِنَ اللَحدِ وَالثَرى

لَقَد نَزَلَت ضَنكاً مِنَ اللَحدِ وَالثَرى

وَلَو كانَ رَحبَ الذَرعِ ما كانَ بِالرَحبِ

وَلَو كانَ رَحبَ الذَرعِ ما كانَ بِالرَحبِ

Indeed, she has entered the cramped confines of the grave and soil;

It descended narrow from the grave and soil,

and even if it were broad in extent, it would not be spacious.

And if it were spacious in extent, it would not be spacious.

وَكُنتُ أُرَجّي القُربَ وَهيَ بَعيدَةٌ

وَكُنتُ أُرَجّي القُربَ وَهيَ بَعيدَةٌ

فَقَد نُقِلَت بُعدي عَنِ البُعدِ وَالقُربِ

فَقَد نُقِلَت بُعدي عَنِ البُعدِ وَالقُربِ

And I had hoped for nearness while she was far away;

I hoped for nearness while she was distant,

for, in my absence, she has been taken beyond distance and nearness.

So my remoteness from remoteness and nearness was conveyed.

لَها مَنزِلٌ تَحتَ الثَرى وَعَهِدتُها

لَها مَنزِلٌ تَحتَ الثَرى وَعَهِدتُها

لَها مَنزِلٌ بَينَ الجَوانِحِ وَالقَلبِ

لَها مَنزِلٌ بَينَ الجَوانِحِ وَالقَلبِ

She has a dwelling beneath the soil, yet I once knew her

She has a dwelling beneath the soil and I promised her

to have a dwelling between my ribs and my heart.

She has a dwelling between the breasts and the heart.