أَصَمَّ بِكَ الناعي وَإِن كانَ أَسمَعا

أَصَمَّ بِكَ الناعي وَإِن كانَ أَسمَعا

وَأَصبَحَ مَغنى الجودِ بَعدَكَ بَلقَعا

وَأَصبَحَ مَغنى الجودِ بَعدَكَ بَلقَعا

The herald of your death deafened us, though he made us hear.

The deaf man became deafer when he lamented you, though he was hearing before

And generosity's abode became a wasteland after you.

And the generous man's singing voice turned into mere stuttering after you were gone

لِلَحدِ أَبي نَصرٍ تَحِيَّةُ مُزنَةٍ

لِلَحدِ أَبي نَصرٍ تَحِيَّةُ مُزنَةٍ

إِذا هِيَ حَيَت مُمعِراً عادَ مُمرِعا

إِذا هِيَ حَيَت مُمعِراً عادَ مُمرِعا

May a rain cloud greet Abu Nasr's grave:

Greetings to the tomb of my father Abu Nasr

when it greets barren ground, that ground turns lush.

When it seemed alive again, it went back to being lifeless

فَلَم أَرَ يَوماً كانَ أَشبَهَ ساعَةً

فَلَم أَرَ يَوماً كانَ أَشبَهَ ساعَةً

بِيَومي مِنَ اليَومِ الَّذي فيهِ وَدَّعا

بِيَومي مِنَ اليَومِ الَّذي فيهِ وَدَّعا

Never did I see a day, for even an hour, more like

So I never saw a day that resembled the hour

my own last day than the day on which he bade farewell.

Of the day when he bid farewell

مَصيفٌ أَفاضَ الحُزنُ فيهِ جَداوِلاً

مَصيفٌ أَفاضَ الحُزنُ فيهِ جَداوِلاً

مِنَ الدَمعِ حَتّى خِلتُهُ عادَ مَربَعا

مِنَ الدَمعِ حَتّى خِلتُهُ عادَ مَربَعا

A summer day when grief poured forth streams

A summer in which sorrow overflowed in streams

of tears, until I thought it had turned to spring.

Of tears, until it was all a marsh

وَوَاللَهِ لا تَقضي العُيونُ الَّذي لَهُ

وَوَاللَهِ لا تَقضي العُيونُ الَّذي لَهُ

عَلَيها وَلَو صارَت مَعَ الدَمعِ أَدمُعا

عَلَيها وَلَو صارَت مَعَ الدَمعِ أَدمُعا

And by God, eyes cannot repay what is owed to him

By Allah, eyes cannot repay what is owed

by them, even if they became tears along with their tears.

To them, even if they turn into tears

فَتىً كانَ شَرباً لِلعُفاةِ وَمَرتَعاً

فَتىً كانَ شَرباً لِلعُفاةِ وَمَرتَعاً

فَأَصبَحَ لِلهِندِيَّةِ البيضِ مَرتَعا

فَأَصبَحَ لِلهِندِيَّةِ البيضِ مَرتَعا

A youth who was drink and pasture for seekers of bounty,

A young man who was a drinking place for the thirsty and a pasture

then became pasture for the gleaming Indian swords.

Became a pasture for the white Indian swords

فَتىً كُلَّما اِرتادَ الشُجاعُ مِنَ الرَدى

فَتىً كُلَّما اِرتادَ الشُجاعُ مِنَ الرَدى

مَفَرّاً غَداةَ المَأزَقِ اِرتادَ مَصرَعا

مَفَرّاً غَداةَ المَأزَقِ اِرتادَ مَصرَعا

A youth who, whenever a brave man sought from death

A young man, whenever the brave sought escape

an escape on the morning of battle's crisis, sought a place to fall.

From tight spots the next morning, he turned out a place of death

إِذا ساءَ يَومٌ في الكَريهَةِ مَنظَراً

إِذا ساءَ يَومٌ في الكَريهَةِ مَنظَراً

تَصَلّاهُ عِلماً أَن سَيَحسُنُ مَسمَعا

تَصَلّاهُ عِلماً أَن سَيَحسُنُ مَسمَعا

When a day of battle was dreadful to behold,

When an ugly day loomed in hatedness

he braved its fire, knowing it would be pleasing to hear of.

I prayed it would turn out well in the hearing

فَإِن تُرمَ عَن عُمرٍ تَدانى بِهِ المَدى

فَإِن تُرمَ عَن عُمرٍ تَدانى بِهِ المَدى

فَخانَكَ حَتّى لَم يَجِد فيكَ مَنزَعا

فَخانَكَ حَتّى لَم يَجِد فيكَ مَنزَعا

And if you were cast from a life whose end drew near,

If you shy from a life whose length competes with the horizon's

and it betrayed you until it found no escape within you,

Until it betrayed you and left you no escape

فَما كُنتَ إِلّا السَيفَ لاقى ضَريبَةً

فَما كُنتَ إِلّا السَيفَ لاقى ضَريبَةً

فَقَطَّعَها ثُمَّ اِنثَنى فَتَقَطَّعا

فَقَطَّعَها ثُمَّ اِنثَنى فَتَقَطَّعا

you were nothing but a sword that met a target,

You were but the sword that met its appointed blow

and cut it to pieces, then bent back and broke apart.

It cut through then folded back and was broken