نعوا يوم الخميس إليَّ خالي

نعوا يوم الخميس إليَّ خالي

فقلت مضت مصافاة الليالي

فقلت مضت مصافاة الليالي

On Thursday they brought me word of my uncle’s death.

On Thursday they announced my maternal uncle's death to me.

I said: gone are the handclasps of our nights.

So I said: the nights' friendship is gone.

أبعدك يا عليُّ تطيب نفسي

أبعدك يا عليُّ تطيب نفسي

بعالي منصبٍ وكثير مال

بعالي منصبٍ وكثير مال

After you, O Ali, can my soul delight

After you, O Ali, can my soul be content

in lofty rank or abundant wealth?

with high office and abundant wealth?

وهل يشفي تباريحي شراب

وهل يشفي تباريحي شراب

وقد أصبحت أشرق بالزلال

وقد أصبحت أشرق بالزلال

Can any drink heal my torments

And can a drink heal my torments,

when now I choke even on pure water?

when I have come to choke on clear water?

نهى الحدثان عن طربٍ فؤادي

نهى الحدثان عن طربٍ فؤادي

ولهوٍ بالنديم وبالغزال

ولهوٍ بالنديم وبالغزال

The turns of fate have barred my heart from rapture,

Time's calamities have forbidden my heart delight

and from dalliance with boon companion or gazelle-like beloved.

and merriment with the boon companion and the gazelle.

وردت ناظري صور المنايا

وردت ناظري صور المنايا

برهبتهن عن صور الجمال

برهبتهن عن صور الجمال

Images of death have turned my gaze,

And the images of death have turned my gaze

by their terror, away from every image of beauty.

away from images of beauty through their terror.

وحالت بين قلبي والتمني

وحالت بين قلبي والتمني

عظات فيه واسعة المجال

عظات فيه واسعة المجال

Admonitions have come between my heart and desire—

And between my heart and longing stand

admonitions about death, vast in scope.

admonitions whose reach within it is vast.

فلست براغب في عود دهري

فلست براغب في عود دهري

ولا وعد الحبيبة بالوصال

ولا وعد الحبيبة بالوصال

I no longer long for my former days to return,

So I no longer yearn for my days' return,

nor for the beloved’s promise of reunion.

nor for the beloved's promise of union.

رويداً خاليَ الماضي رويداً

رويداً خاليَ الماضي رويداً

فقد أزعجتني وشغلت بالي

فقد أزعجتني وشغلت بالي

Gently, my departed uncle—gently!

Gently, my departed uncle—gently!

For you have shaken me and filled my thoughts.

For you have distressed me and occupied my mind.

مضيت وما رأيتك منذ دهر

مضيت وما رأيتك منذ دهر

تغير فيه حال بعد حال

تغير فيه حال بعد حال

You departed, though I had not seen you for an age

You departed, and I had not seen you for an age,

in which one state gave way to another.

in which one state gave way to another.

وفاجأك المنون فلم تودع

وفاجأك المنون فلم تودع

ولم تنذر بهذا الانتقال

ولم تنذر بهذا الانتقال

Death overtook you suddenly, and you could not bid farewell

And death surprised you, so you bade no farewell,

or give warning of this departure.

and gave no warning of this departure.

تركت مظاهر الدنيا قنوعاً

تركت مظاهر الدنيا قنوعاً

بحظك في الثمانين الطوال

بحظك في الثمانين الطوال

Contentedly you left the splendors of the world,

You left the world's trappings, content

with your allotted share of eighty long years.

with your share in those eighty long years.

وغادرت المآرب بعد زهد

وغادرت المآرب بعد زهد

وفارقت المنى بعد ابتذال

وفارقت المنى بعد ابتذال

You left your aims behind after renouncing them,

And you relinquished your aims after renunciation,

and parted from wishes once freely at your disposal.

and parted from wishes after holding them cheap.

وكنت من الغمام أعمَّ خيراً

وكنت من الغمام أعمَّ خيراً

وأثبت في الخطوب من الجبال

وأثبت في الخطوب من الجبال

In goodness you were more all-embracing than the raincloud,

And your bounty reached farther than the rain clouds,

and amid calamities more steadfast than the mountains.

and you stood firmer in calamities than the mountains.

وتمتلك الأحبة والأعادي

وتمتلك الأحبة والأعادي

بأخلاق أرق من الشمال

بأخلاق أرق من الشمال

You won the hearts of loved ones and enemies alike

And you won over loved ones and enemies

with manners gentler than the north wind.

with manners gentler than the north wind.

وكنت إذا قضيت حكمت عدلاً

وكنت إذا قضيت حكمت عدلاً

وأخرجت الحرام من الحلال

وأخرجت الحرام من الحلال

Whenever you passed judgment, you ruled justly,

And whenever you judged, you ruled justly

clearly distinguishing the forbidden from the lawful.

and separated the forbidden from the lawful.

وأحسن من حيائك في شباب

وأحسن من حيائك في شباب

وقارُك في مشيب واكتهال

وقارُك في مشيب واكتهال

Fairer even than your modesty in youth

And more beautiful than your modesty in youth

was your dignity in gray-haired maturity.

was your dignity in gray-haired years and middle age.

وكنت أحب بعد أبي وأمي

وكنت أحب بعد أبي وأمي

إليَّ من الرفاق وكلِّ آلي

إليَّ من الرفاق وكلِّ آلي

After my father and mother, you were dearer

And, after my father and mother, you were dearer

to me than every companion and all my kin.

to me than my companions and all my kin.

وكم لك من مقاصد ظاهرات

وكم لك من مقاصد ظاهرات

سعيت لها على الأسل النهال

سعيت لها على الأسل النهال

How many illustrious aims you cherished,

And how many clear aims were yours,

and strove for them amid spears drinking their fill of blood.

for which you strove upon thirsting spears!

وقد كنت المعين على صلاحي

وقد كنت المعين على صلاحي

ومرشديَ العظيم إلى الكمال

ومرشديَ العظيم إلى الكمال

You were the helper who led me toward righteousness,

And you were my helper toward righteousness,

my great guide toward perfection.

and my great guide to perfection.

تعلمني الرماية والقوافي

تعلمني الرماية والقوافي

وآداب الخطابة والجدال

وآداب الخطابة والجدال

You taught me archery and the craft of rhyme,

You taught me marksmanship and rhymes,

the arts of oratory and debate.

and the arts of oratory and debate,

وتلهمني المعاني باهرات

وتلهمني المعاني باهرات

أسيل بهن كالسحر الحلال

أسيل بهن كالسحر الحلال

You inspired me with brilliant ideas

and inspired me with dazzling meanings,

that I poured forth like lawful magic.

with which I flowed like lawful magic.

وتوضح لي المسالك والمساعي

وتوضح لي المسالك والمساعي

فأبلغ كل ممتنع المنال

فأبلغ كل ممتنع المنال

You made the paths and endeavors clear to me,

And you made clear to me the paths and pursuits,

that I might attain every end difficult to attain.

so I attained all that lay beyond reach.

وتشربني بعلمك حب ديني

وتشربني بعلمك حب ديني

وقومي والخليفة والهلال

وقومي والخليفة والهلال

Through your learning you steeped me in love of my faith,

And with your knowledge you steeped me in love of my faith,

my people, the Caliph, and the Crescent.

my people, the caliph, and the crescent.

فماذا لي تركت من الوصايا

فماذا لي تركت من الوصايا

ومحض النصح والحِكَم الغوالي

ومحض النصح والحِكَم الغوالي

What counsels, then, have you left me—

So what have you left me of counsel,

what pure advice and precious wisdom!

and pure advice and precious wisdom?

وهل أبقيت لي عزماً لأسعى

وهل أبقيت لي عزماً لأسعى

وقد أضحت مقيَّدةً رحالي

وقد أضحت مقيَّدةً رحالي

Have you left me resolve enough to strive,

And have you left me any resolve to strive,

now that my traveling saddles stand tethered?

when my saddles have become fettered?

وهل أرجو لقاءك في حياتي

وهل أرجو لقاءك في حياتي

وقد صار اللقاء من المحال

وقد صار اللقاء من المحال

Can I hope to meet you in my lifetime,

And can I hope to meet you in my lifetime,

when meeting you has become impossible?

when meeting has become impossible?

وهل يسليك عني ما تلاقي

وهل يسليك عني ما تلاقي

من الرضوان إني غير سال

من الرضوان إني غير سال

Will the heavenly bliss you meet console you for my absence?

And are you consoled for my absence by what you find

I, for my part, remain inconsolable.

of divine favor? I remain inconsolable.

سألتُ ولو سمعتَ رحمتَ حزني

سألتُ ولو سمعتَ رحمتَ حزني

ولكن أين سمعك من سؤالي

ولكن أين سمعك من سؤالي

I called to you—had you heard, you would have pitied my grief;

I asked; had you heard, you would have pitied my grief,

but how far your hearing is now from my appeal.

but how far your hearing is from my question!

أطاع الدمعُ خطبَك وهو عاصٍ

أطاع الدمعُ خطبَك وهو عاصٍ

وأرخصه رثاؤك وهو غال

وأرخصه رثاؤك وهو غال

My tears obeyed the calamity of your loss, rebellious though they were;

Tears obeyed the calamity of your loss, though rebellious,

your elegy made them flow freely, precious though they are.

and lamenting you cheapened them, though precious.

يفيض كزاخرٍ ويثور صدري

يفيض كزاخرٍ ويثور صدري

وليس بمطفئٍ حرَّ اشتعالي

وليس بمطفئٍ حرَّ اشتعالي

They flood like a swelling sea, while my breast surges,

They overflow like a surging sea, and my breast seethes,

yet they cannot quench the fierce heat of my burning.

yet they do not quench the heat of my burning.

لئن أبكى عيوني فيك خطبي

لئن أبكى عيوني فيك خطبي

فقد أبكى المكارمَ والمعالي

فقد أبكى المكارمَ والمعالي

Though my calamity makes my eyes weep for you—

If my calamity in losing you has made my eyes weep,

it has made noble virtues and high honors weep as well.

then it has surely made noble virtues and lofty qualities weep.

لك الفردوس تسكنها رضيّاً

لك الفردوس تسكنها رضيّاً

بأجرك والتذكُّرُ والجوى لي

بأجرك والتذكُّرُ والجوى لي

Paradise is yours: dwell there content

Yours is Paradise, where you dwell content,

with your reward; remembrance and burning grief are mine.

as your reward; remembrance and burning grief are mine.