أَتَتني الصُحفُ عَنكَ مُخَبِّراتِ

أَتَتني الصُحفُ عَنكَ مُخَبِّراتِ

بِحادِثَةٍ وَلا كَالحادِثاتِ

بِحادِثَةٍ وَلا كَالحادِثاتِ

The newspapers reached me, bringing news of you,

News of you came to me in papers

Of an accident unlike other accidents:

Of an incident, though no usual capers

بِخَطبِكَ في القِطارِ أَبا حُسَينٍ

بِخَطبِكَ في القِطارِ أَبا حُسَينٍ

وَلَيسَ مِنَ الخُطوبِ الهَيِّناتِ

وَلَيسَ مِنَ الخُطوبِ الهَيِّناتِ

Of your misfortune on the train, Abu Husayn,

Of your speech on the train, oh Father Hussein

And it was no trifling misfortune.

Not of easy, trivial trainings

أُصيبَ المَجدُ يَومَ أصِبتَ فيهِ

أُصيبَ المَجدُ يَومَ أصِبتَ فيهِ

وَلَم تَخلُ الفَضيلَةُ مِن شُكاةِ

وَلَم تَخلُ الفَضيلَةُ مِن شُكاةِ

Glory was struck the day you were injured,

Glory was struck the day you were hit

Nor did virtue escape affliction.

Virtue not spared from harm one bit

وَساءَ الناسُ أَن كَبَتِ المَعالي

وَساءَ الناسُ أَن كَبَتِ المَعالي

وَأَزعَجَهُم عِثارُ المَكرُماتِ

وَأَزعَجَهُم عِثارُ المَكرُماتِ

And people grieved that lofty virtues had stumbled,

People saddened nobility suppressed

And the stumbling of noble deeds alarmed them.

And troubled by stumbling of honorees

وَلَستُ بِناسٍ الآدابَ لَمّا

وَلَستُ بِناسٍ الآدابَ لَمّا

تَراءَت رَبِّها مُتلَهِّفاتِ

تَراءَت رَبِّها مُتلَهِّفاتِ

Nor shall I forget the literary arts, when

I'm not of people manners vanished

They gazed upon their master, distraught.

When their Lord they saw yearning

وَكانَ الشِعرُ أَجزَعَها فُؤاداً

وَكانَ الشِعرُ أَجزَعَها فُؤاداً

وَأَحرَصَها لَدَيكَ عَلى حَياةِ

وَأَحرَصَها لَدَيكَ عَلى حَياةِ

And poetry was the most anguished of them at heart,

Poetry most anguished in heart

And the most eager for life at your side.

And most eager by you to survive

هَجَرتَ القَولَ أَيّاماً قِصاراً

هَجَرتَ القَولَ أَيّاماً قِصاراً

فَكانَت فَترَةً لِلمُعجِزاتِ

فَكانَت فَترَةً لِلمُعجِزاتِ

You forsook speech for a few short days,

You shunned words a few brief days

So they were a pause in miracles.

A respite for miracles in ways

وَإِنَّ لَيالِياً أَمسَكتَ فيها

وَإِنَّ لَيالِياً أَمسَكتَ فيها

لَسودٌ لِليَراعِ وَلِلدَواةِ

لَسودٌ لِليَراعِ وَلِلدَواةِ

And indeed, the nights in which you held back

Nights you held back inky vines

Are surely black for the reed pen and the inkwell.

Of dread and pen denied their twines

فَقُل لي عَن رُضوضِكَ كَيفَ أَمسَت

فَقُل لي عَن رُضوضِكَ كَيفَ أَمسَت

فَقَلبي في رُضوضٍ مُؤلِماتِ

فَقَلبي في رُضوضٍ مُؤلِماتِ

So tell me how your bruises have fared,

Tell me of your displeasure, how fared?

For my heart bears painful bruises.

My heart in hurts painful ensnared

وَهَب لي مِنكَ خَطّاً أَو رَسولاً

وَهَب لي مِنكَ خَطّاً أَو رَسولاً

يُبَلِّغُ عَنكَ كُلَّ الطَيِّباتِ

يُبَلِّغُ عَنكَ كُلَّ الطَيِّباتِ

And grant me a letter from you, or a messenger

Grant me from you a line or messenger

Who brings all good tidings of you.

To convey your every fine flavor