أصبحتُ جَمّ بلابلِ الصّدْرِ

أصبحتُ جَمّ بلابلِ الصّدْرِ

مُتَعَجّباً لتَصَرّفِ الدهرِ

مُتَعَجّباً لتَصَرّفِ الدهرِ

I have become laden with turmoil in my breast,

I have become like the nightingales with sore breasts,

astonished at the turns of time.

Marveling at the workings of fate,

ما زِلتُ أطلُب في البلاد فتىً

ما زِلتُ أطلُب في البلاد فتىً

لِيكونَ لي ذُخراً من الذخر

لِيكونَ لي ذُخراً من الذخر

I have never ceased seeking a young man throughout the lands,

I continued seeking in the lands a youth,

to be a treasure for me among treasures,

To be a treasure for me from treasures,

ويكون يُسْعِدني وأُسْعده

ويكون يُسْعِدني وأُسْعده

في كل نائبةٍ من الأمر

في كل نائبةٍ من الأمر

and to support me as I would support him,

And to make me happy and I make him happy,

in every calamity of life.

In every trying situation,

حتّى إذا ظَفِرتْ يدايَ به

حتّى إذا ظَفِرتْ يدايَ به

جاء القضاءُ بَحيْنهِ يجري

جاء القضاءُ بَحيْنهِ يجري

Until, when my hands had taken hold of him,

Until when my hands attained him,

fate came rushing with his death.

Fate came at the wrong time flowing,

إنّي لَفي هَمٍّ يُباركني

إنّي لَفي هَمٍّ يُباركني

منه وهمٍّ طارقٍ يَسْري

منه وهمٍّ طارقٍ يَسْري

I am indeed in grief that settles upon me,

I am indeed in a worry that blesses me,

because of him, and grief that comes stealing through the night.

And a persistent worry that flows,

فَلأَصْبِرَنّ وما رأيتُ دويً

فَلأَصْبِرَنّ وما رأيتُ دويً

للِهمِّ غيرِ عزيمة الصبر

للِهمِّ غيرِ عزيمة الصبر

So I shall surely endure, and I have seen no remedy

So I will endure, and I have not seen a remedy,

for grief but a firm resolve to be patient.

For worries other than determination and patience,

واللهِ مَا اسْتعظمتُ فُرْقَتَه

واللهِ مَا اسْتعظمتُ فُرْقَتَه

حتى أحاط بفَضْله خُبْري

حتى أحاط بفَضْله خُبْري

By God, I did not deem parting from him so grievous

By Allah, I did not consider his loss immense,

until my knowledge encompassed his full worth.

Until news of his virtues encompassed me.