أُعاذِلُ كَم مِن منفس قَد رُزئته

أُعاذِلُ كَم مِن منفس قَد رُزئته

وَفارقني شَخص عليّ كَريمُ

وَفارقني شَخص عليّ كَريمُ

O reproacher, how many a treasure have I lost,

O blamer, how many precious things have I been stricken by,

and many a dear one has left me.

And a noble person has departed from me.

وَقاسَيتُ مِن بَلوى زَمان وَكُربَةٍ

وَقاسَيتُ مِن بَلوى زَمان وَكُربَةٍ

وَودّعني مِن أَقرَبيّ حَميم

وَودّعني مِن أَقرَبيّ حَميم

And I have endured the trials of time and anguish,

I have endured the tribulations of time and anguish,

and a dear one among my kin has bid me farewell.

And a close intimate among my kin bade me farewell.

فعزّيت نَفسي غَيرَ أَنّي بِأَحمَدٍ

فعزّيت نَفسي غَيرَ أَنّي بِأَحمَدٍ

بُنيّ لمسلوب العَزاء سَقيم

بُنيّ لمسلوب العَزاء سَقيم

So I consoled myself, yet for Ahmad,

So I consoled myself, except that regarding Ahmed,

my little son, I am bereft of solace and sick at heart.

My son, I am bereft of solace and ailing.

أَرى الصَبرُ عَنهُ جَمرَةً مُستَكنّةً

أَرى الصَبرُ عَنهُ جَمرَةً مُستَكنّةً

لَها لَهب في القَلب لَيسَ يريم

لَها لَهب في القَلب لَيسَ يريم

I find patience over his loss a hidden ember;

I see patience regarding him as a hidden ember,

it has a flame in the heart that never departs.

Possessing a flame in the heart that never ceases.

وَخَطَّ خَيالٌ منه يَعتاد مَضجَعي

وَخَطَّ خَيالٌ منه يَعتاد مَضجَعي

له كرب ما تَنجَلي وَغُموم

له كرب ما تَنجَلي وَغُموم

And a vision of him has left its mark, haunting my bed;

A phantom of his traces a path, visiting my bed,

it brings anguish that will not lift, and sorrows.

Bringing distress that does not clear, and clouds of gloom.

وَآثاره في البَيت حَيثُ توجّهت

وَآثاره في البَيت حَيثُ توجّهت

بي العَينُ حزنٌ في الفُؤادِ مُقيم

بي العَينُ حزنٌ في الفُؤادِ مُقيم

And his traces in the house, wherever I turn

And his traces in the house, wherever I turn

my gaze, are sorrow abiding in my heart.

My eye, are a sorrow residing in my heart.

إِذا رمتُ عَنهُ الصَبرَ أَرجو ثَوابه

إِذا رمتُ عَنهُ الصَبرَ أَرجو ثَوابه

أَبى الصَبرَ قَلبٌ بِالحَميم يَهيم

أَبى الصَبرَ قَلبٌ بِالحَميم يَهيم

Whenever I seek patience over his loss, hoping for its reward,

If I seek patience over him, hoping for its reward,

a heart mad with love for its dear one refuses patience.

A heart wandering in love with the intimate one refuses patience.

لَعَمرُكَ إِنّي يَوم أَدفن مُهجَتي

لَعَمرُكَ إِنّي يَوم أَدفن مُهجَتي

وأرجع عَنه صابِرا لكظيم

وأرجع عَنه صابِرا لكظيم

By your life, the day I bury my heart's blood

By your life, the day I buried my very soul

and return from him in patience, I am choked with grief.

And returned from him, patient and suppressing grief,

وَإِنَّ فُؤادي بعده لمفجَّعٌ

وَإِنَّ فُؤادي بعده لمفجَّعٌ

وَإِن دُموعي بعده لَنُجوم

وَإِن دُموعي بعده لَنُجوم

And my heart after him is surely bereaved,

Truly my heart after him is stricken with agony,

and after him my tears keep welling up.

And my tears after him are falling stars.

خَططت لَهُ في الترب بيت إِقامَة

خَططت لَهُ في الترب بيت إِقامَة

إِلى الحَشر فيهِ وَالنُشور مُقيم

إِلى الحَشر فيهِ وَالنُشور مُقيم

I marked out for him a dwelling in the dust;

I marked out for him in the dust a house of residence,

he dwells there until the Gathering and Resurrection.

Wherein he stays until the Gathering and the Resurrection.

وَكانَ سرورا لَم يدم لي وَغبطةً

وَكانَ سرورا لَم يدم لي وَغبطةً

وَأَيّ سُرور في الحَياة يَدومُ

وَأَيّ سُرور في الحَياة يَدومُ

And he was joy and bliss that did not last for me;

He was a joy that did not last for me, and a delight;

and what joy in life endures?

And what joy in this life ever lasts?

وَرَوحاً وَريحاناً أَتى دونَ شمّه

وَرَوحاً وَريحاناً أَتى دونَ شمّه

مِنَ الدَهرِ يَومٌ بالفُراقِ عَظيمُ

مِنَ الدَهرِ يَومٌ بالفُراقِ عَظيمُ

And comfort and sweet basil—before I could breathe its scent, there came

A comfort and sweet fragrance that came, yet before I could savor it,

from time a grievous day of parting,

There came from Fate a day of terrible separation.

عَلى حينَ أَمضيت الشَباب وَقاربت

عَلى حينَ أَمضيت الشَباب وَقاربت

خَطاي قُيود الشيب حينَ أَقوم

خَطاي قُيود الشيب حينَ أَقوم

when I had spent my youth, and shorter grew

Just when I had spent my youth, and my steps

my steps in the fetters of gray age whenever I rose.

Approached the shackles of old age whenever I rose.

وَفارقت حلو العَيشِ إِلّا صُبابَةً

وَفارقت حلو العَيشِ إِلّا صُبابَةً

عَلَيها خطوب الحادِثات تَحوم

عَلَيها خطوب الحادِثات تَحوم

And I had left life's sweetness, save a remnant

I parted with the sweetness of life, save for a bitter dreg

over which the calamities of fate hover.

Over which the calamities of fortune hover.

فُجِعت بشِقّ النَفس والهَمّ وَالهَوى

فُجِعت بشِقّ النَفس والهَمّ وَالهَوى

عَذاب لعمري في الحَياة أَليم

عَذاب لعمري في الحَياة أَليم

I was bereaved of half my soul; grief and love

I was bereaved of half my soul; and worry and affection

are, by my life, a painful torment in this life.

Are, by my life, a painful torment while alive.

أَلا كُلُّ عَيش بَعد فرقة أَحمَدٍ

أَلا كُلُّ عَيش بَعد فرقة أَحمَدٍ

وكلّ سُرور ما بقيت ذَميم

وكلّ سُرور ما بقيت ذَميم

Ah, all life after parting from Ahmad,

Behold, every life after the parting of Ahmed,

and every joy, as long as I live, is hateful.

And every joy, for as long as I remain, is blameworthy.

يَعيب عَليّ الأَخلياءُ صَبابَتي

يَعيب عَليّ الأَخلياءُ صَبابَتي

وَحُزني وَكلٌّ يا بُنيّ يَلوم

وَحُزني وَكلٌّ يا بُنيّ يَلوم

The carefree reproach me for my yearning

The carefree find fault with my yearning,

and my sorrow; everyone, my little son, blames me.

And my grief; everyone, O my son, casts blame.

فَهَل كانَ يَعقوب النَبيّ بحزنه

فَهَل كانَ يَعقوب النَبيّ بحزنه

مليما وَما يزري عليّ حَكيم

مليما وَما يزري عليّ حَكيم

Was Jacob the prophet, then, for his sorrow

Was the Prophet Jacob, in his grief,

blameworthy? No wise man finds fault with me.

Blameworthy? And does a wise man mock me?

كَوى قَلبَه حزنٌ كأنَّ لهيبه

كَوى قَلبَه حزنٌ كأنَّ لهيبه

توقّدُ نيرانٍ لهن ضَريم

توقّدُ نيرانٍ لهن ضَريم

Sorrow seared his heart, as though its flame

Grief branded his heart as if its blaze

were the flaring of fiercely blazing fires.

Was the kindling of fires fed by dry fuel.

فَما عيّر اللَهُ النَبيّ بِحُزنِهِ

فَما عيّر اللَهُ النَبيّ بِحُزنِهِ

أَبى ذاك ربّ العالَمين رَحيم

أَبى ذاك ربّ العالَمين رَحيم

So God did not reproach the prophet for his sorrow;

God did not reproach the Prophet for his sadness;

the merciful Lord of all worlds would not do so.

The Lord of the Worlds, the Merciful, refused that.

فَلَولا رَجاء الأَجرِ فيكَ وَإِنَّه

فَلَولا رَجاء الأَجرِ فيكَ وَإِنَّه

ثَواب وان عزّ المُصاب عَظيم

ثَواب وان عزّ المُصاب عَظيم

Were it not for hope of reward through you—and it is

So were it not for the hope of reward concerning you—and truly it is

a great recompense, though the loss is grievous,

A recompense, even if the affliction is grievous and great—

وَإِنَّكَ قربان لَدى اللَه نافِع

وَإِنَّكَ قربان لَدى اللَه نافِع

وَحظ لَنا يَوم الحِساب جَسيم

وَحظ لَنا يَوم الحِساب جَسيم

and you are an offering of benefit before God,

And that you are a beneficial offering before God,

and an immense share for us on the Day of Reckoning—

And a massive fortune for us on the Day of Reckoning,

لأُضعِف حُزني يا بُنيّ وَأَوشكت

لأُضعِف حُزني يا بُنيّ وَأَوشكت

عَليّ البَواكي بالرنين تَقوم

عَليّ البَواكي بالرنين تَقوم

my grief would be doubled, my little son, and soon

I would have doubled my grief, O my son, and nearly

the mourning women would stand over me wailing.

Made the wailing women rise over me with their cries.