لم يَدْرِ ناعيكَ مَنْ إليَّ نَعَى

لم يَدْرِ ناعيكَ مَنْ إليَّ نَعَى

ولا مُواليكَ ما الّذي سَمِعا

ولا مُواليكَ ما الّذي سَمِعا

The herald of your death did not know whose death he announced to me,

Your bereaver knew not who it was that brought me the mournful news,

nor did your loyal follower know what he had heard.

Nor who heard your mourners what it was they'd come to recite.

نعَى إليّ الربيعَ مُنْصرِماً

نعَى إليّ الربيعَ مُنْصرِماً

نعَى إليّ الرَّبيعَ مُرتَجعا

نعَى إليّ الرَّبيعَ مُرتَجعا

He announced to me that spring had come to an end;

Spring itself seemed to mourn as it bade the year farewell,

he announced to me that spring had been taken back.

And return in mourning once the year had ended its span.

نعَى إليّ الوزيرَ في مَلأ

نعَى إليّ الوزيرَ في مَلأ

فما عدا النّاظرانِ أنْ دَمَعا

فما عدا النّاظرانِ أنْ دَمَعا

He announced the minister’s death to me amid a gathering,

Before gathered nobles the Vizier was mourned publicly, though none

so my two eyes could do nothing but weep.

Wept but two who gazed on, their eyes filled with tears.

ولا جُفونُ الرّجاءِ أن قَرِحَتْ

ولا جُفونُ الرّجاءِ أن قَرِحَتْ

ولا فُؤادُ العُلا أنِ انصَدعا

ولا فُؤادُ العُلا أنِ انصَدعا

Nor could hope’s eyelids do anything but grow sore,

No longer didExpectation's eyes gleam with hope,

nor could glory’s heart do anything but split apart.

Nor did High Ambition's heart beat with life.

للهِ عَينٌ رأتْ بمَصرَعِه

للهِ عَينٌ رأتْ بمَصرَعِه

كيف غمامُ المكارمِ انقَشعا

كيف غمامُ المكارمِ انقَشعا

By God, what an eye it was that saw, at his slaying,

Allah gave me an eye that at his deathbed witnessed

how the cloud of noble deeds dispersed,

How the clouds of munificence were torn and dispersed.

والبيضُ تَجلو بُروقُها لُمَعاً

والبيضُ تَجلو بُروقُها لُمَعاً

والضّربُ يَمْري دِماءه دُفَعا

والضّربُ يَمْري دِماءه دُفَعا

while the white blades’ lightning gleamed in flashes,

How the lightning flashed and flickered through the darkness

and the blows milked his blood in spurts!

How the strokes succeeded, his blood flowing free.

عَدِمْتُ قلبي إذا تذكّرَه

عَدِمْتُ قلبي إذا تذكّرَه

إن لم يكُنْ مثْلَ جسمه انقَطَعا

إن لم يكُنْ مثْلَ جسمه انقَطَعا

May I be bereft of my heart whenever it remembers him,

My heart expires whene’er I remember him -

if it is not torn apart like his body.

Would that, when his body fell, my soul had shattered!

ما كنتُ أخشَى في الدَّهر حادثةً

ما كنتُ أخشَى في الدَّهر حادثةً

إذا تَوقَّعْتُ دون ما وقَعا

إذا تَوقَّعْتُ دون ما وقَعا

I had never feared a calamity like this in all my days;

Never had I feared what disasters time might unfurl

whenever I foresaw one, it was less than what befell.

Were it not for this, the most dreadful of all.

حَبْلُ رجاءٍ للخَلْقِ مُتَّصلٍ

حَبْلُ رجاءٍ للخَلْقِ مُتَّصلٍ

مَدَّتْه أيدي الغُواةِ فانقَطعا

مَدَّتْه أيدي الغُواةِ فانقَطعا

A cord of unbroken hope for mankind—

A lifeline of hope for mankind had been severed

the hands of the misguided stretched it, and it snapped.

By the hands of the wicked, and cut short its thread.

تاجٌ أرادَ الحُسّادُ أن يضَعوا

تاجٌ أرادَ الحُسّادُ أن يضَعوا

منه وقد كان جَلَّ وارتفعا

منه وقد كان جَلَّ وارتفعا

A crown the envious wished to bring low,

A crown coveted by jealous foes for removal

though it had grown majestic and risen high.

Had sat high above them, grand and sublime.

فعَفَّرَتْهُ العِدا وصاحبُه

فعَفَّرَتْهُ العِدا وصاحبُه

يَنظرُ ما بينَهم ولا دَفَعا

يَنظرُ ما بينَهم ولا دَفَعا

So the enemies cast it into dust, while its owner

Yet Hatred soiled it, its wearer looking on

watched what went on among them, yet offered no defense.

At what came between them, unable to stop it.

أما درَى أنّهم إذا وضَعوا

أما درَى أنّهم إذا وضَعوا

تاجَ مليكٍ فاللاّبسُ اتّضعا

تاجَ مليكٍ فاللاّبسُ اتّضعا

Did he not know that when they brought low

Do they not know that when a monarch's crown is seized,

a king’s crown, its wearer was brought low?

He who wore it will suddenly be humbled?

أَقسمتُ لا نالَ بعدَه فَرَحاً

أَقسمتُ لا نالَ بعدَه فَرَحاً

مُلْكٌ غدا التّاجُ عنه قد وَقَعا

مُلْكٌ غدا التّاجُ عنه قد وَقَعا

I swear: may no joy come after him

I swear no kingdom will ever again know gladness

to a kingdom whose crown has now fallen away.

Once the crown has been wrested from one such as he.

قَرْمٌ تَولَّى فعاد مُفتَرِقاً

قَرْمٌ تَولَّى فعاد مُفتَرِقاً

شَمْلُ مُلوكٍ برأْيه اجتَمعا

شَمْلُ مُلوكٍ برأْيه اجتَمعا

A noble chief departed; scattered again was

A herd that abandoned him will scatter in fragments

the company of kings his counsel had united.

A realm united in concord under his reign.

وكان والمُلْكَ صاحبَيْنِ معاً

وكان والمُلْكَ صاحبَيْنِ معاً

فهاهُما اليومَ ذاهبانِ مَعا

فهاهُما اليومَ ذاهبانِ مَعا

And he and royal power were companions together;

Two were made one under his rule, but today

so here they are today, both departing together.

Behold them both lost and wandering separate ways.