سَلَوتُ عَلى الدَهرِ فيمَن سَلا

سَلَوتُ عَلى الدَهرِ فيمَن سَلا

وَصِرتُ أَعُدُّكَ فيما خَلا

وَصِرتُ أَعُدُّكَ فيما خَلا

I found solace over time, among those who found solace,

I greeted Time concerning those who have passed away,

and came to count you among what has passed.

And I began to count you among those no longer here.

وَكُنتُ حَزيناً فَأَمّا كَما

وَكُنتُ حَزيناً فَأَمّا كَما

يَحِقُّ لِمِثلِكَ عِندي فَلا

يَحِقُّ لِمِثلِكَ عِندي فَلا

And I was sorrowful—but as deeply as

Though I was sad, it is not right, for one like you,

one like you deserves from me? No.

That I feel anything but joy in your memory.

بَليتُ وَأَبلَيتُ فيكَ الأَسى

بَليتُ وَأَبلَيتُ فيكَ الأَسى

كَأَنَّ السُلُوّ عَقيدُ البِلى

كَأَنَّ السُلُوّ عَقيدُ البِلى

I have worn away, and worn out my grief for you,

I suffered and made others suffer from sorrow over you,

as though solace were decay’s companion.

As if grief itself were the cause of suffering.

أَبا حَسَنٍ كَيفَ ذاك الجَما

أَبا حَسَنٍ كَيفَ ذاك الجَما

لُ وَذاكَ الجَميلُ وَتِلكَ العُلى

لُ وَذاكَ الجَميلُ وَتِلكَ العُلى

Abu Hasan, what has become of that beau-

Oh Abu Hassan, how was that beauty,

ty, that kindness, and those lofty virtues?

That charm, and that lofty grace?

وَهَل أَجمَلَ التُربُ في صُنعِهِ

وَهَل أَجمَلَ التُربُ في صُنعِهِ

لِقاكَ وَلِلتُربِ أَن يُجمِلا

لِقاكَ وَلِلتُربِ أَن يُجمِلا

And did the dust act graciously in its treatment

Did the earth adorn itself more beautifully

on meeting you? It befits the dust to be gracious.

To welcome you, though it was earth that adorned you?

وَحَقٌّ عَلَيهِ وَأَنتَ السَحا

وَحَقٌّ عَلَيهِ وَأَنتَ السَحا

بُ بِأَن يَتَرَشَّفَ تِلكَ الحُلى

بُ بِأَن يَتَرَشَّفَ تِلكَ الحُلى

And it is bound, since you are the rain-

It had a right to cherish those graces,

cloud, to sip those adornments.

When you were the rain that made beauty bloom.

وَحَقّي الفِدا لَكَ مِن حَملِهِ

وَحَقّي الفِدا لَكَ مِن حَملِهِ

وَإِن كانَ مَحمَلُهُ مُثقِلا

وَإِن كانَ مَحمَلُهُ مُثقِلا

And my duty is to ransom you from bearing it,

I owe my life for your sake, though it

even if its burden be heavy.

Bears a heavy burden when you are gone.

فَوَاللَهِ ما تَرَكَ الدَهرُ في

فَوَاللَهِ ما تَرَكَ الدَهرُ في

فُؤادي لِحادِثَةٍ مَحمَلا

فُؤادي لِحادِثَةٍ مَحمَلا

For, by God, time has not left in

By God, Time has left no room in my heart

my heart any room to bear a calamity.

For any new sorrow since you left.