منwho لائميmy reproacher إنif سفحتI poured out الدمعtears منfrom مقليmy eyes
من لائمي إن سفحت الدمع من مقلي
دماًas blood علىfor أميmy mother الخدراءal-Khadrāʾ بنتdaughter of عليʿAlī
دماً على أمي الخدراء بنت علي
Who would blame me if I shed tears from my eyes
When my critics blame me for shedding tears from my eyelids
as blood for my mother, al-Khadrāʾ, daughter of ʿAlī?
Blood, upon my tender mother, the daughter of Ali
لقدindeed بليتI was afflicted بلاءa trial قبلbefore مصرعهاher death
لقد بليت بلاء قبل مصرعها
ماthat which ليسwas not قبليbefore me يعقوبJacob النبيthe prophet بليafflicted
ما ليس قبلي يعقوب النبي بلي
Indeed, before her death I suffered a trial
I have indeed suffered an affliction before her death
such as Jacob the prophet had not suffered before me.
Unlike any affliction suffered before me, even the prophet Jacob
فالدمعfor the tears أشرقنيhave choked me والحزنand grief أقلقنيhas unsettled me
فالدمع أشرقني والحزن أقلقني
فالجسمso the body فيin هزلemaciation والقلبand the heart فيin وجلfear
فالجسم في هزل والقلب في وجل
For tears have choked me, and grief has made me restless;
So my tears illuminate me, and my sorrow disturbs me
so my body wastes away, and my heart is filled with fear.
My body is emaciated, my heart anxious and afraid
ياO ليتwould that قدalready كانhad been ياO أميmy mother بلاwithout ملقflattery
يا ليت قد كان يا أمي بلا ملق
مقدماًbrought forward لوeven if بيومby a day واحدone أجليmy appointed death
مقدماً لو بيوم واحد أجلي
Would that, O mother—without flattery—
Oh, if only, O my mother, I had no anguish
my appointed death had been brought forward, even by one day.
And preceded you in death, even by a single day
قدonce كنتI was فيin نخلNakhl خالcarefree بلاwithout حزنsorrow
قد كنت في نخل خال بلا حزن
فهاso here أناI اليومtoday منof عقليmy mind الرزينsteady خليbereft
فها أنا اليوم من عقلي الرزين خلي
Once, in Nakhl, I was carefree, without sorrow;
I used to live in a palm grove, free of sorrow
so here I am today, bereft of my steady mind.
Yet today, from my wise mind, I am empty
أنوحI lament فيin نخلNakhl نوحthe lamentation of الحمائمthe doves فيon
أنوح في نخل نوح الحمائم في
فنa bough منof الأيكthe thicket أوor رأسيmy head منamong النخلthe palms
فن من الأيك أو رأسي من النخل
In Nakhl I lament as doves lament on
I cry in the palm trees of Noah, amid doves
a bough of the thicket, or my head among the palms [wording unclear].
In a branch of the palm tree, or at its crown
لاnot أذخرI hold in reserve الدمعtears مخصوصreserved بهfor them أحدanyone
لا أذخر الدمع مخصوص به أحد
منfrom بعدafter أميmy mother وأميand my mother غايةthe utmost of الأملhope
من بعد أمي وأمي غاية الأمل
I hold no tears in reserve for anyone
I reserve my tears for none after my mother
after my mother—and my mother was my utmost hope.
For she was the pinnacle of hope
وقفتI stood فيin موضعa place ماتتshe died بهin it دنفاsick with grief
وقفت في موضع ماتت به دنفا
كأننيas though I دالهdistraught باكweeping علىover طللa ruined dwelling
كأنني داله باك على طلل
I stood, sick with grief, where she had died,
I stood in the place where Dhunnufa died
as though distraught, weeping over a ruined dwelling.
As if I was a searcher, crying over ruins
قالتsaid نعاةdeath-announcers نعتannounced the death of أميmy mother وقدand already وضعتhad been set out
قالت نعاة نعت أمي وقد وضعت
لهاfor her الجنازةthe bier للتغسيلfor washing فاحتملso bear up
لها الجنازة للتغسيل فاحتمل
Those who announced my mother's death said, 'Now laid out
The mourners eulogized my mother when they
is her bier for washing; so bear up!'
Laid her down for washing, so I endured
فقلتso I said ياO ليتنيwould that I فيin نعشthe bier of والدتيmy mother
فقلت يا ليتني في نعش والدتي
حملتI were carried فهوfor it is عزيزexalted القدرin worth كالحملlike Aries
حملت فهو عزيز القدر كالحمل
So I said, 'Would that, in my mother's bier,
I said, "Oh, if only I were in my mother's bier
I were carried—for it is exalted in worth, like Aries.'
I would have been carried, for that is an honourable burden, like a camel's load."
وقالand said دافنهاher gravedigger ذيthis woman دقةfrail دفنتwas buried
وقال دافنها ذي دقة دفنت
فيin التربthe dust ياO ليتهاwould that she فيin القلبthe heart والمقلand the eyes
في الترب يا ليتها في القلب والمقل
And her gravedigger said, 'This frail woman has been buried
The one who buried her had said, "Bury her gently,
in the dust.' Would that she lay in my heart and eyes!
In the soil." Oh, if only she were in my heart and mind!
سقىmay water ضريحكyour tomb ياO أميmy mother الحياthe rain غدقاabundantly
سقى ضريحك يا أمي الحيا غدقا
منfrom رائحevening rain دفقgushing أوor باكرearly-morning rain هطلpouring
من رائح دفق أو باكر هطل
May abundant rain water your tomb, O mother,
The living will water your tomb, O mother, pouring down
from gushing evening showers or pouring morning rain.
From an early rain shower or a downpour
منfrom منكرMunkar ونكيرand Nakīr أنتyou سالمةsafe
من منكر ونكير أنت سالمة
برحمةby the mercy of اللَهGod والزاكيand the pure منamong العملdeeds
برحمة اللَه والزاكي من العمل
You are safe from Munkar and Nakīr,
You are safe from Munkar and Nakir, by
through God's mercy and righteous deeds.
The mercy of God and your charitable deeds
واللَهand God أدخلكmay He admit you الفردوسParadise ساجيةserene
واللَه أدخلك الفردوس ساجية
بينamong الولائدmaidens فضلa bounty of الحليjewels والحللand robes
بين الولائد فضل الحلي والحلل
And may God admit you to Paradise, serene,
And God will admit you to Paradise, glorious,
among maidens, amid a bounty of jewels and robes,
Among the mothers; the excellence of adornment and garments
فوقupon الأرائكthe couches والأملاكand the angels داخلةentering
فوق الأرائك والأملاك داخلة
تفشيspreading التحيةgreetings بالاصباحat morning والأصلand evenings
تفشي التحية بالاصباح والأصل
upon couches, while the angels enter,
Above the coaches and the angels, entering
spreading greetings at morning and evening.
Spreading greetings at dawn and in the evening
هذاthus وصلىand may bless عليكupon you اللَهGod خالقناour Creator
هذا وصلى عليك اللَه خالقنا
بعدafter الصلاةthe prayer تحييsalutes خاتمthe Seal of الرسلthe messengers
بعد الصلاة تحيي خاتم الرسل
Thus may God, our Creator, bless you,
This, and may God send his prayers upon you, our Creator
after the prayer that salutes the Seal of the Messengers.
After the prayers, greeting the Seal of the Messengers