حَبَستَ كِتابَ العَينِ في كُلِّ وُجهَةٍ

حَبَستَ كِتابَ العَينِ في كُلِّ وُجهَةٍ

فَخُذ حَذَراً مِن تَرجُمانِ المُفَجَّعِ

فَخُذ حَذَراً مِن تَرجُمانِ المُفَجَّعِ

You have confined the Book of al-ʿAyn on every side;

You have imprisoned the book of the eye in every direction

so beware of al-Mufajjaʿ's Tarjumān.

So beware of the translator of the aggrieved

تَقِ اللَهَ وَاِترُك أَدمُعاً إِثرَ هالِكٍ

تَقِ اللَهَ وَاِترُك أَدمُعاً إِثرَ هالِكٍ

فَلَم تَلقَ إِلّا حامِلاً قَلبَ موجَعِ

فَلَم تَلقَ إِلّا حامِلاً قَلبَ موجَعِ

Fear God, and forgo tears in the wake of one who has died;

Fear God and leave tears after one perished

for you have met no one but a bearer of a sufferer's heart.

For you have not found except a heart bearing anguish

وَأَيُّ اِنتِفاعٍ لِلهَديلِ الَّذي مَضى

وَأَيُّ اِنتِفاعٍ لِلهَديلِ الَّذي مَضى

عَلى عَهدِ نوحٍ بِالهَديلِ المُرَجَّعِ

عَلى عَهدِ نوحٍ بِالهَديلِ المُرَجَّعِ

And what benefit is there for Hadīl the dove, who died

And what benefit is there from the torrent that passed

in Noah's time, from the repeated cooing?

In the days of Noah with the returning torrent

كَأَنَّ خَطيباً مُوَفِياً رَأسَ مِنبَرٍ

كَأَنَّ خَطيباً مُوَفِياً رَأسَ مِنبَرٍ

يَبُثُّ هُذاءً بِالكَلامِ المَسجَّعِ

يَبُثُّ هُذاءً بِالكَلامِ المَسجَّعِ

As though a preacher, standing atop a pulpit,

It is as if an eloquent preacher saw the head of a pulpit

were uttering nonsense in rhymed speech.

Spewing nonsense with elaborate speech

إِذا كانَ جِسمي في الثَرى غَيرَ عالِمٍ

إِذا كانَ جِسمي في الثَرى غَيرَ عالِمٍ

فَلَحدِيَ خَيرٌ مِن مَبيتي بِمَهجَعِ

فَلَحدِيَ خَيرٌ مِن مَبيتي بِمَهجَعِ

If my body has no awareness in the earth,

If my body is in the ground unaware

then my grave is better than my sleeping in a bed.

Then my grave is better than staying in a bed