يَقُولونَ صَبراً لا سَبيلَ إِلى الصَبرِ

يَقُولونَ صَبراً لا سَبيلَ إِلى الصَبرِ

سَأَبكي وَأَبكي ما تَطاوَل مِن عُمري

سَأَبكي وَأَبكي ما تَطاوَل مِن عُمري

They say, “Patience!” There is no way to patience.

They say to me "Patience!" but there is no path to patience;

I shall weep and weep as long as my life lasts.

I shall weep, and continue to weep, for as long as my life endures.

نَرى زُهرَها في مأتمٍ كُلَّ لَيلَةٍ

نَرى زُهرَها في مأتمٍ كُلَّ لَيلَةٍ

يُخَمّشنَ لَهَفاً وَسطَهُ صَفحَةَ البَدرِ

يُخَمّشنَ لَهَفاً وَسطَهُ صَفحَةَ البَدرِ

We see the sky’s bright stars in a mourning gathering every night,

We see the bright beauties of the household in mourning every night,

Scratching in anguish the full moon’s face in its midst.

Scratching, in their anguish, faces fair as the full moon.

يَنُحنَ عَلى نَجمَين أَثكَلنَ ذا وَذا

يَنُحنَ عَلى نَجمَين أَثكَلنَ ذا وَذا

وَيا صَبرُ ما لِلقَلبِ في الصَبر مِن عُذرِ

وَيا صَبرُ ما لِلقَلبِ في الصَبر مِن عُذرِ

They lament two stars, bereaved of this one and that.

They wail for two fallen stars, having lost this one and that;

And O patience, the heart has no excuse for patience.

O Patience! My heart finds no excuse to embrace you.

مَدى الدهر فَليَبكِ الغَمام مُصابَهُ

مَدى الدهر فَليَبكِ الغَمام مُصابَهُ

بِصنوَيهِ يُعذَر في البُكاءِ مَدى الدهرِ

بِصنوَيهِ يُعذَر في البُكاءِ مَدى الدهرِ

For all time, let the cloud weep over its loss

Let the clouds weep for this calamity throughout all time,

Of its two brothers—it is excused for weeping for all time—

Mourning its kin, it is justified in weeping forever.

بِعَينِ سَحابٍ وَاِكِفٍ قَطر دَمعها

بِعَينِ سَحابٍ وَاِكِفٍ قَطر دَمعها

عَلى كُلّ قَبرٍ حَلَّ فيهِ أَخو القَطرِ

عَلى كُلّ قَبرٍ حَلَّ فيهِ أَخو القَطرِ

With a cloud’s eye, the drops of its tears streaming

With the eye of a cloud pouring forth its tearful rain,

Upon every grave where a brother of the rain has come to rest.

Upon every grave where a brother of the rain has come to rest.

وَبرقٌ ذَكيُّ النارِ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

وَبرقٌ ذَكيُّ النارِ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

يُسَعَّرُ مِمّا في فُؤادي مِنَ الجَمرِ

يُسَعَّرُ مِمّا في فُؤادي مِنَ الجَمرِ

And lightning, its fire so fierce that it seems

And lightning of blazing fire, flashing as though

To be kindled by the embers within my heart.

It is kindled by the burning embers within my heart.

هَوى الكَوكَبانِ الفَتحُ ثُمَّ شَقيقُهُ

هَوى الكَوكَبانِ الفَتحُ ثُمَّ شَقيقُهُ

يَزيدُ فَهَل بَعدَ الكَواكِب مِن صَبرِ

يَزيدُ فَهَل بَعدَ الكَواكِب مِن صَبرِ

The two stars have fallen: al-Fath, then his brother,

Two stars have fallen: Al-Fath, and then his brother,

Yazid—can there be patience after the stars are gone?

Yazid; can there be any patience after the stars are gone?

أَفَتحٌ لَقَد فَتَّحتَ لي بابَ رَحمَةٍ

أَفَتحٌ لَقَد فَتَّحتَ لي بابَ رَحمَةٍ

كَما بِيَزيدِ اللَهُ قَد زادَ في أَجري

كَما بِيَزيدِ اللَهُ قَد زادَ في أَجري

O Fath, you have indeed opened wide for me a gate of mercy,

O Fath, you have indeed opened a gate of mercy for me,

Just as through Yazid God has increased my reward.

Just as through Yazid, God has increased my reward in grief.

هَوى بِكُما المِقدارُ عَنّي وَلَم أَمُت

هَوى بِكُما المِقدارُ عَنّي وَلَم أَمُت

وَأدعى وَفيّا قَد نَكَصتُ إِلى الغَدرِ

وَأدعى وَفيّا قَد نَكَصتُ إِلى الغَدرِ

Fate cast you both down, away from me, yet I did not die;

Fate struck you down away from me, yet I did not die;

And I am called faithful, though I have fallen back into betrayal.

They call me loyal, yet I have retreated into treachery by surviving.

تَوَلَيتُما وَالسنُّ بَعدُ صَغيرَةٌ

تَوَلَيتُما وَالسنُّ بَعدُ صَغيرَةٌ

وَلَم تَلبثِ الأَيّامُ أَن صَغَّرت قَدري

وَلَم تَلبثِ الأَيّامُ أَن صَغَّرت قَدري

You both departed while still young,

You departed while your years were still but few,

And the days soon diminished my standing.

And the days wasted no time in diminishing my worth.

تَوَلَيتُما حينَ اِنتَهَت بِكُما العُلى

تَوَلَيتُما حينَ اِنتَهَت بِكُما العُلى

إِلى غايَةٍ كُلٌّ إِلى غايَةٍ يَجري

إِلى غايَةٍ كُلٌّ إِلى غايَةٍ يَجري

You both departed when glory had brought you

You departed just as glory reached its summit in you,

To its summit; everyone runs toward an end.

Running toward a destiny to which all must eventually run.

فَلَو عُدتَما لاخترتُما العودَ في الثَرى

فَلَو عُدتَما لاخترتُما العودَ في الثَرى

إِذا أَنتُما أَبصَرتُمانيَ في الأَسرِ

إِذا أَنتُما أَبصَرتُمانيَ في الأَسرِ

For had you both returned, you would have chosen to return to the dust,

If you were to return, you would choose the grave once more,

If you both had seen me in captivity.

If your eyes were to fall upon me in these chains.

يُعيدُ عَلى سَمعي الحَديدُ نَشيدَهُ

يُعيدُ عَلى سَمعي الحَديدُ نَشيدَهُ

ثَقيلاً فَتَبكي العَينُ بالجسّ وَالنَقرِ

ثَقيلاً فَتَبكي العَينُ بالجسّ وَالنَقرِ

The iron repeats its song in my ears,

The iron shackles repeat their heavy anthem in my ears,

Heavy, so my eyes weep at its plucking and tapping.

A mournful sound that moves the eye to weep at every clink.

مَعي الأَخَوات الهالِكات عَلَيكُما

مَعي الأَخَوات الهالِكات عَلَيكُما

وَأمّكما الثَكلى المُضَرّمة الصَدرِ

وَأمّكما الثَكلى المُضَرّمة الصَدرِ

With me are your sisters, perishing with grief for you both,

With me are your sisters, perishing in grief for you,

And your bereaved mother, her breast aflame.

And your bereaved mother, her heart set ablaze with sorrow.

تُذَلِلُها الذِكرى فَتَفزَعُ لِلبُكا

تُذَلِلُها الذِكرى فَتَفزَعُ لِلبُكا

وَتَصبر في الأَحيان شُحّاً عَلى الأَجرِ

وَتَصبر في الأَحيان شُحّاً عَلى الأَجرِ

Remembrance brings her low, so she turns to weeping,

Memory subdues her, driving her to sudden tears,

And at times she is patient, eager to preserve her reward.

Yet sometimes she endures, coveting God's reward for patience.

فَتَبكي بِدَمعٍ لَيسَ للقطرِ مِثلُهُ

فَتَبكي بِدَمعٍ لَيسَ للقطرِ مِثلُهُ

وَتَزجُرُها التَقوى فَتُصغي إِلى الزَجرِ

وَتَزجُرُها التَقوى فَتُصغي إِلى الزَجرِ

So she weeps tears no rain can match,

She weeps with tears no rain shower could ever match,

And piety rebukes her, so she heeds the rebuke.

Until piety restrains her, and she heeds its stern command.

أَبا خالِدٍ أَورَثتَني البَثَّ خالِداً

أَبا خالِدٍ أَورَثتَني البَثَّ خالِداً

أَبا النَصرِ مُذ وُدّعتَ وَدَّعني نَصري

أَبا النَصرِ مُذ وُدّعتَ وَدَّعني نَصري

O Abu Khalid, you have bequeathed me everlasting sorrow;

O Abu Khalid, you have bequeathed me eternal sorrow,

O Abu al-Nasr, since you were bid farewell, my victory has bid me farewell.

O Abu Nasr, since you departed, all victory has departed from me.

وَقَبلكُما ما أَودَعَ القَلبَ حَسرَةً

وَقَبلكُما ما أَودَعَ القَلبَ حَسرَةً

تُجَدّدُ طولَ الدَهرِ ثكلُ أَبي عَمرِو

تُجَدّدُ طولَ الدَهرِ ثكلُ أَبي عَمرِو

And before you both, what planted in my heart a sorrow

And before you both, the event that filled my heart with anguish—

Ever renewed through time was the loss of Abu Amr.

Renewing my grief throughout time—was the loss of Abu Amr.