مَنَعَتْني مِن الوَدَاعِ أُمورُ

مَنَعَتْني مِن الوَدَاعِ أُمورُ

أَنا في بَعْضِ بَعْضِها مَعْذورُ

أَنا في بَعْضِ بَعْضِها مَعْذورُ

Matters prevented me from saying farewell.

Circumstances have prevented my farewells,

I am excusable for some part of some of them.

In some of them I'm excused.

وَكَفاكُمْ مِنها إذا قِيلَ لِمْ لا

وَكَفاكُمْ مِنها إذا قِيلَ لِمْ لا

جَاءَ قَالَ المُحتجُّ شَيخٌ كَبِيرُ

جَاءَ قَالَ المُحتجُّ شَيخٌ كَبِيرُ

And this among them should suffice you: when asked, “Why did he not

It's enough when asked "why not?"

come?” the one pleading an excuse said, “An elderly man.”

An old, respected man said as his excuse:

وَمُضَافٌ لِذاكَ ضَعْفٌ وَعَجْزٌ

وَمُضَافٌ لِذاكَ ضَعْفٌ وَعَجْزٌ

وَحِمارٌ مَا كادَ تَحْتي يَسِيرُ

وَحِمارٌ مَا كادَ تَحْتي يَسِيرُ

And added to that are weakness and incapacity,

"To that is added weakness and frailty,

and a donkey that could scarcely move beneath me.

And a donkey that can barely walk under me.

كُلَّما رُضْتهُ بِشِعْرِي نَادَى

كُلَّما رُضْتهُ بِشِعْرِي نَادَى

أَنا مَالي والشِّعْرُ إبنُ الشّعِيرُ

أَنا مَالي والشِّعْرُ إبنُ الشّعِيرُ

Whenever I trained him with my verse, he cried:

Whenever I pleased him with my poetry he cried out

“What have I to do with poetry? I am a son of barley!”

'I care not for poetry, I'm the son of barley!'

وَحَمَتْهُ مِنّي دَمامِلُ أَلقَتْ

وَحَمَتْهُ مِنّي دَمامِلُ أَلقَتْ

ني فَمَا لي عنِ الفِراشِ مَسِيرُ

ني فَمَا لي عنِ الفِراشِ مَسِيرُ

And boils protected him from me, casting

And blankets have covered him from me, he threw

me down, so I have no way to leave my bed.

Me off so I cannot leave my bed.

كُلُّ قَاسٍ عَليَّ كالدَّهْرِ مَا لا

كُلُّ قَاسٍ عَليَّ كالدَّهْرِ مَا لا

نَ وَهَيْهاتَ أَنْ تَلِينَ الصُّخُورُ

نَ وَهَيْهاتَ أَنْ تَلِينَ الصُّخُورُ

Each is hard upon me, like Time; it has not

Everyone judging me is like fate - it does not

softened—and how unlikely that rocks should soften!

Bend, and rocks will never soften.

وَعلَى بَابِه المَراهِمُ لَمْ يُؤْ

وَعلَى بَابِه المَراهِمُ لَمْ يُؤْ

ذَنْ لَها والحِجابُ ثَمَّ عَسِيرُ

ذَنْ لَها والحِجابُ ثَمَّ عَسِيرُ

And at its door the ointments have not been

And at his door the solicitors have not been

admitted; the barrier there is hard to pass.

Permitted, and the veil remains difficult.

مُغْلَقُ البَابِ مَا تَلا سُوْرَةَ الفَتْ

مُغْلَقُ البَابِ مَا تَلا سُوْرَةَ الفَتْ

حِ وَقَافٍ ضِ دُونهِ والطُّورُ

حِ وَقَافٍ ضِ دُونهِ والطُّورُ

Its door is shut; it has not recited the surah of

The door is locked, he has not recited Surat Al-Fatiha,

al-Fath; Qaf [unclear fragment] and al-Tur fall short of it.

And an obstinate one stands in my way and the mount.

وَتَراني في اللَّيْل يَرْتَقِبُ الفَجْ

وَتَراني في اللَّيْل يَرْتَقِبُ الفَجْ

رَ وَقَد حَالَ دُونَهُ الدَّ يَجورُ

رَ وَقَد حَالَ دُونَهُ الدَّ يَجورُ

And you see me at night, awaiting

And you see me at night waiting for dawn,

the dawn, while pitch-darkness has barred the way to it.

While between us stands a monster.

وَأَشَدُّ الآلامِ لَيْلٌ طَوِيلٌ

وَأَشَدُّ الآلامِ لَيْلٌ طَوِيلٌ

مَا لَهُ آخِرٌ وَجَفْنٌ قَصِيرُ

مَا لَهُ آخِرٌ وَجَفْنٌ قَصِيرُ

And the worst of pains is a long night,

And the greatest pain is a long night

with no end—and a short eyelid.

That has no end, and an eyelid too short."