ذَكَرتُكَ لَمّا طَبَّقَ الأُفقَ عارِضٌ

ذَكَرتُكَ لَمّا طَبَّقَ الأُفقَ عارِضٌ

وَأَعرَضَ بَرقٌ كَالضِرامِ لَموعُ

وَأَعرَضَ بَرقٌ كَالضِرامِ لَموعُ

I remembered you when a raincloud covered the horizon,

I remembered you when the horizon was darkened,

and lightning flashed across, gleaming like blazing fire.

And lightning flashed like swords unsheathed.

وَأَنتَ مُقيمٌ حَيثُ لا البَرقُ يُجتَلى

وَأَنتَ مُقيمٌ حَيثُ لا البَرقُ يُجتَلى

بِعَينٍ وَلا روحُ النَسيمِ يَضوعُ

بِعَينٍ وَلا روحُ النَسيمِ يَضوعُ

And you dwell where no lightning can be seen

While you stay where no lightning flashes

by any eye, nor does the breeze's breath waft.

In a beholder's eye, nor does the breeze's spirit stir.

غَريبٌ عَنِ الأَوطانِ لا لَكَ هَبَّةٌ

غَريبٌ عَنِ الأَوطانِ لا لَكَ هَبَّةٌ

إِلَيها وَلا بَعدَ المُضِيَّ رُجوعُ

إِلَيها وَلا بَعدَ المُضِيَّ رُجوعُ

A stranger far from your homelands, you cannot stir

An exile from homelands, you have neither

toward them, nor return after your departure.

A gift to them, nor after leaving, a return.

خَلا مِنكَ رَبعٌ قَد تَبَدَّلتَ بَعدَهُ

خَلا مِنكَ رَبعٌ قَد تَبَدَّلتَ بَعدَهُ

رُبوعَ بِلىً ما مِثلَهُنَّ رُبوعُ

رُبوعَ بِلىً ما مِثلَهُنَّ رُبوعُ

A dwelling stands empty of you; in its stead you have taken

Except for you, a quarter has passed and after it

abodes of decay—no abodes are like them.

Are ruins, the like of which are no ruins.

وَعاوَدَ قَلبي الذِكرُ إِذ نَحنُ جيرَةٌ

وَعاوَدَ قَلبي الذِكرُ إِذ نَحنُ جيرَةٌ

زَماناً وَإِذ شَملُ الجَميعِ جَميعُ

زَماناً وَإِذ شَملُ الجَميعِ جَميعُ

And memory revisited my heart: when we were neighbors

And memory returned to my heart, when we were neighbors

for a time, and when our whole company was united,

For a time, and when fellowship embraced all.

وَإِذ عَيشُنا الرَقراقُ يُسبِغُ خَفضَه

وَإِذ عَيشُنا الرَقراقُ يُسبِغُ خَفضَه

عَلينا وَإِذ طَيرُ النَعيمِ وُقوعُ

عَلينا وَإِذ طَيرُ النَعيمِ وُقوعُ

and when our shimmering life lavished its ease

When our meager life lavished its lowliness

upon us, and when the birds of bliss were perched,

Upon us, and when the bird of bliss alighted.

إِلى أَن مَشى بَيني وَبَينَكُمُ الرَدى

إِلى أَن مَشى بَيني وَبَينَكُمُ الرَدى

وَقَطَّعَ أَقرانَ الصَفاءِ قَطوعُ

وَقَطَّعَ أَقرانَ الصَفاءِ قَطوعُ

until death walked between me and you all,

Until discord walked between you and I

and the relentless severer cut the bonds of affection.

And severed the peers of purity with felling.

وَفي كُلَّ يَومٍ صاحِبٌ أَستَجِدُّهُ

وَفي كُلَّ يَومٍ صاحِبٌ أَستَجِدُّهُ

وَيَنزِعُهُ مِن راحَتَيَّ نُزوعُ

وَيَنزِعُهُ مِن راحَتَيَّ نُزوعُ

And each day I gain a new companion,

And each day I gain a companion I make new

and a relentless snatcher wrenches him from my palms.

Who takes him from my comfort with drawing away.

إِذا قُلتُ يَخطوهُ الحِمامُ هَوَت بِهِ

إِذا قُلتُ يَخطوهُ الحِمامُ هَوَت بِهِ

نُيوبُ رَدىً فيها السِمامُ نَقيعُ

نُيوبُ رَدىً فيها السِمامُ نَقيعُ

Whenever I say, 'Death will pass him by,' he is cast down

When I say, the dove steps toward him,

by the fangs of doom, with deadly venom within them.

The claws of discord plunge down holding sharp talons.

سَلامٌ عَلى تِلكَ القُبورِ وَجادَها

سَلامٌ عَلى تِلكَ القُبورِ وَجادَها

بِأَروى وَأَسنى ما يَجودُ رَبيعُ

بِأَروى وَأَسنى ما يَجودُ رَبيعُ

Peace upon those graves, and may they be showered

Peace upon those tombs and their nobility

with the most refreshing and radiant bounty that spring bestows.

With the most plentiful and sweetest spring can bestow.

فَلا تَغبِطونا إِذ أَقَمنا وَأَنتُمُ

فَلا تَغبِطونا إِذ أَقَمنا وَأَنتُمُ

عَلى ظَعَنٍ إِنَّ اللِقاءَ سَريعُ

عَلى ظَعَنٍ إِنَّ اللِقاءَ سَريعُ

So do not envy us for staying behind, while you

So do not envy us staying while you are

are on a journey; surely our reunion will come soon.

On a journey. Meetings will come with speed.