ما كنت آلف منزلي إلا به

ما كنت آلف منزلي إلا به

ولقد كرهت الدار بعد مصابه

ولقد كرهت الدار بعد مصابه

I was attached to my home only because of him.

I was not accustomed to my home except with him,

And I hated the house after his loss.

And I have come to dislike this house after his loss.

وكرهت عيشي بعدما فارقته

وكرهت عيشي بعدما فارقته

ورغبت في الترحال نحو جنابه

ورغبت في الترحال نحو جنابه

And I loathed my life after parting from him.

I have come to dislike my life after he left me,

And I longed to journey to his side.

And I yearned to wander towards his resting place.

أنف الإقامة عندنا وصبا إلى

أنف الإقامة عندنا وصبا إلى

ما يرتجيه من بلوغ ثوابه

ما يرتجيه من بلوغ ثوابه

He disdained staying with us and yearned for

I disliked staying with us while he inclined

The reward he hoped to attain.

Towards what he hoped to attain of his reward.

ماذا أقل بقاءه ما بيننا

ماذا أقل بقاءه ما بيننا

مترحلاً للترب عن أترابه

مترحلاً للترب عن أترابه

What cut short his stay among us,

How brief was his stay between us,

As he departed for the dust, away from his peers?

Departing to the dust from his loved ones.

حار الطبيب بما يداوي داءه

حار الطبيب بما يداوي داءه

لما غدا والموت أكبر دابه

لما غدا والموت أكبر دابه

The physician was at a loss how to treat his illness,

The doctor was baffled by what would cure his illness

When death became his greatest concern.

When death had become the greatest conqueror.

ما كان في خلدي ولا بتصوري

ما كان في خلدي ولا بتصوري

أن الحمام يحثه بحرابه

أن الحمام يحثه بحرابه

It never crossed my mind, nor entered my imagination,

It did not occur to me, nor did I imagine

That death would spur him on with its spears.

That the dove would spur him with its wings.

قد كنت آمل أن أكون فداءه

قد كنت آمل أن أكون فداءه

أخطأت في أملي وظن حسابه

أخطأت في أملي وظن حسابه

I had hoped to be a ransom for him;

I had hoped that I would ransom him with my soul,

I erred in my hope and my guess at its reckoning.

But I was mistaken in my hopes and calculations.

فارقته والعيش فارق خاطري

فارقته والعيش فارق خاطري

وتفكري لم يخل من أسبابه

وتفكري لم يخل من أسبابه

I parted from him, and life departed from my mind;

I parted from him and life parted from my heart,

And my thoughts were never free of ties to him.

And my thoughts did not cease from his causes.

أتراك إسماعيل تعلم ما الذي

أتراك إسماعيل تعلم ما الذي

في القلب من لوعاته وعذابه

في القلب من لوعاته وعذابه

Do you think, Ismail, you know what

Do you see, O Ismael, what is in my heart

Pangs of grief and torment lie in the heart?

Of its burning sorrows and anguish?

وظننت أن النوم باشر مقلة

وظننت أن النوم باشر مقلة

لم تكتحل غمضاً ولا تحظى به

لم تكتحل غمضاً ولا تحظى به

And did you think sleep had touched an eye

I thought sleep would soothe my inflamed eyes

That had not worn slumber as kohl, nor enjoyed it?

That did not sleep a wink or enjoy it.

أتبيت إسماعيل ثاو في الثرى

أتبيت إسماعيل ثاو في الثرى

من بعد قلب كنت من حجابه

من بعد قلب كنت من حجابه

Do you spend the night, Ismail, lying in the earth,

Ismael, will you spend the night dusted in the earth

After being part of the veil around a heart?

After being the veil of my heart?

ورحلت عن صدري وحجري للبلى

ورحلت عن صدري وحجري للبلى

رغماً علي وصرت رهن ترابه

رغماً علي وصرت رهن ترابه

And you departed from my breast and my lap for decay,

You left my chest and my room to decay

Against my will, and became a hostage to its dust.

Despite me, and you became subject to dust.

ولقد أمنت عليك نائبة الردى

ولقد أمنت عليك نائبة الردى

لم أدر حتى صرت في أنيابه

لم أدر حتى صرت في أنيابه

And I had believed you safe from the calamity of death;

I had entrusted you to the vicissitudes of fate

I did not know until you were caught in its fangs.

Not knowing you would fall into its claws,

مازال يخدعني عليك وإنما

مازال يخدعني عليك وإنما

أرداك مخلبه بطول خلابه

أرداك مخلبه بطول خلابه

It kept deceiving me about you, but in truth

It still deceives me about you, though

Its claw laid you low through its long beguilement.

It has seized you in its long talons.

ضر الحوادث ليس يؤمن خطبه

ضر الحوادث ليس يؤمن خطبه

لكنني من بعض من أغرى به

لكنني من بعض من أغرى به

The harm of misfortunes—none is safe from its peril;

Misfortunes whose dangers are unavoidable

Yet I am one of those beguiled by it.

But I am one of those it lured,

وحسبت خيراً بالزمان وريبه

وحسبت خيراً بالزمان وريبه

فغدوت أخسر واثق بحسابه

فغدوت أخسر واثق بحسابه

And I thought well of time and its vicissitudes;

And I thought well of time and its doubt,

So I became the worst loser among those trusting its reckoning.

So I became the greater loser, trusting in my calculations.

الموت فرق شملنا وأضامنا

الموت فرق شملنا وأضامنا

والدهر ساعده على أوصابه

والدهر ساعده على أوصابه

Death broke our unity and wronged us;

Death separated us and brought us together,

And time helped it inflict its pains.

And time assisted it against its adversaries.

لم تسو فرحة مهجتي بولادة

لم تسو فرحة مهجتي بولادة

عادت بموتك ترحة بمنابه

عادت بموتك ترحة بمنابه

My soul's joy at a birth did not equal

My joyful heart was not consoled by your birth,

The grief that returned at your death to take its place.

For it returned to anguish at your death.

وكذاك ماسويت عمارة منزل

وكذاك ماسويت عمارة منزل

وكماله بفنائه وخرابه

وكماله بفنائه وخرابه

And likewise I never equated the building of a house

Just so, I did not complete building my home,

And its completion with its destruction and ruin.

And its perfection with its loss and destruction.

فلأبكين عليه ما لاح الضيا

فلأبكين عليه ما لاح الضيا

أو ما اقتضاني القول حسن جوابه

أو ما اقتضاني القول حسن جوابه

So I shall surely weep for him as long as light shines,

So I will weep for him as long as the sun rises,

Or as long as speech demands of me a graceful reply.

Or as long as the words allow a good answer.