ياO يومَهhis day ماnothing فيكَin you غيرُother than مدامعٍweeping eyes
يا يومَه ما فيكَ غيرُ مدامعٍ
تذريshed tears وغيرُand other than تلهُّفٍanguish وحنانِand yearning
تذري وغيرُ تلهُّفٍ وحنانِ
O day of his, you hold nothing but weeping eyes,
Shedding tears, and anguish and yearning.
طُفناwe circled بهaround him وريَدٌand a hand (apparently وَيَدٌ) تعالجtends to أدمعاًtears
طُفنا به وريَدٌ تعالج أدمعاً
ويدٌand a hand لقلبٍfor a heart دائمceaseless in الخفقانِpounding
ويدٌ لقلبٍ دائم الخفقانِ
We circled him, one hand wiping tears,
And the other on a heart forever pounding.
حتىuntil إذاwhen هدأquieted الوجيفُthe pounding وأمسكَتْand ceased
حتى إذا هدأ الوجيفُ وأمسكَتْ
حِيناًfor a while مدامعُنَاour tearful eyes عنfrom التهتانِstreaming
حِيناً مدامعُنَا عن التهتانِ
Until, when the pounding quieted and our eyes
Stopped their streaming for a while,
وتخشعتand grew humble منَّاof us النفوسُthe souls يَهُولُهاawes them
وتخشعت منَّا النفوسُ يَهُولُها
ماwhat فيin المَنِيّةdeath منof جلالmajesty الشانِstature
ما في المَنِيّة من جلال الشانِ
And our souls grew humble, awed
By the solemn majesty that lies in death,
وَثَبَتْleapt إلىto المُقَلِthe eyes القلوبُthe hearts تشوّقاًin longing
وَثَبَتْ إلى المُقَلِ القلوبُ تشوّقاً
وغدتand began ترفّto flutter عليهover him بالأجفانِwith the eyelids
وغدت ترفّ عليه بالأجفانِ
Our hearts leapt to our eyes in longing,
And began to flutter over him with our eyelids.
مَنwho قالsaid يوماًever قبلbefore يومِكyour day ياoh ترىdo you suppose
مَن قال يوماً قبل يومِك يا ترى
إنthat القلوبthe hearts مكانُهاtheir dwelling العَينانِthe two eyes
إن القلوب مكانُها العَينانِ
Who, I wonder, ever said before your day
That hearts have their dwelling in the two eyes?
ياO مُفْنيَyou who exhaust الصبرَpatience الجميلَnoble لوif only أنّهthat it
يا مُفْنيَ الصبرَ الجميلَ لو أنّه
يفنىwould perish عليكin grief for you ولاand not تكونyou would be الفانيthe one who perishes
يفنى عليك ولا تكون الفاني
O you who exhaust noble patience, if only it
Would perish in grief for you, and you were not the one to perish.
ياO مُصعِدَyou who send upward الزفراتsighs لوif only صعَّدتَهاyou had raised them
يا مُصعِدَ الزفرات لو صعَّدتَها
وَوَقَتand had shielded حياتكyour life حسرةthe anguish of اللهفانِthe grief-stricken one
وَوَقَت حياتك حسرة اللهفانِ
O you who send sighs rising, if only you had breathed them,
And the grief-stricken one's anguish had shielded your life.
ياO مؤنسَyou who comfort الموتىthe dead بمدرجَةon the path of الفناdissolution
يا مؤنسَ الموتى بمدرجَة الفنا
آنستهمyou gave them company ياO موحِشَyou who leave desolate الأوطانِthe homelands
آنستهم يا موحِشَ الأوطانِ
O you who comfort the dead on the path of dissolution,
You have brought them company, O you who leave the homelands desolate.
ياah نعمyes هاتيكَthose الصفاتqualities حَوَيتَهاyou possessed them
يا نعم هاتيكَ الصفات حَوَيتَها
وقَضَيتand you died وهْيَwhile they were حديثُthe talk of كلّevery لسانِtongue
وقَضَيت وهْيَ حديثُ كلّ لسانِ
Ah yes, you possessed those qualities,
And died while they were the talk of every tongue.
لوif كفَّنوكthey had shrouded you بهاin them غُنيتyou would have had no need بِطيبهاthrough their fragrance
لو كفَّنوك بها غُنيت بِطيبها
عنfor رائعاتِthe choicest kinds of الطّيبperfume فيin الأكفانِthe shrouds
عن رائعاتِ الطّيب في الأكفانِ
Had they shrouded you in them, their fragrance would have been enough,
Without the choicest perfumes in the shrouds.