أَبو غازي السَلامُ عَلَيكَ مِنّا

أَبو غازي السَلامُ عَلَيكَ مِنّا

وَعَفواً أَيُّها المَلِكُ الهُمامُ

وَعَفواً أَيُّها المَلِكُ الهُمامُ

Abu Ghazi, peace be upon you from us,

Abu Ghazi, peace be upon you from us,

And pardon us, O valiant king.

And grant us your pardon, O gallant King.

فَما ضاقَ الكَلامُ بِنا وَلَكِن

فَما ضاقَ الكَلامُ بِنا وَلَكِن

وَجَدنا الحُزنَ أَرخَصُهُ الكَلامُ

وَجَدنا الحُزنَ أَرخَصُهُ الكَلامُ

For words have not failed us, but

For words have not failed us, yet,

We found words the cheapest expression of grief.

We found that the cheapest expression of grief is speech.

وَخَطبُكَ لا يَفيهِ دَمعُ باكٍ

وَخَطبُكَ لا يَفيهِ دَمعُ باكٍ

وَلَو أَنَّ الَّذي يَبكي الغَمامُ

وَلَو أَنَّ الَّذي يَبكي الغَمامُ

And no mourner's tears can do justice to your loss,

Your calamity cannot be sufficed by a weeper's tear,

Even if the weeper were the clouds.

Even if the one weeping were the rain-clouds themselves.

وَنَحنُ أَحَقُّ أَن نَبكي وَنُرثى

وَنَحنُ أَحَقُّ أَن نَبكي وَنُرثى

فَمَوتُكَ مِن بَني العُربِ اِنتِقامُ

فَمَوتُكَ مِن بَني العُربِ اِنتِقامُ

And we have greater cause to weep—and to be mourned,

We are more deserving to weep and to be mourned,

For your death is vengeance upon the sons of the Arabs.

For your death is a vengeance exacted upon the Arabs.

خَبا نِبراسُنا وَاللَيلُ داجٍ

خَبا نِبراسُنا وَاللَيلُ داجٍ

وَمَوجُ الحادِثاتِ لَهُ اِلتِطامُ

وَمَوجُ الحادِثاتِ لَهُ اِلتِطامُ

Our beacon has gone out while the night is pitch-dark,

Our lantern has faded while the night is pitch dark,

And the waves of calamity crash against one another.

And the waves of calamity crash against one another.

وَكُنتَ لَنا الدَليلَ فَغِبتَ عَنّا

وَكُنتَ لَنا الدَليلَ فَغِبتَ عَنّا

وَكُنتَ حُسامَنا فَنِبنا الحُسامُ

وَكُنتَ حُسامَنا فَنِبنا الحُسامُ

And you were our guide, then vanished from us;

You were our guide, but now you have departed from us;

And you were our sword, but the sword has failed us.

You were our sword, but the blade has become dull.

كَأَنَّكَ قَد وَتَرتَ المَوتَ قِدماً

كَأَنَّكَ قَد وَتَرتَ المَوتَ قِدماً

وَهابَكَ في كَنانَتِكَ السِهامُ

وَهابَكَ في كَنانَتِكَ السِهامُ

As though you had bereaved Death long ago,

It is as though you had offended Death in times past,

And he feared you while arrows lay in your quiver,

And he feared the arrows within your quiver.

فَدَبَّ إِلَيكَ مِثلَ اللِصِّ لَيلاً

فَدَبَّ إِلَيكَ مِثلَ اللِصِّ لَيلاً

وَكانَ المَوتُ لَيسَ لَهُ ذَمامُ

وَكانَ المَوتُ لَيسَ لَهُ ذَمامُ

So he crept toward you like a thief by night,

So he crept towards you like a thief in the night,

And Death has no regard for any pledge.

For Death possesses no covenant of honor.

طَوى الدُنيا نَعِيُّكَ في ثَوانٍ

طَوى الدُنيا نَعِيُّكَ في ثَوانٍ

فَريعَ البَيتُ وَالبَلَدُ الحَرامُ

فَريعَ البَيتُ وَالبَلَدُ الحَرامُ

News of your death swept the world in seconds,

The news of your death folded the world in seconds,

So the House and the Sacred City were gripped by dread.

Terrifying the Sacred House and the Holy City.

وَدِجلَةُ كَالطَعينِ لَهُ أَنينٌ

وَدِجلَةُ كَالطَعينِ لَهُ أَنينٌ

وَفي بَرَدى اِلتِاعٌ وَاِضطِرامُ

وَفي بَرَدى اِلتِاعٌ وَاِضطِرامُ

And the Tigris moans like a man stabbed,

The Tigris moans like one stabbed with a spear,

And in the Barada are anguish and flame.

While in the Barada there is anguish and burning fire.

وَرُحنا بَينَ مَصعوقٍ وَساهِ

وَرُحنا بَينَ مَصعوقٍ وَساهِ

كَمَن صَرَعَت عُقولُهُمُ المُدامُ

كَمَن صَرَعَت عُقولُهُمُ المُدامُ

And we were left, some thunderstruck, some dazed,

We were left between the thunderstruck and the dazed,

Like those whose minds wine has struck down.

Like those whose minds have been felled by wine.

كَأَنَّ الأَرضَ قَد مادَت وَفُضَّت

كَأَنَّ الأَرضَ قَد مادَت وَفُضَّت

عَنِ المَوتى الصَفائِحُ وَالرُجامُ

عَنِ المَوتى الصَفائِحُ وَالرُجامُ

As though the earth had reeled, and torn away

As if the earth swayed and split open,

From the dead were the slabs and heaped stones.

Casting off the tombstones and cairns from the dead.

فَمَن لِلبيضِ وَالجُردِ المُذاكي

فَمَن لِلبيضِ وَالجُردِ المُذاكي

وَفَيصَلٌ باتَ يَحويهِ الرُغامُ

وَفَيصَلٌ باتَ يَحويهِ الرُغامُ

Who, then, is left for the bright swords and sleek, full-grown steeds,

Who now remains for the white blades and the thoroughbred steeds,

While Faisal lies enclosed by dust?

Now that Faisal is embraced by the dust?

وَمَن لِلحَقِّ يَنشُرُهُ لِوءً

وَمَن لِلحَقِّ يَنشُرُهُ لِوءً

بِهِ لِلناسِ هَديٌ وَاِعتِصامُ

بِهِ لِلناسِ هَديٌ وَاِعتِصامُ

And who will unfurl truth as a banner,

And who will now unfurl the banner of Truth,

Through which people find guidance and refuge?

In which lies guidance and refuge for the people?

توارى امَجدُ في كَفَنٍ وَلَحدٍ

توارى امَجدُ في كَفَنٍ وَلَحدٍ

وَغابَت في التُرابِ مُنىً عِظامُ

وَغابَت في التُرابِ مُنىً عِظامُ

Glory has vanished into a shroud and a grave,

Glory has hidden itself within a shroud and a grave,

And great hopes have vanished into the dust.

And great hopes have vanished into the soil.