بَينَ السَرائِرِ ضِنَّةً دَفَنوكِ

بَينَ السَرائِرِ ضِنَّةً دَفَنوكِ

أَم في المَحاجِرِ خُلسَةً خَبَئوكِ

أَم في المَحاجِرِ خُلسَةً خَبَئوكِ

Did they bury you deep in their hearts, loath to part with you,

Between her secrets they buried you

or secretly hide you in their eye sockets?

Or in caves they hid you in stealth

ما أَنتِ مِمَّن يَرتَضي هَذا الثَرى

ما أَنتِ مِمَّن يَرتَضي هَذا الثَرى

نُزُلاً فَهَل أَرضَوكِ أَم غَبَنوكِ

نُزُلاً فَهَل أَرضَوكِ أَم غَبَنوكِ

You are not one to accept this soil

You are not one who would accept this soil

as lodging; did they then satisfy you, or cheat you?

As home, so did it please or betray you?

يا بِنتَ مَحمودٍ يَعِزُّ عَلى الوَرى

يا بِنتَ مَحمودٍ يَعِزُّ عَلى الوَرى

لَمسُ التُرابِ لِجِسمِكِ المَنهوكِ

لَمسُ التُرابِ لِجِسمِكِ المَنهوكِ

O daughter of Mahmoud, it grieves mankind

O daughter of Mahmoud, grieved by all

that dust should touch your wasted body.

Is the touch of dust on your frail body

تَرَكوا شَبابَكِ فيهِ نَهباً لِلبِلى

تَرَكوا شَبابَكِ فيهِ نَهباً لِلبِلى

واهاً لِغَضِّ شَبابِكَ المَتروكِ

واهاً لِغَضِّ شَبابِكَ المَتروكِ

They left your youth in it, a prey to decay;

They left your youth in it, prey to ruin

alas for the freshness of your abandoned youth!

Alas for the waste of your abandoned youth

وَحَثَوهُ فَوقَ سَناكِ يا شَمسَ الضُحى

وَحَثَوهُ فَوقَ سَناكِ يا شَمسَ الضُحى

فَبَكى لَهُ بَدرُ السَماءِ أَخوكِ

فَبَكى لَهُ بَدرُ السَماءِ أَخوكِ

And they heaped it over your radiance, O midmorning sun;

And shoveled it over your sun, O light of morn

so heaven's full moon, your brother, wept over this.

So the full moon in the sky wept for you, its brother

داسَ الحِمامُ عَرينَ آسادِ الشَرى

داسَ الحِمامُ عَرينَ آسادِ الشَرى

يا لَيتَ شِعري أَينَ كانَ أَبوكِ

يا لَيتَ شِعري أَينَ كانَ أَبوكِ

Death trampled the den of the lions of al-Shara;

The doves trampled the nest of lions

oh, would that I knew—where was your father?

Oh, if only I knew where your father had been

عَهدي بِهِ يَلقى الرَدى بِمُهَنَّدٍ

عَهدي بِهِ يَلقى الرَدى بِمُهَنَّدٍ

يَعلوهُ غِمدٌ مِن دَمٍ مَسفوكِ

يَعلوهُ غِمدٌ مِن دَمٍ مَسفوكِ

I have known him to face death with an Indian-steel sword,

I knew him, meeting doom with Muhannd

covered by a sheath of spilled blood.

Sheathed in spilled blood, raised high his sword

يا نَفسَ مَحمودٍ وَأَنتِ عَليمَةٌ

يا نَفسَ مَحمودٍ وَأَنتِ عَليمَةٌ

بِطَريقِ هَذا العالَمِ المَسلوكِ

بِطَريقِ هَذا العالَمِ المَسلوكِ

O soul of Mahmoud, well acquainted as you are

Oh soul of Mahmood, though you were wise

with the trodden path of this world,

to the ways of this walked world

عَهِدوكِ لا تَتَصَدَّعينَ لِحادِثٍ

عَهِدوكِ لا تَتَصَدَّعينَ لِحادِثٍ

أَوَ أَنتِ باقِيَةٌ كَما عَهِدوكِ

أَوَ أَنتِ باقِيَةٌ كَما عَهِدوكِ

they knew you never to break under calamity;

They knew you break not for any event

and do you remain as they knew you?

Or are you still as they once knew you?

هَذا التُرابُ وَأَنتِ أَعلَمُ مُلتَقى

هَذا التُرابُ وَأَنتِ أَعلَمُ مُلتَقى

هَذا الوَرى مِن سوقَةٍ وَمُلوكِ

هَذا الوَرى مِن سوقَةٍ وَمُلوكِ

This dust—and you know best—is the meeting place

This dust, and you know best, is where all meet

of these mortals, commoners and kings alike.

Ruler and slave in this mortal fray

هَل أَنتِ إِلّا بَينَ جَنبَي ماجِدٍ

هَل أَنتِ إِلّا بَينَ جَنبَي ماجِدٍ

صَعبِ الشَكيمَةِ لِلخُطوبِ ضَحوكِ

صَعبِ الشَكيمَةِ لِلخُطوبِ ضَحوكِ

Are you anywhere but within a noble man's breast,

Are you not between the flank of the splendid

unyielding in resolve, ever laughing at calamities?

Lion-hearted amidst disasters laughing?

يُغضي بِحَضرَتِهِ الزَمانُ فَيَلتَقي

يُغضي بِحَضرَتِهِ الزَمانُ فَيَلتَقي

عِزُّ المَليكِ وَذِلَّةُ المَملوكِ

عِزُّ المَليكِ وَذِلَّةُ المَملوكِ

Time lowers its gaze in his presence, and there meet

At his presence time hides its face, and meets

a king's majesty and a slave's abasement.

The glory of kings, and slaves' lowliness.