دَعاني رِفاقي وَالقَوافي مَريضَةٌ

دَعاني رِفاقي وَالقَوافي مَريضَةٌ

وَقَد عَقَدَت هوجُ الخُطوبِ لِساني

وَقَد عَقَدَت هوجُ الخُطوبِ لِساني

My companions called me while my rhymes were ailing,

My friends called upon me while rhymes were ailing,

And raging calamities had knotted my tongue.

And the knots of misfortunes had bound my tongue.

فَجِئتُ وَبي ما يَعلَمُ اللَهُ مِن أَسىً

فَجِئتُ وَبي ما يَعلَمُ اللَهُ مِن أَسىً

وَمِن كَمَدٍ قَد شَفَّني وَبَراني

وَمِن كَمَدٍ قَد شَفَّني وَبَراني

So I came, bearing sorrow that God knows,

So I came while God knows what sorrows I bore,

And anguish that had wasted me and worn me away.

And what griefs that had wasted and distressed me.

مَلِلتُ وُقوفي بَينَكُم مُتَلَهِّفاً

مَلِلتُ وُقوفي بَينَكُم مُتَلَهِّفاً

عَلى راحِلٍ فارَقتُهُ فَشَجاني

عَلى راحِلٍ فارَقتُهُ فَشَجاني

I have grown weary of standing among you, lamenting

I grew weary of standing amongst you expectantly,

One departed, whom I parted from and who left me grieving.

For a mount I had parted with which saddened me.

أَفي كُلَّ يَومٍ يَبضَعُ الحُزنُ بَضعَةً

أَفي كُلَّ يَومٍ يَبضَعُ الحُزنُ بَضعَةً

مِنَ القَلبِ إِنّي قَد فَقَدتُ جَناني

مِنَ القَلبِ إِنّي قَد فَقَدتُ جَناني

Does sorrow cut a piece of flesh each day

Does sorrow pierce a new wound in my heart each day?

From the heart? Indeed, I have lost my heart.

I feel I have lost my soul and mind.

كَفانِيَ ما لُقّيتُ مِن لَوعَةِ الأَسى

كَفانِيَ ما لُقّيتُ مِن لَوعَةِ الأَسى

وَما نابَني يَومَ الإِمامِ كَفاني

وَما نابَني يَومَ الإِمامِ كَفاني

The burning sorrow I was made to endure was enough for me;

The agony of sorrow I have endured suffices me,

And what befell me on the Imam's day was enough for me.

As does the day the Imam was denied me.

تَفَرَّقَ أَحبابي وَأَهلي وَأَخَّرَت

تَفَرَّقَ أَحبابي وَأَهلي وَأَخَّرَت

يَدُ اللَهِ يَومي فَاِنتَظَرتُ أَواني

يَدُ اللَهِ يَومي فَاِنتَظَرتُ أَواني

My loved ones and my kin dispersed, and deferred

My loved ones, family, and friends have dispersed,

By God's hand was my day; so I awaited my hour.

And God's hand has delayed my time, so I await my hour.

وَما لي صَديقٌ إِن عَثَرتُ أَقالَني

وَما لي صَديقٌ إِن عَثَرتُ أَقالَني

وَما لي قَريبٌ إِن قَضَيتُ بَكاني

وَما لي قَريبٌ إِن قَضَيتُ بَكاني

And I have no friend to help me up if I stumble,

I've no friend should I stumble, to raise me,

And no kinsman to weep for me if I die.

Nor kin, should I weep, to join in my plaint.

أَرانِيَ قَد قَصَّرتُ في حَقِّ صُحبَتي

أَرانِيَ قَد قَصَّرتُ في حَقِّ صُحبَتي

وَتَقصيرُ أَمثالي جِنايَةُ جاني

وَتَقصيرُ أَمثالي جِنايَةُ جاني

I see that I have fallen short in my duty to my companions,

Do I not seem to have fallen short in keeping company?

And neglect by the likes of me is a wrongdoer's crime.

The faults of the likes of me are a traitor's crimes.

فَلا تَعذِروني يَومَ فَتحي فَإِنَّني

فَلا تَعذِروني يَومَ فَتحي فَإِنَّني

لَأَعلَمُ ما لا يَجهَلُ الثَقَلانِ

لَأَعلَمُ ما لا يَجهَلُ الثَقَلانِ

So do not excuse me on Fathi's day, for I

So do not blame me on the day I meet my end,

Know full well what humans and jinn alike know.

For I know what the two burdens do not ignore.

فَقَد غابَ عَنّا يَومَ غابَ وَلَم يَكُن

فَقَد غابَ عَنّا يَومَ غابَ وَلَم يَكُن

لَهُ بَينَ هالاتِ النَوابِغِ ثاني

لَهُ بَينَ هالاتِ النَوابِغِ ثاني

For he was lost to us when he departed, and there was

Gone from us the day he went, with no peer

No equal to him among the halos of the gifted.

Among the excelled elites, nor a second.

وَفي ذِمَّتي لِليازِجِيِّ وَديعَةٌ

وَفي ذِمَّتي لِليازِجِيِّ وَديعَةٌ

وَأُخرى لِزَيدانٍ وَقَد سَبَقاني

وَأُخرى لِزَيدانٍ وَقَد سَبَقاني

And in my keeping is a trust for al-Yaziji,

And in my care are deposits from Yaziji

And another for Zaydan; both have gone before me.

And another from Zaydan, who preceded me.

فَيا لَيتَ شِعري ما يَقولانِ في الثَرى

فَيا لَيتَ شِعري ما يَقولانِ في الثَرى

إِذا اِلتَقَيا يَوماً وَقَد ذَكَراني

إِذا اِلتَقَيا يَوماً وَقَد ذَكَراني

Ah, if only I knew what they say beneath the earth,

Oh how I wish I knew what beneath the soil,

If one day they meet and remember me,

They would say if they met and remembered me!

وَقَد رَمَيا بِالطَرفِ بَينَ جُموعِكُم

وَقَد رَمَيا بِالطَرفِ بَينَ جُموعِكُم

وَلَم يَشهَدا في المَشهَدَينِ مَكاني

وَلَم يَشهَدا في المَشهَدَينِ مَكاني

And cast their gaze among your crowds,

As they glanced around amongst your crowds,

Yet do not see me in either gathering.

Not finding in either gathering my place.

أَيَجمُلُ بي هَذا العُقوقُ وَإِنَّما

أَيَجمُلُ بي هَذا العُقوقُ وَإِنَّما

عَلى غَيرِ هَذا العَهدِ قَد عَرَفاني

عَلى غَيرِ هَذا العَهدِ قَد عَرَفاني

Does this disloyalty befit me, when

Does it befit me, such dereliction, when

They had known me on quite different terms?

They knew me not as one to break a vow?

دَعاني وَفائي يَومَ ذاكَ فَلَم أَكُن

دَعاني وَفائي يَومَ ذاكَ فَلَم أَكُن

ضَنيناً وَلَكِنَّ القَريضَ عَصاني

ضَنيناً وَلَكِنَّ القَريضَ عَصاني

My loyalty called me that day, and I was not

My loyalty called me that day, and I was not

Grudging, but poetry defied me.

Stingy, but the poetry disobeyed me.

وَقَد تُخرِسُ الأَحزانُ كُلَّ مُفَوَّهٍ

وَقَد تُخرِسُ الأَحزانُ كُلَّ مُفَوَّهٍ

يُصَرِّفُ في الإِنشادِ كُلَّ عِنانِ

يُصَرِّفُ في الإِنشادِ كُلَّ عِنانِ

Grief can indeed silence every eloquent speaker

Sorrows will silence every eloquent one

Who controls every rein in reciting verse.

Who freely composes poetry and prose.

أَأَنساهُما وَالعِلمُ فَوقَ ثَراهُما

أَأَنساهُما وَالعِلمُ فَوقَ ثَراهُما

تَنَكَّسَ مِن أَعلامِهِ عَلَمانِ

تَنَكَّسَ مِن أَعلامِهِ عَلَمانِ

Could I forget them, when learning, above their dust,

Can I forget them when knowledge atop their burial

Has had two of its banners lowered?

Mounds has collapsed from its pinnacles?

وَكَم فُزتُ مِن رَبِّ الهِلالِ بِحِكمَةٍ

وَكَم فُزتُ مِن رَبِّ الهِلالِ بِحِكمَةٍ

وَكَم زِنتُ مِن رَبِّ الضِياءِ بَياني

وَكَم زِنتُ مِن رَبِّ الضِياءِ بَياني

And how often I gained wisdom from the master of al-Hilal!

And how much I gained in wisdom from the crescent's Lord,

And how often I adorned my eloquence through the master of al-Diya!

And how much flair from the Lord of Brilliance my expression gained!

أَزَيدانُ لا تَبعُد وَتِلكَ عُلالَةٌ

أَزَيدانُ لا تَبعُد وَتِلكَ عُلالَةٌ

يُنادي بِها الناعونَ كُلَّ حُسانِ

يُنادي بِها الناعونَ كُلَّ حُسانِ

O Zaydan, do not go far—that is a little solace

O Zaydan, do not go far, such is an ailment

With which mourners call to every goodly man.

With which the elegists beckon every beauty.

لَكَ الأَثَرُ الباقي وَإِن كُنتَ نائِياً

لَكَ الأَثَرُ الباقي وَإِن كُنتَ نائِياً

فَأَنتَ عَلى رَغمِ المَنِيَّةِ داني

فَأَنتَ عَلى رَغمِ المَنِيَّةِ داني

Your legacy remains, though you are far away;

Yours is the lasting influence, even if you are far,

So, despite death, you are near.

For despite death, you are near.

وَيا قَبرَ زَيدانٍ طَوَيتَ مُؤَرِّخاً

وَيا قَبرَ زَيدانٍ طَوَيتَ مُؤَرِّخاً

تَجَلّى لَهُ ما أَضمَرَ الفَتَيانِ

تَجَلّى لَهُ ما أَضمَرَ الفَتَيانِ

And O grave of Zaydan, you have enfolded a historian

And O Zaydan's grave, you embraced a historian

To whom was revealed what the two youths—day and night—concealed;

To whom the youths' secrets were revealed.

وَعَقلاً وَلوعاً بِالكُنوزِ فَإِنَّهُ

وَعَقلاً وَلوعاً بِالكُنوزِ فَإِنَّهُ

عَلى الدُرِّ غَوّاصٌ بِبَحرِ عُمانِ

عَلى الدُرِّ غَوّاصٌ بِبَحرِ عُمانِ

And a mind enamoured of treasures, for it

And a mind—though passions for riches—for he

Is a pearl-diver in the sea of Oman;

Dove for pearls in Oman's sea.

وَعَزماً شَآمِيّاً لَهُ أَينَما مَضى

وَعَزماً شَآمِيّاً لَهُ أَينَما مَضى

شَبا هِندُوانِيٍّ وَحَدُّ يَماني

شَبا هِندُوانِيٍّ وَحَدُّ يَماني

And a Syrian resolve that, wherever it went, had

And Damascene resolve, wherever he went,

The point of an Indian blade and the edge of a Yemeni one;

The pride of India and the fervor of Yemen.

وَكَفّاً إِذا جالَت عَلى الطِرسِ جَولَةً

وَكَفّاً إِذا جالَت عَلى الطِرسِ جَولَةً

تَمايَلَ إِعجاباً بِها البَلَدانِ

تَمايَلَ إِعجاباً بِها البَلَدانِ

And a hand that, whenever it made a sweep across the page,

And a palm, when it toured the parchments,

Made the two lands sway in admiration of it.

Swaying all countries in awe of it.

أَشادَت بِذِكرِ الراشِدينَ كَأَنَّما

أَشادَت بِذِكرِ الراشِدينَ كَأَنَّما

فَتى القُدسِ مِمّا يُنبِتُ الحَرَمانِ

فَتى القُدسِ مِمّا يُنبِتُ الحَرَمانِ

It exalted the memory of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, as though

It immortalized the Rāshidūn in speech, as if

The youth of Jerusalem had sprung from the Two Sanctuaries.

A Jerusalemite youth, grown from the Haramain.

سَأَلتُ حُماةَ النَثرِ عَدَّ خِلالِهِ

سَأَلتُ حُماةَ النَثرِ عَدَّ خِلالِهِ

فَما لي بِما أَعيا القَريضَ يَدانِ

فَما لي بِما أَعيا القَريضَ يَدانِ

I asked the guardians of prose to count his virtues,

I asked the guardians of prose to count his merits,

For my hands are powerless before what has baffled poetry.

But my poetry fell short of appraising two hands.