لا وَالأَسى وَتَلَهُّبِ الأَحشاءِ

لا وَالأَسى وَتَلَهُّبِ الأَحشاءِ

ما باتَ بَعدَكَ مُعجَبٌ بِوَفاءِ

ما باتَ بَعدَكَ مُعجَبٌ بِوَفاءِ

No—by grief and the burning of the entrails,

No, for yearning and for flaming heart,

After you, none remains an admirer of fidelity.

None who lived since you left was true to faith.

أَنّى حَلَلتُ أَرى عَلَيكَ مَآتِماً

أَنّى حَلَلتُ أَرى عَلَيكَ مَآتِماً

فَلِمَن أُوَجِّهُ فيكَ حُسنَ عَزائي

فَلِمَن أُوَجِّهُ فيكَ حُسنَ عَزائي

Wherever I alight, I see gatherings mourning you;

How can I endure to see you shrouded?

So to whom shall I offer my finest condolences for you?

For whom shall I shape my dirge of praise:

لِبَنيكَ أَم لِذَويكَ أَم لِلكَونِ أَم

لِبَنيكَ أَم لِذَويكَ أَم لِلكَونِ أَم

لِلدَهرِ أَم لِجَماعَةِ الجَوزاءِ

لِلدَهرِ أَم لِجَماعَةِ الجَوزاءِ

To your sons, or your kin, or the universe, or

Your kin, or yours, or for all humankind,

To Time, or to the company of al-Jawza's stars?

Or for all time, or this November's folk?

أَودى سُلَيمانٌ فَأَودى بَعدَهُ

أَودى سُلَيمانٌ فَأَودى بَعدَهُ

حُسنُ الوَفاءِ وَبَهجَةُ العَلياءِ

حُسنُ الوَفاءِ وَبَهجَةُ العَلياءِ

Sulayman has perished, and after him have perished

Solomon died and passed, and with him died

The beauty of fidelity and the splendor of greatness.

Fair constancy and grace of high estate.

لا تَحمِلوهُ عَلى الرِقابِ فَقَد كَفى

لا تَحمِلوهُ عَلى الرِقابِ فَقَد كَفى

ما حُمِّلَت مِن مِنَّةٍ وَعَطاءِ

ما حُمِّلَت مِن مِنَّةٍ وَعَطاءِ

Do not carry him upon your necks; enough is

Bear him not on your necks - he scarce would brook

What they have borne of favors and bounty.

The honor that you did him while he lived.

وَذَروا عَلى نَهرِ المَدامِعِ نَعشَهُ

وَذَروا عَلى نَهرِ المَدامِعِ نَعشَهُ

يَسري بِهِ لِلرَوضَةِ الفَيحاءِ

يَسري بِهِ لِلرَوضَةِ الفَيحاءِ

And leave his bier upon the river of tears;

Leave him to float upon the stream of tears

It will bear him to the spacious garden.

That bears him on to gardens sweet with air.

تَاللَهِ لَو عَلِمَت بِهِ أَعوادُهُ

تَاللَهِ لَو عَلِمَت بِهِ أَعوادُهُ

مُذ لامَسَتهُ لَأَورَقَت لِلرائي

مُذ لامَسَتهُ لَأَورَقَت لِلرائي

By God, had its wooden poles known him

By God, if once his boughs that bear him felt,

When they touched him, they would have put forth leaves for the beholder.

Since first they touched him, they'd turn fresh again for any seer.

خُلُقٌ كَضَوءِ البَدرِ أَو كَالرَوضِ أَو

خُلُقٌ كَضَوءِ البَدرِ أَو كَالرَوضِ أَو

كَالزَهرِ أَو كَالخَمرِ أَو كَالماءِ

كَالزَهرِ أَو كَالخَمرِ أَو كَالماءِ

A character like the full moon's light, or like a garden, or

A nature like the moon in splendor, or

Like blossoms, or like wine, or like water;

A garden, or a blossom, or wine, or pure

وَشَمائِلٌ لَو مازَجَت طَبعَ الدُجى

وَشَمائِلٌ لَو مازَجَت طَبعَ الدُجى

ما باتَ يَشكوهُ المُحِبُّ النائي

ما باتَ يَشكوهُ المُحِبُّ النائي

And qualities that, had they mingled with night's nature,

Clear water; and a face that, if it mingled

The distant lover would not spend the night lamenting it.

With darkest night, the lovelorn far apart

وَمَحامِدٌ نَسَجَت لَهُ أَكفانَهُ

وَمَحامِدٌ نَسَجَت لَهُ أَكفانَهُ

مِن عِفَّةٍ وَسَماحَةٍ وَإِباءِ

مِن عِفَّةٍ وَسَماحَةٍ وَإِباءِ

And praiseworthy qualities that wove his shrouds for him

Would still complain that it was hidden from him.

From chastity, generosity, and proud self-respect;

His winding sheet is woven of decency,

وَمَناقِبٌ لَولا المَهابَةُ وَالتُقى

وَمَناقِبٌ لَولا المَهابَةُ وَالتُقى

قُلنا مَناقِبُ صاحِبِ الإِسراءِ

قُلنا مَناقِبُ صاحِبِ الإِسراءِ

And merits that, but for reverence and piety,

Generosity, and brave endurance. And his virtues,

We would call the merits of him who made the Night Journey;

Did we not fear to blaspheme, were those the Prophet had

وَعَزائِمٌ كانَت تَفُلُّ عَزائِمَ ال

وَعَزائِمٌ كانَت تَفُلُّ عَزائِمَ ال

أَحداثِ وَالأَيّامِ وَالأَعداءِ

أَحداثِ وَالأَيّامِ وَالأَعداءِ

And resolves that would blunt the resolves of the

the night he made his way to heaven from us. His resolves

Calamities, the days, and the foes.

Put to shame whims of youths, of time and enemies.

عَطَّلتَ فَنَّ الشِعرِ بَعدَكَ وَاِنطَوى

عَطَّلتَ فَنَّ الشِعرِ بَعدَكَ وَاِنطَوى

أَجَلُ القَريضِ وَمَوسِمُ الشُعَراءِ

أَجَلُ القَريضِ وَمَوسِمُ الشُعَراءِ

You have left poetry's art idle after you; ended are

You've paralyzed poetry since you left, made vain

The life of verse and the season of poets.

The art of verse and seasons of the poets.

وَاللُؤلُؤُ اِستَعصى عَلَينا نَظمُهُ

وَاللُؤلُؤُ اِستَعصى عَلَينا نَظمُهُ

بِسُموطِ مَدحٍ أَو سُموطِ هَناءِ

بِسُموطِ مَدحٍ أَو سُموطِ هَناءِ

And stringing pearls has proved too difficult for us

Pearls beyond all price that once we strung no longer

Into necklaces of praise or necklaces of congratulation,

Come to our call with necklaces of praise or pleasure.

إِلّا عَلى طَرفٍ بَكاكَ وَشاعِرٍ

إِلّا عَلى طَرفٍ بَكاكَ وَشاعِرٍ

أَحيا عَلَيكَ مَراثِيَ الخَنساءِ

أَحيا عَلَيكَ مَراثِيَ الخَنساءِ

Save for an eye that wept for you, and a poet

Only the weeping eye of some pure bard

Who revived al-Khansa's elegies in mourning you.

Brings you the elegies of El-Khansa.

شَوَّقتَنا لِلتُربِ بَعدَكَ وَاِشتَهى

شَوَّقتَنا لِلتُربِ بَعدَكَ وَاِشتَهى

فيهِ الإِقامَةَ واحِدُ العَذراءِ

فيهِ الإِقامَةَ واحِدُ العَذراءِ

You made us yearn for the dust after you, and one longed

Since you went from us we've yearned for earth to hide us,

To dwell in it—the Virgin's only one.

And him who had but one life set his heart on a grave.

ثَبِّت فُؤادَكَ يا قَليلَ تَصَبُّري

ثَبِّت فُؤادَكَ يا قَليلَ تَصَبُّري

وَاِشرَح لِآلِ أَباظَةٍ بُرَحائي

وَاِشرَح لِآلِ أَباظَةٍ بُرَحائي

Steady your heart, O my scant patience,

Comfort your heart, though little it can he comforted,

And explain my anguish to the house of Abaza.

And tell El-Abaza's folk the little left them of my solace.

في جَنَّةِ الفِردَوسِ باتَ عَزيزُهُم

في جَنَّةِ الفِردَوسِ باتَ عَزيزُهُم

ضَيفاً بِساحَةِ أَكرَمِ الكُرَماءِ

ضَيفاً بِساحَةِ أَكرَمِ الكُرَماءِ

In the garden of Paradise their beloved now dwells,

In Paradise their precious one's a guest

A guest in the courtyard of the most generous of the generous.

In the pavilion of the noblest of the noble.