أَمِثلُ قِرواشٍ يَذوقُ الرَدى

أَمِثلُ قِرواشٍ يَذوقُ الرَدى

يا صاحِ ما أَوقَحَ وَجهَ الحِمام

يا صاحِ ما أَوقَحَ وَجهَ الحِمام

Does one like Qirwash taste death?

Like a sparrow sipping dew,

O friend, how brazen is the face of death!

Friend, how shameless is the face of the dove!

حاشا لِذاكَ الوَجهِ أَن يَعرِف ال

حاشا لِذاكَ الوَجهِ أَن يَعرِف ال

بُؤسَ وَأَن يُحثى عَلَيهِ الرَغام

بُؤسَ وَأَن يُحثى عَلَيهِ الرَغام

Far be it from that face to know

Far be it from that face to know misery

misery, or to have dust heaped upon it;

Or be pelted with pebbles.

وَلِلجَبِينِ الصَلتِ أَن يُسلَبَ البَه

وَلِلجَبِينِ الصَلتِ أَن يُسلَبَ البَه

جَةَ أَو يَعدَمَ حُسنَ الوَسام

جَةَ أَو يَعدَمَ حُسنَ الوَسام

and from that smooth brow to be stripped of splen-

Far be it from that graceful brow

dor, or to lose its handsome looks.

To be stripped of its beauty and grace.

يا أَسَفَ الناسِ عَلى ماجِدٍ

يا أَسَفَ الناسِ عَلى ماجِدٍ

ماتَ فَقالَ الناسُ ماتَ الكِرام

ماتَ فَقالَ الناسُ ماتَ الكِرام

Oh, the people's grief for a noble man!

Alas, people lamented for the death of Majid,

He died, and the people said, “The noble have died.”

Saying the noble has died.

غَيرُ بَعِيدٍ يا بَعِيدَ المَدى

غَيرُ بَعِيدٍ يا بَعِيدَ المَدى

وَلا ذَميمٍ يا وَفِيَّ الذِمام

وَلا ذَميمٍ يا وَفِيَّ الذِمام

Not distant, O far-reaching one,

Not far, O Far One,

nor blameworthy, O keeper of pledges.

Nor despicable, O Faithful Protector.

زُلتَ فَلا القَصرُ بِهِيُّ وَلا

زُلتَ فَلا القَصرُ بِهِيُّ وَلا

بابُكَ مَعمُورٌ كَثِيرُ الزِحام

بابُكَ مَعمُورٌ كَثِيرُ الزِحام

You are gone: the palace is not splendid, nor

You stumbled, so neither is the palace joyful,

is your gate frequented and thronged with crowds.

Nor is your gate thronged with crowds.

وَلا الخِيامُ البِيضُ مَنصُوبَةٌ

وَلا الخِيامُ البِيضُ مَنصُوبَةٌ

بُورِكتَ يا ناصِبَ تِلكَ الخِيام

بُورِكتَ يا ناصِبَ تِلكَ الخِيام

Nor are the white tents pitched.

Nor are the white tents pitched,

May you be blessed, O you who pitched those tents!

Blessed are you who pitched those tents.

قُبحاً لِدُنيا حَطَّمَت أَهلَها

قُبحاً لِدُنيا حَطَّمَت أَهلَها

وَآخَذَتهُم بِاكتِسابِ الحُطام

وَآخَذَتهُم بِاكتِسابِ الحُطام

Shame on a world that shattered its people

Evil upon a world that destroyed its people

and punished them for acquiring worldly dross.

And took them in gaining wreckage.

تَأخُذُ ما تُعطي فَما بِالُنا

تَأخُذُ ما تُعطي فَما بِالُنا

نُكثِرُ فِيما لا يَدُومُ الخِصام

نُكثِرُ فِيما لا يَدُومُ الخِصام

It takes what it gives; why, then, do we

It takes what it gives, so why do we

quarrel so much over what does not last?

Prolong conflict in what does not last?

يا قَبرَ قَرواشٍ سُقِيتَ الحَيا

يا قَبرَ قَرواشٍ سُقِيتَ الحَيا

وَلا تَعَدَّتكَ غَوادِي الرِهام

وَلا تَعَدَّتكَ غَوادِي الرِهام

O grave of Qirwash, may you be watered with rain,

O Qarwash's grave, you were watered with life

and may the gentle morning showers never pass you by.

And no floods of destruction swept over you.

قَضى وَلَم أَقضِ عَلى إِثرِهِ

قَضى وَلَم أَقضِ عَلى إِثرِهِ

إِنّي لِمَن مَعرُوفِهِ ذُو احتِشام

إِنّي لِمَن مَعرُوفِهِ ذُو احتِشام

He died, yet I did not die in his wake;

He passed and I have not passed in his wake,

indeed, I am ashamed because of his kindness.

For I am modest towards those I owe gratitude.

أَقُولُ شِعراً وَالجَوى شاغِلِي

أَقُولُ شِعراً وَالجَوى شاغِلِي

يا عَجَباً كَيفَ اِستَقامَ الكَلام

يا عَجَباً كَيفَ اِستَقامَ الكَلام

I utter verse while burning grief preoccupies me;

I recite poetry while love preoccupies me,

Oh, wonder! How did the words hold together?

How strange that the words came out coherent.