تولت فما من مطمع في لقائها

تولت فما من مطمع في لقائها

أمني به الباكين يوم أنتوائها

أمني به الباكين يوم أنتوائها

She has departed; there is no hope of meeting her

She passed away, so there is no longer hope of meeting her,

with which I might console those weeping on the day of her departure.

The one whose passing brought tears to the eyes of mourners.

وقد قدمت ماسرها من صنيعها

وقد قدمت ماسرها من صنيعها

وقد أخرت ماسرني من ثنائها

وقد أخرت ماسرني من ثنائها

She sent ahead the deeds that delighted her,

She brought joy through her character and deeds,

and left behind the praise of her that delighted me.

And caused me sorrow when she stopped praising me.

فمن صان أنثى خوف عار فهذه

فمن صان أنثى خوف عار فهذه

من العار صانت حوتي أوليائها

من العار صانت حوتي أوليائها

Whoever guards a woman for fear of shame—this woman

He who preserves a woman's honor out of fear of shame,

protected her guardians from shame [one word is unclear].

She has preserved my family from dishonor.

فيا قبرها لا فارقتك غمامة

فيا قبرها لا فارقتك غمامة

تبل ثرى ذاك الضريح بمائها

تبل ثرى ذاك الضريح بمائها

O her grave, may a rain cloud never leave you,

Oh her grave! Since you parted from the clouds

wetting the soil of that tomb with its water.

That rained on the soil of that tomb.

فما كنت نعم الصهر في حق مثلها

فما كنت نعم الصهر في حق مثلها

ولا كنت بعلا صالحاً لاجتلائها

ولا كنت بعلا صالحاً لاجتلائها

For you were no worthy in-law to one like her,

I was not the best son-in-law for one like her,

nor a suitable husband to unveil her as a bride.

Nor was I a good husband worthy of her glory.

ولو كان من بالبيت بشر يرتجى

ولو كان من بالبيت بشر يرتجى

ولادة أنثى مثلها في إبائها

ولادة أنثى مثلها في إبائها

Had the man at home been given glad tidings, hoping

If there was a man in the house whose childbearing

for the birth of a girl like her in proud self-respect,

Was expected to birth a girl like her father.

لما ظل مسود المحيا كظيمه

لما ظل مسود المحيا كظيمه

ولا دسها من غيرة في ثرائها

ولا دسها من غيرة في ثرائها

his grief-stricken self would not have remained dark-faced,

My face would not remain darkened by sorrow,

nor buried her in her earth out of jealous pride.

Nor would jealousy place her among the wealthy.

بنفسي من لم تبق للبعل حجة

بنفسي من لم تبق للبعل حجة

ولا لأب في دينها وحيائها

ولا لأب في دينها وحيائها

My life be her ransom, who left her husband no grounds for complaint,

I swear by my soul that there was no argument

nor a father, in her faith and modesty.

Left for a husband or father concerning her religion and shyness.

ومن كلما فكرت فيها وغيرها

ومن كلما فكرت فيها وغيرها

بدا بينها فرق وبين سوائها

بدا بينها فرق وبين سوائها

And she for whom, whenever I considered her and others,

Whenever I think of her and others,

a difference appeared between her and everyone else.

The difference between her and them becomes apparent.

فما سودت وجها ولا فضحت اخا

فما سودت وجها ولا فضحت اخا

بإقبالها من شارع في ردائها

بإقبالها من شارع في ردائها

She never blackened a face or disgraced a brother

She never darkened her face or disgraced a brother

by coming from a street in her cloak.

By going out in her gown in the streets.

ولا برزت من خدرها لتنزه

ولا برزت من خدرها لتنزه

ولا راودت جاراتها من خبائها

ولا راودت جاراتها من خبائها

Nor did she emerge from her curtained chamber for an outing,

She never left her room to go for a walk,

nor coax her women neighbors from her tent.

Or visited her neighbors in their homes.

ولا امتدت الأيدي إليها مشيرة

ولا امتدت الأيدي إليها مشيرة

ولا قيل هذي زينب في نسائها

ولا قيل هذي زينب في نسائها

Nor were hands stretched out to point at her,

No hands gestured toward her,

nor was it said among her womenfolk, “This is Zaynab.”

No one said "This is Zainab among her women."

ولو لم أنوه باسمها بعد موتها

ولو لم أنوه باسمها بعد موتها

لكان خفياً مثله في بقائها

لكان خفياً مثله في بقائها

Had I not made her name known after her death,

If I did not mention her name after her death,

it would have remained hidden, just as it was while she lived.

It would have remained hidden like her in life.

لقد كنت أخفى في الحجاب من السها

لقد كنت أخفى في الحجاب من السها

على مقلة والشمس حال استوائها

على مقلة والشمس حال استوائها

You were indeed more hidden behind your veil than Suhā

I was more hidden in the veil than the stars

to an eye when the sun stands at its zenith.

At the horizon at sunrise.

وارضيتني صونا فياقبر ما الذي

وارضيتني صونا فياقبر ما الذي

ترى زدتني في صونها وخفائها

ترى زدتني في صونها وخفائها

Your guarded modesty pleased me; O grave, what

She pleased me by her modesty. Oh her grave! What

do you think you added for me by guarding and concealing her?

Did you add to her modesty and concealment?

فما رمت إلا أن تصدع مهجة

فما رمت إلا أن تصدع مهجة

شكت داءها حتى شكت من دوائها

شكت داءها حتى شكت من دوائها

You sought nothing but to split a heart

She only wanted to relieve the pain in her body,

that complained of its illness until it complained of its remedy,

Which complained until she complained of its treatment.

تقطعه عمرا بعيش منكد

تقطعه عمرا بعيش منكد

تحكم فيه مسرف في ابتلائها

تحكم فيه مسرف في ابتلائها

spending a lifetime in embittered living,

An austere life cut short her lifespan,

over which one excessive in afflicting it held sway.

Ruled by one excessive in testing her.

فما هذه يانفس دار إقامة

فما هذه يانفس دار إقامة

مقامك في أخرى خذي في بنائها

مقامك في أخرى خذي في بنائها

This, O soul, is no lasting home;

This is not, my soul, a place of residence,

your abode is in another; set about building it.

Your place is in another, so build it.

فقد سبقتنا هذه فرطا لنا

فقد سبقتنا هذه فرطا لنا

ونحن غدا أو بعده من ورائها

ونحن غدا أو بعده من ورائها

She has gone ahead of us as our forerunner,

She preceded us hastily,

and tomorrow, or after that, we shall follow her.

While we tomorrow or the next day follow her.

كساك الردى بعد الثياب من الثرى

كساك الردى بعد الثياب من الثرى

ملابس لا تنضي بغير بلائها

ملابس لا تنضي بغير بلائها

Death clothed you, after your robes, with earth:

Decay clothed you after clothes of soil,

garments you cannot shed except through their decay.

Garments that are not cleaned except by affliction.

وخلفت أطفالا كزعب من القطا

وخلفت أطفالا كزعب من القطا

تدافعهم بالكره أيدى امائها

تدافعهم بالكره أيدى امائها

You left behind children like downy sandgrouse chicks,

She left behind children like ghosts of cats

pushed about, reluctantly, by the hands of her slave women.

Whose hands reluctantly care for them.

لقد ضاع طفل غاب عن عين أمه

لقد ضاع طفل غاب عن عين أمه

وان خلفتها غيرها في اعتنائها

وان خلفتها غيرها في اعتنائها

A child is surely lost when absent from his mother's sight,

A child was lost, absent from his mother’s eye,

even if another takes her place in caring for him.

Even if others replace her in caring for him.

فذاك رباء لا يرى الأب غيره

فذاك رباء لا يرى الأب غيره

ولا يطمعن في طول عمر ربائها

ولا يطمعن في طول عمر ربائها

For that is a nurturer [reading uncertain] for whom the father sees no substitute;

For that is a child who sees no father but him,

nor should he count on her nurturer's long life.

Nor hopes for the longevity of her upbringing him.

وما الموت الا مورد قد تزاحمت

وما الموت الا مورد قد تزاحمت

على حوضه الآجال في غلوائها

على حوضه الآجال في غلوائها

Death is only a watering place, where

Death is but a watering hole crowded

life's appointed ends crowd around its basin in their headlong rush.

By lifetimes in their madness.

فواردة تروى ولاحقة بها

فواردة تروى ولاحقة بها

تعوقها من قبلها باستقائها

تعوقها من قبلها باستقائها

One arriving drinks its fill, while another following it

One drinks and is followed by another

is held back by the one before it drawing water.

Who stops her from drinking before her.

إِلى كم يمنى بالبقا المرؤ نفسه

إِلى كم يمنى بالبقا المرؤ نفسه

أما يستحى ذو شيبة من غوائها

أما يستحى ذو شيبة من غوائها

How long will a man feed himself hopes of lasting life?

To what length does man wish himself a long life?

Is a grey-haired man not ashamed of his soul's waywardness?

Should not one with grey hair be shy of madness?

وما الشيب إلا منذر قد نعى الفتى

وما الشيب إلا منذر قد نعى الفتى

إلى نفسه لو أبصرت من عمائها

إلى نفسه لو أبصرت من عمائها

Grey hair is only a warner that has announced the young man's death

Grey hair is but a warner announcing to the youth,

to his own soul—if only it could see through its blindness.

If he could see through its blindness.