قطع الزمان يمينه بيمينه

قطع الزمان يمينه بيمينه

وفقا بأصبعه عيون عيونه

وفقا بأصبعه عيون عيونه

Time severed its right hand with its own right hand,

The days have severed their oath with their oaths,

and with its finger gouged out the pupils of its eyes.

And misled with their fingers, eyes upon eyes.

أغرى بأم المؤمنين صروفه

أغرى بأم المؤمنين صروفه

عمداً وجرعهم كؤس منونه

عمداً وجرعهم كؤس منونه

It set its vicissitudes upon the Mother of the Believers,

They have tempted the Mother of the Believers with their turns,

deliberately, and made them drink the cups of its death-dealing fate.

Deliberately, and made them drink the cup of their sorrows.

يادهر تدرى من نقلت إِلى الثرى

يادهر تدرى من نقلت إِلى الثرى

وقطعت بالحدثان حبل وتينه

وقطعت بالحدثان حبل وتينه

O Time, do you know whom you carried to the earth,

O days, do you know whom you have transferred to the soil,

and with calamities severed the cord of their life-vein?

And severed with events, the rope and its twine?

أخرجت من برج الخلافة شمسها

أخرجت من برج الخلافة شمسها

وفجعت فيها الليث وسط عرينه

وفجعت فيها الليث وسط عرينه

You drew the caliphate's sun out of its tower,

You have brought out from the tower of the Caliphate its sun,

and through her loss bereaved the lion in the midst of his den.

And anguished therein the lion amidst its lair.

كانت له نعم القرين المرتضى

كانت له نعم القرين المرتضى

من ذا يهون عليه فقد قرينه

من ذا يهون عليه فقد قرينه

She was to him an excellent, cherished companion;

She was to him the best companion, Al-Murtada,

who can lightly bear the loss of their companion?

Who would make light of losing such a companion?

إلفين ما افترقا وكل منهما

إلفين ما افترقا وكل منهما

مغرى بقرب أليفه وخدينه

مغرى بقرب أليفه وخدينه

Two companions who never parted, and each of them

The two were intimate, never separated, each of them

was enamored of nearness to their beloved and confidant.

Tempted by the nearness of his beloved and cheeks.

فرقت بينهما فراقاً طعمه

فرقت بينهما فراقاً طعمه

مر المذاقة لا لقا من دونه

مر المذاقة لا لقا من دونه

You parted them with a parting whose taste

You separated them with a separation, its taste

is bitter to taste, with no reunion this side of it.

Bitter as colocynth, no less than it.

يا حسرتاه لنازح عن حبه

يا حسرتاه لنازح عن حبه

تحت التراب موسداً ليمينه

تحت التراب موسداً ليمينه

Alas for one far removed from their beloved,

Oh what sorrow for the companion moving away from his love,

beneath the earth, pillowed on their right side!

Below the soil, resting his right side!

تركت نمارقها الرفيعة خلفها

تركت نمارقها الرفيعة خلفها

ووسائد الفرش الوطي ولينه

ووسائد الفرش الوطي ولينه

She left her lofty cushions behind her,

She left behind her lofty curtains,

and the pillows of the yielding bed, and its softness.

And the pillows of luxurious furnishings and softness.

واليوم تحت الترب أضحى شخصها

واليوم تحت الترب أضحى شخصها

ملقى على رمل الصعيد وطينه

ملقى على رمل الصعيد وطينه

And today, beneath the dust, her body is

And today beneath the soil her figure lies

cast upon the earth's sand and clay,

Cast upon the sands of the plain and its mud.

مدفونة بين الجنادل والثرى

مدفونة بين الجنادل والثرى

في منزل نفسي فداء دفينه

في منزل نفسي فداء دفينه

buried among boulders and dust,

Buried between the planks and the soil,

in a dwelling—my soul a ransom for its buried one!

In a place - my soul is ransom for its buried one!

خطب يجل عن العزا ورزية

خطب يجل عن العزا ورزية

عقل الفتى فيها دليل جنونه

عقل الفتى فيها دليل جنونه

A calamity beyond consolation, a bereavement

Eloquence is too majestic for condolences and bereavement,

in which a man's sanity is proof of his madness.

The intellect of the young man in it is proof of his madness.

ياطول عمر الحزن فينا بعد من

ياطول عمر الحزن فينا بعد من

قد كان ينفي الحرزن عن محزونه

قد كان ينفي الحرزن عن محزونه

How long sorrow will live among us after the one

O long live sorrow in us after one

who used to banish sorrow from the one afflicted by it!

Who used to dispel sorrow from the grieved!

مالي وللصبر الجميل وإن بي

مالي وللصبر الجميل وإن بي

حزن يقل الصبر عن تهوينه

حزن يقل الصبر عن تهوينه

What have I to do with noble patience, when within me

What is it to me and beautiful patience, even if in me

is a sorrow that patience cannot ease?

There is a sorrow that lessens patience from consoling it?

قل للعذول يكف فضل لسانه

قل للعذول يكف فضل لسانه

عني فإني لا أدين بدينه

عني فإني لا أدين بدينه

Tell the reproacher to hold back his tongue's excess

Tell the critic to restrain the excess of his tongue

from me, for I do not follow his creed.

From me, for I am not indebted to his religion.

ما للخلي وللشجي يلومه

ما للخلي وللشجي يلومه

في حزنه وحنينه وأنينه

في حزنه وحنينه وأنينه

What business has the carefree with the grieving, to reproach him

What is it to the wound and the ache that blames it

for his grief, his longing, and his groans?

In its sorrow, yearning, and moaning?

كيف السلو وتحت أطباق الثرى

كيف السلو وتحت أطباق الثرى

من قد علمت بلى الثرى بجبينه

من قد علمت بلى الثرى بجبينه

How can there be solace, while beneath layers of earth

How can there be solace while beneath the slabs of soil

lies the one you know, with earth's decay upon their brow?

Is one whom I know the soil recognizes through her forehead?

أم كيف يسلو المستهام وقلبه

أم كيف يسلو المستهام وقلبه

في أسر مأسور الضريح رهينة

في أسر مأسور الضريح رهينة

Or how can the love-stricken find solace, when his heart

Or how can one whose heart is captive, imprisoned

is a hostage in thrall to the captive of the tomb?

In the tomb, find comfort?

يادرة كان المليك يصونها

يادرة كان المليك يصونها

يا عينه الحورا وحورا عينه

يا عينه الحورا وحورا عينه

O pearl whom the king once guarded,

O pearl! The King used to protect her,

O his lovely dark eye, and the houri of his eye!

The apple of his eye and an houris' eye as well!

تالله يقضى بعض حقك من بكا

تالله يقضى بعض حقك من بكا

لو بالدماء جرت شؤن جفونه

لو بالدماء جرت شؤن جفونه

By God, a weeper would repay but part of your due,

By God, your right is not fulfilled by some

if his eyelids' tear-ducts flowed with blood.

Weeping, unless blood flows from their eyelids!

ما أبصرت عيناي بعدك باقياً

ما أبصرت عيناي بعدك باقياً

إلا يلوح العذر فوق جبينه

إلا يلوح العذر فوق جبينه

My eyes have seen no one left alive after you

My eyes have not seen anything lasting after you

without an excuse appearing upon his brow.

Unless remorse appears upon its forehead.

حلف الفواد من التلسلى بعدكم

حلف الفواد من التلسلى بعدكم

فحفاه محتاطاً لبرء يمينه

فحفاه محتاطاً لبرء يمينه

The heart swore off consolation after you,

The heart has sworn since you left never to be consoled,

so it shunned it, intent on fulfilling its oath.

So it has been enveloped, protecting its oath.

أني لا نهى الدمع عن جريانه

أني لا نهى الدمع عن جريانه

إذ كان فيه راحة لحزينه

إذ كان فيه راحة لحزينه

I surely forbid the tears from flowing,

I do not forbid my tears from flowing

since they bring relief to the sorrow-stricken.

For in them is respite for the grieved one.

لم يدر قبرك ماحواه بل درا

لم يدر قبرك ماحواه بل درا

بالأمر من أنهاره وعيونه

بالأمر من أنهاره وعيونه

Your grave did not know what it held, but learned

Your grave did not know what it contained, but it knew

the truth from its rivers and springs.

The command from its rivers and springs.

فتحت إليه من الجنان مسالك

فتحت إليه من الجنان مسالك

فالحور والولدان في مضمونه

فالحور والولدان في مضمونه

Paths from Paradise were opened to it,

Pathways to it from the Gardens have opened,

so houris and youths are contained within it.

So houris and young boys are in its guarantee.

أعمالك الحسنى لديك فكم به

أعمالك الحسنى لديك فكم به

من فرض صالحها ومن مسنونه

من فرض صالحها ومن مسنونه

Your good deeds are with you—how many it holds,

Your good deeds are with you, so through them

both righteous obligations and recommended works!

How many religious obligations done and voluntary!

يامن يجل عن العزاء جلاله

يامن يجل عن العزاء جلاله

أوامره بالصبر أو تحسينه

أوامره بالصبر أو تحسينه

O you whose majesty is above consolation,

O You whose loftiness is beyond condolences,

or exhortations to patience, or praise of it:

His commands are with patience or excellence.

لاشيء يخفى عن ذكائك علمه

لاشيء يخفى عن ذكائك علمه

ظن اللبيب لديه عين يقينه

ظن اللبيب لديه عين يقينه

nothing is beyond the knowledge of your keen mind;

Nothing is hidden from the knowledge of Your wisdom,

a discerning man's conjecture is, to him, certainty itself.

The assumption of the sensible one in it is the eye of certainty.

أنت الغني بحلمه وبعلمه

أنت الغني بحلمه وبعلمه

بالدهر في حركاته وسكونه

بالدهر في حركاته وسكونه

You are self-sufficient through your forbearance and your knowledge

You are Self-Sufficient in Your Forbearance and Knowledge,

of Time, in its movements and its stillness.

Of days in their movements and stillness.

وإذا أمرؤ عزاك كان كاكمه

وإذا أمرؤ عزاك كان كاكمه

قد رام يهدى مبصراً بعيونه

قد رام يهدى مبصراً بعيونه

And if a man consoles you, he is like one blind from birth,

And when one consoles You, it is as though he

trying to guide a sighted man with his own eyes.

Wants to guide, seeing with his eyes.

أبقاك ربي للأنام فإن في

أبقاك ربي للأنام فإن في

طول البقاء لك البقاء لدينه

طول البقاء لك البقاء لدينه

May my Lord preserve you for mankind, for in

May my Lord sustain you for the people, for in

your long life lies the endurance of His religion.

The length of survival is survival for His religion.