أنُوحُI lament علىover نَفْسِيmy soul وأَندبُand bewail نُبْلَهَاits nobility
أنُوحُ على نَفْسِي وأَندبُ نُبْلَهَا
إِذاwhen أَناI فيin الضَّرَّاءِadversity أَزمعْتُI resolve قتلَهَاto kill it
إِذا أَنا في الضَّرَّاءِ أَزمعْتُ قتلَهَا
I lament my soul and mourn its nobility,
When, in adversity, I resolve to kill it.
رضيتُI have accepted قضاءَthe decree اللَّهِof God فيin كُلِّevery حالةcircumstance
رضيتُ قضاءَ اللَّهِ في كُلِّ حالة
عليَّupon me وأَحكاماًand judgments تيقَّنْتُI know for certain عدلَهَاtheir justice
عليَّ وأَحكاماً تيقَّنْتُ عدلَهَا
I have accepted God's decree in every circumstance,
And judgments upon me whose justice I know for certain.
أَظلُّI remain قَعيدconfined to الدّارِthe house تجنُبُنيleads me along العصاthe staff
أَظلُّ قَعيد الدّارِ تجنُبُني العصا
علىon ضَعْفِweakness ساقٍa leg أَوْهَنhas weakened السُّقْمُsickness رِجلَهَاits foot
على ضَعْفِ ساقٍ أَوْهَن السُّقْمُ رِجلَهَا
I remain housebound, a staff leading me along,
On a feeble leg whose foot sickness has weakened.
وأَنْعىand I bewail خسيساتِpetty failings ابْنِthe son of آدمAdam عاملاًworking
وأَنْعى خسيساتِ ابْنِ آدم عاملاً
براحَةِwith a palm طِفْلof a child أَحكمhas honed الضُّرُّaffliction نَصْلَهَاits blade
براحَةِ طِفْل أَحكم الضُّرُّ نَصْلَهَا
And I bewail the petty failings of Adam's son, working
With a child's palm whose blade affliction has honed.
أَلاAh رُبَّmany a خَصمٍfoe قدindeed كفيتI have warded off وكُرْبةٍand a hardship
أَلا رُبَّ خَصمٍ قد كفيت وكُرْبةٍ
كشفْتُI have dispelled ودارٍand a household كُنْتُI was فيin المحْلِdrought وبلُهَاits downpour
كشفْتُ ودارٍ كُنْتُ في المحْلِ وبلُهَا
Ah, many a foe I have warded off, and many a hardship
I have dispelled, and many a household whose downpour I was in drought.
ورُبَّand many a قَريضٍpoem كالجرِيضِlike a choking mouthful بعثْتهُI sent it
ورُبَّ قَريضٍ كالجرِيضِ بعثْتهُ
إِلىto خُطْبةٍan address لاnot يُنْكِرُdenies الجمْعُthe assembly فَضْلَهَاits excellence
إِلى خُطْبةٍ لا يُنْكِرُ الجمْعُ فَضْلَهَا
And many a poem, like a choking mouthful, I have sent
To an address whose excellence the assembly does not deny.
فمنso who مُبْلِغُwill tell الفِتْيانِthe young men أَنَّthat أَخاهُمُtheir brother
فمن مُبْلِغُ الفِتْيانِ أَنَّ أَخاهُمُ
أَخُوa victim of فَتكةٍa deadly assault شَنْعَاءَhideous ماnot كانَhe was شكْلَهَاfit for it
أَخُو فَتكةٍ شَنْعَاءَ ما كانَ شكْلَهَا
Who, then, will tell the young men that their brother
Has suffered a hideous assault that did not befit him?
علَيْكُمُupon you سلامٌpeace مِنfrom فَتًىa youth عضَّهُhas bitten him الرَّدىdeath
علَيْكُمُ سلامٌ مِن فَتًى عضَّهُ الرَّدى
ولمand has not ينْسforgotten عينْاًan eye أَثْبتَتْlodged فيهin him نَبْلَهَاits arrows
ولم ينْس عينْاً أَثْبتَتْ فيه نَبْلَهَا
Peace be upon you from a youth whom death has bitten,
Who has not forgotten an eye that lodged its arrows in him.
يُبِينُhe departs وكَفُّwhile the hand الموْتِof death يَخْلَعُwrenches out نَفْسهhis soul
يُبِينُ وكَفُّ الموْتِ يَخْلَعُ نَفْسه
وداخلُهَاand within it حُبٌّa love يهوِّنُeases ثُكْلَهاgrief at its loss
وداخلُهَا حُبٌّ يهوِّنُ ثُكْلَها
He departs, while death's hand wrenches out his soul,
And within it is a love that eases the grief of its loss.