دَانَتْ بِهَجْر الدُّنى للّهِ وازْدَلَفَت

دَانَتْ بِهَجْر الدُّنى للّهِ وازْدَلَفَت

كَريمَة المُنتمَى مرْضِيّةَ القُرَبِ

كَريمَة المُنتمَى مرْضِيّةَ القُرَبِ

She submitted to God by forsaking worldly things and drew near,

She turned away from the vanities of this world, drawing near to God

Noble in lineage, well-pleasing in her acts of devotion.

A generous protector, pleasing in her kinship

قَوّامة الليلِ مَحْنِيا عَلى خَصَرٍ

قَوّامة الليلِ مَحْنِيا عَلى خَصَرٍ

صَوّامة اليَوْم مَطْوياً عَلى لَهَبِ

صَوّامة اليَوْم مَطْوياً عَلى لَهَبِ

Constant in nightly prayer, with the night bowed over cold,

Staying up late at night, bent over her midsection

Constant in daytime fasting, with the day folded over flame.

Fasting in the day, folded over the flame

تَبَايَنتْ واليَتامى هُنّ في رغَب

تَبَايَنتْ واليَتامى هُنّ في رغَب

لِمَا تَعَوّدْنَ مِنها وَهي فِي رَهَبِ

لِمَا تَعَوّدْنَ مِنها وَهي فِي رَهَبِ

She and the orphan girls differed: they were filled with longing

The orphans differed with her while they were in need

For what they were accustomed to receiving from her, while she was filled with fear.

Of what they were accustomed to receiving from her while she was in devotion

لَوْ أن آثَارها تُحصَى لَمَا كَتبَتْ

لَوْ أن آثَارها تُحصَى لَمَا كَتبَتْ

سِوى مَآثِرها الأقْلامُ في الكُتُبِ

سِوى مَآثِرها الأقْلامُ في الكُتُبِ

Were her deeds to be counted, nothing would be written

If her traces were counted, nothing would be written

By pens in books except her noble deeds.

Except her brilliant deeds in books

نقُول في خطبها المُلقي طَلْعَتَهُ

نقُول في خطبها المُلقي طَلْعَتَهُ

إنّا بَكَيْناهُ بِالأشْعَارِ والخُطَبِ

إنّا بَكَيْناهُ بِالأشْعَارِ والخُطَبِ

We say of her calamity, which has shown its face:

We say in our speeches, the orator launched his debut

Indeed, we have wept for it with poems and orations.

That we cried over him with poetry and sermons

فَلَوْ عَقَلْنَا عقَلنا عَنهُ ألسُننا

فَلَوْ عَقَلْنَا عقَلنا عَنهُ ألسُننا

لكِنّها سُنَةٌ في شِرْعَة الأدبِ

لكِنّها سُنَةٌ في شِرْعَة الأدبِ

So, had we been wise, we would have restrained our tongues from speaking of it;

If only our tongues were silent about him as our minds were

But it is a custom in the law of letters.

But this is the tradition in the etiquette of literature