1. نَبيتُ على عِلْمٍ يَقينٍ من الدّهْرِ

    ونعْلَمُ أنّ الخَلْقَ في قبْضَةِ القَهْرِ

    We pass our nights with certain knowledge of Time,

    and know that all creation lies in the grip of irresistible power.

  2. ونرْكَنُ للدُّنْيا اغْتِراراً بلَهْوِها

    وحسْبُكَ مَنْ يرْجو الوَفاءَ منَ الغَدْرِ

    Yet we trust in this world, beguiled by its amusements,

    and enough for you is one who hopes for loyalty from treachery.

  3. ونَمْطُلُ بالعزْمِ الزّمانَ سَفاهةً

    فيوْمٌ الى يوم وشهْرٌ الى شهْرِ

    And foolishly we keep Time waiting for our resolve:

    one day added to another, and one month to another.

  4. ونُغْري بما يَفْنى المَطامِعَ والهَوى

    ونرْفُضُ ما يَبْقى فيا ضيْعَةَ العُمْر

    We entice our ambitions and desires with what perishes,

    and reject what endures—alas for a lifetime wasted!

  5. وندْفَعُ أحْباباً كِرامًا الى الرّدى

    ونسْلو ونلْهو بعْدَ ذاكَ عنِ الأمْرِ

    We deliver noble loved ones to death,

    and afterward forget and amuse ourselves, turning away from the matter.

  6. هوَ الدّهْرُ لا يَبْقى على حَدَثانِهِ

    جَديدٌ ولا ينْفَكُّ عنْ حادِثٍ نُكْرِ

    Such is Time: through its vicissitudes nothing remains

    new, nor is it ever free of a dreadful event.

  7. وبيْنَ الخُطوبِ الطّارِقاتِ تَفاضُلٌ

    كفَضْلِ مَنِ اغْتالَتْهُ في رِفْعَةِ القَدْرِ

    And the calamities that strike differ in degree,

    according to the lofty standing of those they strike down.

  8. ألَمْ ترَ أنّ المجْدَ أقْوَت رُبوعُهُ

    وصوّحَ منْ أدْواحِهِ كلَّ مخْضَرِّ

    Have you not seen that glory's dwellings lie deserted,

    and every green bough of its spreading trees has withered?

  9. ولاحَتْ على وجْهِ العَلاءِ كآبةٌ

    فقطّبَ منْ بعْدِ الطّلاقَةِ والبِشْرِ

    Sorrow has appeared upon the face of eminence,

    so it frowned after its smiles and cheer.

  10. أمَوْلاتَنا الكُبْرى وفاؤكِ أنّنا

    بَرينا الى الأشْجانِ منْ شيمَة الصّبْرِ

    O our greatest lady, our faithfulness to you is that we

    have turned to grief, renouncing the habit of patience.

  11. فقَدْناكِ لا فَقَدَ النّواظر نورَها

    وكُنْتِ لنا نوراً يُضيءُ لمَنْ يَسْري

    We have lost you—may eyes never lose their light—

    and you were a light for us, illuminating those who travel by night.

  12. عجِبْتُ لمُغْتالِ الرّدى كيْفَ لمْ يُرَعْ

    لمَنزِلِكِ المحْفوفِ بالنّهْيِ والأمْرِ

    I marveled at death, the stealthy slayer—how was it not awed

    by your abode, surrounded by prohibition and command?

  13. وكيْفَ انْبَرى صرْفُ الحِمامِ مصَمِّماً

    خِلالَ الصِّفاحِ البيضِ والأسَلِ السُّمْرِ

    And how did the stroke of death advance with firm intent

    through white sword-blades and brown spear-shafts?

  14. سُتورٌ منَ الدّينِ المَتينِ كثيفَةٌ

    وكمْ دونَها للمُلْكِ والعِزِّ منْ سِتْرِ

    There were dense veils of steadfast faith,

    and how many veils of kingship and might stood before them!

  15. نعِدُّ الرِّماحَ المشْرَفيّة والقَنى

    ويَطْرُقُ أمْرُ اللهِ من حيث لا ندْري

    We prepare the Mashrafi spears and the lances,

    yet God's decree comes knocking from where we do not know.

  16. هوَ الدّهْرُ يجْري في البريّةِ حُكْمُهُ

    فعِزُّ الغِنى سِيّانِ أو ذِلّةُ الفَقْرِ

    Such is Time: its rule prevails throughout creation,

    so wealth's honor or poverty's humiliation make no difference.

  17. رَمَي تُبَّعاً بالحَتْفِ قصْداً فلمْ يكُنْ

    لأتْباعِهِ في ذلكَ الخَطْبِ منْ نصْرِ

    It deliberately struck Tubba' with death, and there was no

    help for his followers in that calamity.

  18. وأرْدَى أنُوشِرْوانُ كِسْرى بصَرْفِهِ

    كَسيراً ولم يتْرُكْ لقَيْصَرَ من قصْرِ

    And through its reversals it laid Anushirwan, Kisra, low,

    broken, and left Caesar no palace.

  19. لقدْ فُجعَ الإسْلامُ منْكِ وأهْلُهُ

    بذُخْرٍ بَعيدِ الصّيتِ مُشْتَهِرِ الذِّكْرِ

    Truly, Islam and its people have been bereaved of you,

    a treasure renowned far and wide, whose name was celebrated,

  20. وواحِدَةٍ فاقَتْ نِساءَ زَمانِها

    كَما فضَلَتْ أمْثالَها ليلةُ القَدْرِ

    and a peerless woman who surpassed the women of her time,

    as the Night of Decree surpassed its peers.

  21. وهلْ خفَضَ التّأنيثُ للشّمْسِ رُتْبةً

    وهلْ رفَعَ التّذْكيرُ منْ رُتْبَةِ البَدْرِ

    Has feminine gender lowered the sun's rank,

    and has masculine gender raised the full moon's rank?

  22. أصالةُ آراءِ وفَضلُ سياسةِ

    وفخْرُ انْتِماءٍ دونَه مُنْتَهى الفخْرِ

    Sound judgment and excellent governance,

    and pride of lineage beyond even the utmost pride,

  23. وديوانُ مجْدٍ ضُمِّنَتْ صَفحاتُهُ

    خِلالَ المُلوكِ الغالِبينَ بَني نصْرِ

    and a record of glory whose pages contain

    the virtues of the victorious kings, the Banu Nasr:

  24. بإبْقاءِ معْروفٍ برَعْيِ وسيلَةٍ

    بإيواءِ مَلْهوفٍ بنُصْرَةِ مُضْطَرِّ

    in sustaining kindness and honoring bonds,

    in sheltering the distressed and aiding those in dire need.

  25. أرى سَفَرَ الدُّنْيا يُرَجّى إيابُهُ

    I see that return is hoped for from a journey in this world.

  26. أعيدي لقَصْرِ المُلْكِ منْك التِفاتَةً

    ولوْ بمَزارٍ للخَيالِ الذي يَسْري

    Grant the royal palace another glance from you,

    even through a visit from the phantom that travels by night.

  27. فكَمْ فيهِ من قلْبٍ لبُعْدِك خافِقٍ

    ومنْ لوْعةٍ تُذْكى ومنْ عبْرَةٍ تَجْري

    For how many hearts within it throb at your absence,

    and how much anguish is kindled, how many tears flow!

  28. وشمْلٍ جميعٍ فرّقَتْهُ يَدُ النّوى

    ومرْأىً بديعٍ غيّرتْهُ يَدُ الدّهْرِ

    And a gathering once united has been scattered by the hand of separation,

    and a splendid scene has been changed by the hand of Time.

  29. ومنْصِبُ مُلْكٍ أوْحَشَتْ جَنَباتُهُ

    وهالة إيوان تراءت بلا بدر

    And the seat of kingship has grown desolate all around,

    and a palace hall's halo appeared without a full moon.

  30. وما كنت إلا الشمس يحيا بك الورى

    على بُعدِ العَلْياءِ أو رِفْعَة القَدْرِ

    You were none other than the sun: through you all people live,

    despite your far-off eminence or exalted rank.

  31. وهيْهاتَ مَنْ للشّمْسِ منْكِ بمُشْبِهٍ

    كمالٌ بِلا نقْصٍ ونفْعٌ بِلا ضُرِّ

    Yet far from the mark is anyone who likens you to the sun:

    perfection without defect, benefit without harm.

  32. حَمَلْنا على الأعْناقِ منْكِ سَحابةً

    مُبارَكَةَ السُّقْيا مقدّسَةَ القَطْرِ

    We carried you upon our necks, a cloud,

    blessed in its watering, sacred in its rain.

  33. ولمّا أتيْنا اللّحْدَ في غلَسِ الدُّجى

    رأيْنا أفولَ الشّمْسِ في مطْلَعِ الفَجْرِ

    And when we came to the grave in the gloom of night,

    we saw the sun's setting at the break of dawn.

  34. فلَوْ أنّ قبْراً صارَ للنّاسِ قِبْلَةً

    جعَلْنا مُصَلاّنا الى ذلِكَ القَبْرِ

    If a grave could become people's direction of prayer,

    we would set our place of prayer facing that grave.

  35. ولوْ وجَدَ الخَلْقُ السّبيلَ لتُرْبَةٍ

    حوَتْ لحْدَك المَكْفوفَ بالفَضْلِ والبِرِّ

    And if people could find a way to the burial ground

    that held your grave, enfolded in virtue and goodness,

  36. لَطافوا بِها سبْعاً ولبّوا وأحْرَموا

    فَفازوا لدَيْها بالمَثوبَةِ والأجْرِ

    they would circle it seven times, chant the pilgrimage response, and enter the sacred state of pilgrimage,

    and thus win recompense and reward there.

  37. وذادَتْ عنِ العَلْياءِ عزْمَةُ يوسُفٍ

    سَليلِ عُلاكَ الطّاهِرِ المَلِكِ البِرِّ

    And Yusuf's resolve defended high eminence—

    the pure scion of your greatness, the righteous king.

  38. ولكنّهُ حُكْمٌ منَ اللهِ نابعٌ

    يُقابَلُ بالتّسْليمِ والصّبْرِ والشُّكْرِ

    But this is a decree issuing from God,

    to be met with submission, patience, and gratitude.

  39. ودونَكِ منْ عبْدٍ لمُلْكِكِ نادِبٍ

    ثَناءً كما هبّ النّسيمُ على الزّهْرِ

    Accept, from a servant who mourns your reign,

    praise like the breeze that blows upon the flowers.

  40. ولوْ كان في وُسْعي غَناءٌ بلَغْتُهُ

    بِما يَقْتَضيهِ قدْرُكِ الضّخْمُ لا قَدْري

    And if any service were within my power, I would render it,

    according to what your immense worth demands, not my own.

  41. وواللّهِ ما وفّيْتُ حقَّكِ واجِباً

    ولكنّهُ شيءٌ أقَمْتُ بهِ عُذْري

    And by God, I have not rendered you your rightful due,

    but it is something by which I have offered my excuse.