لَوif أَنَّthat غَيرَother than الدَهرِTime كانَhad been العاديthe aggressor
لَو أَنَّ غَيرَ الدَهرِ كانَ العادي
لَتَبادَرَتwould have hastened قَوميmy people إِلىto إِنجاديmy rescue
لَتَبادَرَت قَومي إِلى إِنجادي
If anyone other than Time had been the aggressor,
Had fate been kind, my people would have come
My people would have rushed to my rescue.
To my aid, riding to defend you fiercely.
وَلَدافَعَتand would have warded off عَنكَfrom you المنونَdeath فَوارِسٌhorsemen
وَلَدافَعَت عَنكَ المنونَ فَوارِسٌ
بيضُwhite الوُجوهِfaces كَريمَةُnoble الأَجدادِancestors
بيضُ الوُجوهِ كَريمَةُ الأَجدادِ
And horsemen would have warded death away from you,
Fair faced heroes of glorious ancestry-
Bright-faced, noble in ancestry.
The clan of Shaadi and Ayyub's noble sons-
قَومٌa people بَنيbuilt شاذيShadhi وَأَيّوبٌand Ayyub لَهُمfor them
قَومٌ بَني شاذي وَأَيّوبٌ لَهُم
فَخراًpride تَليداًancestral فَوقَabove مَجدٍglory عاديancient
فَخراً تَليداً فَوقَ مَجدٍ عادي
A people for whom Shadhi and Ayyub built
Their honor soaring high above renown.
An ancestral pride above age-old glory.
When war flares up, their blades do not refrain
مِنfrom كُلِّevery وَضاحٍradiant-faced man إِذاwhen شَهِدَentered الوَغىbattle
مِن كُلِّ وَضاحٍ إِذا شَهِدَ الوَغى
رَوّىquenched الأَسِنَّةَthe spearheads مِنfrom دَمِthe blood of الأَكبادِlivers
رَوّى الأَسِنَّةَ مِن دَمِ الأَكبادِ
Each a radiant-faced man who, when he entered battle,
From striking, flashing naked from their sheaths.
Quenched the spearheads with blood from livers.
By God I swear, if death would take a price
كَسَبواthey earned المَكارِمَnoble deeds مِنfrom مُتونِthe backs of صَوارِمٍkeen swords
كَسَبوا المَكارِمَ مِن مُتونِ صَوارِمٍ
وَجَنواand reaped المَعاليhigh honors مِنfrom صُدورِthe breasts of صِعادِstraight spears
وَجَنوا المَعالي مِن صُدورِ صِعادِ
They won noble deeds from the backs of keen swords,
I'd ransom you with my soul, be your redeemer.
And reaped high honors from the breasts of straight spears.
I hoped to see you share my bread, or meet
المُبصِرونَthe clear-sighted إِذاwhen السَنابِكُthe hooves أَطلَعَتbrought forth
المُبصِرونَ إِذا السَنابِكُ أَطلَعَت
شَمسَthe sun of الظَهيرَةِnoon فيin ثِيابِrobes of حِدادِmourning
شَمسَ الظَهيرَةِ في ثِيابِ حِدادِ
Clear-sighted when the hooves bring forth
A common foe, delight of Thursday nights,
The noonday sun in mourning robes.
Companions of the club; I hoped as well
لَمdid not تَنبُswerve فيon يَومِthe day of الهياجِbattle سُيوفُهُمtheir swords
لَم تَنبُ في يَومِ الهياجِ سُيوفُهُم
عَنfrom مَضرِبٍa target وَنَبَتyet turned away عَنِfrom الأَغمادِthe sheaths
عَن مَضرِبٍ وَنَبَت عَنِ الأَغمادِ
Their swords never swerved on the day of battle
To see you smeared in blood and iron grime
From a target, yet shunned their sheaths.
As if doused in a rainstorm's heavy showers.
قَسَماًI swear لَوif انَّthat المَوتَdeath يَقبَلُaccepts فِديَةًa ransom
قَسَماً لَو انَّ المَوتَ يَقبَلُ فِديَةً
عَزَّتhowever costly لَكُنتُI would have been بِمُهجَتيwith my lifeblood لَكَfor you فاديa ransomer
عَزَّت لَكُنتُ بِمُهجَتي لَكَ فادي
I swear: if death would accept a ransom,
But fate opposed my hopes for you, and sharpened
However costly, I would ransom you with my lifeblood.
Its blade against me out of enmity.
قَدindeed كُنتُI was أَرجوhoping أَنto أَراكَsee you مُقاسِميsharing with me
قَد كُنتُ أَرجو أَن أَراكَ مُقاسِمي
فيin خَفضِthe ease of عَيشٍlife أَوor لِقاءِmeeting أَعاديenemies
في خَفضِ عَيشٍ أَو لِقاءِ أَعادي
I had hoped to see you sharing with me
Betrayed by time, which brought the day I lost you
The ease of life or an encounter with enemies.
Too near the night on which you were born.
وَأَراكَand see you فيon يَوميthe two days of وَغىًbattle وَمَسَرَّةٍand joy
وَأَراكَ في يَومي وَغىً وَمَسَرَّةٍ
قَلبَthe heart of الخَميسِthe army وَصَدرَand the foremost of أَهلِthe people of الناديthe assembly
قَلبَ الخَميسِ وَصَدرَ أَهلِ النادي
And to see you, on days of battle and of joy,
Ill-fortuned, severed from you, sorrow burns
The heart of the army and the foremost man in the assembly.
Deep in my heart. If only anguished love
وَأَراكَand see you مِنfrom صَدَإِthe rust of الحَديدِiron كَأَنَّماas though
وَأَراكَ مِن صَدَإِ الحَديدِ كَأَنَّما
نَضَخَتsplashed عَلَيكَover you رَوادِعٌperfumed women بِالجاديwith saffron
نَضَخَت عَلَيكَ رَوادِعٌ بِالجادي
And see you stained with iron's rust, as though
Could help! My heart is melted, lost, forlorn.
Perfumed women had splashed you with saffron.
Would that you had remained: no more estrangement
فَجَرىthen ran القَضاءُfate بِضِدِّcontrary to ماwhat أَمَّلتُهُI had hoped for it
فَجَرى القَضاءُ بِضِدِّ ما أَمَّلتُهُ
فيهِin it وَأَرهَفَand sharpened حَدَّهُits edge لِعِناديto oppose me
فيهِ وَأَرهَفَ حَدَّهُ لِعِنادي
But fate ran counter to what I had hoped
Would I bemoan. Now after you are gone
Of it, and sharpened its edge to thwart me.
Tears are my joy; patience escapes me; pleasure
خانَتنِيَbetrayed me الأَيّامُthe days فيكَconcerning you فَقَرَّبَتso brought closer
خانَتنِيَ الأَيّامُ فيكَ فَقَرَّبَت
يَومَthe day of الرَدىdeath مِنto لَيلَةِthe night of الميلادِbirth
يَومَ الرَدى مِن لَيلَةِ الميلادِ
The days betrayed me over you, bringing
And sleep desert me. In my heart you left
The day of death close to the night of birth.
A wound that on the Day of Reckoning
وَرَمَتنِيَand struck me الأَقدارُfate's decrees مِنكَfrom you بِلَوعَةٍwith anguish
وَرَمَتنِيَ الأَقدارُ مِنكَ بِلَوعَةٍ
باتَتspent the night تَأَجَّجُblazing فيin صَميمِthe innermost core of فُؤاديmy heart
باتَت تَأَجَّجُ في صَميمِ فُؤادي
And fate's decrees struck me with anguish for you,
Will show. Your grave is drenched by every downpour,
That blazed through the night in the depths of my heart.
Its sodden earth a meadow after rain.
لَهَفيmy grief عَلَيكَfor you لَوif only انَّthat لَهفاًgrief نافِعٌwere helpful
لَهَفي عَلَيكَ لَو انَّ لَهفاً نافِعٌ
أَوor ناقِعٌquenching حَرَّthe heat of الفُؤادِthe heart الصاديthirsty
أَو ناقِعٌ حَرَّ الفُؤادِ الصادي
My grief for you—if only grief could help,
You left no sins behind when you departed
Or quench the heat of the thirsting heart!
This house of woe and malice. Now you dwell
ياO لَيتَwould that أَنَّكَthat you ليfor me بَقيتَhad remained وَبَينَناand between us
يا لَيتَ أَنَّكَ لي بَقيتَ وَبَينَنا
ماwhat كُنتُI used to أَشكوlament مِنof جَوىًheartache وَبُعادِand separation
ما كُنتُ أَشكو مِن جَوىً وَبُعادِ
Would that you had remained for me, though between us lay
In a home of unending rule, leaving
The heartache and separation I used to lament.
A house where all dominion ends in loss.
قَدindeed أَسعَدَتنيhave aided me بَعدَafter فَقدِكَlosing you أَدمُعٌtears
قَد أَسعَدَتني بَعدَ فَقدِكَ أَدمُعٌ
ذُرُفٌfreely flowing وَخامَand shrank back الصَبرُpatience عَنfrom إِسعاديaiding me
ذُرُفٌ وَخامَ الصَبرُ عَن إِسعادي
After your loss, tears have indeed come to my aid—
Flowing freely, while patience shrank from aiding me.
وَعَدِمتُand I lost بَعدَكَafter you لَذَّةَthe delight of الدُنياthe world فَقَدfor indeed
وَعَدِمتُ بَعدَكَ لَذَّةَ الدُنيا فَقَد
أُنسيتُهاI was made to forget it حَتّىuntil نَسيتُI forgot رُقاديmy sleep
أُنسيتُها حَتّى نَسيتُ رُقادي
And after you I lost the world's delight; indeed,
I was made to forget it, until I forgot my sleep.
أَبقَيتَyou left فيin كَبِديmy liver عَلَيكَfor you حَزازَةًa gnawing ache
أَبقَيتَ في كَبِدي عَلَيكَ حَزازَةً
تَبدوwill appear لِأَهلِto the people of الحَشرِthe Resurrection gathering يَومَon the day of معاديmy resurrection
تَبدو لِأَهلِ الحَشرِ يَومَ معادي
You left within my liver a gnawing ache for you,
That will be plain to the gathered throng on my resurrection day.
فَسَقىso may it water ضَريحَكَyour tomb كُلُّevery دانٍlow-hanging مُسبلٍrain-pouring
فَسَقى ضَريحَكَ كُلُّ دانٍ مُسبلٍ
مُتَواصِلِunceasing in الإِبراقِflashing lightning وَالإِرعادِand thundering
مُتَواصِلِ الإِبراقِ وَالإِرعادِ
So may every low-hanging, rain-pouring cloud water your tomb,
With ceaseless lightning and thunder,
حَتّىuntil تُرىare seen عَرصاتُthe grounds of قَبرِكَyour grave رَوضَةًas a garden
حَتّى تُرى عَرصاتُ قَبرِكَ رَوضَةً
مَوشِيَّةًembroidered كَوَشائِعِlike the patterned threads of الأَبرادِstriped cloaks
مَوشِيَّةً كَوَشائِعِ الأَبرادِ
Until the grounds of your grave are seen as a garden,
Embroidered like the patterned threads of striped cloaks.
فَلَقَدfor indeed مَضَيتَyou departed وَماand did not كَسَبتَincur خَطيئَةًa sin
فَلَقَد مَضَيتَ وَما كَسَبتَ خَطيئَةً
وَتَرَكتَand you left دارَan abode of بَليَّةٍaffliction وَفَسادِand corruption
وَتَرَكتَ دارَ بَليَّةٍ وَفَسادِ
For you departed without committing a sin,
And left an abode of affliction and corruption.
وَسَكَنتَand you dwelt in داراًan abode مُلكُهاits dominion لَكَfor you خالِدٌeverlasting
وَسَكَنتَ داراً مُلكُها لَكَ خالِدٌ
وَتَرَكتَand you left داراًan abode مُلكُهاits dominion لِنَفادِdestined to end
وَتَرَكتَ داراً مُلكُها لِنَفادِ
And dwelt in an abode whose dominion is yours forever,
And left an abode whose dominion is destined to end.
Partial English translation: 32 of 46 Arabic lines translated.