لنا كلَّ يومٍ رنَّةٌ وعويلُ

لنا كلَّ يومٍ رنَّةٌ وعويلُ

وَخطبٌ يَكلُّ الرأيُ وهو صَقيلُ

وَخطبٌ يَكلُّ الرأيُ وهو صَقيلُ

Each day brings us a cry of grief and wailing,

Every day we have wailing and lament

And a calamity that blunts judgment, keen though it is.

And troubles that burden the mind and wear it down

بكيتُ لو اِنَّ الدمعَ يُرجعُ ميِّتاً

بكيتُ لو اِنَّ الدمعَ يُرجعُ ميِّتاً

وأَعولتُ لَو أَجدى الحزينَ عويلُ

وأَعولتُ لَو أَجدى الحزينَ عويلُ

I would weep if tears could bring a dead man back,

I would weep if tears could bring back the dead

And wail if wailing could help the grieving.

And I would wail if the grief-stricken's wailing avails

لَحا اللَه دَهراً لا تَزال صروفُه

لَحا اللَه دَهراً لا تَزال صروفُه

تطولُ علينا دائماً وتَعولُ

تطولُ علينا دائماً وتَعولُ

May God curse an age whose vicissitudes never cease

May Allah curse a fate whose turns

To bear down upon us and oppress us continually.

Are always long against us, and cry

علامَ وَفيما قد أَصابَ مقاتلي

علامَ وَفيما قد أَصابَ مقاتلي

وَغادَرني هامي الدموع أَعولُ

وَغادَرني هامي الدموع أَعولُ

Why, and for what cause, has it struck my vital parts,

Why, and for what reason, has fate befallen

And left me wailing, my tears streaming,

The fighters, leaving me crying in lament?

وحمَّلني خطباً تضاءَلتُ دونَه

وحمَّلني خطباً تضاءَلتُ دونَه

وَما أَنا قِدماً للخطوب حَمولُ

وَما أَنا قِدماً للخطوب حَمولُ

And burdened me with a calamity before which I shrank—

And burdened me with troubles too great for me

Though I have never been one to bear calamities well—

When I am not a beast to bear burdens

بموتِ كَريمٍ ماجِدٍ وابن ماجدٍ

بموتِ كَريمٍ ماجِدٍ وابن ماجدٍ

له العزُّ دارٌ والعَلاءُ مَقيلُ

له العزُّ دارٌ والعَلاءُ مَقيلُ

Through the death of a generous, noble man, the son of a noble man,

With the death of a generous, glorious man and son of the glorious

For whom glory is a home and eminence a noonday resting place?

To him belong honor and glory abode

فَتىً قد عَنَت يومَ الهياج له القَنا

فَتىً قد عَنَت يومَ الهياج له القَنا

وراح الحسامُ العضبُ وهو ذَليلُ

وراح الحسامُ العضبُ وهو ذَليلُ

A young man to whom the spears bowed on the day of battle,

A gallant lad whom on the day of battle spears obeyed

And the keen-edged sword went away humbled.

And the sharp sword went forth, while he was humble

بكاهُ القَنا الخَطّي علماً بأَنَّه

بكاهُ القَنا الخَطّي علماً بأَنَّه

كَسيرٌ وأَنَّ المشرفيَّ كَليلُ

كَسيرٌ وأَنَّ المشرفيَّ كَليلُ

The Khatti spears wept for him, knowing that they

Al-Qina the preacher wept for him, knowing

Were broken, and that the Mashrafi sword was blunted.

That he was captured while the noble ones were few

فمن للعَوالي بعد كفَّيه والنَدى

فمن للعَوالي بعد كفَّيه والنَدى

ومن في صفوف الناكثينَ يَجولُ

ومن في صفوف الناكثينَ يَجولُ

Who is there for the tall spears and bounty, now his two hands are gone?

So who after him for the heights? And who after him

And who will range through the ranks of oath-breakers?

Among the rank breakers wanders?

ومَن بعدَه للسَيف والضَيف والعلى

ومَن بعدَه للسَيف والضَيف والعلى

وَمَن بعدَه للمكرُمات كَفيلُ

وَمَن بعدَه للمكرُمات كَفيلُ

And who, after him, is there for the sword, the guest, and glory?

And who after him for the sword, the guest, and the heights?

And who, after him, will be a guardian of noble deeds?

And who after him for gifts is guarantor?

رَبيبُ عُلاً شحَّ الزَمانُ بمثله

رَبيبُ عُلاً شحَّ الزَمانُ بمثله

وَكُلُّ زَمانٍ بالكرام بَخيلُ

وَكُلُّ زَمانٍ بالكرام بَخيلُ

A fosterling of glory: time begrudged his like,

A lord's foster son - time was miserly with his like

And every age is miserly with the noble.

And every age is miserly with the generous

وَلَمّا نَعى الناعي به ضاق بي الفضا

وَلَمّا نَعى الناعي به ضاق بي الفضا

وَراحَت دموعي الجامداتُ تَسيلُ

وَراحَت دموعي الجامداتُ تَسيلُ

And when the herald announced his death, the wide world closed in on me,

And when the mourner announced him dead, space was straitened for me

And my frozen tears began to flow.

And my frozen tears began pouring down

وَهَيهات أَن تأتي النِساءُ بمثله

وَهَيهات أَن تأتي النِساءُ بمثله

وَيَخلف عنه في الأَنام بَديلُ

وَيَخلف عنه في الأَنام بَديلُ

And never will women bear his like,

Alas, women will never birth his equal

Nor will a substitute take his place among mankind.

And none can take his place among men

سأبكيكَ يا عمّارُ ما ناحَ طائِرٌ

سأبكيكَ يا عمّارُ ما ناحَ طائِرٌ

وما نُدبَت بعد الرحيل طُلولُ

وما نُدبَت بعد الرحيل طُلولُ

I shall weep for you, O Ammar, as long as a bird laments,

I shall weep for you, O Ammar, as long as a bird laments

And as long as ruined dwellings are mourned after departure.

And as long as bereaved women are mourned after loss

مُصابي وإِن طوَّلته عنك قاصرٌ

مُصابي وإِن طوَّلته عنك قاصرٌ

وَدمعي وإن كثّرتُ فيكَ قَليلُ

وَدمعي وإن كثّرتُ فيكَ قَليلُ

My grief, though I prolong it, falls short of your due,

My suffering for you, though long, falls short

And my tears, however many I shed for you, are few.

And my tears for you, though many, are few

سلكتَ وأَسلكتَ الأَسى في حشاشتي

سلكتَ وأَسلكتَ الأَسى في حشاشتي

ممرَّ سَبيل ما سواه سَبيلُ

ممرَّ سَبيل ما سواه سَبيلُ

You passed—and made sorrow pass—through my inmost heart,

You have tread, and made me tread, sorrow in my innermost being

Along a path beside which there is no other path.

A path whose way excludes all other ways

لك اليومَ في قَلبي مكانُ مودَّةٍ

لك اليومَ في قَلبي مكانُ مودَّةٍ

ودادُك فيه ما حَييتُ نَزيلُ

ودادُك فيه ما حَييتُ نَزيلُ

Today you have a place of affection in my heart;

For you today in my heart is a place of affection

Love for you dwells there as long as I live.

And your friendship will reside in it as long as I live

فإن هاطِلاتُ السُحب شحَّت بسقيها

فإن هاطِلاتُ السُحب شحَّت بسقيها

سقاكَ من الجَفن القَريح هَطولُ

سقاكَ من الجَفن القَريح هَطولُ

So if the rain-pouring clouds withhold their water,

If rainclouds were stingy in watering it

A downpour from the wounded eyelid will water you.

My eyelids' drainage would water you in pouring

عليك سَلامُ اللَه منّي تحيَّة

عليك سَلامُ اللَه منّي تحيَّة

مَدى الدَهر ما غالَ البَريَّة غولُ

مَدى الدَهر ما غالَ البَريَّة غولُ

God's peace be upon you—a greeting from me,

Unto you, from me, greetings and peace of Allah

For all time, as long as a ghoul carries humankind away.

As long as the earth remains and time roams