الصّبرُ بَعْدَكَ لا يكونُ

الصّبرُ بَعْدَكَ لا يكونُ

والخطبُ فيك فلا يَهُونُ

والخطبُ فيك فلا يَهُونُ

After you, there can be no patience;

Patience after you cannot be

and the calamity of your loss cannot grow light.

And tribulations in you cannot diminish

والعقل في هذا المصابِ

والعقل في هذا المصابِ

من اللَّبيب هو الجُنُونُ

من اللَّبيب هو الجُنُونُ

And reason, amid this calamity,

And reason in this affliction

in a discerning man is madness.

Of the sensible one is madness

بئس القرينُ العيشُ لمَّا

بئس القرينُ العيشُ لمَّا

مِتَّ يا نِعْمَ القَرِينُ

مِتَّ يا نِعْمَ القَرِينُ

What a wretched companion life is since

Miserable is living when you,

you died, O excellent companion!

O best companion, died

يا من تحكَّم في المُنى

يا من تحكَّم في المُنى

وتحكَّمتْ فيه المَنُونُ

وتحكَّمتْ فيه المَنُونُ

O you who held sway over hopes,

O you whom fate commanded

yet over whom Death held sway!

And whom the terminator terminated

يا من تَقاضاهُ الرّدى

يا من تَقاضاهُ الرّدى

وله على الدُّنْيا دُيُونُ

وله على الدُّنْيا دُيُونُ

O you from whom death demanded payment,

O you whom destruction demanded

though the world still owed you debts!

While over worldly life he had debts

يا ساكناً في اللَّحد حرَّ

يا ساكناً في اللَّحد حرَّ

كَني وحقِّك ذَا السُّكُونُ

كَني وحقِّك ذَا السُّكُونُ

O you who dwell in the grave's niche, it has stirred

O dweller in the grave burning

me, by your right—this stillness!

My defender, indeed tranquil

سكن الأَنينُ وقد سَكَنْـ

سكن الأَنينُ وقد سَكَنْـ

ـتُ فلَيت لا سَكَنَ الأَنِينُ

ـتُ فلَيت لا سَكَنَ الأَنِينُ

The moaning ceased, and I grew

The sorrows were silenced, and indeed I became silent

still—would that the moaning had not ceased!

If only the sorrows were not silenced

لهفي وقد بُسِطَتْ شِما

لهفي وقد بُسِطَتْ شِما

لٌ منك أَو قُبِضَتْ يَمينُ

لٌ منك أَو قُبِضَتْ يَمينُ

My anguish, as your left

My anxious one, and your hand was outstretched

hand was outstretched, or your right hand clenched!

Or grasped right

وشَخَصتُ وانقطع التَّنَفُّ

وشَخَصتُ وانقطع التَّنَفُّ

سُ مِنك إِذْ قُطع الوَتينُ

سُ مِنك إِذْ قُطع الوَتينُ

And I stared, and your breathing

I awakened while the breath

ceased when your aorta was severed.

From you was cut off when the veins were severed

ولذَاكَ غالبْتُ التَصَبـ

ولذَاكَ غالبْتُ التَصَبـ

ـرَ فيك إِذ عَرِقَ الجَبينُ

ـرَ فيك إِذ عَرِقَ الجَبينُ

And so I wrestled with forced patience

And so I overcame my patience

over you, when the brow broke into sweat.

When sweat ran down my forehead

جرَّعْتَني غُصصاً تكَدَّ

جرَّعْتَني غُصصاً تكَدَّ

رَ بعدَها الماءُ المَعِينُ

رَ بعدَها الماءُ المَعِينُ

You made me swallow choking griefs; turbid

You made me drink bitterness that would

thereafter grew the clear, flowing water.

Choke even after it the clear water

وتَركْتني فرداً وأَو

وتَركْتني فرداً وأَو

حَشَني التصبُّر والمُعِينُ

حَشَني التصبُّر والمُعِينُ

And you left me alone; I was forsaken

And left me alone frightened by patience and its aider

by patience and by the helper.

My heart is imprisoned after you

قلبي هو المسجونُ بَعْـ

قلبي هو المسجونُ بَعْـ

ـدَكَ والسُّجُون هِيَ الشُّجُونُ

ـدَكَ والسُّجُون هِيَ الشُّجُونُ

My heart is the prisoner after

And prisons are but sorrows

you, and the prisons are sorrows.

You did not disappear from my sight that you

ما غبتَ عن بَصري فأَنْـ

ما غبتَ عن بَصري فأَنْـ

ـتَ لَهُ تَبِينُ ولا تَبينُ

ـتَ لَهُ تَبِينُ ولا تَبينُ

You have not vanished from my sight, for

Appear to it, yet you do not appear

you appear to it and do not depart.

You are not the buried in a grave

لَستَ الدّفينَ بحُفْرةٍ

لَستَ الدّفينَ بحُفْرةٍ

بل أَنت في بَصِري دَفينُ

بل أَنت في بَصِري دَفينُ

You are not buried in a pit;

But you, in my sight, are the buried

rather, you are buried in my sight.

And the truth is you reside

والحقُّ أَنك نازلٌ

والحقُّ أَنك نازلٌ

في منزلٍ سُكْنَاه هُونُ

في منزلٍ سُكْنَاه هُونُ

And the truth is that you are lodged

In an abode stillness made homely

in a dwelling where residence is humiliation.

Neither state in the atoms

لا الحالُ حَالٍ في ذُرَا

لا الحالُ حَالٍ في ذُرَا

هُ ولا المكانُ بِهِ مَكينُ

هُ ولا المكانُ بِهِ مَكينُ

No condition is sweet within its heights,

Nor place in it established

nor is the place there exalted.

I betrayed your love for when I stayed

قد خُنْتُ ودَّك إِذْ بقيـ

قد خُنْتُ ودَّك إِذْ بقيـ

ـتُ وأَنت في جَدثٍ رَهِينُ

ـتُ وأَنت في جَدثٍ رَهِينُ

I have betrayed your love by remaining

While you in a niche were detained

alive while you are captive in a grave.

I remain and you passed away destroyed

أَبْقَى وتَمضِي هَالِكاً

أَبْقَى وتَمضِي هَالِكاً

هذا هو الغَدْرُ المبينُ

هذا هو الغَدْرُ المبينُ

I live on, while you pass away—

That is the evident betrayal

this is manifest betrayal.

And I stayed bewildered after you

وأُقِيمُ بَعْدك لاَهِياً

وأُقِيمُ بَعْدك لاَهِياً

قسماً لقد خَانَ الأَمِينُ

قسماً لقد خَانَ الأَمِينُ

And I remain after you, heedless—

I swear the trustee has betrayed

I swear, the trusted one has betrayed his trust.

My eyes have no merit should their

لا فَضْلَ عِنْدِي للعُيو

لا فَضْلَ عِنْدِي للعُيو

ن لو أَنَّ أَدمعها عُيُونُ

ن لو أَنَّ أَدمعها عُيُونُ

I grant no merit to the eyes,

Tears be plentiful springs

even if their tears were springs.

You are most precious to the eyes

أَنت العزيزُ على العُيو

أَنت العزيزُ على العُيو

نِ ودَمْعُها الماءُ المَهِينُ

نِ ودَمْعُها الماءُ المَهِينُ

You are precious to the eyes,

While their tears are base waters

and their tears are lowly water.

And blood has flowed from them

ولَقدْ جَرَتْ منها الدِّما

ولَقدْ جَرَتْ منها الدِّما

ءُ كأَنني فِيهَا طَعِينُ

ءُ كأَنني فِيهَا طَعِينُ

And blood has indeed flowed from them,

As if inside them I am smeared

as though I had been stabbed in them.

O you who prophesized solace

يا مَنْ تَنَبأَ سَلوةً

يا مَنْ تَنَبأَ سَلوةً

إِني بدينكِ لاَ أَدِينُ

إِني بدينكِ لاَ أَدِينُ

O you who prophesied consolation,

I by your debt will not be indebted

indeed, I do not profess your creed.

Who used to hide his sorrow

من كان يكتُمُ حزنَه

من كان يكتُمُ حزنَه

فأَنا الحزينُ أَنَا الحَزِينُ

فأَنا الحزينُ أَنَا الحَزِينُ

Whoever may conceal his grief—

I am the sorrowful one, I am the sorrowful

I am the grieving one; I am the grieving one!

Neither an unsteady thin build

لا القامةُ الهيفاءُ تَهْ

لا القامةُ الهيفاءُ تَهْ

فُو بي ولا البدَنُ البَدِينُ

فُو بي ولا البدَنُ البَدِينُ

Neither a slender-waisted figure carries

Makes me lean nor a fat body

me away, nor a plump body.

No but no alluring eye

كلاَّ ولا الطَرْفُ الكَحِي

كلاَّ ولا الطَرْفُ الكَحِي

لُ ولا الفُتُورُ ولا الفُتُونُ

لُ ولا الفُتُورُ ولا الفُتُونُ

No—nor the kohl-dark eye,

Or lassitude or charms

nor languor, nor allure.

My sorrow sufficed me as a home

حَسبي الأَسَى سَكَناً أَمِيـ

حَسبي الأَسَى سَكَناً أَمِيـ

ـلُ إِلى هَواهُ وأَسْتَكِينُ

ـلُ إِلى هَواهُ وأَسْتَكِينُ

Grief is companion enough for me; I incline

I lean toward its love and make camp

toward its love and submit.

O grave, spare yourself his effort

يا قَبْرُ جُهْدَكَ صُنْهُ وي

يا قَبْرُ جُهْدَكَ صُنْهُ وي

حَك إِنَّه الدُّرُّ الثَمين

حَك إِنَّه الدُّرُّ الثَمين

O grave, guard him with all your strength—woe

He is indeed the precious pearl

to you! He is the precious pearl.

And I possessive of him while you

فأَنا الضَنِينُ به وأَنْـ

فأَنا الضَنِينُ به وأَنْـ

ـتَ علَيه متَّهم ظَنِينُ

ـتَ علَيه متَّهم ظَنِينُ

For I am loath to relinquish him, and you

Suspect upon him are suspicious

are accused and suspect concerning him.

And I allowed his departure

ولقد سَمَحتُ بِشَخْصِهِ

ولقد سَمَحتُ بِشَخْصِهِ

وعَجِبْتُ إِذ سَمَح الضَّنِينُ

وعَجِبْتُ إِذ سَمَح الضَّنِينُ

And I have indeed yielded his body,

And was amazed when the possessive allowed

and marveled that the reluctant one had yielded.

If only I knew after your death

يَا لَيْتَ شِعْرِي بعد مو

يَا لَيْتَ شِعْرِي بعد مو

تِك ما تَراهُ وما يَكُونُ

تِك ما تَراهُ وما يَكُونُ

O, would that I knew, after your

What you see and what would be

death, what you see and what will be!

Certainly conviction is death

إِنَّ اليقينَ هو الممَا

إِنَّ اليقينَ هو الممَا

تُ وما سِواهُ هُوَ الظُّنُونُ

تُ وما سِواهُ هُوَ الظُّنُونُ

Indeed, certainty is death,

And anything else is speculations

and all besides it is conjecture.

I swear the doubt became cheapened in the earth

قسماً لقد رَخُصَ التَشكُّـ

قسماً لقد رَخُصَ التَشكُّـ

ـكُ في الوَرَى وغَلاَ اليَقِينُ

ـكُ في الوَرَى وغَلاَ اليَقِينُ

I swear, doubt has grown cheap

And conviction became expensive

among humankind, and certainty has grown dear.

And for nights to band

وعَلَى الليالِي أَن تكدّ

وعَلَى الليالِي أَن تكدّ

رَ جَمْعَها وأَنَا الضَّمِينُ

رَ جَمْعَها وأَنَا الضَّمِينُ

And the nights are bound to cloud

Their group while I am the bearer

their gatherings; I stand surety for it.

And man cannot be rid of

والمَرءُ لا يَنْفَكُّ منْ

والمَرءُ لا يَنْفَكُّ منْ

كدرٍ لأَنَّ المَرْءَ طِينُ

كدرٍ لأَنَّ المَرْءَ طِينُ

And man is never free of

Melancholy for man is of clay formed

murk, for man is clay.

And time is a blade and the

والدَّهْرُ نَصْلٌ والأَنِينُ

والدَّهْرُ نَصْلٌ والأَنِينُ

من الحزين لَهُ طَنِينُ

من الحزين لَهُ طَنِينُ

And Time is a blade; the moaning

Sorrowing's are resoundings from the grieved

of the grieving is its ringing.