صَبراً أَبا عَبدِ الإِلَهِ عَنِ الَّتي

صَبراً أَبا عَبدِ الإِلَهِ عَنِ الَّتي

سَلَبَت جَميلَ الصَبرِ يَومَ تَوَلَّتِ

سَلَبَت جَميلَ الصَبرِ يَومَ تَوَلَّتِ

Patience, Abu Abd al-Ilah, in losing her

Patience, O father of the God

Who robbed you of gracious patience the day she departed.

For she who deprived patience of its beauty the day she turned away

عَن دُرَّةٍ جَلى الضَريحُ جَمالَها

عَن دُرَّةٍ جَلى الضَريحُ جَمالَها

وَعَقيلَةٍ بِالمَكرُماتِ تَحَلَّتِ

وَعَقيلَةٍ بِالمَكرُماتِ تَحَلَّتِ

For a pearl whose beauty the tomb revealed,

From a pearl, whose splendor the tomb revealed

And a noble lady who adorned herself with virtues.

And a virtuous woman adorned with noble deeds

حُجِبَت بِتُربِ القَبرِ عَن أَبصارِنا

حُجِبَت بِتُربِ القَبرِ عَن أَبصارِنا

لَكِنَّها بَينَ الجَوانِحِ حَلَّتِ

لَكِنَّها بَينَ الجَوانِحِ حَلَّتِ

She was hidden from our eyes by the grave's earth,

She was veiled from our eyes by the dust of the grave

Yet she settled between our ribs.

Yet she settled between hearts

بَخِلَ الغَمامُ بِصَوبِهِ عَن تُربِها

بَخِلَ الغَمامُ بِصَوبِهِ عَن تُربِها

فَسَقيتُها العَبَراتِ لَمّا اِنهَلَّتِ

فَسَقيتُها العَبَراتِ لَمّا اِنهَلَّتِ

The clouds withheld their rain from her grave's earth,

The clouds were stingy with their rain over her tomb

So I watered her with tears when they poured down.

So I watered it with tears when they poured down

عَزَّت عَلى الكُرَماءِ مِن مَفقودَةٍ

عَزَّت عَلى الكُرَماءِ مِن مَفقودَةٍ

وَدَهَت مُصيبَتُها الجَلالَ فَجَلَّتِ

وَدَهَت مُصيبَتُها الجَلالَ فَجَلَّتِ

A grievous loss she was to the noble;

She was too noble for the generous to lose

The calamity of her loss struck majesty itself, and was immense.

And her tragedy exalted glory, so it became magnificent

لَو تَستَبينُ الأَرضُ قَدرَ جَلالِها

لَو تَستَبينُ الأَرضُ قَدرَ جَلالِها

بِكُمُ لَأَلقَت شَخصَها وَتَخَلَّتِ

بِكُمُ لَأَلقَت شَخصَها وَتَخَلَّتِ

If the earth could discern the measure of her glory

If the earth could recognize her majesty’s worth

Through you, it would cast out her body and relinquish her.

It would toss itself about and shake

رَيحانَةٌ ذَبَلَت وَقَرَّت أَعيُنٌ

رَيحانَةٌ ذَبَلَت وَقَرَّت أَعيُنٌ

أَلقَتكَ أَيامَ السُرورِ وَقَلَّتِ

أَلقَتكَ أَيامَ السُرورِ وَقَلَّتِ

A basil sprig withered, and eyes grew still,

A blossom withered and eyes dimmed

That cast you into days of joy—and those were few.

The days of joy discarded you

حازَت بِكُمُ شَرَفَ العُمومَةِ فَاِنجَلَت

حازَت بِكُمُ شَرَفَ العُمومَةِ فَاِنجَلَت

شَمساً دَهاها الكَسفُ حينَ تَجَلَّتِ

شَمساً دَهاها الكَسفُ حينَ تَجَلَّتِ

Through you she gained the honor of her paternal uncles, and emerged

Through you it attained the nobility of motherhood and shone

As a sun assailed by eclipse just when it shone forth.

A sun eclipsed when it appeared

فَاِصبِر إِنَّ الحُرَّ مَن إِن تَدعُهُ

فَاِصبِر إِنَّ الحُرَّ مَن إِن تَدعُهُ

لِلصَبرِ طابَت نَفسُهُ وَتَسَلَّتِ

لِلصَبرِ طابَت نَفسُهُ وَتَسَلَّتِ

So be patient: the noble man is one who, if you summon him

So be patient, truly the freeman whom if you leave him

To patience, finds his soul content and consoled.

His soul is at ease with patience and relaxes

فَالمَوتُ أَمرٌ عَمَّ فينا حُكمُهُ

فَالمَوتُ أَمرٌ عَمَّ فينا حُكمُهُ

خَضَعَت لِعِزَّتِهِ الرِقابُ وَذَلَّتِ

خَضَعَت لِعِزَّتِهِ الرِقابُ وَذَلَّتِ

For death is a decree whose sway embraces us all;

For death is a matter whose rule has spread among us

Necks have bowed to its might and been humbled.

Necks and heads have submitted to its might and bowed down