وَخَبَّرَني الناعونَ ما صَنَعَ الرَدى

وَخَبَّرَني الناعونَ ما صَنَعَ الرَدى

بِأَسماءَ مِن أَفعالِهِ النَكِراتِ

بِأَسماءَ مِن أَفعالِهِ النَكِراتِ

The death-announcers told me what Death had done

And plague informed me of what fate has done

to Asma—one of its heinous deeds.

With names of its despicable deeds

فَكَذَّبتُ ما قالوا وَإِن كانَ صادِقاً

فَكَذَّبتُ ما قالوا وَإِن كانَ صادِقاً

فَيا خَيرَ مُنعىً وَشَرَّ نُعاتِ

فَيا خَيرَ مُنعىً وَشَرَّ نُعاتِ

So I disbelieved what they said, though it was true.

So I denied what they said though it was true

O best of the mourned, and worst of death-announcers!

Oh best refuge and worst misfortunes

أَساءَت بِأَسماءَ الخُطوبِ صَنيعَها

أَساءَت بِأَسماءَ الخُطوبِ صَنيعَها

إِلَينا فَأَنسَت سالِفَ الحَسَناتِ

إِلَينا فَأَنسَت سالِفَ الحَسَناتِ

Through Asma, calamities turned their dealings cruel

Its misdeeds did evilly with names of sorrows

toward us, making us forget their former kindnesses.

To us, so it forgot past virtues

طَوى التُربُ مِنها في حَشاهُ سَريرَةً

طَوى التُربُ مِنها في حَشاهُ سَريرَةً

مِنَ المَجدِ وَالأَسرارُ لِلمُهَجاتِ

مِنَ المَجدِ وَالأَسرارُ لِلمُهَجاتِ

The dust enfolded in its bosom a secret from her

Dust concealed from it in its belly a secret

of glory—and secrets belong to souls.

Of glory and mysteries for the entombed

وَرَوَّضَ ظَمآنَ الثَرى مِن سَماحِها

وَرَوَّضَ ظَمآنَ الثَرى مِن سَماحِها

فَأَنبَتَ زَهرَ الحَمدِ أَيَّ نَباتِ

فَأَنبَتَ زَهرَ الحَمدِ أَيَّ نَباتِ

And from her bounty it made the thirsty soil a garden,

And thirsty soil sucked from its generosity

bringing forth flowers of praise—what splendid growth!

Growing thereby flowers of praise - what plants!

سَقاها الحَيا وَالفَخرُ في ذاكَ لِلحَيا

سَقاها الحَيا وَالفَخرُ في ذاكَ لِلحَيا

وَإِلّا سَقاها سائِلُ العَبَراتِ

وَإِلّا سَقاها سائِلُ العَبَراتِ

May rain water her—the honor in that is rain's;

It watered the living and pride at that for the living

and if not, may flowing tears water her;

Else, the lamenters watered it with tears

وَإِلّا سَقاها جودُها في ضَريحِها

وَإِلّا سَقاها جودُها في ضَريحِها

فَقَد كانَ مِثلَ الغَيثِ في اللَزَباتِ

فَقَد كانَ مِثلَ الغَيثِ في اللَزَباتِ

and if not, may her bounty water her in her tomb,

Else, its bounty watered it in its tomb

for it was like rain in times of hardship.

As rain does the juicy herbage

وَقالوا عَجوزٌ قُلتُ رُبَّ صَنيعَةٍ

وَقالوا عَجوزٌ قُلتُ رُبَّ صَنيعَةٍ

تَزيدُ بِها حُسناً عَلى الفَتَياتِ

تَزيدُ بِها حُسناً عَلى الفَتَياتِ

And they said, 'An old woman.' I said, 'Many a good deed

And they said an old woman, but I said many a deed

makes her surpass young women in beauty.'

Increases thereby beauty over maidens

مَضَت سَلَفاً وَالكُلُّ يَقِفو سَبيلَها

مَضَت سَلَفاً وَالكُلُّ يَقِفو سَبيلَها

مُشَيَّعَةً بِالبِرِّ وَالصَلواتِ

مُشَيَّعَةً بِالبِرِّ وَالصَلواتِ

She went ahead, and all follow her path,

It passed away before while all stop its way

escorted by righteousness and prayers.

Bidden farewell with righteousness and prayers

شَقى النَفسَ أَن لَم يَخلُ مِنها مَكانُها

شَقى النَفسَ أَن لَم يَخلُ مِنها مَكانُها

وَلَم تَكُ مِثلَ الأَعظُمِ النَخِراتِ

وَلَم تَكُ مِثلَ الأَعظُمِ النَخِراتِ

It pained the soul that her place was not empty of her,

The soul suffers that its place is not empty of it

and she was not like decaying bones.

And it was not like the greatest of pals

وَلَكِنَّها أَبقَت فُروعاً كَثيرَةً

وَلَكِنَّها أَبقَت فُروعاً كَثيرَةً

حَياةً لَها مِن بَعدِ كُلِّ مَماتِ

حَياةً لَها مِن بَعدِ كُلِّ مَماتِ

Yet she left many branches,

But it left many branches

a life for her beyond every death:

With life for them after every death

كَمِثلِ أَبي بَكرٍ وَمِثلِ سَليلِهِ

كَمِثلِ أَبي بَكرٍ وَمِثلِ سَليلِهِ

خَليلي أَبي إِسحاقٍ خَيرِ لِداتي

خَليلي أَبي إِسحاقٍ خَيرِ لِداتي

such as Abu Bakr, and such as his descendant,

Like Abu Bakr and like his grandson

my friend Abu Ishaq, the best of my peers.

My bosom friend, Abu Ishaq - best of intimates

لَعَمرُ المَنايا لا تَفوزُ بِمِثلِها

لَعَمرُ المَنايا لا تَفوزُ بِمِثلِها

فَقَد فَعَلَتها أَعظَمَ الفَعَلاتِ

فَقَد فَعَلَتها أَعظَمَ الفَعَلاتِ

By the life of Death, it will win no other like her;

By life, death cannot triumph over its like

for in this it has done the greatest of deeds.

For it did the greatest deed

تَداعَت سَماءُ العِزَّ فَاِنفَطَرَت لَها

تَداعَت سَماءُ العِزَّ فَاِنفَطَرَت لَها

وَأَضحَت نُجومُ الفَخرِ مُنكَدِراتِ

وَأَضحَت نُجومُ الفَخرِ مُنكَدِراتِ

The sky of honor gave way and split asunder for her,

The sky of glory collapsed and its stars of pride

and the stars of glory grew dim.

Became eclipsed

وَباتَ الأَسى فيها يَقُضُّ مَضاجي

وَباتَ الأَسى فيها يَقُضُّ مَضاجي

وَيَمنَعُ أَجفاني لَذيذَ سِناتِ

وَيَمنَعُ أَجفاني لَذيذَ سِناتِ

And grief for her spent the night disturbing my bed,

And sorrow therein spends nights wakeful

and denying my eyelids sweet slumber.

And prevents my eyelids the sweet sleep

فَقُل لِلمَنايا قَد وَتِرتَ سِراتِنا

فَقُل لِلمَنايا قَد وَتِرتَ سِراتِنا

تِراتٍ بِظَنّي مِنهُمُ بِتِراتِ

تِراتٍ بِظَنّي مِنهُمُ بِتِراتِ

So tell Death: 'You have wronged our nobles—

So say to death, you have plucked our lyres

wrongs that, I think, would draw reprisals from them.

Plucks in my view thereby discordant

فَلَو كُنتَ شَخصاً ما اِجتَرَأَت عَلَيهِم

فَلَو كُنتَ شَخصاً ما اِجتَرَأَت عَلَيهِم

وَجَنَّبتِهِم عَن هَيبَةٍ وَهِباتِ

وَجَنَّبتِهِم عَن هَيبَةٍ وَهِباتِ

Had you been a person, you would not have dared assail them,

So if you were a person, you would not dare them

and would have spared them out of awe and for their gifts.'

And avoid them for awe and grant

خَليلَيَّ مِن عَليا مُرادٍ تَصَبَّرا

خَليلَيَّ مِن عَليا مُرادٍ تَصَبَّرا

فَفي الصَبرِ أَعوانٌ عَلى الحَسَراتِ

فَفي الصَبرِ أَعوانٌ عَلى الحَسَراتِ

My two friends from the heights of Murad, be patient;

My bosom friend, of lofty aspirations, be patient

for in patience there are allies against sorrow.

For in patience are aids against regrets

وَكُفَّ الدُموعُ الواكِفاتِ فَإِنَّما

وَكُفَّ الدُموعُ الواكِفاتِ فَإِنَّما

دُموعُ الفَتى وَقفٌ عَلى العَرَصاتِ

دُموعُ الفَتى وَقفٌ عَلى العَرَصاتِ

And restrain the streaming tears, for

And cease the standing tears for tears of youth

a young man's tears are reserved for the dwelling-grounds.

Are a stand at the burial grounds

فَيا رُبَّ مَن تَبكيهِ يَضحَكُ فَرحَةً

فَيا رُبَّ مَن تَبكيهِ يَضحَكُ فَرحَةً

وَأَنتَ عَلَيهِ دائِمُ التَرَحاتِ

وَأَنتَ عَلَيهِ دائِمُ التَرَحاتِ

Ah, many a one you weep for laughs with joy,

So oh He who weeps him laughs happily

while you are ever grieving over him.

While You are to him ever compassionate

فَإِنَّكَ لاقٍ مِن سُرورٍ وَمَن أَسى

فَإِنَّكَ لاقٍ مِن سُرورٍ وَمَن أَسى

وَما هُوَ آتٍ لا مَحالَةَ آتِ

وَما هُوَ آتٍ لا مَحالَةَ آتِ

For you will encounter joy and sorrow,

For You meet gladness and those who mourn

and what is to come will inevitably come.

And what is coming is inevitably coming