طَلِّق شجونَكَ في ثرى الأحبابِ

طَلِّق شجونَكَ في ثرى الأحبابِ

وانثر دموعَ العينِ دون حسابِ

وانثر دموعَ العينِ دون حسابِ

Let your sorrows loose upon the soil of loved ones.

Pour out your sorrows upon the graves of loved ones,

And scatter the eye's tears without measure.

And scatter the tears of your eyes without limit.

لم لا تفيضُ مدامعاً ومواجعاً

لم لا تفيضُ مدامعاً ومواجعاً

لصديقكَ الثاوي بغيرِ مآبِ

لصديقكَ الثاوي بغيرِ مآبِ

Why do you not overflow with tears and anguish

Why do you not shed copious tears and lamentations

For your friend who lies at rest, never to return?

For your friend now settled in a place with no return?

يا لوعة الدنيا وراء مودع

يا لوعة الدنيا وراء مودع

يمضي إلى الأخرى بألفِ نوابِ

يمضي إلى الأخرى بألفِ نوابِ

O the world's anguish in the wake of one bid farewell,

Oh anguish of the world left behind by one departed

Who passes to the other world amid a thousand calamities!

Who travels to the next life replaced by a thousand others.

أسفاً لنصر الدين أينَ جنانُه

أسفاً لنصر الدين أينَ جنانُه

وحنانُه الشافي من الأوصابِ

وحنانُه الشافي من الأوصابِ

Alas for Nasr al-Din! Where is his heart,

Alas for al-Nasir al-Din - where is his paradise

And his tenderness that healed afflictions?

And his tender care that healed all pains?

ويدٌ كعيسى كم شَفَت من علةٍ

ويدٌ كعيسى كم شَفَت من علةٍ

وأَست صريعَ وجيعةٍ وعذابِ

وأَست صريعَ وجيعةٍ وعذابِ

And a hand like Jesus's—how many ailments it healed,

A hand like Jesus’ - how many illnesses it cured

And soothed one laid low by pain and torment!

And restored the bedridden and suffering to health.

يجتمعُ الشاكونَ ملءَ رحابِه

يجتمعُ الشاكونَ ملءَ رحابِه

متوافدينَ على أَبرِّ رحابِ

متوافدينَ على أَبرِّ رحابِ

The sufferers gather, filling his spacious precincts,

The afflicted gathered in throngs within his halls

Flocking to the kindliest of havens.

Rushing to the most righteous of shelters.

فيظل يدفع عنهم شبح الردى

فيظل يدفع عنهم شبح الردى

ويردُّ ردَّ الواثق الغلابِ

ويردُّ ردَّ الواثق الغلابِ

So he keeps warding off death's specter from them,

He continued to ward off the specter of misery from them

And repels it like a confident, mighty conqueror.

Repelling it like one confident of defeating it.

ما كان في وهمٍ ولا في خاطرٍ

ما كان في وهمٍ ولا في خاطرٍ

أنَّ الرَّدَى لطبيبهم بالبابِ

أنَّ الرَّدَى لطبيبهم بالبابِ

It never entered their imaginings or their thoughts

It was never imagined or thought

That death was at their physician's door.

That death waited by the door for their healer.

أو هكذا الدنيا وذاكَ مآلُهَا

أو هكذا الدنيا وذاكَ مآلُهَا

أسفاً لغادرةٍ كلمعِ سرابِ

أسفاً لغادرةٍ كلمعِ سرابِ

And is the world thus, and is that its end?

Such is the world and such is its end -

Alas for a treacherous world, like a mirage's gleam!

Alas for a departure as swift as a mirage.

تغلو الحياةُ بها إلى أن تنتهي

تغلو الحياةُ بها إلى أن تنتهي

عندَ التراب رخيصةً كترابِ

عندَ التراب رخيصةً كترابِ

Life grows precious within it, until it ends

Life tricks us into thinking it will last forever

In the dust, as cheap as dust.

Only to end at the grave, worthless as dust.

أو هكذا الدنيا وذاك مآلُهَا

أو هكذا الدنيا وذاك مآلُهَا

أوَ ذاكَ وعدُ خيالِهَا الكذابِ

أوَ ذاكَ وعدُ خيالِهَا الكذابِ

And is the world thus, and is that its end?

Such is the world and such is its end,

And is that the promise of its lying illusion?

Or such is the promise of its lying fantasies.

أملٌ على أملٍ وآخرةُ المنى

أملٌ على أملٍ وآخرةُ المنى

نومٌ على نومٍ مَدَى الأحقابِ

نومٌ على نومٍ مَدَى الأحقابِ

Hope upon hope—and the end of longing:

A hope upon a hope while the final destiny

Sleep upon sleep through the ages.

Is sleep upon sleep for endless eras.

يا أيها الثاوي المكفّنُ بالرِّضا

يا أيها الثاوي المكفّنُ بالرِّضا

ما يصنعُ الملكَانِ يومَ حسابِ

ما يصنعُ الملكَانِ يومَ حسابِ

O you who lie at rest, shrouded in contentment,

O you now settled, shrouded in contentment -

What will the two angels do on the day of reckoning?

What can the two angels do on Judgement Day?

أيُّ الحساب لذاهبٍ وحياتُه

أيُّ الحساب لذاهبٍ وحياتُه

علوية قدسيةُ المحرابِ

علوية قدسيةُ المحرابِ

What reckoning for one departed, whose life

What reckoning for one whose life

Was heavenly, holy in its sanctuary?

Was celestial, sacred like a prayer niche?

فُتحَت له الجنات واحتفلَ ال

فُتحَت له الجنات واحتفلَ ال

ملائكُ بالطهورِ الصادقِ الأوابِ

ملائكُ بالطهورِ الصادقِ الأوابِ

The gardens of Paradise were opened to him, and the

The Gardens are opened to him and the angels

angels celebrated the pure, truthful, ever-repentant one.

Celebrate the sincere, repenting worshipper.

أمسيتَ قُربَ الحقِّ فاسمع صوتَه

أمسيتَ قُربَ الحقِّ فاسمع صوتَه

ذَهَبَ الحِمامُ بحيرةِ المرتابِ

ذَهَبَ الحِمامُ بحيرةِ المرتابِ

You are now near the Truth, so hear His voice.

You have drawn near to Truth - hear His voice -

Death has dispelled the doubter's bewilderment.

The doves have flown from the lake of doubts.

وخلعتَ ثوبَ العيشِ وهو مهلهلٌ

وخلعتَ ثوبَ العيشِ وهو مهلهلٌ

فالبس كما تهوَى جديدَ شبابِ

فالبس كما تهوَى جديدَ شبابِ

And you have shed life's garment, threadbare as it was;

You have shed the garment of life now tattered -

So don, as you wish, a fresh garment of youth.

So wear whatever new raiment of youth you desire.

واظفر بنورِ الخلدِ قد بُلغته

واظفر بنورِ الخلدِ قد بُلغته

أنتَ الجديرُ بمجدِه الخلابِ

أنتَ الجديرُ بمجدِه الخلابِ

And attain eternity's light—you have been brought to it.

Attain the light of eternity - you have reached it -

You are worthy of its enchanting glory.

You are worthy of its glorious honor.