أناعيَ ماهرٍ لم تَدرِ ماذا

أناعيَ ماهرٍ لم تَدرِ ماذا

أَثَرتَ من الشُجونِ الكامِناتِ

أَثَرتَ من الشُجونِ الكامِناتِ

O herald of Maher's death, you did not know what

I lament, O skilled one, you knew not what

Hidden sorrows you stirred.

Sorrows you awakened, latent within me

نَعَيتَ إليّ أَيّاماً تَقَضَّت

نَعَيتَ إليّ أَيّاماً تَقَضَّت

بِإِسماعيلَ غُرّاً صافِياتِ

بِإِسماعيلَ غُرّاً صافِياتِ

You announced to me the death of days gone by,

You summoned back days long past

Radiant and unclouded with Ismail.

With Ismael, pure and joyous

أَلا مَن لِلضَّعيف إِذا تَقاضى

أَلا مَن لِلضَّعيف إِذا تَقاضى

وَلم يَرَ شَخصَه بين القُضاةِ

وَلم يَرَ شَخصَه بين القُضاةِ

Ah, who will aid the weak when he seeks judgment,

Alas! Who is there for the weak when contested?

And does not see him among the judges?

Who sees not himself amongst the judges

وَمن لِلعَدلِ إن رَفَعت بُناةٌ

وَمن لِلعَدلِ إن رَفَعت بُناةٌ

دعائِمَهُ ولم يَكُ في البُناةِ

دعائِمَهُ ولم يَكُ في البُناةِ

And who will uphold justice if builders raise

And who is there for justice if its pillars

Its pillars, and he is not among the builders?

Were torn down by the builders who built it?

أَماهرُ إِنَّ وعدَ اللَهِ حقٌّ

أَماهرُ إِنَّ وعدَ اللَهِ حقٌّ

وَما جَزعي عليكَ منَ التُقاةِ

وَما جَزعي عليكَ منَ التُقاةِ

O Maher, God's promise is surely true,

O Maher, God’s promise is true

And my anguish over you is not the way of the devout.

Why should I fear for you, so devout?

فَمالي وَالأَناةُ ملاكُ نَفسي

فَمالي وَالأَناةُ ملاكُ نَفسي

هَلِعتُ ولم تُجَمِّلني أَناتي

هَلِعتُ ولم تُجَمِّلني أَناتي

So why, though composure is my soul's mainstay,

What care I for composure, lord of my soul

Have I panicked, with my composure lending me no grace?

I am distraught, my patience adorns me not

وَمالي إِن أُمِرتُ بِبَعضِ صبرٍ

وَمالي إِن أُمِرتُ بِبَعضِ صبرٍ

رَأَيتُ الصَبرَ إحدى المعجزاتِ

رَأَيتُ الصَبرَ إحدى المعجزاتِ

And why, when told to show a little patience,

What care I, if I’m ordered to show some patience,

Do I see patience as one of the miracles?

I see patience as one of the miracles

أماهرُ كنتَ فيما مرَّ أُنسى

أماهرُ كنتَ فيما مرَّ أُنسى

فمن لي في اللَيالي الباقِيات

فمن لي في اللَيالي الباقِيات

O Maher, you were my solace in times gone by;

O Maher, you were, in days gone by, forgetfulness

Who, then, is there for me in the nights that remain?

Who do I have on the remaining nights?

وكنتَ إِذا شَكَوتُ تبيتُ وجداً

وكنتَ إِذا شَكَوتُ تبيتُ وجداً

تُرَدِّدُ ما يَريبُكَ من شكاتي

تُرَدِّدُ ما يَريبُكَ من شكاتي

And when I complained, you would spend the night in anguish,

You were, when I complained, sleepless with sadness

Repeating what troubled you in my lament.

Repeating what news of my complaints reached you

وتسَألُ ساريَ النسَماتِ عنّي

وتسَألُ ساريَ النسَماتِ عنّي

حُنُوّاً والبروقَ الوامِضات

حُنُوّاً والبروقَ الوامِضات

And you would ask the night-wandering breezes about me,

Asking the passing breeze about me

Tenderly—and the flashing lightning too.

Yearningly, and the flashing lightning

ومَن يَفقِد شَبيهَكَ يَبكِ دُنيا

ومَن يَفقِد شَبيهَكَ يَبكِ دُنيا

تَولَّت بالمودَّةِ وَالمِقاتِ

تَولَّت بالمودَّةِ وَالمِقاتِ

And whoever loses one like you mourns a world

He who loses one like you weeps a lifetime

That has departed, with its love and hatred.

That has turned from affection and fellowship

كذَبتُك لو صَدَقتُك بعضَ وُدّي

كذَبتُك لو صَدَقتُك بعضَ وُدّي

لهَدَّ جوانحي صَوتُ النُعاةِ

لهَدَّ جوانحي صَوتُ النُعاةِ

I lied to you; had I been true to you in even some of my love,

I would be lying if I believed some of your affection

The death-heralds' voice would have shattered my ribs;

My wings would be weighed down by the wailers’ voices

ولاستَقصَت حيالَ النَعشِ عيني

ولاستَقصَت حيالَ النَعشِ عيني

وَراءَكَ راحلاً هِمَمَ البُكاةِ

وَراءَكَ راحلاً هِمَمَ البُكاةِ

And before the bier, my eye would have exhausted

My eyes would trace the bier for you

The mourners' utmost powers, following you as you departed.

Behind you, weeping, the lamenters’ ambitions

بِرَغمي أن تَقَلَّصَ منكَ ظِلٌّ

بِرَغمي أن تَقَلَّصَ منكَ ظِلٌّ

وَقاني حِقبَةً لَفحَ الحياةِ

وَقاني حِقبَةً لَفحَ الحياةِ

Against my will, a shade of yours has receded,

Despite my agony, that a shadow has dwindled from you

That shielded me for a time from life's scorching heat;

And a lifetime has tested me with life

وَأن نَضَبَت خلالٌ كنتُ منها

وَأن نَضَبَت خلالٌ كنتُ منها

أَعُبُّ لَدَيكَ من عَذبٍ فُراتِ

أَعُبُّ لَدَيكَ من عَذبٍ فُراتِ

And virtues have run dry, from which I used

That streams I drew purity from for you

To drink deeply beside you of sweet, fresh water;

More sweet than the flowing Euphrates

وَأن صَفِرَت يَميني من ودادٍ

وَأن صَفِرَت يَميني من ودادٍ

غَنيتُ به لَيالي خالِياتِ

غَنيتُ به لَيالي خالِياتِ

And my right hand stands empty of a love

That my right hand withered of the affection

That enriched me through nights gone by.

I sang of on empty, vacant nights

أخي ماحيلَتي إِلّا سَلامٌ

أخي ماحيلَتي إِلّا سَلامٌ

يَزورُك في المَساء وفي الغَداةِ

يَزورُك في المَساء وفي الغَداةِ

My brother, what recourse have I but a greeting

O brother, only greetings visit you

That visits you at evening and at dawn,

In the evening and at dawn

وَإِلّا الدَمعُ أَنثُره عَقيقا

وَإِلّا الدَمعُ أَنثُره عَقيقا

على ذكرى حُلاكَ الغائِباتِ

على ذكرى حُلاكَ الغائِباتِ

And tears, which I scatter as carnelian gems

Except my tears which I scatter profusely

Upon the memory of your vanished graces?

Upon the memory of your absent shadow

قَضَيتَ فكنتَ أَسرَعَنا مسيراً

قَضَيتَ فكنتَ أَسرَعَنا مسيراً

إِلى غُرَفِ الجِنانِ العالِياتِ

إِلى غُرَفِ الجِنانِ العالِياتِ

You passed away, and were the swiftest of us to journey

You passed away, faster to arrive

To the lofty chambers of the gardens of Paradise.

At the sublime gardens on high