وقفت عند الحدث النازل

وقفت عند الحدث النازل

مودعاً للأمل الراحل

مودعاً للأمل الراحل

I stood before the calamity that had befallen,

I stopped at the fateful event,

bidding farewell to departing hope.

Bidding farewell to the departed hope,

صافحني يبكي وصافحته

صافحني يبكي وصافحته

وكنت كالمأخوذ والذاهل

وكنت كالمأخوذ والذاهل

He shook my hand, weeping, and I shook his,

He greeted me crying and I greeted him,

and I was like one stunned and bewildered.

I was like one confounded and stunned,

وكان شخص البين لي ماثلا

وكان شخص البين لي ماثلا

ابصره كالشبح الهائل

ابصره كالشبح الهائل

And the figure of separation stood before me,

The person of separation appeared before me,

I saw it like a terrifying specter.

I saw him like an enormous ghost,

سار وسار الدمع في اثره

سار وسار الدمع في اثره

منسربا من جفني الهامل

منسربا من جفني الهامل

He went, and tears went in his wake,

Tears flowed after him,

streaming from my weeping eyelid.

Trickling from my swollen eyelids,

لقد مضى يتبع منه الخطي

لقد مضى يتبع منه الخطي

ولا اراه عنه بالقافل

ولا اراه عنه بالقافل

Indeed, they went on, following his footsteps,

He went following his destiny,

and I do not see them turning back from him.

And I cannot see him with the caravan,

كأنني من خلفه ناظر

كأنني من خلفه ناظر

لأخريات الكوكب الآفل

لأخريات الكوكب الآفل

As though from behind him I were watching

It was as if I was looking behind him

the last glimmers of the setting star.

At the setting of the waning planet,

يزري على الباكين في بؤسهم

يزري على الباكين في بؤسهم

دموعهم من ليس بالثاكل

دموعهم من ليس بالثاكل

Those who weep in their misery are scorned

He pities those crying in their misery,

for their tears by one who is not bereaved.

With tears from one who is not neglectful,

قد اخرجت دمعي الى اعيني

قد اخرجت دمعي الى اعيني

لواعج للهم في داخلي

لواعج للهم في داخلي

My tears have been brought to my eyes

I brought my tears to my eyes,

by the burning pangs of sorrow within me.

Stirrings of worries inside me,

ابكي وادري ان هذا البكى

ابكي وادري ان هذا البكى

في الخطب لا يجدر بالعاقل

في الخطب لا يجدر بالعاقل

I weep, and know that this weeping

I cry and I know that this crying,

in calamity does not befit the sensible.

Does not befit the reasonable in adversities,

فلا امام الدمع من غاية

فلا امام الدمع من غاية

ولا وراء الدمع من طائل

ولا وراء الدمع من طائل

For no goal lies before tears,

For the tears have no purpose,

nor any benefit behind tears.

And behind the tears there is no use,

لكنما اليم اذا ما طغى

لكنما اليم اذا ما طغى

من زعزع فاض على الساحل

من زعزع فاض على الساحل

Yet when the sea surges high

But a blaming, when overflowing,

from a fierce gale, it spills over the shore.

Spilled over the coast,

انهنه الدمع فلا ينهي

انهنه الدمع فلا ينهي

فياله من شغل شاغل

فياله من شغل شاغل

I try to hold back my tears, but they will not cease;

Restrain the tears yet they won’t stop,

what an all-consuming occupation it is!

What a persistent occupation,

قد نفق الزور فلله ما

قد نفق الزور فلله ما

يكابد الحق من الباطل

يكابد الحق من الباطل

Falsehood has found a ready market—God, what

Falsehood has expired, and to God belongs,

truth endures at falsehood's hands!

What the right endures from the wrong,

رب اديب هضموا حقه

رب اديب هضموا حقه

وعالم ساووه بالجاهل

وعالم ساووه بالجاهل

Many a man of letters they have robbed of his due,

O Lord, they wronged the deserving of their right,

and many a scholar they have equated with the ignorant.

And made the scholar equal to the ignorant,

لم ار في عمري على طوله

لم ار في عمري على طوله

للحق مثل السيف من كافل

للحق مثل السيف من كافل

In my life, for all its length, I have not seen

I have not seen in all my life,

a champion of truth like the sword,

One who champions the right like a sword,

ولا اذا ما وصمت وصمة

ولا اذا ما وصمت وصمة

شائنة كالدم من غاسل

شائنة كالدم من غاسل

nor, when I am branded with a stain

If a blemish, shameful as blood,

of shame, a cleanser like blood.

Befalls, who is there to wash it?

كيف نجاتي في خضم طما

كيف نجاتي في خضم طما

والموج مثل الجبل الزاحل

والموج مثل الجبل الزاحل

How can I survive in a surging ocean,

How can I be rescued amidst roaring waves,

with waves like a moving mountain,

With the sea like a crumbling mountain,

زوبعة والليل محلولك

زوبعة والليل محلولك

وقد نأى الفلك عن الساحل

وقد نأى الفلك عن الساحل

a whirlwind, and the night pitch-black,

A typhoon and the night is dark,

while the ship has drawn far from the shore?

And the planet has veered from the coast?