إذا اصفر وجه الشمس في الغرب وانتحى

إذا اصفر وجه الشمس في الغرب وانتحى

ظلامُ على الدنيا يمد رواقه

ظلامُ على الدنيا يمد رواقه

When the sun’s face turns yellow in the west, and there draws near

When the face of the sun turns yellow in the west and recedes

A darkness spreading its canopy over the world,

Darkness spreads its corridor over the world

وأقبل بدرُ الأفق أربدَ كالحاً

وأقبل بدرُ الأفق أربدَ كالحاً

أضاع على الدنيا الخسوفُ ائتلاقه

أضاع على الدنيا الخسوفُ ائتلاقه

And the horizon’s full moon comes forth, dusky and grim,

And the full moon of the horizon, cold as ice, appears

The eclipse has blotted out its radiance from the world,

The eclipse has lost its glow over the world

وهَبَّت حزيناتُ النجوم جوازعاً

وهَبَّت حزيناتُ النجوم جوازعاً

ثكالى على بدرٍ رأَين محاقه

ثكالى على بدرٍ رأَين محاقه

And the sorrowful stars stir in anguish,

And the sad stars blow violently

Bereaved for a full moon whose light they have seen vanish,

Thin from seeing a full moon whose glow they witnessed

أصيخي إلى صوتٍ من القبر خافتٍ

أصيخي إلى صوتٍ من القبر خافتٍ

أطال البلى تحت التراب اختناقه

أطال البلى تحت التراب اختناقه

Listen closely to a faint voice from the grave;

My friend, I call out to a faint voice from the grave

Decay has prolonged its suffocation beneath the earth:

Prolonged decay has stifled its choking under the soil

بقيَّةُ قلبٍ واجبٍ حنَّ إذ سرى

بقيَّةُ قلبٍ واجبٍ حنَّ إذ سرى

نسيمٌ إلى وجه الحبيبة شاقه

نسيمٌ إلى وجه الحبيبة شاقه

A remnant of a throbbing heart that yearned when there wafted

A loyal heart's remainder that was sad when

A breeze toward the beloved’s face, stirring his longing;

A breeze blew towards the face of the beloved, parting them

رهينٍ لدودِ الأرض يأكل جسمه

رهينٍ لدودِ الأرض يأكل جسمه

ويغري عليه قيده ووثاقه

ويغري عليه قيده ووثاقه

A captive of the earth’s worms, which devour his body,

Imprisoned by the worms of the earth that eat his body

And his chain and bonds spur them on against him.

And tempt his shackles and ties upon him

يعانِقُ أحجارَ النفاءِ كأنها

يعانِقُ أحجارَ النفاءِ كأنها

مهودُ رخاءٍ يستطبنَ عناقه

مهودُ رخاءٍ يستطبنَ عناقه

He embraces discarded stones as though they were

He hugs the stones of estrangement as if they are

Cradles of comfort that savor his embrace.

A harbor of comfort whose intimacy he seeks

تخرَّم بردُ الداجيات عظامه

تخرَّم بردُ الداجيات عظامه

وأَكثَر حرُّ اللافحات احتراقه

وأَكثَر حرُّ اللافحات احتراقه

The cold of the dark nights has gnawed through his bones,

The cold of winter has pierced his bones

And the heat of scorching winds has intensified his burning.

And the burning heat has multiplied his agony

وكان الذي وافى العظائم سابقاً

وكان الذي وافى العظائم سابقاً

فأحرزها حتى حمدن سباقه

فأحرزها حتى حمدن سباقه

And he was first to reach great deeds,

He who once reached great heights effortlessly

And won them, until they praised his swiftness.

So he won them while people praised his speed

علا ما علا حتى ترامت صروفه

علا ما علا حتى ترامت صروفه

وباغته جيش المنون فعاقه

وباغته جيش المنون فعاقه

He rose to lofty heights, until his misfortunes rained down,

He rose high until his circumstances scattered

And death’s army surprised him and checked him.

And the army of death ambushed so he resisted

ونازعه هذا الترابُ بقاءَه

ونازعه هذا الترابُ بقاءَه

وخَلَّدَ ديجور الرموس فِراقه

وخَلَّدَ ديجور الرموس فِراقه

And this dust contended with him for his life,

This soil contested his remaining

And the blackness of the graves made his parting eternal.

And the cycle of days immortalized their separation

فناجاك وَهناً والسكوتُ مضيِّقٌ

فناجاك وَهناً والسكوتُ مضيِّقٌ

على كل قلبٍ صدرَه وخناقه

على كل قلبٍ صدرَه وخناقه

So he whispered to you late at night, while silence constricted

So he called you weakly while silence choked

Every heart’s breast and throat.

Every heart, constricting its chest and throat

وقد حالَ هذا القبرُ دون حبيبه

وقد حالَ هذا القبرُ دون حبيبه

وأبعدَ عنه أهلهُ ورفاقه

وأبعدَ عنه أهلهُ ورفاقه

And this grave has come between him and his beloved,

This grave has come between him and his beloved

And kept his family and companions far from him.

And distanced him from his family and friends

أطلّي كهذا النجمِ حيران ثاكلاً

أطلّي كهذا النجمِ حيران ثاكلاً

وفي القبر بدرٌ قد رأيتِ محاقه

وفي القبر بدرٌ قد رأيتِ محاقه

Look out like this bewildered, bereaved star,

I looked about confused like that star

And in the grave lies a full moon whose light you have seen vanish.

And in the grave saw a full moon whose glow was gone