أَرِقتُ لِهَمٍّ ضافَني بَعدَ هَجعَةٍ

أَرِقتُ لِهَمٍّ ضافَني بَعدَ هَجعَةٍ

عَلى خالِدٍ فَالعَينُ دائِمَةُ السَجمِ

عَلى خالِدٍ فَالعَينُ دائِمَةُ السَجمِ

I lay awake with grief that came upon me after a spell of sleep,

I was sleepless with grief that assaulted me after slumber

over Khalid; the eye sheds tears unceasingly.

Over Khalid, so my eyes are ever tearful.

إِذا ذَكَرَتهُ العَينُ أَغرَقَها البُكى

إِذا ذَكَرَتهُ العَينُ أَغرَقَها البُكى

وَتَشَرَقَ مِن تَهمالِها العَينُ بِالدَمِّ

وَتَشَرَقَ مِن تَهمالِها العَينُ بِالدَمِّ

Whenever the eye remembers him, weeping drowns it,

Whenever my eyes remember him, weeping drowns them,

and from its streaming tears the eye chokes with blood.

And they overflow with blood from their sadness.

فَباتَت تُراعي النَجمَ عَينٌ مَريضَةٌ

فَباتَت تُراعي النَجمَ عَينٌ مَريضَةٌ

لِما عالَها وَاِعتادَها الحُزنُ بِالسُقمِ

لِما عالَها وَاِعتادَها الحُزنُ بِالسُقمِ

So an ailing eye spent the night watching the stars,

So they passed the night watching the stars, sickened eyes,

for grief had weighed upon it and repeatedly beset it with sickness.

For what had exalted them and accustomed them to sorrow and illness.

وَما بَعدَ أَن قَد هَدَّني الدَهرُ هَدَّةً

وَما بَعدَ أَن قَد هَدَّني الدَهرُ هَدَّةً

تَضالَ لَها جِسمي وَرَقَّ لَها عَظمي

تَضالَ لَها جِسمي وَرَقَّ لَها عَظمي

And what remains, after time has shattered me with a blow

And after fortune had cast me down with a casting down

that made my body dwindle and my bones grow frail,

That made my body stray and my bones tremble,

وَما قَد أَصابَ العَظمَ مِنّي مُخامِرٌ

وَما قَد أَصابَ العَظمَ مِنّي مُخامِرٌ

مِنَ الداءِ داءٌ مُستَكِنٌّ عَلى كَلمِ

مِنَ الداءِ داءٌ مُستَكِنٌّ عَلى كَلمِ

and what has afflicted my bones is a deep-seated malady,

And after my bones were penetrated by disease,

a sickness lying hidden upon a wound,

A malady settled on my body,

وَأَن قَد بَدا مِنّي لِما قَد أَصابَني

وَأَن قَد بَدا مِنّي لِما قَد أَصابَني

مِنَ الحُزنِ أَنّي ساهِمُ الوَجهِ ذو هَمِّ

مِنَ الحُزنِ أَنّي ساهِمُ الوَجهِ ذو هَمِّ

and it has become plain in me, from what has befallen me

And it became clear from me, because of the grief that had smitten me,

of sorrow, that my face is haggard and I am burdened with care,

That I was wan of face, laden with cares,

شَديدُ الأَسى بادي الشُحوبِ كَأَنَّني

شَديدُ الأَسى بادي الشُحوبِ كَأَنَّني

أَخو جِنَّةٍ يَعتادَهُ الخَبلُ في الجِسمِ

أَخو جِنَّةٍ يَعتادَهُ الخَبلُ في الجِسمِ

deeply grieving, visibly pale, as though I were

Intensely sorrowful, revealing pallor, as if I were

a madman whom derangement repeatedly afflicts in his body,

A brother to demons whom madness possesses in body,

بِفَقدِ اِمرىءٍ لا يَجتَوي الجارُ قُربَهُ

بِفَقدِ اِمرىءٍ لا يَجتَوي الجارُ قُربَهُ

وَلَم يَكُ يُشكى بِالقَطيعَةِ وَالظُلمِ

وَلَم يَكُ يُشكى بِالقَطيعَةِ وَالظُلمِ

at the loss of a man whose nearness no neighbor resented,

For lack of a man in whose neighborhood no neighbor would settle

and against whom none complained of estrangement or injustice.

And who was not complained of for estrangement and injustice.

يَعودُ عَلى ذي الجَهلِ بِالحِلمِ وَالنُهى

يَعودُ عَلى ذي الجَهلِ بِالحِلمِ وَالنُهى

وَلَم يَكُ فَحّاشاً عَلى الجارِ ذا عَذمِ

وَلَم يَكُ فَحّاشاً عَلى الجارِ ذا عَذمِ

He met the ignorant with forbearance and good sense,

He would requite the ignorant with forbearance and reproof

and was not foul-mouthed toward his neighbor or given to reproach.

And was never abusive to a neighbor, however faulty.

وَلَم يَكُ فَظّاً قاطِعاً لِقَرابَةٍ

وَلَم يَكُ فَظّاً قاطِعاً لِقَرابَةٍ

وَلكِن وُصولاً لِلقَرابَةِ ذا رُحمِ

وَلكِن وُصولاً لِلقَرابَةِ ذا رُحمِ

Nor was he harsh, severing bonds of kinship,

He was not harsh, severing kinship,

but ever maintained those bonds, full of compassion.

But kept kinship joined, merciful and compassionate.

وَكُنتَ إِذا ساجَرتَ مِنهُم مُساجِراً

وَكُنتَ إِذا ساجَرتَ مِنهُم مُساجِراً

صَفَحتَ بِفَضلٍ في المُروءِ وَالعِلمِ

صَفَحتَ بِفَضلٍ في المُروءِ وَالعِلمِ

And whenever you befriended a companion among them,

When you reproached others, you forgave

you forgave, excelling in noble character and knowledge.

With superior virtue and knowledge.

وَكُنتَ إِذا ما قُلتَ شَيئاً فَعَلتَهُ

وَكُنتَ إِذا ما قُلتَ شَيئاً فَعَلتَهُ

وَفُتَّ بِذاكَ الناسَ مُجتَمِعَ الحَزمِ

وَفُتَّ بِذاكَ الناسَ مُجتَمِعَ الحَزمِ

And whenever you said something, you did it,

When you said something, you did it,

and thereby surpassed others, fully firm in your resolve.

Closing men's mouths, resolute and decisive.

فَإِن تَكُ غالَتكَ المَنايا وَصَرفُها

فَإِن تَكُ غالَتكَ المَنايا وَصَرفُها

فَقَد عِشتَ مَحمودَ الخَلائِقِ وَالحِلمِ

فَقَد عِشتَ مَحمودَ الخَلائِقِ وَالحِلمِ

So if death and its vicissitudes have carried you off,

If you have met your death and its changes,

you lived praised for your character and forbearance,

You lived praised for your character and forbearance,

كَريمَ سَجِيّاتِ الأُمورِ مُحَبَّباً

كَريمَ سَجِيّاتِ الأُمورِ مُحَبَّباً

كَثيرَ فُضولِ الكَفِّ لَيسَ بِذي وَصمِ

كَثيرَ فُضولِ الكَفِّ لَيسَ بِذي وَصمِ

noble in your ways in every affair, beloved,

Noble in your splendid deeds, beloved

lavish in the bounty of your hand, without blemish,

For your copious generosity, faultless.

أَشَمَّ كَنَصلِ السَيفِ يَرتاحُ لِلنَّدى

أَشَمَّ كَنَصلِ السَيفِ يَرتاحُ لِلنَّدى

بَعيداً مِنَ الآفاتِ وَالخُلُقِ الوَخمِ

بَعيداً مِنَ الآفاتِ وَالخُلُقِ الوَخمِ

high-nosed as a sword-blade, delighting in generosity,

You enjoyed the scent of the sword flash like a mid-morning breeze,

far removed from flaws and loathsome character.

Far from corruption and sour temperament.

جَمَعتَ أَموراً يُنفِذُ المَرَّ بَعضُها

جَمَعتَ أَموراً يُنفِذُ المَرَّ بَعضُها

مِنَ الحِلمِ وَالمَعروفِ وَالحَسَبِ الضَخمِ

مِنَ الحِلمِ وَالمَعروفِ وَالحَسَبِ الضَخمِ

You combined qualities, some of which carry a man through—

You gathered such deeds that some of them suffice

forbearance, beneficence, and great ancestral honor.

For great forbearance, kindness, and bounty.

أَتَتهُ المَنايا وَهوَ غَضٌّ شَبابُهُ

أَتَتهُ المَنايا وَهوَ غَضٌّ شَبابُهُ

وَما لِلمَنايا عَن حِمى النَفسِ مِن عَزمِ

وَما لِلمَنايا عَن حِمى النَفسِ مِن عَزمِ

Death came to him while his youth was still tender,

Death came to you while your youth still flourished,

and death has no intention of keeping away from the soul's sanctuary.

For death has no regard for guarding the soul.

وَكُلُّ اِمرىءٍ يَوماً إِلى المَوتِ صائِرُ

وَكُلُّ اِمرىءٍ يَوماً إِلى المَوتِ صائِرُ

قَضاءً إِذا ما حانَ يُؤخَذُ بِالكَظمِ

قَضاءً إِذا ما حانَ يُؤخَذُ بِالكَظمِ

And every man will one day come to death,

Every man one day surely travels to death,

a decree: when its time arrives, he is seized by the throat.

By a decree, when the promised time has come, decisively executed.

وَما أَحَدٌ حَيٌّ تَأَخَّرَ يَومُهُ

وَما أَحَدٌ حَيٌّ تَأَخَّرَ يَومُهُ

بِأَخلَدَ مِمَّن صارَ قَبلُ إِلى الرَجمِ

بِأَخلَدَ مِمَّن صارَ قَبلُ إِلى الرَجمِ

And no living man whose appointed day has been delayed

No living being has delayed his day

is more enduring than one who went before to a stone-covered grave.

Beyond those who went before to the grave.

سَيَأتي عَلى الباقينَ يَومٌ كَما أَتى

سَيَأتي عَلى الباقينَ يَومٌ كَما أَتى

عَلى مَن مَضى حَتمٌ عَلَيهِ مِنَ الحَتمِ

عَلى مَن مَضى حَتمٌ عَلَيهِ مِنَ الحَتمِ

A day will come upon those who remain, as it came

There will come to those who remain a day like the one

upon those gone before—a fate for each among fates decreed.

That came to those who passed away under the compulsion of Fate.

فَلَستُ بِناسيهِ وَإِن طالَ عَهدُهُ

فَلَستُ بِناسيهِ وَإِن طالَ عَهدُهُ

وَما بَعدَهُ لِلعَيشِ عِندي مِن طَعمِ

وَما بَعدَهُ لِلعَيشِ عِندي مِن طَعمِ

So I shall not forget him, however long he has been gone,

I will not forget him, though long his absence,

and after him, life has no savor for me.

For after him, life no longer has any taste for me.