غاضَتhave run dry أَنامِلُهُhis fingertips وَهُنَّthough they بُحورُare seas
غاضَت أَنامِلُهُ وَهُنَّ بُحورُ
وَخَبَتand have died out مَكايِدُهُhis stratagems وَهُنَّthough they سَعيرُare a blazing fire
وَخَبَت مَكايِدُهُ وَهُنَّ سَعيرُ
His fingertips have run dry, though they were seas;
His fingertips have dried, though they were boundless seas; his stratagems have faded, though they were a raging fire.
and his stratagems have died out, though they were a blazing fire.
He is mourned, yet scarcely had he settled in the tomb before the maidens of Paradise reached out to clasp his hand.
يُبكىhe is mourned عَلَيهِfor him وَماand not اِستَقَرَّbecame settled قَرارُهُhis repose
يُبكى عَلَيهِ وَما اِستَقَرَّ قَرارُهُ
فيin اللَحدِthe grave حَتّىuntil صافَحَتهُclasped his hand الحورُthe heavenly maidens
في اللَحدِ حَتّى صافَحَتهُ الحورُ
He is mourned, yet scarcely had he come to rest
Have patience, O sons of Isaac, for his sake, in nobility; for the great are patient in the face of great calamity.
in the grave when the houris clasped his hand.
For every mourner else but you, a likeness may be found; and every lost one, save for him, possesses an equal peer.
صَبراًpatience! بَنيO sons of إِسحاقَIshaq عَنهُin his absence تَكَرُّماًout of nobility
صَبراً بَني إِسحاقَ عَنهُ تَكَرُّماً
إِنَّindeed العَظيمَthe great man عَلىunder العَظيمِgreat affliction صَبورُis patient
إِنَّ العَظيمَ عَلى العَظيمِ صَبورُ
Patience, sons of Ishaq—bear his loss nobly;
In days when his sword-hilt rested firm within his right hand, and the reach of Death itself fell short of touching him.
the great are patient under great affliction.
And often have skulls and throats poured forth a crimson rain upon the two sharp edges of his blade.
فَلِكُلِّso for every مَفجوعٍbereaved person سِواكُمother than you مُشبِهٌa counterpart
فَلِكُلِّ مَفجوعٍ سِواكُم مُشبِهٌ
وَلِكُلِّand for every مَفقودٍlost person سِواهُother than him نَظيرُa peer
وَلِكُلِّ مَفقودٍ سِواهُ نَظيرُ
For every bereaved person but you has a counterpart,
I commend his brothers to the care of Muhammad's Lord, lest they mourn while Muhammad, in his place, is joyous.
and every lost one but him has a peer.
Or lest they prize their palaces above that hollow pit, wherein the angels Munkar and Nakir have welcomed him.
أَيّامَin the days when قائِمُthe hilt سَيفِهِof his sword فيin كَفِّهِhis hand الthe
أَيّامَ قائِمُ سَيفِهِ في كَفِّهِ ال
يُمنىright وَباعُand the reach المَوتِof death عَنهُto reach him قَصيرُwas short
يُمنى وَباعُ المَوتِ عَنهُ قَصيرُ
In those days, his sword's hilt lay in his hand—
A company who, when their scabbards are emptied of their blades, the fated hours of men are instantly at hand.
his right—and death's reach fell short of him.
And when they meet an army, that army knows for sure it shall be gathered from the bellies of the desert birds.
وَلَطالَماand how often اِنهَمَلَتstreamed بِماءٍwith water أَحمَرٍred
وَلَطالَما اِنهَمَلَت بِماءٍ أَحمَرٍ
فيupon شَفرَتَيهِits two edges جَماجِمٌskulls وَنُحورُand throats
في شَفرَتَيهِ جَماجِمٌ وَنُحورُ
And how often red water streamed
Never are the reins of their steeds pulled back in the chase, save when the life-span of their quarry has been severed.
onto its two edges from skulls and throats.
I set my course toward their distant home with firm intent; for truly, the lover visits though the distance be great.
فَأُعيذُso I seek protection for إِخوَتَهُhis brothers بِرَبِّwith the Lord of مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad
فَأُعيذُ إِخوَتَهُ بِرَبِّ مُحَمَّدٍ
أَنthat يَحزَنواthey grieve وَمُحَمَّدٌwhile Muhammad مَسرورُis joyful
أَن يَحزَنوا وَمُحَمَّدٌ مَسرورُ
So I seek protection for his brothers with Muhammad's Lord,
And I was satisfied with the meeting and a single glance; for even a little from the beloved is abundance.
lest they grieve while Muhammad rejoices,
أَوor يَرغَبواthey prefer بِقُصورِهِمin favor of their palaces عَنover حُفرَةٍa pit
أَو يَرغَبوا بِقُصورِهِم عَن حُفرَةٍ
حَيّاهُgreeted him فيهاin it مُنكَرٌMunkar وَنَكيرُand Nakir
حَيّاهُ فيها مُنكَرٌ وَنَكيرُ
or prefer their palaces to a pit
where Munkar and Nakir greeted him.
نَفَرٌa band of men إِذاwhen غابَتare absent غُمودُthe scabbards سُيوفِهِمof their swords
نَفَرٌ إِذا غابَت غُمودُ سُيوفِهِم
عَنهاfrom them فَآجالُthen the appointed deaths العِبادِof mortals حُضورُare present
عَنها فَآجالُ العِبادِ حُضورُ
A band of men: when their swords' scabbards are absent
from them, men's appointed deaths are at hand.
وَإِذاand when لَقواthey meet جَيشاًan army تَيَقَّنَit knows for certain أَنَّهُthat it
وَإِذا لَقوا جَيشاً تَيَقَّنَ أَنَّهُ
مِنfrom بَطنِthe belly طَيرِof birds تَنوفَةٍof a wilderness مَحشورُwill be resurrected
مِن بَطنِ طَيرِ تَنوفَةٍ مَحشورُ
And when they meet an army, it knows for certain that it
will be resurrected from the bellies of desert birds.
لَمnever تُثنَwere turned back فيin طَلَبٍpursuit أَعِنَّةُthe reins خَيلِهِمof their horses
لَم تُثنَ في طَلَبٍ أَعِنَّةُ خَيلِهِم
إِلّاexcept وَعُمرُand the lifespan طَريدِهاof their quarry مَبتورُis cut short
إِلّا وَعُمرُ طَريدِها مَبتورُ
Their horses' reins were never turned back in pursuit
except when their quarry's life had been cut short.
يَمَّمتُI made for شاسِعَfar-distant دارِهِمtheir home عَنwith نِيَّةٍdeliberate intent
يَمَّمتُ شاسِعَ دارِهِم عَن نِيَّةٍ
إِنَّindeed المُحِبَّone who loves عَلىdespite البِعادِthe distance يَزورُvisits
إِنَّ المُحِبَّ عَلى البِعادِ يَزورُ
I made for their far-off home with deliberate intent;
for one who loves will visit despite the distance.
وَقَنِعتُand I was content بِاللُقياwith the meeting وَأَوَّلِand the first نَظرَةٍglance
وَقَنِعتُ بِاللُقيا وَأَوَّلِ نَظرَةٍ
إِنَّindeed القَليلَa little مِنَfrom الحَبيبِthe beloved كَثيرُis much
إِنَّ القَليلَ مِنَ الحَبيبِ كَثيرُ
And I was content with the meeting and the first glance;
for a little from the beloved is much.
Partial English translation: 13 of 26 Arabic lines translated.