ويلاهُ من عُرسٍ تحوَّلَ مأتَما

ويلاهُ من عُرسٍ تحوَّلَ مأتَما

ولذيذِ عيشٍ قد تحوَّلَ علقَما

ولذيذِ عيشٍ قد تحوَّلَ علقَما

Alas for a wedding turned into a funeral,

Woe to a wedding turned into mourning,

And for a sweet life turned to bitter colocynth.

And a sweet life turned bitter.

لم يضحَكِ المسرورُ يومَ سرورهِ

لم يضحَكِ المسرورُ يومَ سرورهِ

حتَّى بكَى من بعدهِ وتألَّما

حتَّى بكَى من بعدهِ وتألَّما

The joyful man had scarcely laughed on his day of joy

The joyous did not smile on his day of joy

Before he wept afterward and suffered.

Before he wept and felt pain afterwards.

يا أيُّها اللاهي بغفلتهِ انتَبِهْ

يا أيُّها اللاهي بغفلتهِ انتَبِهْ

إن الحِمامَ يحومُ حولكَ في الحِمَى

إن الحِمامَ يحومُ حولكَ في الحِمَى

O you lost in your heedlessness, awaken!

O you heedless in your neglect, be alert!

Indeed, death hovers around you within the sanctuary.

The pigeons hover around you cooing.

كم باتَ يندُبُ نائحاً في ليلهِ

كم باتَ يندُبُ نائحاً في ليلهِ

مَن كان يطرَبُ في الضُّحى مُتَرَنِّما

مَن كان يطرَبُ في الضُّحى مُتَرَنِّما

How many have spent their night lamenting and wailing,

How many a night did he moan weeping

Who had rejoiced at midmorning, singing!

Who at dawn was humming delighted.

عَرِّجْ على غَرْبِ البِلاد وسَلْ بهِ

عَرِّجْ على غَرْبِ البِلاد وسَلْ بهِ

عَمَّا أصابَ أميرَ قيسٍ مُلحِما

عَمَّا أصابَ أميرَ قيسٍ مُلحِما

Turn aside to the west of the land, and ask there

Ask the west side where Qays stayed

About what befell Mulhim, emir of Qays.

About what befell the intrepid prince.

خَطِفَتْ كريمتَهُ المنيَّةُ ليلةً

خَطِفَتْ كريمتَهُ المنيَّةُ ليلةً

بسوادِها وجهُ الصَّباحِ تَلثَّما

بسوادِها وجهُ الصَّباحِ تَلثَّما

Death snatched away his daughter on a night

Death snatched his beloved one night

Whose blackness veiled the face of morning.

With its darkness, and dawn wore mourning.

قد غابتِ الشَّمسُ المنيرةُ في الدُّجَى

قد غابتِ الشَّمسُ المنيرةُ في الدُّجَى

فبكى لفُرقَتِها الشِّهابُ وأظلَما

فبكى لفُرقَتِها الشِّهابُ وأظلَما

The radiant sun has vanished into the darkness,

The shining sun set in the gloom,

So the shooting star wept at her parting and grew dark.

So the shooting star wept and darkened.

هَبَطَت إلى جوفِ الثَّرَى مِن بُرْجها

هَبَطَت إلى جوفِ الثَّرَى مِن بُرْجها

فعلا صُراخُ النَّادباتِ إلى السَّما

فعلا صُراخُ النَّادباتِ إلى السَّما

She descended from her tower into the depths of the earth,

It descended into the belly of the earth from its tower,

And the cries of the mourning women rose to the sky.

And the wailing of grieving women rose to the sky.

غابت ولم يَنصلْ خِضابُ زِفافها

غابت ولم يَنصلْ خِضابُ زِفافها

عن أعينٍ خَضَبَت مَحاجِرها دَما

عن أعينٍ خَضَبَت مَحاجِرها دَما

She vanished before her bridal dye had faded

She passed away before the henna of her wedding faded

From eyes that stained their sockets with blood.

From eyes whose lids were dyed with blood.

وتَسربَلَت ثوبَ البياضِ فالبَسَت

وتَسربَلَت ثوبَ البياضِ فالبَسَت

مَن حولها ثوبَ السَّوادِ الأدهما

مَن حولها ثوبَ السَّوادِ الأدهما

And she donned a robe of white, thereby clothing

She took off her white dress and put on

Those around her in a robe of deepest black.

The deep mourning clothes of those around her.

خانَ الزَّمانُ بها أباها ظالماً

خانَ الزَّمانُ بها أباها ظالماً

مَن لم يكنْ أحدٌ بهِ مُتظلِّما

مَن لم يكنْ أحدٌ بهِ مُتظلِّما

Time unjustly betrayed her father through her—

Time betrayed her father unjustly—

One against whom no one had a grievance.

For none had complained against him.

والٍ تغيَّرَتِ الوُلاةُ بأسرها

والٍ تغيَّرَتِ الوُلاةُ بأسرها

وأقامَ ثابتَ دولةٍ متقدِّما

وأقامَ ثابتَ دولةٍ متقدِّما

A governor: governors have changed, one and all,

Rulers have changed altogether,

Yet he remained, steadfast in rule and foremost.

While you remained, advancing your state steadily.

ولكلِّ والٍ كارِهٌ من دونهِ

ولكلِّ والٍ كارِهٌ من دونهِ

فلهُ الوِدادُ مُخصَّصاً ومُعمَّما

فلهُ الوِدادُ مُخصَّصاً ومُعمَّما

And every governor but him has a detractor;

Each ruler has a hater other than him,

But he has affection, from each and all alike.

So you have a special, generalized love.

جبلٌ على جبلٍ أقامَ وشأنُهُ

جبلٌ على جبلٍ أقامَ وشأنُهُ

ما زالَ أعلى من ذِراهُ وأعظَما

ما زالَ أعلى من ذِراهُ وأعظَما

A mountain has settled upon a mountain, and his stature

Mountain upon mountain you established your glory,

Has ever been higher than its peaks and greater.

Remaining higher than its height and greater.

يُومي إليهِ لو أصابَ لهُ يداً

يُومي إليهِ لو أصابَ لهُ يداً

ويفوهُ حمداً لو أصابَ لهُ فَما

ويفوهُ حمداً لو أصابَ لهُ فَما

It would gesture toward him, could it find itself a hand,

If only a hand could reach you, it would petition you,

And voice praise, could it find itself a mouth.

And if only a mouth could, it would praise you.

يا فَرْعَ رَسلانَ الذي من بعدهِ

يا فَرْعَ رَسلانَ الذي من بعدهِ

قد صار أصلاً في الكرامِ مكرَّما

قد صار أصلاً في الكرامِ مكرَّما

O branch of Raslan, who, after him,

O branch of the honorable roots, after which

Has become an honored root among the noble.

You became a firmly rooted origin of honor.

ما زالتِ الدُّنيا تَقولُ لأهلِها

ما زالتِ الدُّنيا تَقولُ لأهلِها

ليسَ الكريمُ على القَناةِ مُحرَّما

ليسَ الكريمُ على القَناةِ مُحرَّما

The world has never ceased saying to its people:

The world keeps telling its people,

'The noble man is not immune to the spear.'

“The generous person is not forbidden from bounty.”

ظَلَمَ الزَّمانُ وقد عَدَلتَ أمامَهُ

ظَلَمَ الزَّمانُ وقد عَدَلتَ أمامَهُ

لو كان فيهِ نَباهةٌ لتعَلَّما

لو كان فيهِ نَباهةٌ لتعَلَّما

Time acted unjustly, though you dealt justly before it;

Time was unjust, but you judged rightly before it.

Had it possessed discernment, it would have learned.

If only it had insight, it would have learned.

طُبِعَ الخبيثُ على العِنادِ مُعوِّجاً

طُبِعَ الخبيثُ على العِنادِ مُعوِّجاً

أحكامَهُ مَعَ مَن يراهُ مُقوَّما

أحكامَهُ مَعَ مَن يراهُ مُقوَّما

The vile one was fashioned for obstinacy, warping

The wicked are bent on stubbornness,

Its judgments against one it sees as upright.

Deeming crooked whoever straightens them.

لم يستَطِعْ ضَرَراً لشخصكَ فانثَنى

لم يستَطِعْ ضَرَراً لشخصكَ فانثَنى

كيداً ومدَّ إلى فَتاتِكَ مِعصَما

كيداً ومدَّ إلى فَتاتِكَ مِعصَما

It could not harm your person, so it turned aside,

Unable to harm you, he recoiled

Scheming, and stretched a wrist toward your daughter.

And sinisterly stretched his hand to your crumbs.

وكأنَّهُ يجني على فُضَلائهِ

وكأنَّهُ يجني على فُضَلائهِ

حَسَداً لهم فيَرُدُّ ما قد أنعَما

حَسَداً لهم فيَرُدُّ ما قد أنعَما

And it is as though it wrongs its own noble people,

It is as if he envies your nobles,

Out of envy of them, taking back what it once bestowed.

Out of jealousy for their gifts from you.

أللهُ يأخُذُ مَن يَشَاءُ مُؤَخَّراً

أللهُ يأخُذُ مَن يَشَاءُ مُؤَخَّراً

ولقد يُعاجِلُ من أحبَّ مُقدَّما

ولقد يُعاجِلُ من أحبَّ مُقدَّما

God takes whom He wills at a later time,

God will take whoever He wants belatedly,

And indeed hastens to take those He loves sooner.

And He may hasten whomever He loved earlier.

سيسلِّمُ الدَّعوى إليهِ كارهاً

سيسلِّمُ الدَّعوى إليهِ كارهاً

مَن لم يكن طَوْعاً إليهِ مُسَلِّما

مَن لم يكن طَوْعاً إليهِ مُسَلِّما

The claim will be surrendered to Him unwillingly

He will reluctantly hand over the case to Him

By whoever did not willingly submit to Him.

Who was not voluntarily submissive to Him before.

يا رحمةَ اللهِ العظيمِ تغمَّدي

يا رحمةَ اللهِ العظيمِ تغمَّدي

شمساً لقد أبكتْ عليها الأَنجُما

شمساً لقد أبكتْ عليها الأَنجُما

O mercy of God the Great, enfold

O God’s great mercy, shroud

A sun that has made the stars weep over her.

A sun whose loss made the stars weep.

تسقي المدامعُ بالدِّماءِ ضريحَها

تسقي المدامعُ بالدِّماءِ ضريحَها

سَحَراً ويغسِلُهُ السَّحابُ إذا هَمى

سَحَراً ويغسِلُهُ السَّحابُ إذا هَمى

Tearful eyes water her tomb with blood

Tears water its tomb with blood

Before dawn, and clouds wash it when they pour.

As clouds wash it when they gather.

قد شَرَّفتْ أرضاً ثَوَت في طيِّها

قد شَرَّفتْ أرضاً ثَوَت في طيِّها

لو صادَفَت ثغراً لها لتَبَسَّما

لو صادَفَت ثغراً لها لتَبَسَّما

She has honored the ground in whose folds she rests;

It honored a land it lay in.

Had it found a mouth of its own, it would have smiled.

If it met a cheek, it would have smiled.

وسقَى التي فيها شرابُ كرامةٍ

وسقَى التي فيها شرابُ كرامةٍ

ممَّا يُؤَرَّخُ كأْسُهُ يُرِوي الظَّما

ممَّا يُؤَرَّخُ كأْسُهُ يُرِوي الظَّما

And may a draught of honor refresh her who lies therein,

It quenched with the drink of honor

From that whose chronogram reads: 'Its cup quenches thirst.'

Whose cup chronicles and slakes thirst.