لَعَمرُكَ ليسَ في الدُّنيا خليلُ

لَعَمرُكَ ليسَ في الدُّنيا خليلُ

يدومُ ولا يُقيمُ بها نزيلُ

يدومُ ولا يُقيمُ بها نزيلُ

By your life, there is no true friend in this world

By your life, there is no friend in this world

who lasts, nor any sojourner who remains in it.

who endures, nor a sojourner who remains in it.

فُرادَى أو جُموعاً كلَّ يومٍ

فُرادَى أو جُموعاً كلَّ يومٍ

لنا عنها إلى الأُخرَى رحيلُ

لنا عنها إلى الأُخرَى رحيلُ

Singly or in groups, every day

Singly or in groups, each day,

we must depart from it for the other world.

we depart from it for the hereafter.

لنا في أرضِنا عُمرٌ قصيرٌ

لنا في أرضِنا عُمرٌ قصيرٌ

ولكن عندنا أَملٌ طويلُ

ولكن عندنا أَملٌ طويلُ

On our earth, ours is but a brief lifespan,

We have a short lifetime on our earth,

yet within us hope is long.

and yet our hope is long.

وآمالُ الفتَى أوهامُ فكرٍ

وآمالُ الفتَى أوهامُ فكرٍ

تلوحُ لهُ ويمتنعُ الحصولُ

تلوحُ لهُ ويمتنعُ الحصولُ

A young man’s hopes are phantoms of thought:

And a young man's hopes are figments of thought,

they glimmer before him, while attainment remains impossible.

gleaming before him, yet impossible to attain.

رحيلٌ مُمكِنٌ في كلِّ يومٍ

رحيلٌ مُمكِنٌ في كلِّ يومٍ

يُعارِضُهُ بقاءٌ مُستحيلُ

يُعارِضُهُ بقاءٌ مُستحيلُ

Departure is possible on any day,

Departure is possible every day;

opposed only by an impossible continuance.

opposing it is an impossible permanence.

وكلٌّ حينَ دَعْوتهِ يُلبِّي

وكلٌّ حينَ دَعْوتهِ يُلبِّي

إذا ما جاءَهُ ذاكَ الرَّسولُ

إذا ما جاءَهُ ذاكَ الرَّسولُ

At every moment, when summoned, he answers,

And everyone answers when summoned,

whenever that Messenger comes to him.

when that messenger comes to him.

كما لملوكنا دُوَلٌ علينا

كما لملوكنا دُوَلٌ علينا

عليهم للقَضَا دُوَلٌ تَدُولُ

عليهم للقَضَا دُوَلٌ تَدُولُ

As our kings have turns of ascendancy over us,

Just as our kings have turns of power over us,

over them decree has turns that ceaselessly revolve.

so fate's turns of power come round over them.

وقد يتقدَّمُ المَلِكُ المُعَلَّى

وقد يتقدَّمُ المَلِكُ المُعَلَّى

وقد يتَأَخرَّ العبدُ الذَّليلُ

وقد يتَأَخرَّ العبدُ الذَّليلُ

The exalted king may go before,

And the exalted king may go before,

and the lowly servant may linger behind.

while the lowly slave may follow later.

مَللِتُ نَوائبَ الأيَّامِ حتَّى

مَللِتُ نَوائبَ الأيَّامِ حتَّى

غَضَبِتُ بها عَلَى عيشٍ يطولُ

غَضَبِتُ بها عَلَى عيشٍ يطولُ

I wearied of the calamities of time until

I grew weary of the days' calamities, until

because of them I resented a life prolonged for me—

because of them I raged against a life prolonged.

حياةٌ شابَها كَدَرٌ كثيرٌ

حياةٌ شابَها كَدَرٌ كثيرٌ

وفي أثنائِها صفوٌ قليلُ

وفي أثنائِها صفوٌ قليلُ

a life heavily clouded by distress,

A life clouded by much distress,

with little serenity amid it.

and little serenity in its midst.

وكنتُ تركتُ نظمَ الشِّعرِ دهراً

وكنتُ تركتُ نظمَ الشِّعرِ دهراً

لحالٍ دونَ مأخذِهِ تحولُ

لحالٍ دونَ مأخذِهِ تحولُ

I had abandoned the making of verse for an age,

And I had abandoned composing poetry for a long time,

because a condition barred me from taking it up.

because of a condition that barred access to it.

وما أنا والقريضُ وصِرتُ شَطراً

وما أنا والقريضُ وصِرتُ شَطراً

فراحَ هناكَ ميزانِي يَعولُ

فراحَ هناكَ ميزانِي يَعولُ

What have I to do with poetry, now that I have become half a man?

And what have I to do with verse, now that I am but half?

There my balance—and my meter—went awry.

So there my balance began to tilt.

ولم يكْفِ النَّوائبَ شَطرُ جِسمي

ولم يكْفِ النَّوائبَ شَطرُ جِسمي

فقلبي اليومَ مشطورٌ عليلُ

فقلبي اليومَ مشطورٌ عليلُ

Nor did half my body suffice the calamities:

And calamities were not content with half my body,

today my heart, too, is split and sick.

so today my heart is split in two and ailing.

لقد نُعِيَ الخليلُ صباحَ يومٍ

لقد نُعِيَ الخليلُ صباحَ يومٍ

بهِ كَثُرَ التَّلهُّفُ والعَويلُ

بهِ كَثُرَ التَّلهُّفُ والعَويلُ

One morning came the death-news of Khalil—the true friend—

Indeed, Khalil's death was announced one morning,

and grief and wailing multiplied at it.

on which anguish and wailing abounded.

خليلٌ كانَ لي نِعْمَ المُصافي

خليلٌ كانَ لي نِعْمَ المُصافي

تَلاقَى الأنُسُ فيهِ والجميلُ

تَلاقَى الأنُسُ فيهِ والجميلُ

A true friend he was to me, the finest of sincere companions;

A close friend, the finest of true companions to me,

in him warmth and goodness met.

in whom warmth and goodness met.

وكانَ وِدادُهُ الذَّهبَ المصفَّى

وكانَ وِدادُهُ الذَّهبَ المصفَّى

يزيدُ جِلاءَهُ الزَّمَنُ المُحيلُ

يزيدُ جِلاءَهُ الزَّمَنُ المُحيلُ

His affection was refined gold,

And his affection was refined gold,

whose luster changing time only increased.

whose luster transforming time increased.

أفَلْتَ اليومَ يا نَجمَ الدَّياجي

أفَلْتَ اليومَ يا نَجمَ الدَّياجي

على عَجَلٍ وما حانَ الأُفولُ

على عَجَلٍ وما حانَ الأُفولُ

Have you set today, O star of the dark nights,

Today you have set, O star of the dark nights,

so hastily, before the hour of setting came?

in haste, though the hour of setting had not come.

دهاكَ البينُ في أندَى شَبابٍ

دهاكَ البينُ في أندَى شَبابٍ

كغُصنِ البانِ أدرَكَهُ الذُّبولُ

كغُصنِ البانِ أدرَكَهُ الذُّبولُ

Separation struck you in the freshest bloom of youth,

Separation struck you in the freshest bloom of youth,

like a bān-tree branch overtaken by withering.

like a branch of the ban tree overtaken by withering.

تركتَ بني مُشاقةَ في نُواحٍ

تركتَ بني مُشاقةَ في نُواحٍ

عليهِ الصُّبحُ يَمضي والأصيلُ

عليهِ الصُّبحُ يَمضي والأصيلُ

You left the sons of Mishāqah wailing,

You left the sons of Mishaqa in lamentation,

morning and evening passing in mourning for you.

over which morning and evening pass.

بَكَوكَ بأدمُعٍ نَفِدَتْ وجَفَّتْ

بَكَوكَ بأدمُعٍ نَفِدَتْ وجَفَّتْ

فكانَ من الدِّماء لها بديلُ

فكانَ من الدِّماء لها بديلُ

They wept for you with tears until they ran out and dried;

They wept for you with tears that ran out and dried,

then blood became their substitute.

so blood became a replacement for them.

ومِثلُكَ مَن يَقِلُّ الدَّمعُ فيهِ

ومِثلُكَ مَن يَقِلُّ الدَّمعُ فيهِ

ولو أنَّ السَّحابَ لهُ مَسِيلُ

ولو أنَّ السَّحابَ لهُ مَسِيلُ

For one like you, tears are far too scant,

And for one like you, tears are too few,

even were the clouds to pour forth for him.

even if the clouds streamed for him.

عَهِدُتكَ ليسَ تَغفُلُ عن مُنادٍ

عَهِدُتكَ ليسَ تَغفُلُ عن مُنادٍ

إذا ما نابَهُ الخَطبُ الثَّقيلُ

إذا ما نابَهُ الخَطبُ الثَّقيلُ

I knew you never to ignore one who called,

I knew you never to be heedless of one calling for help,

whenever grave calamity befell him.

when grave misfortune befell him.

وتَجهَدُ في مَنافعِ كُلِّ داعٍ

وتَجهَدُ في مَنافعِ كُلِّ داعٍ

كأنَّكَ بالنَّجاحِ لهُ كفيلُ

كأنَّكَ بالنَّجاحِ لهُ كفيلُ

You strove to serve the needs of every supplicant,

And you strove for the benefit of every petitioner,

as though you stood surety for his success.

as though you were his guarantor of success.

وفيكَ معَ الشَّبابِ وَقارُ نفسٍ

وفيكَ معَ الشَّبابِ وَقارُ نفسٍ

رَصينٌ ليسَ تبلُغُهُ الكُهولُ

رَصينٌ ليسَ تبلُغُهُ الكُهولُ

In you, alongside youth, was a spirit’s dignity,

And alongside your youth was a dignity of soul,

so steadfast that even men of mature years could not attain it;

steadfast, beyond the reach of middle-aged men,

وجاهٌ عندَ أهلِ الجاهِ يسمو

وجاهٌ عندَ أهلِ الجاهِ يسمو

ومنزِلةٌ لها شأنٌ جليلُ

ومنزِلةٌ لها شأنٌ جليلُ

and prestige that rose among people of prestige,

and a standing that rose high among men of standing,

and a station of lofty consequence.

and a rank of great distinction.

سَليلُ أبيكَ إبراهيمَ حَسْبي

سَليلُ أبيكَ إبراهيمَ حَسْبي

وحَسْبُكَ حيثُ أنتَ لهُ سَليلُ

وحَسْبُكَ حيثُ أنتَ لهُ سَليلُ

A scion of your father Ibrahim—that alone is praise enough for me;

A scion of your father Ibrahim—that is enough for me,

and honor enough for you that you are his scion.

and enough for you, since you are his scion.

حَيا بكَ ذِكرُهُ المشهورُ فينا

حَيا بكَ ذِكرُهُ المشهورُ فينا

فزالَ وذِكرُهُ ما لا يزولُ

فزالَ وذِكرُهُ ما لا يزولُ

Through you his renowned memory lived among us;

His renowned memory lived among us through you;

then you passed away, while his memory cannot pass.

he passed away, yet his memory never passes away.

وبينَكُما مَعَ النَّسَبِ اشتراكٌ

وبينَكُما مَعَ النَّسَبِ اشتراكٌ

بتسميةٍ لها الشَّرَفُ الجَزيلُ

بتسميةٍ لها الشَّرَفُ الجَزيلُ

Beyond kinship, between you two there was also

And besides kinship, you two share

a sharing in a name of glorious honor.

a name endowed with abundant honor.

فكُنتَ نظيرَهُ قبلاً وأمسَى

فكُنتَ نظيرَهُ قبلاً وأمسَى

بفِردَوسِ البَقا لكما حُلولُ

بفِردَوسِ البَقا لكما حُلولُ

Thus you were his counterpart in heart, and loftier still;

So you were his counterpart before, and now

may you both dwell in the Paradise of Eternity.

you both have your abode in the paradise of eternity.

فقُلتُ مؤرِّخاً بأجَلِّ دارٍ

فقُلتُ مؤرِّخاً بأجَلِّ دارٍ

أمامَ العرشِ قد قامَ الخليلُ

أمامَ العرشِ قد قامَ الخليلُ

So I said, inscribing the date: “In the noblest abode,

So I said, composing a chronogram: “In the noblest abode,

before the Throne, Khalil has risen.”

before the Throne, Khalil has taken his stand.”