ضاقَ السَّبيلُ على الباكي الحزينِ فلا

عاد الحبيبُ ولا قلبُ المُحِبِّ سَلا

The path has narrowed for the crying, grieving one,

Neither has the beloved returned, nor has the lover's heart found peace.

يَهيجُ للحُزْنِ في أحشائهِ لَهَبٌ

وكُلَّما رامَ إخماداً لهُ اشتعَلا

A flame ignites within his breast to kindle sorrow,

And the more it tries to extinguish, the more it burns.

كل الجِراحاتِ يَشفيها الدَّواءُ سِوَى

جُرحِ الفُؤَادِ فلا يُشفَى وكم قَتَلا

All wounds can be healed by medicine except

The wound of the heart - it has no remedy and it has killed many.

يموتُ مفقودُنا يوماً وفاقدُهُ

في كلِّ يومٍ يذوقُ الموتَ مُتَّصِلا

Our missing one dies one day and the one who misses him

Tastes death every day continuously.

هذِهْ لنا علَّةٌ تُضني المُصابَ بِها

ورُبَّما وَلَّدَتْ مَعْها لهُ عِلَلا

This is an ailment that grieves the one afflicted by it

And sometimes it creates more ailments for him.

بليَّةٌ ليسَ ينجو من غوائِلها

غيرُ الذي ماتَ عن دُنياهُ وارتَحَلا

An affliction from which no one escapes its perils

Except one who has died to this life and moved on.

يا هَل تُرَى أيُّ قلبٍ ما بهِ ألَمٌ

وأيُّ وجهٍ بماءِ الدَّمعِ ما اغتَسلا

Oh is there a heart that feels no pain?

And a face that has not washed with tears?

وأيُّ ماءٍ بهِ يذكو اللهيبُ سِوَى

دمعُ الحزينِ الذي فوقَ الثَّرى هَطَلا

And which water fuels the flames except

The tears of the grieving one that poured on the ground?

أستودِعُ اللهَ في طيِّ الضَّريح فتىً

كالغُصنِ مُعتدِلاً والبدرِ مُكتمِلا

I entrust to the coffin's cloth a youth

Straight like a branch and complete like a full moon.

كنَّا نُؤَمِّلُ أن نَجني لهُ ثَمَراً

فخيَّبَ الدَّهرُ منَّا ذلكَ الأمَلا

We had hoped to pluck fruit from him

But time has disappointed that hope.

خان الزَّمانُ لهُ عهدَ الصِّبا وبغَى

عليه داعي المنَايا إذ أتَى عَجِلا

Time betrayed its covenant of youth with him

And the caller of death came to him hastily.

قد ألبسوهُ الثِّيابَ البيضَ فاصطَبَغت

بحمرةٍ من دمِ الدَّمعِ الذي انهملا

They dressed him in white clothes but they were dyed

With redness from the tears that poured.

والنَّاسُ مِن حولِهِ تمشي وقد نَكستْ

رؤُوسَها وصُراخُ الباكياتِ عَلا

And people around him walking with bowed

Heads and the screaming of crying women arose.

يا رحمةَ اللهِ حُلِّي فوقَ تربتهِ

كما حَلَلتِ على نعشٍ بهِ حُمِلا

Oh God's mercy, dress over his grave

As you dressed over a coffin that was carried.

وصافِحي ذلكَ الوجهَ الصَّبيحَ بها

وعانِقي ذلكَ القدَّ الذي اعتَدَلا

And greet that radiant face with it

And embrace that straight height.

يا أيُّها القبرُ أكرِمْ مَن إليكَ سعَى

فإنهُ كان ممَّن يُكرِمُ النُّزُلا

Oh grave! Honor the one who came to you

For he was of those who honor lodging.

واحرِصْ على غصنِ بانٍ فيكَ كانَ إذا

مَرَّت عليهِ نُسَيماتُ الصبَّا ذَبَلا

And take care of the youthful branch in you

Who used to wilt when the breeze blew on him.

صبراً بني صيدَحٍ فالصَّبرُ أنفعُ ما

داوَى بهِ النَّاسَ جُرحَ القلبِ فاندَمَلا

Patience, O people of Seedah, for patience

Is the best medicine to heal a wounded heart.

هذا السبيلُ الذي لا بُدَّ منهُ لنا

يوماً فنحنُ إليهِ نَقطعُ السُّبُلا

This path which we inevitably must take

One day and to it we follow the ways.

العيشُ للنَّاسِ أيامٌ لها أجَلٌ

والموتُ دهرٌ لهم لا يعرفُ الأجَلا

People's lives are days with an appointed time

And death is an era for them that knows no term.