أَصَفيحُ ماءٍ أَديمُ أَم سَماءِ

أَصَفيحُ ماءٍ أَديمُ أَم سَماءِ

فيهِ تَغورُ كَواكِبُ الجَوزاءِ

فيهِ تَغورُ كَواكِبُ الجَوزاءِ

Is this surface a sheet of water, or of sky,

Is it a sheet of water, an eternal sky,

within which the stars of Orion sink?

In which the stars of Gemini sink?

ما كُنتُ أَعلَمُ قَبلَ مَوتِكَ موقِناً

ما كُنتُ أَعلَمُ قَبلَ مَوتِكَ موقِناً

أَنَّ البُدورَ غُروبُها في الماءِ

أَنَّ البُدورَ غُروبُها في الماءِ

I did not know for certain, before your death,

I did not know for certain before your death

that full moons set in water.

That stars set in water.

وَلَقَد عَجِبتُ وَقَد هَوَيتَ بِلُجَّةٍ

وَلَقَد عَجِبتُ وَقَد هَوَيتَ بِلُجَّةٍ

فَجَرى عَلى رُسلٍ بِغَيرِ حَياءِ

فَجَرى عَلى رُسلٍ بِغَيرِ حَياءِ

And I would indeed have marveled, when you fell into the deep,

I was amazed when you plunged into the deep,

and it flowed gently on, without shame,

Flowing with messengers without shame.

لَو لَم يُشَقُّ لَكَ العُبابُ وَطالَما

لَو لَم يُشَقُّ لَكَ العُبابُ وَطالَما

أَشبَهتَ مَوسى بِاليَدِ البَيضاءِ

أَشبَهتَ مَوسى بِاليَدِ البَيضاءِ

if the surging sea had not been parted for you, when so often

Had the sea not split for you, for so long

you resembled Moses with your white hand.

You resembled Moses with the white hand.

أَنِفَ العَلاءُ عَليكَ مِن لَمسِ الثَرى

أَنِفَ العَلاءُ عَليكَ مِن لَمسِ الثَرى

وَحُلولِ باطِنِ حُفرَةٍ ظَلماءِ

وَحُلولِ باطِنِ حُفرَةٍ ظَلماءِ

Nobility disdained for you the touch of earth

The exalted scorned that you touched the soil

and dwelling within a dark pit,

And dwelled in the belly of a dark pit.

وَأَجَلَّ جِسمَكَ أَن يُغَيِّرَ لُطفَه

وَأَجَلَّ جِسمَكَ أَن يُغَيِّرَ لُطفَه

عَفَنُ الثَرى وَتَكاثُفُ الأَرجاءِ

عَفَنُ الثَرى وَتَكاثُفُ الأَرجاءِ

and held your body too noble for its delicacy to be marred

And your body was too delicate to change its gentleness

by the earth's decay and the press of the confines.

With the rot of earth and condensation of tombs.

فَأَحَلَّهُ جَدَثاً طَهوراً مُشبِهاً

فَأَحَلَّهُ جَدَثاً طَهوراً مُشبِهاً

أَخلاقَهُ في رِقَّةٍ وَصَفاءِ

أَخلاقَهُ في رِقَّةٍ وَصَفاءِ

So it laid him in a pure grave, resembling

So He made it a pure grave, resembling

his character in gentleness and clarity.

Its manners in softness and clarity.

ما ذاكَ بِدَعاً أَن يَضُمَّ صَفاؤُهُ

ما ذاكَ بِدَعاً أَن يَضُمَّ صَفاؤُهُ

نوراً يُضَنُّ بِهِ عَلى الغَبراءِ

نوراً يُضَنُّ بِهِ عَلى الغَبراءِ

It is no strange thing that its clarity should embrace

It is no wonder that its purity

a light jealously withheld from the dusty earth.

Contains a light He protects from dust.

فَالبَحرُ أَولى في القِياسِ مِنَ الثَرى

فَالبَحرُ أَولى في القِياسِ مِنَ الثَرى

بِجِوارِ تِلكَ الدُرَّةِ الغَرّاءِ

بِجِوارِ تِلكَ الدُرَّةِ الغَرّاءِ

So the sea is worthier, by analogy, than the earth

So the sea is more fitting in comparison to the earth

of the company of that radiant pearl.

Next to that splendid pearl.

يا مالِكي إِنّي عَلَيكَ مُتَيَّمٌ

يا مالِكي إِنّي عَلَيكَ مُتَيَّمٌ

يا صَخرُ إِنّي فيكَ كَالخَنساءِ

يا صَخرُ إِنّي فيكَ كَالخَنساءِ

O my master, I am enslaved by love for you;

O my comfort, I yearn for you,

O Sakhr, in mourning you I am like al-Khansa.

O rock, through you I am like an ostrich.

وَلَقَد أَلوذُ بِكَنزِ صَبري طالِباً

وَلَقَد أَلوذُ بِكَنزِ صَبري طالِباً

حُسنَ العَزاءِ وَلاتَ حَينَ عَزاءِ

حُسنَ العَزاءِ وَلاتَ حَينَ عَزاءِ

And indeed I seek refuge in the treasure of my patience, seeking

And I take refuge in the treasure of my patience,

the grace of consolation—yet this is no time for consolation.

Seeking the beauty of consolation and the time of consolation.

وَأَعافُ شُربَ الماءِ يَطفَحُ لُجُّهُ

وَأَعافُ شُربَ الماءِ يَطفَحُ لُجُّهُ

فَأَصُدُّ عَنهُ وَأَنثَني بِظَماءِ

فَأَصُدُّ عَنهُ وَأَنثَني بِظَماءِ

And I loathe drinking water when its depths overflow,

And I refrain from drinking overflowing water,

so I turn away from it and retreat thirsty.

So I stop it and bend with thirst.

وَإِذا رَأَيتُ مَدامِعي مُبيَضَّةً

وَإِذا رَأَيتُ مَدامِعي مُبيَضَّةً

مِثلَ المِياهِ مَزَجتُها بِدِماءِ

مِثلَ المِياهِ مَزَجتُها بِدِماءِ

And when I see my tears grown white,

And when I see my tears whitened

like water, I mingle them with blood.

Like water, I mix them with blood.

لا يُطمِعِ العُذّالَ حُسنُ تَجَلُّدي

لا يُطمِعِ العُذّالَ حُسنُ تَجَلُّدي

فَلِذاكَ خَوفَ شَماتَةِ الأَعداءِ

فَلِذاكَ خَوفَ شَماتَةِ الأَعداءِ

Let not my fine composure give the reproachers hope,

The persecutor is not tempted by my graceful endurance

for that is out of fear of the enemies' gloating.

So I fear the gloating of enemies.

فَلَئِن خَفَضتُ لَهُم جَناحَ تَحَمُّلي

فَلَئِن خَفَضتُ لَهُم جَناحَ تَحَمُّلي

فَالقَلبُ مَنصوبٌ عَلى الإِغراءِ

فَالقَلبُ مَنصوبٌ عَلى الإِغراءِ

For even if I lower for them the wing of my endurance,

And if I lower the wing of my tolerance,

yet the heart stands raised in exhortation.

My heart is set on defiance.