يا مَدمَعَيَّ اِكفِياني نارَ أَحزاني

يا مَدمَعَيَّ اِكفِياني نارَ أَحزاني

إِنّي عَهِدتُكُما مِن خَيرِ أَعواني

إِنّي عَهِدتُكُما مِن خَيرِ أَعواني

O my two tearful eyes, spare me the fire of my sorrows.

O my tears, relieve me of the fire of my sorrows

Indeed, I have known you both among my best helpers.

For I knew you both as the best of my helpers

نارٌ تَأَجُج في قَلبي فَهَل لَكُما

نارٌ تَأَجُج في قَلبي فَهَل لَكُما

أَن تُطفِئاها بِتَسكابٍ وَتَهتانِ

أَن تُطفِئاها بِتَسكابٍ وَتَهتانِ

A fire blazes in my heart; can you two

A fire rages in my heart, could you

extinguish it with torrents and unceasing showers?

Quench it with pouring and calmness?

إِن لَم يَكُنِ اليَومِ لي رَنّاتٌ ثاكِلَةٌ

إِن لَم يَكُنِ اليَومِ لي رَنّاتٌ ثاكِلَةٌ

فَأَيُّ يَومٍ لَهُ وَجدي وَتَحناني

فَأَيُّ يَومٍ لَهُ وَجدي وَتَحناني

If today I have no bereaved mother's wails,

If today I have no comforting beloved

then for what day are my anguish and yearning?

Then which day has my presence and tenderness?

أَقضي اللَيالي لا أَحظى بِطَيفٍ كَرى

أَقضي اللَيالي لا أَحظى بِطَيفٍ كَرى

مُوَزَّعاً بَينَ حَيرانٍ وَحَرّانِ

مُوَزَّعاً بَينَ حَيرانٍ وَحَرّانِ

I pass the nights without even a phantom of sleep,

I spend the nights without seeing a specter I love

torn between bewilderment and burning anguish.

Split between confusion and anxiety

ما لي بِغَيرُ كُؤوسِ الدَمعِ مُغتَبِقٌ

ما لي بِغَيرُ كُؤوسِ الدَمعِ مُغتَبِقٌ

وَلَيسَ غَيرَ نُجومِ اللَيلِ نَدماني

وَلَيسَ غَيرَ نُجومِ اللَيلِ نَدماني

I have no evening draught but cups of tears,

I have nothing but cups of tears as company

and none but the stars of night are my drinking companions.

And nothing but the stars of night as my regret

تَأبى المُروءَةُ قَلباً غَيرَ مُتَّقِدٍ

تَأبى المُروءَةُ قَلباً غَيرَ مُتَّقِدٍ

عَلى حَبيبٍ وَطَرفاً غَيرَ رَيّانِ

عَلى حَبيبٍ وَطَرفاً غَيرَ رَيّانِ

Nobility rejects a heart that is not ablaze

Manliness refuses a heart not burning

for a loved one, and an eye not drenched with tears.

For a lover and an eye not crying

لا بَوَّأَتني المَعالي مَتنَ صَهوَتِها

لا بَوَّأَتني المَعالي مَتنَ صَهوَتِها

إشن كانَ لَم يُصمِ قَلبي فَقَد خَلاني

إشن كانَ لَم يُصمِ قَلبي فَقَد خَلاني

May lofty honors never seat me atop their saddle,

Glory never let me onto its lofty backs

if losing my close friends has not dealt my heart a mortal blow.

If it had not deafened my heart and forsaken me

وَلَيسَ كُلُّ أَخٍ تَأتي مُنيَتُهُ

وَلَيسَ كُلُّ أَخٍ تَأتي مُنيَتُهُ

عَلى رُؤوسِ ذَويهِ دَكَّ بُنيانِ

عَلى رُؤوسِ ذَويهِ دَكَّ بُنيانِ

And not every brother's death comes

Not every brother whose death comes

upon his kin's heads like the collapse of a building.

Falls upon the heads of his family like a collapsed building

أَنّا فَقَدناكَ يا عَبدَ السَلامِ لَدنَ

أَنّا فَقَدناكَ يا عَبدَ السَلامِ لَدنَ

كُنتَ المُرَجى لِأَوطارٍ وَأَوطانِ

كُنتَ المُرَجى لِأَوطارٍ وَأَوطانِ

Indeed, we lost you, O Abd al-Salam, just when

We have lost you, O Abdel Salam, you were

you were the hope of aspirations and homelands.

The hoped for in lands and homelands

وَكُنتَ رُكناً لَها إِنَّ أُمَّةً لَجَأَت

وَكُنتَ رُكناً لَها إِنَّ أُمَّةً لَجَأَت

مِنَ الوَرى لِأَساطينِ وَأَركانِ

مِنَ الوَرى لِأَساطينِ وَأَركانِ

And you were their pillar; indeed, a nation sought refuge

You were a pillar for it, indeed a nation took refuge

among mankind in pillars and cornerstones.

From foes in its nobles and pillars

الباهِرُ الخَصلُ يَعيى مَن يُسابِقُهُ

الباهِرُ الخَصلُ يَعيى مَن يُسابِقُهُ

وَالقاتِلُ الفَصلُ عَن عِلمٍ وَبُرهانِ

وَالقاتِلُ الفَصلُ عَن عِلمٍ وَبُرهانِ

Dazzling in marksmanship, he wears out whoever vies with him,

The brilliant quality tires whoever competes with it

and is deadly in decisive judgment, drawing on knowledge and proof.

And the killing distinction from knowledge and proof

يَرمي بِكُلِّ مُراشٍ مَن كَنائِنِهِ

يَرمي بِكُلِّ مُراشٍ مَن كَنائِنِهِ

عَن كُلِّ قَوسٍ مِنَ التَفكيرِ مُرنانِ

عَن كُلِّ قَوسٍ مِنَ التَفكيرِ مُرنانِ

He shoots every feathered shaft from his quivers,

It casts from its entities whoever aims

from every resounding bow of thought.

Every bow of thought missing it

كانَت مَحامِدُهُ شَتّى نُقولٌ لَها

كانَت مَحامِدُهُ شَتّى نُقولٌ لَها

سُبحانَ ناظِمِها في سَلكِ إِنسانِ

سُبحانَ ناظِمِها في سَلكِ إِنسانِ

His praiseworthy qualities were manifold; of them we say:

His praises were diverse, we say for them

Glory to Him who strung them on the thread of a human being!

Glory to their composer in the thread of humanity

مُهَذَّبُ الخَلقِ في صَوفٍ وَفي كَدَرِ

مُهَذَّبُ الخَلقِ في صَوفٍ وَفي كَدَرِ

وَناصِحُ الوُدِّ في سِرٍّ وَإِعلانِ

وَناصِحُ الوُدِّ في سِرٍّ وَإِعلانِ

Refined in character, in serenity and in trouble,

Refined manners in wool and in rags

and sincere in affection, in secret and in public.

And advisor of affection in secret and openly