أَلا جنِّبا قلبي الأذى لا يُطيقُهُ

أَلا جنِّبا قلبي الأذى لا يُطيقُهُ

وقولوا له إذْ ضلّ أين طريقُهُ

وقولوا له إذْ ضلّ أين طريقُهُ

Ah, you two, keep harm from my heart; it cannot bear it.

Oh heart, avoid what it cannot bear

And tell it, now it has strayed, where its path lies.

And say to it, when it strays, where is its path?

فما الشّوقُ والأشجانُ إلّا صَبوحُهُ

فما الشّوقُ والأشجانُ إلّا صَبوحُهُ

وما الهمُّ والأحزانُ إلّا غَبوقُهُ

وما الهمُّ والأحزانُ إلّا غَبوقُهُ

For longing and sorrows are nothing but its morning draught,

Yearning and anguish are but its dawn

and worry and grief are nothing but its evening draught.

Worry and sorrow are but its darkness

فإنْ أنتما لم تُسعداه بعبرةٍ

فإنْ أنتما لم تُسعداه بعبرةٍ

فلا تُنكرا إن سحّ بالدّمعِ مُوقُهُ

فلا تُنكرا إن سحّ بالدّمعِ مُوقُهُ

If you two have not consoled it with a tear,

If you two do not make it happy with a tear

then do not disapprove if its eye-corner gushes tears.

Then do not deny it if it flows with tears

طوَى الموتُ أهلي بد طيِّ أصادِقي

طوَى الموتُ أهلي بد طيِّ أصادِقي

ولمّا يُقِمْ مَن بانَ عنه صديقُهُ

ولمّا يُقِمْ مَن بانَ عنه صديقُهُ

Death folded away my kin [after?] folding away my friends;

Death folded my family, after days of bliss

and one whose friend has left him has yet to stand firm.

And after they left, none of their friends remained

فثُكلٌ على ثُكْلٍ ورُزْءٌ يسوقُهُ

فثُكلٌ على ثُكْلٍ ورُزْءٌ يسوقُهُ

إلى الكَبِدِ الحَرَّى عليه سَؤوقُهُ

إلى الكَبِدِ الحَرَّى عليه سَؤوقُهُ

So bereavement upon bereavement, and calamity is driven

So sorrow upon sorrow and abasement leads it

upon him, into the burning liver, by its relentless driver.

To a burning liver, piercing it

وَما المَرءُ إِلّا عرضةٌ لمصيبةٍ

وَما المَرءُ إِلّا عرضةٌ لمصيبةٍ

فطوراً بنوهُ ثم طوراً شقيقُهُ

فطوراً بنوهُ ثم طوراً شقيقُهُ

A person is nothing but a target for calamity:

Man is prone to misfortune

at one time, his sons; then, at another, his full brother.

So at times it's his son, at others his brother

وَما الدّهرُ إلّا تَرْحَةٌ بعد فرحةٍ

وَما الدّهرُ إلّا تَرْحَةٌ بعد فرحةٍ

فلا كان منه بِرُّهُ وعقوقُهُ

فلا كان منه بِرُّهُ وعقوقُهُ

And time is nothing but sorrow after joy;

Time is but joy after joy

may neither kindness nor ill-treatment ever come from it!

Be it good or evil from it

أتاني من الطّرّاقِ ما يَقرحُ الحَشا

أتاني من الطّرّاقِ ما يَقرحُ الحَشا

وكم طارقٍ لي لا يُوَدُّ طُرُوقُهُ

وكم طارقٍ لي لا يُوَدُّ طُرُوقُهُ

From the night visitors came what wounds my entrails,

There came to me from fate what wounds my senses

and how many a night caller comes to me whose visit is unwelcome!

And how many misfortunes have come that I do not like

وقالوا معزُّ الدّينِ تاه به الرّدى

وقالوا معزُّ الدّينِ تاه به الرّدى

وسُدَّ به في وَسْطِ قاعٍ خُروقُهُ

وسُدَّ به في وَسْطِ قاعٍ خُروقُهُ

They said that death had carried Muʿizz al-Din astray,

And they said the glory of faith has gone astray

and with him the gaps in the midst of a plain were sealed.

And fallen in the midst of a rugged valley

فأَلْهَبَ خوفاً ليس يخبو حريقُهُ

فأَلْهَبَ خوفاً ليس يخبو حريقُهُ

وأعقب سكراً ليس يصحو مُفيقُهُ

وأعقب سكراً ليس يصحو مُفيقُهُ

So it kindled a fear whose fire never dies down,

So it kindled a fear whose flames cannot be hidden

and brought a drunkenness from which no one sobers.

And caused intoxication from which its mind cannot awaken

وذاك ذهابٌ ليس يدنو إيابُهُ

وذاك ذهابٌ ليس يدنو إيابُهُ

وَوَشكُ غروبٍ ليس يُرجى شُروقُهُ

وَوَشكُ غروبٍ ليس يُرجى شُروقُهُ

And that is a departure whose return does not draw near,

That is a going from which there is no return

and a swift setting whose rising is not hoped for.

And a sunset after which there is no dawn

كأنّي وقد فارقتُهُ شِعْبُ منزلٍ

كأنّي وقد فارقتُهُ شِعْبُ منزلٍ

تحمّل عنه راغمين فريقُهُ

تحمّل عنه راغمين فريقُهُ

Now I have parted from him, I am like a ravine with a dwelling,

As if after parting from it, I inherited a barren land

whose people have packed up and left it unwillingly.

Whose burden its kinsmen carried

وإِلّا فصَدْيانٌ على ظهر قفرةٍ

وإِلّا فصَدْيانٌ على ظهر قفرةٍ

وَما ماؤه إلّا السّرابُ ورِيقُهُ

وَما ماؤه إلّا السّرابُ ورِيقُهُ

Or else a parched man on the back of a barren waste,

Unless it is two cisterns in the middle of a desert

whose only water is the mirage and its shimmer.

With no water but mirage that cannot quench thirst

فَليسَ الّذي تَجري به العينُ ماؤها

فَليسَ الّذي تَجري به العينُ ماؤها

ولكنّه ماءُ الحياةِ أُريقُهُ

ولكنّه ماءُ الحياةِ أُريقُهُ

For what the eye lets flow is not its own water,

For what flows from the eye is not its water

but the water of life, which I spill.

Rather, it is the water of life that flows out

فمنْ لسرير الملك يركب متنَهُ

فمنْ لسرير الملك يركب متنَهُ

فيعلو به إِشرافُهُ وسُموقُهُ

فيعلو به إِشرافُهُ وسُموقُهُ

Who is there for the throne of kingship, to mount its back,

Who can ascend the throne's mattress

so that its eminence and loftiness rise through him?

And rise high in rank and status?

ومَنْ لصفيحِ الهند يُنْثَرُ حولَه

ومَنْ لصفيحِ الهند يُنْثَرُ حولَه

فديغُ رؤوسٍ في الوغى وفليقُهُ

فديغُ رؤوسٍ في الوغى وفليقُهُ

And who will wield the Indian blade, around which are strewn

Who can have pearls from the Indian sea scattered around him

heads crushed and cleft in battle?

With the blood of heads flowing in battle and its horror?

ومَنْ للقنا تحمرّ منه ترائبٌ

ومَنْ للقنا تحمرّ منه ترائبٌ

كأنّ خَلوقَ المعرسات خَلوقُهُ

كأنّ خَلوقَ المعرسات خَلوقُهُ

And who will wield the spears, through which breastbones redden,

Who leads the noble steeds to the race-track

as though the brides' saffron perfume were their perfume?

As if their galloping were brides coming out of their rooms

ومَنْ للجيادِ الضُّمَّرِ القُودِ قادَها

ومَنْ للجيادِ الضُّمَّرِ القُودِ قادَها

إلى موقفٍ دَحْضُ المقامِ زليقُهُ

إلى موقفٍ دَحْضُ المقامِ زليقُهُ

And who will lead the lean, long-necked steeds

Who willingly bears a heavy burden

to a stand whose footing is slippery and slick?

When the weak cannot carry a light load?

ومَنْ يحمل العِبْءَ الرّزينَ تكرّماً

ومَنْ يحمل العِبْءَ الرّزينَ تكرّماً

إذا كَلَّ عن حَمْلِ الثّقيلِ مُطيقُهُ

إذا كَلَّ عن حَمْلِ الثّقيلِ مُطيقُهُ

And who will bear the weighty burden out of nobility,

Who climbs the kingdom’s strongholds

when even one able to bear it grows weary of carrying the heavy load?

Whenever a gap is breached or an elevation appears?

ومَنْ لثغور الملك يرتُقُ فتقَها

ومَنْ لثغور الملك يرتُقُ فتقَها

إِذا اِلتاث ثَغْرٌ أو تراءَتْ فتوقُهُ

إِذا اِلتاث ثَغْرٌ أو تراءَتْ فتوقُهُ

And who will mend the breaches of the kingdom's frontiers

He whose hearing was the clanging of swords

when a frontier is disordered or its breaches appear?

And the prime of withering flowers was his drink

فتىً كان رنّاتِ السّيوفِ سَماعُهُ

فتىً كان رنّاتِ السّيوفِ سَماعُهُ

وفيضَ نجيع الذّابلاتِ رحيقُهُ

وفيضَ نجيع الذّابلاتِ رحيقُهُ

A young man whose music was the ringing of swords,

None suited him but the Most High

and whose pure wine was the flow of dark blood from withered spears.

Who guides us though far and near

وَلَم تُلفِهِ إِلّا وَفوق فَقارِهِ

وَلَم تُلفِهِ إِلّا وَفوق فَقارِهِ

جَليلُ الّذي يَقتادنا ودقيقُهُ

جَليلُ الّذي يَقتادنا ودقيقُهُ

And never did you find him without his backbone bearing

The angels knew you were their pride

the great and small of whatever drives us.

Else say who cannot you surpass?

وقد علم الأملاك أنّك فُتَّهُمْ

وقد علم الأملاك أنّك فُتَّهُمْ

وإلّا فقلْ مَن ذا الّذي لا تفوتُهُ

وإلّا فقلْ مَن ذا الّذي لا تفوتُهُ

And the kings knew that you had surpassed them;

If they descend to lofty glories

and if not, then say: whom do you not surpass?

Yours is higher than the glories’ pillar

فإن نزلوا في الفخر هضباً رفيعةً

فإن نزلوا في الفخر هضباً رفيعةً

فمنزلُك الأعلى من الفخرِ نِيقُهُ

فمنزلُك الأعلى من الفخرِ نِيقُهُ

If in glory they settle on lofty hills,

You were of a people whose might sufficed for glory

then your highest dwelling in glory is its summit.

And their market thrived with the greatest affair

وأنّك من قومٍ كفى الخطبَ بأسُهمْ

وأنّك من قومٍ كفى الخطبَ بأسُهمْ

وقامتْ بهمْ في معظم الأمر سوقُهُ

وقامتْ بهمْ في معظم الأمر سوقُهُ

And that you are from a people whose might sufficed against calamity,

When a generous one among them heads to munificence

and through whom the market of the gravest affairs flourished.

He goes unhindered by what impedes him

إذا ما جرى منهم كريمٌ إلى ندىً

إذا ما جرى منهم كريمٌ إلى ندىً

مضى لم يَعُقْهُ دونه ما يَعوقُهُ

مضى لم يَعُقْهُ دونه ما يَعوقُهُ

Whenever a noble man among them races toward generosity,

Through them flow the streams of kingship

he presses on, unchecked by what would hold him back from it.

And with them are its branches and veins

وفيهمْ شعابُ الملك تجري وعندهمْ

وفيهمْ شعابُ الملك تجري وعندهمْ

إذا وَشَجَتْ أغصانُه وعروقُهُ

إذا وَشَجَتْ أغصانُه وعروقُهُ

And within them run the channels of kingship, and with them

Even if feet withdraw in cowardice, they have only

are its branches and roots when they intertwine.

Glory to spur them on and urge them

وإن تنكُص الأقدامُ جُبناً فما لهمْ

وإن تنكُص الأقدامُ جُبناً فما لهمْ

إلى المجدِ إلّا شَدُّهُ وعنيقُهُ

إلى المجدِ إلّا شَدُّهُ وعنيقُهُ

And if feet retreat in cowardice, for them there is

God has decreed grief and sorrow for me after you

no way to glory but a gallop and a swift stride.

And what He ordains cannot be reversed

قَضى اللَّهُ لِي من بعدك الحزنَ والأسى

قَضى اللَّهُ لِي من بعدك الحزنَ والأسى

وليسَ بمردودٍ قضاءٌ يسوقُهُ

وليسَ بمردودٍ قضاءٌ يسوقُهُ

God has decreed grief and sorrow for me after you,

I did not fear you'd spend the night, while between us

and a decree He drives onward cannot be repelled.

Was the distant span of the lofty tomb

وما كنتُ أخشى أنْ تَبِيتَ وبيننا

وما كنتُ أخشى أنْ تَبِيتَ وبيننا

بعيدُ المدا شَحْطُ المزارِ سحيقُهُ

بعيدُ المدا شَحْطُ المزارِ سحيقُهُ

I never feared you would spend the night while between us

While I live on and you are laden

lay a far-reaching distance, a visiting-place remote and far away;

With heavy earth that you cannot bear

وأنِّيَ موفورٌ وأنتَ مُحَمَّلٌ

وأنِّيَ موفورٌ وأنتَ مُحَمَّلٌ

بثِقْلِ الثَّرى ما لا أراك تُطيقُهُ

بثِقْلِ الثَّرى ما لا أراك تُطيقُهُ

and that I would remain whole, while you were laden

Men awaken from the wine they drank

with the weight of earth—what I do not think you can bear.

While your intoxication with misguidance has no awakening

يُفيقُ الرّجالُ الشّاربون من الكَرى

يُفيقُ الرّجالُ الشّاربون من الكَرى

وسكرك من خمر الرّدى لا تُفيقُهُ

وسكرك من خمر الرّدى لا تُفيقُهُ

Men who drink awaken from slumber,

Why don't I protect you one day, when for so long

but you never sober from your drunkenness on death's wine.

You protected me from weakness' disgrace?

ولِمْ لا أقيك السّوءَ يوماً وطالما

ولِمْ لا أقيك السّوءَ يوماً وطالما

وقيتَ من الأمر الذُّعاف مَذوقُهُ

وقيتَ من الأمر الذُّعاف مَذوقُهُ

And why should I not shield you from harm one day, when so often

When worries befell me, a brother twisted

you shielded me from affairs whose taste was deadly venom?

To illuminate its darkness

ولمّا عرانِي ما عرانِيَ واِلتَوى

ولمّا عرانِي ما عرانِيَ واِلتَوى

عليَّ أخٌ فيما عرا وشقيقُهُ

عليَّ أخٌ فيما عرا وشقيقُهُ

And when what befell me befell me, and there was resistance

To subdue the defiant and make straits wider

against me from a brother in that plight, and his full brother,

If you go, seasons go, and if you're absent

تشمّرتَ لِي حتَّى أضاء ظلامُهُ

تشمّرتَ لِي حتَّى أضاء ظلامُهُ

وطاوعَ عاصيه وأرحَبَ ضيقُهُ

وطاوعَ عاصيه وأرحَبَ ضيقُهُ

you girded yourself for me until its darkness grew bright,

One elegant in manner has long been absent from us

its rebellious part yielded, and its narrowness widened.

If you hide from us today, a branch is tempted

فَإنْ تمضِ فالأنواءُ تمضي وإِنْ تَغِبْ

فَإنْ تمضِ فالأنواءُ تمضي وإِنْ تَغِبْ

فقد غاب عنّا من زمانٍ أنيقُهُ

فقد غاب عنّا من زمانٍ أنيقُهُ

If you depart, the rain-bearing stars depart; and if you vanish,

And after a time, its leaves fall

then the loveliness of an age has vanished from us.

So my heart has no delight after your day

وإن تَعْرَ منّا اليومَ فالغصنُ يُغتَدى

وإن تَعْرَ منّا اليومَ فالغصنُ يُغتَدى

وريقاً زماناً ثُمّ يَعْرى وريقُهُ

وريقاً زماناً ثُمّ يَعْرى وريقُهُ

And if today you are stripped of us, a bough is found at morning

Nor does anything my heart desires allure it

leafy for a time, then its leafy growth is stripped bare.

No thoughts excite my mind

فما لفؤادي بعد يومك بهجةٌ

فما لفؤادي بعد يومك بهجةٌ

ولا شاق قلبي بعده ما يشوقُهُ

ولا شاق قلبي بعده ما يشوقُهُ

My heart has no joy after your day,

Nor does my eye taste days I enjoy

nor since then has what once stirred its longing moved my heart.

Peace on a grave whose soil you inhabited

ولا لسلوٍّ خَطْرَةٌ في جوانحي

ولا لسلوٍّ خَطْرَةٌ في جوانحي

ولا لجفوني طعمُ يومٍ أذوقُهُ

ولا لجفوني طعمُ يومٍ أذوقُهُ

Nor is there a passing thought of solace within my ribs,

And whose gentle breeze blows upon it

nor is there for my eyelids a day's taste that I can savor.

Around it, gardens of bliss are spread

سلامٌ على قبرٍ حَلَلْتَ ترابَه

سلامٌ على قبرٍ حَلَلْتَ ترابَه

وهبّ عليه من نسيمٍ رقيقُهُ

وهبّ عليه من نسيمٍ رقيقُهُ

Peace upon the grave in whose dust you have settled,

Filled with the purest musk

and may a gentle breeze blow upon it.

If earth was too narrow to hold him after loss

وَمِن حوله وَشيُ الرّياض مُنَشَّرٌ

وَمِن حوله وَشيُ الرّياض مُنَشَّرٌ

وفيه من المسك الذّكيّ فتيقُهُ

وفيه من المسك الذّكيّ فتيقُهُ

Around it the brocade of gardens is spread,

A soil has expanded that cannot constrain him

and within it the released fragrance of pungent musk.

We passed by his grave, eyes raining tears

فإنْ ضاقت الأرضُ الفضا بعد فقده

فإنْ ضاقت الأرضُ الفضا بعد فقده

فقد وسعته تربةٌ لا تضيقُهُ

فقد وسعته تربةٌ لا تضيقُهُ

If the spacious earth has narrowed after his loss,

While yearning leads the way

then a patch of soil has held him without cramping him.

From the lack of equity, my life after him

مررنا عليه منشئين لقبره

مررنا عليه منشئين لقبره

غمامَ دموعٍ والحنينُ يسوقُهُ

غمامَ دموعٍ والحنينُ يسوقُهُ

We passed by him, raising for his grave

And in my palm, if I wanted, to join him

a cloud of tears, driven by yearning.

ومِن قلّةِ الإنصافِ عيشيَ بعده

ومِن قلّةِ الإنصافِ عيشيَ بعده

وفي الكفّ منّي لو أردتُ لُحوقهُ

وفي الكفّ منّي لو أردتُ لُحوقهُ

And it is scant fairness that I live on after him,

while joining him, if I wished, lies in my own hand.