عَلى مثلهِ تُذرى العيونُ دماء

عَلى مثلهِ تُذرى العيونُ دماء

فَلا يَحتَشِم باكٍ عَليهِ بُكاءا

فَلا يَحتَشِم باكٍ عَليهِ بُكاءا

For one like him, eyes shed blood;

Tears are shed on the likes of him,

so let no one weeping for him be ashamed to weep.

No mourner feels shy shedding tears over him.

وَقُل لِلّذي سَحّت شؤونُ دُموعِهِ

وَقُل لِلّذي سَحّت شؤونُ دُموعِهِ

دَعِ الدمعَ يَجري كَيفَ شِئتَ وشَاءا

دَعِ الدمعَ يَجري كَيفَ شِئتَ وشَاءا

And say to the one whose tear ducts have poured forth:

And say to him whose affairs shed tears,

Let the tears flow as you wish—and as they will.

Let tears flow however you want.

وَلا تَمنعِ الأجفانَ سَحَّا فكلّما

وَلا تَمنعِ الأجفانَ سَحَّا فكلّما

هَرَقْنَ الّذي فيهنَّ عُدنَ ملاءا

هَرَقْنَ الّذي فيهنَّ عُدنَ ملاءا

Do not stop the eyelids from pouring, for whenever

Do not prevent the eyelids from pouring out

they spill what is within them, they fill again.

Whatever is in them of delight.

فَما اليوم إِلّا يَومُ حُزنٍ وَلَوعَةٍ

فَما اليوم إِلّا يَومُ حُزنٍ وَلَوعَةٍ

فَخلِّ حِراناً في الأَسى وَإِباءا

فَخلِّ حِراناً في الأَسى وَإِباءا

For today is nothing but a day of grief and anguish;

Today is just a day of sorrow and agony,

so set aside resistance to grief and proud restraint.

So leave us grieving and refusing consolation.

وَإِن كُنتَ طَوْعاً لِلحَياءِ فَلا تُطِعْ

وَإِن كُنتَ طَوْعاً لِلحَياءِ فَلا تُطِعْ

بِجَدّك في هَذا المُصابِ حَياءا

بِجَدّك في هَذا المُصابِ حَياءا

And if you submit to shame, do not obey—

If you are inclined to modesty, do not obey

by your fortune—shame in this calamity.

Your zeal in this calamity, modesty.

وَنادِ نَصيحاً لا أُحبُّ نصيحةً

وَنادِ نَصيحاً لا أُحبُّ نصيحةً

وَقُل لِمعَزٍّ لا أريدُ عَزاءا

وَقُل لِمعَزٍّ لا أريدُ عَزاءا

And call to a counselor: “I have no love for advice”;

Call sincerely I do not like sincere advice,

and say to a consoler: “I want no consolation.”

And say to a consoler I do not want condolences.

أَمِن بعدِ فجعِ الموتِ بِاِبن مُحمّدٍ

أَمِن بعدِ فجعِ الموتِ بِاِبن مُحمّدٍ

وَكانَ كَصدر المشرَفيِّ مَضاءا

وَكانَ كَصدر المشرَفيِّ مَضاءا

After death bereaved me of the son of Muhammad—

Can I have hope after the bereavement of Muhammad's son

who was as keen as the point of a Mashrafi sword—

Who was like a shining full moon?

أُرجّي بِأوطانِ العَدامة ثَروةً

أُرجّي بِأوطانِ العَدامة ثَروةً

وَآمل في دارِ الفناءِ بَقاءا

وَآمل في دارِ الفناءِ بَقاءا

can I hope for wealth in the abodes of destitution,

Do I hope to gain wealth in the lands of execution?

and hope for permanence in the abode of perishing?

And expect life in the abode of extinction?

دَفَنتُ الإِخاءَ العذب لمّا دَفنتهُ

دَفَنتُ الإِخاءَ العذب لمّا دَفنتهُ

فَلَستُ بباغٍ ما حييتُ إخاءا

فَلَستُ بباغٍ ما حييتُ إخاءا

I buried sweet brotherhood when I buried him;

I buried sweet brotherhood when I buried him.

so I shall seek no brotherhood as long as I live.

So I shall not live as a flourishing brotherhood.

وَما كانَ إِلّا حامِلاً ثِقْلَ قومهِ

وَما كانَ إِلّا حامِلاً ثِقْلَ قومهِ

إِذا أَظلَموا يَوماً عليهِ أَضاءا

إِذا أَظلَموا يَوماً عليهِ أَضاءا

He was nothing but the bearer of his people's burden;

He was only carrying the burden of his people

if one day they cast darkness upon him, he shone.

When they wronged him, he would light up for them.

وَلَم يكُ خَوّاراً وَلا كانَ عُودُهُ

وَلَم يكُ خَوّاراً وَلا كانَ عُودُهُ

إِذا عَجموهُ بِالنيوبِ أَباءا

إِذا عَجموهُ بِالنيوبِ أَباءا

He was no weakling, nor was his wood,

He was neither timid nor was his firewood

when they tested it with their fangs, mere reeds.

Made of date palm branches if they provoked him.

يَعِلُّونَه ما يُجتَوى ويَعِلُّهمْ

يَعِلُّونَه ما يُجتَوى ويَعِلُّهمْ

صَفاءً عَلى تَرنيقِهم وَوفاءا

صَفاءً عَلى تَرنيقِهم وَوفاءا

They give him draughts of what is loathsome, while he gives them

They knew he endured agonies and he knew them

purity despite their muddying, and loyalty.

With clarity despite their betrayal and loyalty.

وَيُسرع نَهّاضاً بما آدَ ثِقلُه

وَيُسرع نَهّاضاً بما آدَ ثِقلُه

إِلَيهم وَإِن كانوا عَليه بِطاءا

إِلَيهم وَإِن كانوا عَليه بِطاءا

And he hastens, shouldering whatever burden weighs heavily,

He was quick to carry what burdened him of their affairs

toward them, though they are slow to help him.

Even if they were slow towards him.

وَمِمّا شَجا أنّي رُزِئتك بَغتةً

وَمِمّا شَجا أنّي رُزِئتك بَغتةً

وَقَد كنتُ مَملوءَ الفُؤادِ رَجاءا

وَقَد كنتُ مَملوءَ الفُؤادِ رَجاءا

And among my sorrows is that I lost you suddenly,

Of what pained me is that I lost you suddenly

while my heart had been full of hope.

While my heart brimmed with hope.

وَودَّ رِجالٌ لَو فَدَوْك وقلّما

وَودَّ رِجالٌ لَو فَدَوْك وقلّما

تَقبّل وُرّادُ الحِمامِ فِداءا

تَقبّل وُرّادُ الحِمامِ فِداءا

And men wished they could ransom you, but seldom

Men wished they could ransom you but rarely

do those bound for death accept a ransom.

Do receivers of pigeons accept ransom.

أَلا إِنَّ قَومي بعدَ بَأسٍ وَكَثرةٍ

أَلا إِنَّ قَومي بعدَ بَأسٍ وَكَثرةٍ

قَضَوا بِفُنونِ الحادِثاتِ قَضاءا

قَضَوا بِفُنونِ الحادِثاتِ قَضاءا

Lo, my people, after might and great numbers,

Indeed after harm and great numbers

have perished through calamities of many kinds.

My people fulfilled the rulings of tribulations.

رَدوا بعدَ أَن كانوا سدادَ عظيمةٍ

رَدوا بعدَ أَن كانوا سدادَ عظيمةٍ

وَكانوا لأوجاعِ الزّمانِ شِفاءا

وَكانوا لأوجاعِ الزّمانِ شِفاءا

They perished after being a bulwark against grave calamity,

They turned back after they were pillars of greatness

and they had been a cure for the pains of time.

And were cures for the agonies of time.

وولَّوا كما انقضّت نجومُ دُجُنَّةٍ

وولَّوا كما انقضّت نجومُ دُجُنَّةٍ

وقد أترعوا صُحفَ الرّواة ثناءا

وقد أترعوا صُحفَ الرّواة ثناءا

And they departed like stars falling in the darkness of night,

They went astray like the dispersing stars of delusion

having filled the chroniclers' pages to the brim with praise.

Though they had memorized the scrolls of narration.

وَلَمّا مَضوا يَهوُون في سنَنِ الرّدى

وَلَمّا مَضوا يَهوُون في سنَنِ الرّدى

أَحالوا صباحَ المَكرُمات مَساءا

أَحالوا صباحَ المَكرُمات مَساءا

And when they went plunging along death's path,

When they passed away, plunging into the ways of loss

they turned the morning of noble deeds into evening.

They turned the dawn of honors into night.