دمعٌtears جرىflowed أمor عقيقcarnelian سالstreamed منfrom بصريmy eye
دمعٌ جرى أم عقيق سال من بصري
علىupon ضريحكyour tomb ياO شمسيmy sun وياand O قمريmy moon
على ضريحك يا شمسي ويا قمري
Are these tears that flowed, or carnelian streaming from my eye
Tears flowed or liquid pearls fell from my eyes
upon your tomb, O my sun and O my moon?
Onto your grave, O sun and moon of mine
أمor وردthe rose of خدكyour cheek أعطىgave الدمعthe tears صورتهits image
أم ورد خدك أعطى الدمع صورته
لتقنعso that it may be content العينthe eye بعدafter العينthe original itself بالأثرwith the trace
لتقنع العين بعد العين بالأثر
Or did the rose of your cheek give its image to the tears,
Or rose petals of your cheek made my tears take their form
so the eye, once the original was gone, might be content with a trace?
To fool the eyes after the eyes with the effect
وكيفand how تقنعcan it be content بالتصويرwith a likeness ياO سكنيmy solace
وكيف تقنع بالتصوير يا سكني
والطيبand the fragrance فيin الوردthe roses ليسis not الطيبthe fragrance فيin الصورthe images
والطيب في الورد ليس الطيب في الصور
And how could it be content with a likeness, O my solace,
And how can it be fooled by depiction, O my tranquility
when the fragrance of roses is not found in their images?
When the fragrance in the rose is not the fragrance in pictures
وحقand by the sanctity of ماwhat كانwas فيin عينيكyour two eyes منof حورٍdark irises against bright whites
وحق ما كان في عينيك من حورٍ
تعنوbow لهto it غانياتbeautiful women البدوthe nomads والحضرand the townspeople
تعنو له غانيات البدو والحضر
And by the dark irises and bright whites of your eyes,
And the rightful one in your eyes of houri
before which the beauties of desert and town bow,
Longed for by the singers of nomads and cities alike
وفيand in محياكyour face منof وردٍroses ومنand of عنمٍred ʿanam twigs
وفي محياك من وردٍ ومن عنمٍ
وفيand in ثناياكyour front teeth منof طلعpalm blossoms ومنand of أثرlustre
وفي ثناياك من طلع ومن أثر
and by the roses and red ʿanam twigs in your face,
And in your cheek of rose and soft down
and by the palm blossoms and lustre in your front teeth:
And in your folds of buds and traces
ماnot نحنwe منamong جملةthe company of الباقينthose remaining بعدكafter you بلbut
ما نحن من جملة الباقين بعدك بل
منamong جملةthe company of الحاملينthose carrying الزادprovisions للسفرfor the journey
من جملة الحاملين الزاد للسفر
we are not among those who remain after you, but
We are not of those remaining after you, but
among those carrying provisions for the journey.
Of those carrying provisions for the journey
بالغتَyou went too far ياO موتُDeath فيin كيديharming me وفيand in كدريmy grief
بالغتَ يا موتُ في كيدي وفي كدري
ماذاwhat تريدdo you want وليليand my night قدalready غداhas become سحريmy predawn
ماذا تريد وليلي قد غدا سحري
You have gone too far, O Death, in afflicting me and deepening my grief;
You have perfected, O death, my ruin and my anguish
what do you want, now that my dawn has become my night?
What more do you want when my night has become my dawn
وأنتand you ياO قبرُgrave أحرمتyou deprived العيونَthe eyes منof الthe
وأنت يا قبرُ أحرمت العيونَ من ال
حسنِbeauty المصونsafeguarded ولمand did not تتركleave ولمand did not تذرspare
حسنِ المصون ولم تترك ولم تذر
And you, O grave, have deprived the eyes of the
And you, O grave, deprived the eyes of
safeguarded beauty, leaving nothing and sparing nothing.
Protected beauty and left nothing remaining
واريتyou hid شمسَthe sun of شموسthe suns of الحسنbeauty كاسيةًclothed
واريت شمسَ شموس الحسن كاسيةً
باللطفin grace والظرفand elegance فيin برجٍa tower منof الحجرstone
باللطف والظرف في برجٍ من الحجر
You hid the sun of beauty’s suns, clothed
You showed the sun of suns of beauty
in grace and elegance, within a tower of stone.
Covered in charm and grace in a tower of stone
ارفقbe gentle بهاwith her ارفقbe gentle فقدfor indeed أُعطيتُهاI was given her قمراًas a moon
ارفق بها ارفق فقد أُعطيتُها قمراً
كوردةlike a rose الشمسof the sun فيwithin نسرينةa white wild rose السحرof predawn
كوردة الشمس في نسرينة السحر
Be gentle with her, be gentle, for I was given her as a moon,
Be gentle with her, be gentle, for I gave her a moon
like the sun’s rose within dawn’s white wild rose.
Like the sun's rose in the narcissus of dawn
وحسنهاand her beauty حسنهاher beauty بلrather كلevery آونةٍmoment
وحسنها حسنها بل كل آونةٍ
ينموit grows ويسموand rises ويزهوand glories زهوthe pride of مقتدرone with power
ينمو ويسمو ويزهو زهو مقتدر
And her beauty is still her beauty—nay, at every moment
And her beauty, her beauty, rather every instant
it grows, rises, and glories with a mighty one’s pride.
Grows and rises and blossoms in triumphant vigor
علىupon المورَّدthe rosy cheek بدرٌa full moon غيرnot منكسفٍeclipsed
على المورَّد بدرٌ غير منكسفٍ
وفيand in المُقَبَّلthe kissed mouth درٌّpearls غيرnot منتثرscattered
وفي المُقَبَّل درٌّ غير منتثر
Upon her rosy cheek, a full moon, never eclipsed;
An un-eclipsed full moon on the rosebud
and in her mouth, the place of kisses, pearls unscattered.
And in the kissed one a pearl unscattered
سألتكI ask you اللَهGod هلwhether دامتendured محاسنهاher lovely features
سألتك اللَه هل دامت محاسنها
أمor بادperished رونقthe lustre of ذاكthat المنظرappearance النضرfresh and radiant
أم باد رونق ذاك المنظر النضر
I ask you by God: has her loveliness endured,
I asked you, God, did her beauties last
or has the lustre of that fresh, fair sight perished?
Or did the radiance of that bright sight fade
ياO لوعتيmy anguish ياO عذابيmy torment بعدafter مريمMaryam ياO
يا لوعتي يا عذابي بعد مريم يا
طولthe length of انتحابيmy sobbing وعمريand my life صارhas become فيin قصرshortness
طول انتحابي وعمري صار في قصر
O my anguish, O my torment after Maryam, O
Oh my agony, oh my torment after Mary
my long sobbing, while my life has grown short!
The length of my grieving and my life became a palace
واللَهby God واللَهby God ماnot ليfor me بالبقاin remaining alive أربٌa desire
واللَه واللَه ما لي بالبقا أربٌ
لكنbut بقيتI have remained لأقضيto fulfill بالبكاthrough weeping وطريmy desire
لكن بقيت لأقضي بالبكا وطري
By God, by God, I have no desire to remain alive;
By God, by God, I have no inclination to remain
but I have remained to fulfill my desire through weeping.
But I remained to spend my time weeping and sad
سقاكmay He water you ياO مريمMaryam الرحمنُthe All-Merciful رحمتَهHis mercy
سقاك يا مريم الرحمنُ رحمتَه
وجادand may He shower لحدَكyour grave لحدَthe grave of الحسنbeauty بالمطرwith rain
وجاد لحدَك لحدَ الحسن بالمطر
May the All-Merciful shower you with His mercy, O Maryam,
May the Merciful quench you, O Mary, with His mercy
and shower your grave—the grave of beauty—with rain.
And your grave poured with the rain of beauty
ودامand may it endure ذكرُكyour memory بالتقوىwith piety يطيبgrowing fragrant كماas
ودام ذكرُك بالتقوى يطيب كما
طابgrew fragrant النسيمthe breeze بطيبwith the perfume of المندلِaloeswood العطرfragrant
طاب النسيم بطيب المندلِ العطر
And may your memory remain fragrant with piety, as
And your remembrance in piety remains fragrant
the breeze grew sweet with the perfume of fragrant aloeswood.
As the breeze remains fragrant with perfume of musk
ياO آلfamily of مريمMaryam إنindeed الموتdeath مركبةٌa vehicle
يا آل مريم إن الموت مركبةٌ
تجريruns بناwith us لمقرّto the abode of الفوزtriumph والظفرand victory
تجري بنا لمقرّ الفوز والظفر
O family of Maryam, death is a vehicle
O family of Mary, death is a vessel
that carries us to the abode of triumph and victory.
That takes us to the abode of success and victory
لمdid not ننظرwe behold اللَهGod لولاهاwere it not for it فندخلand so we enter فيinto
لم ننظر اللَه لولاها فندخل في
نعيمbliss نعمتِهHis grace الخاليfree منfrom الكدرdistress
نعيم نعمتِه الخالي من الكدر
Without it, we would not behold God and then enter into
We would not look upon God if not for it, so we enter into
the bliss of His grace, free from distress.
The bliss of His blessing that is free of bitterness
فاستمسكواso hold fast بحبالto the cords of الصبرpatience واعتبرواand reflect upon
فاستمسكوا بحبال الصبر واعتبروا
ذاكthat المآلfinal destination الذيwhich ينجيdelivers منfrom الخطرdanger
ذاك المآل الذي ينجي من الخطر
So hold fast to the cords of patience, and ponder
So hold onto the ropes of patience and reflect
that final destination which delivers one from danger.
Upon that destination which saves from danger
اللَهGod يلهمناinspires us with الصبرَpatience المعيدَthat restores لناto us
اللَه يلهمنا الصبرَ المعيدَ لنا
حسنthe beauty of الرضىcontentment بقضاءwith the decree of اللَهGod والقدرand destiny
حسن الرضى بقضاء اللَه والقدر
May God inspire us with the patience that restores to us
May God inspire us with patience that restores
the beauty of contentment with God’s decree and destiny;
Being content with God’s decree and destiny
ولاand may not يريناshow us بكمconcerning you all ماwhat ليسnot نحمدهwe praise it
ولا يرينا بكم ما ليس نحمده
ياO أحسنbest of الناسpeople منamong أنثىfemale ومنand among ذكرmale
يا أحسن الناس من أنثى ومن ذكر
and may He never show us in you what we would not praise,
And not show us in you what we do not praise
O best of people, female and male.
O best of mankind, whether female or male