أَتانيcame to me سِنانٌSinan بِالوَداعِwith the farewell لِمُؤمِنٍfor Mu'min
أَتاني سِنانٌ بِالوَداعِ لِمُؤمِنٍ
فَقُلتُso I said لَهُto him إِنّيindeed I إِلىto اللَهِGod راجِعُreturning
فَقُلتُ لَهُ إِنّي إِلى اللَهِ راجِعُ
Sinān came to me bearing word of Muʾmin’s farewell.
Sinan came to me with news of Mu'min's farewell.
And I told him, “Indeed, I shall return to God.”
So I told him, 'Indeed, to God I shall return.'
وَكَيفَand how بُكائيmy weeping مُؤمِناًMu'min وَلَقَدand indeed أَرىI see
وَكَيفَ بُكائي مُؤمِناً وَلَقَد أَرى
بِأَنّيthat I لَهُto him ياO نَفسُsoul لاno بُدَّescape تابِعُfollowing
بِأَنّي لَهُ يا نَفسُ لا بُدَّ تابِعُ
And how can I weep for Muʾmin, when I see
And how can I weep for Mu'min, when I plainly see
that I myself must inevitably follow him?
That I, O soul, must surely follow him?
أَلاlisten! أَيُّهاO you الحاثيthe one scattering عَلَيهِupon him تُرابَهُhis earth
أَلا أَيُّها الحاثي عَلَيهِ تُرابَهُ
تَعِستَmay you be wretched وَشَلَّتand may be paralyzed مِنfrom يَدَيكَyour two hands الأَصابِعُthe fingers
تَعِستَ وَشَلَّت مِن يَدَيكَ الأَصابِعُ
O you who cast his earth upon him,
Listen, you who scatter his earth upon him:
may you perish, and may the fingers of both your hands be palsied!
May misery befall you, and may the fingers of your hands be paralyzed!
يَقولونَthey say لاdo not تَجزَعbe distraught وَأَظهِرand show جَلادَةًfortitude
يَقولونَ لا تَجزَع وَأَظهِر جَلادَةً
فَكَيفَbut how بِماwith what تَحنىbend عَلَيهِover it الأَضالِعُthe ribs
فَكَيفَ بِما تَحنى عَلَيهِ الأَضالِعُ
They say, “Do not grieve; display fortitude.”
They say, 'Do not be distraught, and show fortitude.'
But what, then, of what the ribs enfold?
But how can I, with what the ribs enclose?
