جاءَ البَريدُ بِقُرطاسٍ يَخُبُّ بِهِ

جاءَ البَريدُ بِقُرطاسٍ يَخُبُّ بِهِ

فَأَوجَسَ القَلبُ مِن قِرطاسِهِ فَزَعا

فَأَوجَسَ القَلبُ مِن قِرطاسِهِ فَزَعا

The courier came with a letter, trotting along with it.

The mailman brought a letter bearing woeful news

So the heart felt dread at his letter.

So my heart shuddered in fear of its content

قُلنا لَكَ الوَيلُ ماذا في صَحيفَتِكُم

قُلنا لَكَ الوَيلُ ماذا في صَحيفَتِكُم

قالوا الخَليفَةُ أَمسى مُثبَتاً وَجِعا

قالوا الخَليفَةُ أَمسى مُثبَتاً وَجِعا

We said, “Woe to you! What is in your letter?”

We cried "Woe to you! What does your scroll contain?"

They said, “By evening the caliph lay stricken and in pain.”

They said "The Caliph has fallen ill and frail"

مادَت بِنا الأَرضُ أَو كادَت تَميدُ كَما

مادَت بِنا الأَرضُ أَو كادَت تَميدُ كَما

كَأَنَّ ما عَزَّ مِن أَركانِها اِنقَلَعا

كَأَنَّ ما عَزَّ مِن أَركانِها اِنقَلَعا

The earth swayed beneath us—or almost swayed—as

The earth beneath us shook as if about to sink

though its mighty pillars had been uprooted.

As though its firm pillars were being uprooted

مَن لَم تَزَل نَفسُهُ توفي عَلى شَرَفٍ

مَن لَم تَزَل نَفسُهُ توفي عَلى شَرَفٍ

توشِكُ مَقاديرُ تِلكَ النَفسُ أَن تَقَعا

توشِكُ مَقاديرُ تِلكَ النَفسُ أَن تَقَعا

One whose soul keeps rising to a height—

He whose soul had long led a virtuous life

the fates decreed for that soul are soon to befall it.

His fate now seemed bound to fail

لَمّا وَرَدتُ وَبابُ القَصرِ مُنطَبِقٌ

لَمّا وَرَدتُ وَبابُ القَصرِ مُنطَبِقٌ

لِصَوتِ رَملَةَ هُدَّ القَلبُ فَاِنصَدَعا

لِصَوتِ رَملَةَ هُدَّ القَلبُ فَاِنصَدَعا

When I arrived, with the palace gate closed,

When I arrived and found the palace gate shut

at Ramlah’s voice the heart was crushed and split apart.

My heart broke from the sound of quiet weeping