أحزانsorrows نفسيmy soul عنهاfrom it غيرnot منصرمهending
أحزان نفسي عنها غير منصرمه
وأدمعيand my tears منfrom جفونthe eyelids الدهرof Time منسجهُstreaming (apparently intended)
وأدمعي من جفون الدهر منسجهُ
My soul's sorrows never leave it,
My sorrows for him will never cease,
And my tears stream from the eyelids of Time,
And my tears from the eyes of time are woven,
علىfor صديقa friend ومولىand a patron ليof mine فجعتI was bereaved بهof him
على صديق ومولى لي فجعت به
ماnot أنan emphatic particle لهfor him فيamong جميعall الصالحينthe righteous لُمَهْa peer
ما أن له في جميع الصالحين لُمَهْ
For a friend and patron of mine, whose loss has stricken me,
For a friend and master whose loss pained me,
Who had no peer among all the righteous.
He had no equal among all the righteous.
كمhow many جَفْنَةٍa large serving bowl مثلlike جوفthe hollow الحوضof the trough مترعةfilled to the brim
كم جَفْنَةٍ مثل جوف الحوض مترعة
كوماءheaped high جاءcame بهاwith it طباخهاits cook رذمِهْoverflowing
كوماء جاء بها طباخها رذمِهْ
How many a brimming bowl, like the hollow of a trough,
How many bowls like the basin's midst brimming over,
Heaped high and overflowing, its cook brought forth!
With water brought by its drawer unfettered,
قدindeed كفَّلتهاcovered it (apparently intended) شحومfats منfrom قلّيتهاits fried meat
قد كفَّلتها شحوم من قلّيتها
ومنand from سنامthe hump جزورa slaughtered camel عَبْطَةslaughtered while healthy سَنِمَهْhigh-humped
ومن سنام جزور عَبْطَة سَنِمَهْ
Fats from its fried meat had covered it,
I prepared with fats fully melted,
And from the hump of a high-humped camel slaughtered in full health.
And the humps of fattened camels browned.
غيَّبتyou were taken away عنهاfrom it فلمso did not تعرفyou learn لهاof it خبراany news
غيَّبت عنها فلم تعرف لها خبرا
لهفيmy anguish عليكfor you وويليand my woe ياO أباAbu (father of) سلمهْSalama
لهفي عليك وويلي يا أبا سلمهْ
You were taken away from it, so you heard no news of it.
I hid it from him, so it knew no news of it,
My grief for you, and woe to me, O Abu Salama!
I yearn for you, oh woe is me Abu Salamah!
ولوand if تكونyou were لهاfor it حيّاًalive لماwould not بعدتit be distant
ولو تكون لها حيّاً لما بعدت
يوماًon any day عليكfor you ولوand even if فيin جاحمthe blaze حطمهْthe Crushing Fire
يوماً عليك ولو في جاحم حطمهْ
And were you alive to have it, it would not be too far
If he were alive, never would he be far,
For you on any day—even in the blaze of the Crushing Fire.
A day from you, even if in rocky fragments smashed.
قدindeed كنتI was أعلمI know أنّthat الأكلeating يقتلهkills him
قد كنت أعلم أنّ الأكل يقتله
لكننيbut I كنتI was أخشىI fear ذاكthat منfrom تخمهْindigestion from overeating
لكنني كنت أخشى ذاك من تخمهْ
I knew that eating would kill him,
I knew that food would kill him,
But I feared it would be from indigestion.
But I feared that more from his covetousness,
إذاwhenever تعممَّhe donned a turban فيin شبليهa shibliyya headcloth (uncertain term) ثمthen غداhe went out in the morning
إذا تعممَّ في شبليه ثم غدا
فإنَّthen indeed حَوزةthe domain منwhoever يأتيهhe comes to him مصطلمَهْutterly devastated
فإنَّ حَوزة من يأتيه مصطلمَهْ
Whenever he donned a shibliyya turban and then went out in the morning,
When he wraps himself in his coat, and then travels,
The domain of whomever he visited was utterly laid waste.
The possessions of whom he visits will be plundered.
Sol 6.1