واوحشتيalas, my desolation! لمقامٍfor a presence منكof yours محمودpraiseworthy
واوحشتي لمقامٍ منك محمود
واحسرتيalas, my sorrow! لودادٍfor affection فيكin you معهودfamiliar
واحسرتي لودادٍ فيك معهود
Alas, how I miss your praiseworthy presence!
I long for the dwelling where you once stayed
Alas, my grief for the affection I knew in you!
And mourn for the love that was familiar to you
لوif شامَbeheld طرفكyour eye ماwhat ألقاهI endure it منof حربٍwar
لو شامَ طرفك ما ألقاه من حربٍ
لمnot تدرِyou know منwho هوَhe منَّاof us الهالكُthe perished one المودِيthe one dead and gone
لم تدرِ من هوَ منَّا الهالكُ المودِي
Had your eye beheld the war I endure,
Had your glance met the wars I have endured
you would not know which of us is dead and gone.
You wouldn't know who among us would perish
إنَّاindeed, we إلىto اللهِGod منْfrom رُزْءٍa calamity دناdrew near فرمىthen cast
إنَّا إلى اللهِ منْ رُزْءٍ دنا فرمى
دمعيmy tears وشجويand my grief بإطلاقٍinto release وتقييدand restraint
دمعي وشجوي بإطلاقٍ وتقييد
To God we turn from a calamity that drew near and cast
We are destined by fate to suffer and so it cast
my tears into freedom and my grief into fetters.
My tears and laments into bondage and freedom
ياO معرضاًone turning away عنfrom لقاءِmeeting الصحبthe friends منقطعاًcut off
يا معرضاً عن لقاءِ الصحب منقطعاً
وكانand he was أكرمthe noblest مصحوبٍcompanion ومودودand beloved friend
وكان أكرم مصحوبٍ ومودود
O you withdrawn from meeting friends, cut off,
O you who shun the company of friends, aloof
and once the noblest companion and beloved friend!
Yet were the noblest of companions and beloved
بالرّغمagainst my will أنthat أنشدَI recite الألفاظthe words عاطلةًunadorned
بالرّغم أن أنشدَ الألفاظ عاطلةً
منof حليthe jewels مدحكpraising you أثناءَamid الأناشيدthe songs
من حلي مدحك أثناءَ الأناشيد
Against my will, I recite words stripped
Though you recited words devoid of meaning
of the jewels of praising you amid the songs,
In praising you during lyrical chants
وأنand that أعوَّضَI substitute منثورَscattered المدامعthe tears عنfor
وأن أعوَّضَ منثورَ المدامع عن
سماعِhearing درٍّpearls منof الأقوالspeech منضودstrung together
سماعِ درٍّ من الأقوال منضود
and substitute scattered tears for
And compensated scattering tears for
hearing pearls of speech strung together.
Hearing precious words sung in verse
لمnot يبقَremains بعدكafter you ذوone possessing سجعٍrhymed speech أعارضهI rival him
لم يبقَ بعدك ذو سجعٍ أعارضه
إلاَّexcept الحمائمthe doves فيin نوحٍwailing وتعديدand recounting the dead's virtues
إلاَّ الحمائم في نوحٍ وتعديد
After you, no rhyming voice remains for me to rival
None remains for me to contend with in rhyme
except the doves, in wailing and mournful recounting.
Except doves in their weeping and cooing
لمnot يبقَremains بعدكafter you منanyone تدعوcalls بديهتهhis ready wit
لم يبقَ بعدك من تدعو بديهته
لحجِّto pilgrimage بيتٍa verse منof الأشعارِpoetry مقصودsought-after
لحجِّ بيتٍ من الأشعارِ مقصود
After you, none remains whose ready wit invites
None remains whose natural talent invites
pilgrimage to a sought-after verse of poetry.
To compose a versical house purposefully built
منwho للدَّواوينfor the poetry collections يقضيjudges بالتأملthrough reflection فيon
من للدَّواوين يقضي بالتأمل في
مخرّجٍan inferred interpretation منfrom معانيهاtheir meanings ومردودand a rejected one
مخرّجٍ من معانيها ومردود
Who will judge the poetry collections, reflecting on
Who ponders poetic collections to deduce
interpretations drawn from their meanings and those rejected?
Meanings, insights and benefits untold
كنَّاwe used to نعدُّكcount you فرداًpeerless فيin موازنهاtheir scales
كنَّا نعدُّك فرداً في موازنها
لقدْindeed رُزِئناwe have been bereaved بموزونٍof one weighed ومعدودand counted
لقدْ رُزِئنا بموزونٍ ومعدود
We counted you peerless in weighing them;
We counted you unmatched in appraising them
indeed, we have lost one both weighed and counted.
Yet we are scorned by measures and numbers
منwho للرَّسائلِfor the epistles فيin لاماتِthe lām letters أحرفهاtheir letters
من للرَّسائلِ في لاماتِ أحرفها
تغزوassail العداةَthe foes بألفاظٍwith words صناديدmighty champions
تغزو العداةَ بألفاظٍ صناديد
Who will tend epistles that, clad in their letters' lāms,
Who dispatched messages whose words
assail the foes with words like mighty warriors?
Vanquished foes with the swords of orators
منwho للتصانيفِfor the compilations ضمَّتgathered كلّevery شاردةٍstray thought
من للتصانيفِ ضمَّت كلّ شاردةٍ
وصحّحتand corrected بعدafter تبديلٍalteration وتبديدand dispersal
وصحّحت بعد تبديلٍ وتبديد
Who will tend the compilations that gathered every stray thought
Who compiled each scattered piece
and corrected it after alteration and dispersal?
And corrected after changing and dispersing
للهِto God, in admiration ماwhat ذاthis لجدواهاfor their benefit وأحرفهاand their letters
للهِ ما ذا لجدواها وأحرفها
منof القلائدِnecklaces فيin سمعٍhearing وفيand in جيدa neck
من القلائدِ في سمعٍ وفي جيد
By God, how rich their benefits and letters are
To God - how many necklaces of words
in necklaces for the ear and for the neck!
Adorn ears and necks from their produce
سقياًmay rain bless لعهدكَfor your days منof سحَّابone who trails ذيلa hem تقًىpiety
سقياً لعهدكَ من سحَّاب ذيل تقًى
مضىpassed on وليسَand is not الأذىharm منهfrom him بمعهودever known
مضى وليسَ الأذى منه بمعهود
May rain bless your days, those of one who trailed piety's hem,
Quenching from your pact, clouds of reverent spirits
who has passed on, with no harm ever known from him.
Have passed, while harm from you stays unfulfilled
عضبٌa keen sword إذاif رمتyou sought زهداًasceticism أوor حذرتyou feared وغىbattle
عضبٌ إذا رمت زهداً أو حذرت وغى
أرضاكَhe satisfied you فيin ذاthis وفيand in هذاthis بتجريدby renunciation or unsheathing
أرضاكَ في ذا وفي هذا بتجريد
A keen sword: if you sought asceticism or feared battle,
Wrath, if you reject asceticism or forbid evil
he satisfied you in both, by renunciation or unsheathing.
Pleases you through this or through abstinence
هيَit is المنيةُdeath لاnot تنفكُّceases صائدةًhunting
هيَ المنيةُ لا تنفكُّ صائدةً
نفوسناour souls بينbetween مسموعٍwhat is heard of ومشهودand what is witnessed
نفوسنا بين مسموعٍ ومشهود
Death it is, forever hunting
It is death, ever hunting
our souls, between deaths heard of and deaths witnessed.
Our souls amid the seen and the unseen
أينَwhere الملوكُthe kings الأولىwho كانتwere منازلهمtheir abodes
أينَ الملوكُ الأولى كانت منازلهم
تزاحمُvied with البحرَthe sea فيin عزٍّmight وتسييدand lordship
تزاحمُ البحرَ في عزٍّ وتسييد
Where are the kings whose abodes once
Where are the early kings whose abodes
vied with the sea in might and dominion?
Rivaled oceans in might and domination?
لمnot يحمهمshield them سردchain mail داودDavid الذيwhich ملكواthey possessed
لم يحمهم سرد داود الذي ملكوا
منfrom المنونِdeath ولاnor جنْدthe army ابنthe son of داودDavid
من المنونِ ولا جنْد ابن داود
The mail of David they possessed did not shield them
Recording David's rule did not protect them
from death, nor did the army of David's son.
From death, nor the hosts of David's son
إيهٍAh! سقاكَmay it water you شهابShihab الدِّينal-Din صوبa downpour حياًrain
إيهٍ سقاكَ شهاب الدِّين صوب حياً
يكادُalmost يعشبmakes grass grow أطرافthe edges الجلاميدthe boulders
يكادُ يعشب أطراف الجلاميد
Ah, Shihab al-Din, may a downpour of rain water you,
Alas! The shooting star of faith took you to live
almost making the edges of boulders sprout grass.
Among pastures almost turning green
لوif لمnot تكنْyou were بوفاءby fulfilling القصدthe aim تسعفناyou help us
لو لم تكنْ بوفاء القصد تسعفنا
كانتwould have been بنوكَyour sons وفاًenough عنfor كلِّevery مقصودdesired end
كانت بنوكَ وفاً عن كلِّ مقصود
Had you not helped us fulfill our aim,
Had your loyalty not aided us providentially
your sons would have sufficed for every wish.
Your children's loyalty would have fallen short
فيin كلِّevery معنًىmeaning أرىI see حسناكyour goodness واضحةًclear
في كلِّ معنًى أرى حسناك واضحةً
فحسرتيso my sorrow كلّevery وقتٍmoment ذاتpossessing تجديدrenewal
فحسرتي كلّ وقتٍ ذات تجديد
In every meaning, I see your goodness manifest,
In every sense, I see your virtues manifest
so my sorrow is renewed at every moment.
So my regrets renew at every moment
Sol 6.1