كلُّevery نفسٍsoul لِمَوْقِتِfor an appointed time
كلُّ نفسٍ لِمَوْقِتِ
ليسَis not حيٌّa living being بِمُفْلِتِable to escape
ليسَ حيٌّ بِمُفْلِتِ
Every soul has its appointed time;
no living being can escape.
ماتhas died إسحاقُIshaq فاستمعso listen
مات إسحاقُ فاستمع
نعْيَهُthe announcement of his death ثمَّthen أخْبتِsubmit humbly
نعْيَهُ ثمَّ أخْبتِ
Ishaq has died, so listen
to his death notice, then bow in submission.
ماتhas died إسحاقIshaq فاستمعso listen
مات إسحاق فاستمع
لثناهُto his praise وأَنْصِتِand listen silently
لثناهُ وأَنْصِتِ
Ishaq has died, so listen
to his praise, and listen silently.
ماتhas died منhe who راحwent at evening واغتدىand went at dawn
مات من راح واغتدى
ذكرُهُhis remembrance غيرَnot ميِّتِdead
ذكرُهُ غيرَ ميِّتِ
He has died, yet at dusk and at dawn
his remembrance is undying.
ماتhas died منhe who كانwas للحقاfor truths (continued)
مات من كان للحقا
ئق(completes 'truths') عينthe very embodiment of المثبِّتِone who establishes
ئق عين المثبِّتِ
He has died who, for truths,
was the very one to establish them.
ماتhas died منhe who كانwas للأبَاfor falsehoods (continued)
مات من كان للأبَا
طِيلِ(completes 'falsehoods') عينَthe very embodiment of المشتِّتِone who scatters
طِيلِ عينَ المشتِّتِ
He has died who, for falsehoods,
was the very one to scatter them—
لاَnot بِوَهْمٍthrough conjecture مُرَجَّمٍhazarded at random
لاَ بِوَهْمٍ مُرَجَّمٍ
بلbut rather بِفَهْمٍthrough understanding مُنَكِّتِdiscerning subtleties
بل بِفَهْمٍ مُنَكِّتِ
not through conjecture cast at random,
but through understanding that discerned subtleties.
ماتhas died منhe who كانwas شاملاًencompassing
مات من كان شاملاً
بالحياwith rain كلَّevery مُسْنتِdrought-stricken person
بالحيا كلَّ مُسْنتِ
He has died who encompassed
all the drought-stricken with rain.
ماتhas died منhe who لمnot نجدْwe found لهfor him
مات من لم نجدْ له
وادياًa valley غيرَnot مُنبِتِyielding growth
وادياً غيرَ مُنبِتِ
He has died for whom we never found
a valley that did not yield growth.
ماتhas died منhe who لمnot نجدْwe found لهfor him
مات من لم نجدْ له
جَدَلاًan argument غيرَnot مُسْكِتِsilencing
جَدَلاً غيرَ مُسْكِتِ
He has died for whom we never found
an argument that did not silence.
ياO أخيmy brother ياO أباfather of الحُسَيْal-Husayn (continued)
يا أخي يا أبا الحُسَيْ
ن(completes 'al-Husayn') صَرِيخَrescuer of المصوِّتِthe one crying out
ن صَرِيخَ المصوِّتِ
O my brother, O Abu al-Husayn,
rescuer of the one who cries out!
حلَّbefell بيme فيكَin your loss مَشْمَتٌa calamity inviting gloating
حلَّ بي فيكَ مَشْمَتٌ
جَلَّwas too great عنfor كلِّany مُشْمِتِone who provokes gloating
جَلَّ عن كلِّ مُشْمِتِ
In your loss, a calamity befell me
too great for any gloating.
كبديmy liver مُذْsince دُهِيتُI was struck by calamity فِيـconcerning
كبدي مُذْ دُهِيتُ فِيـ
ـكَyou بِكَفَّيْin the two hands of مُفَتِّتِone who crumbles
ـكَ بِكَفَّيْ مُفَتِّتِ
My liver, since I was stricken
by your loss, lies in a crusher's two hands.
وكأَنِّيand it is as though I لِوَحْشَتيbecause of my loneliness
وكأَنِّي لِوَحْشَتي
لكfor you فيin وحشِthe wilds of إصْمتِIsmit
لك في وحشِ إصْمتِ
And it is as though, in my loneliness
for you, I am in the wilds of Ismit.
نالنيbefell me فيكthrough your loss منfrom زماmy time (continued)
نالني فيك من زما
نِيَ(completes 'my time') إعناتُthe torment of مُعْنِتِa tormentor
نِيَ إعناتُ مُعْنِتِ
Through your loss, Time has dealt me
a tormentor's torment.
أنتَyou منthe one who لمnot يكنwas يُنيـbestow (continued)
أنتَ من لم يكن يُنيـ
ـلُ(completes 'bestow') نوالَthe gift of المقَوِّتِone who gives subsistence
ـلُ نوالَ المقَوِّتِ
You were not one to bestow
a subsistence-giver's dole,
بلbut rather نوالاًbounty مُصَبِّحاًarriving in the morning
بل نوالاً مُصَبِّحاً
ضاحكاًsmiling عَنْfrom مُنَبِّتِone who makes things grow
ضاحكاً عَنْ مُنَبِّتِ
but bounty arriving with the dawn,
smiling forth from a giver of growth.
ياO خصيماًadvocate عنon behalf of الهدىright guidance
يا خصيماً عن الهدى
مُسْكتاًsilencing كلَّevery مُسْكِتِone who silences
مُسْكتاً كلَّ مُسْكِتِ
O advocate of right guidance,
silencing every silencer!
قلتُI said للدهرto Time إذwhen أصَاit struck (continued)
قلتُ للدهر إذ أصَا
بكyou (completing 'struck you') أخطأتَyou erred فاكفِتِso desist
بك أخطأتَ فاكفِتِ
I said to Time, when it struck
you: “You have erred, so desist!
وتكذَّبْتَand you lied فيin اعتذَاyour apology (continued)
وتكذَّبْتَ في اعتذَا
رك(completes 'your apology') فاصدُقْso speak truthfully أوِor اصْمتِbe silent
رك فاصدُقْ أوِ اصْمتِ
And you lied in your apology;
so speak the truth, or be silent.
قدindeed لعمريby my life كبتَّyou abased نَفْyourself (continued)
قد لعمري كبتَّ نَفْ
سَكَ(completes 'yourself') ياO دهْرُTime فاكبِتِso abase yourself
سَكَ يا دهْرُ فاكبِتِ
By my life, you have indeed abased
yourself, O Time; abase yourself!
خِبْتَyou have failed ياO دهرُTime بعدَهُafter him
خِبْتَ يا دهرُ بعدَهُ
فاحْيَso live إنif شئتَyou wish أوor مُتِـdie
فاحْيَ إن شئتَ أو مُتِـ
You are undone, O Time, now he is gone;
so live, if you wish, or die.
ـواجْتَثَثْتَand you uprooted الذَكَاءَintelligence والand the
ـواجْتَثَثْتَ الذَكَاءَ وال
خيرgoodness منfrom خيرِthe best مَنْبتِsoil
خير من خيرِ مَنْبتِ
And you uprooted intelligence and
goodness from the finest soil.
كانwas مَحْيَاهُhis lifetime فيكَwithin you أفـthe finest (continued)
كان مَحْيَاهُ فيكَ أفـ
ـضَل(completes 'the finest') حِينٍtime ومَوْقتِand an appointed time
ـضَل حِينٍ ومَوْقتِ
His life within you was the finest
of times and seasons.”
Sol 6.1