ياO يومَday of إسحاقَIshaq بنَson of عبدِAbd الملكْal-Malik
يا يومَ إسحاقَ بنَ عبدِ الملكْ
لمdid not تُبقِyou leave remaining ليfor me صبراًpatience ولمand did not تتَّركْyou leave
لم تُبقِ لي صبراً ولم تتَّركْ
O day of Ishaq ibn Abd al-Malik,
You left me no patience, nor spared me any.
ياO يومday of إسحاقَIshaq الذيwhich غالهُsnatched him away
يا يوم إسحاقَ الذي غالهُ
أيَّwhat حريمٍsanctuary ليَof mine لمhave not تَنْتهكْyou violated
أيَّ حريمٍ ليَ لم تَنْتهكْ
O day of Ishaq that snatched him away,
What sanctuary of mine have you not violated?
جرَّعتنيyou made me drink دونَto the exclusion of الورىmankind ثُكلَهُgrief at losing him
جرَّعتني دونَ الورى ثُكلَهُ
بلrather كلُّهمْall of them فيin ثُكلِهِgrief at losing him مشتركْsharing
بل كلُّهمْ في ثُكلِهِ مشتركْ
You made me drink the grief of his loss, alone among mankind—
No, all of them share in grief for him.
منwho ذاthat one الذيwho لمdid not يُبكهmake him weep فقدُهُloss of him
من ذا الذي لم يُبكه فقدُهُ
منamong حدثٍa youth غرّuntried ومنand among مُحتنِكْa seasoned man
من حدثٍ غرّ ومن مُحتنِكْ
Who is there whom his loss has not made weep,
Among untried youths and seasoned men?
لمَّاwhen أتانيcame to me نعيُهُnews of his death بغتةًsuddenly
لمَّا أتاني نعيُهُ بغتةً
كادalmost حجابُveil of القلبِthe heart أنto ينهتكْbe torn apart
كاد حجابُ القلبِ أن ينهتكْ
When news of his death reached me suddenly,
The veil of my heart was almost torn apart.
كيفhow عزائيmy consolation عنfor the loss of فتىًa young man لاnot يُرىis seen
كيف عزائي عن فتىً لا يُرى
شبيهُهُhis like فيin أيّany فجّmountain pass سُلكwas traveled
شبيهُهُ في أيّ فجّ سُلك
How can I find solace for a young man, when no one sees
His like on any mountain pass one travels?
كأنهas though he فيin كلall أحوالِهِhis ways
كأنه في كل أحوالِهِ
منfrom ذهبٍgold لاno شكَّdoubt فيهin it سُبكhe was cast
من ذهبٍ لا شكَّ فيه سُبك
He seemed, in all his ways,
Cast from gold, beyond all doubt.
ياO لهفanguish of نفسيmy soul أنthat أرىI should see يومَهhis day of death
يا لهف نفسي أن أرى يومَه
وأنْand that أرىI should see بيتاًa house لهfor him ماnot سُمكwas raised high
وأنْ أرى بيتاً له ما سُمك
Alas for my soul, that I should see his day of death,
And see a house for him that was not raised high.
ياO لهفَanguish of نفسيmy soul أنthat أرىI should see مالهhis wealth
يا لهفَ نفسي أن أرى ماله
مقتسماًdivided up منfrom بعدِهafter him قدalready مُلكwas taken into possession
مقتسماً من بعدِه قد مُلك
Alas for my soul, that I should see his wealth
Divided after him, now owned by others.
مالُwealth of امرئٍa man ماnot كانwas قُفلاًa lock لهfor it
مالُ امرئٍ ما كان قُفلاً له
بلrather كانhe was فيin تفريقهِdistributing it مُنهمكwholly absorbed
بل كان في تفريقهِ مُنهمك
The wealth of a man who was no lock upon it,
But was absorbed in giving it away.
سقياًmay rain fall لأخلاقٍupon virtues لهof his لاnot تُرىare seen
سقياً لأخلاقٍ له لا تُرى
فيamong سوقةِcommoners of الناسِthe people ولاnor فيin مَلكa king
في سوقةِ الناسِ ولا في مَلك
May rain bless his virtues, such as are not seen
Among common folk, nor in a king.
أيُّwhat سماحٍgenerosity ضُمَّwas enclosed فيin قبرهِhis grave
أيُّ سماحٍ ضُمَّ في قبرهِ
وماءِand the luster of وجهٍa face فيin ثراهُits dust سُفِكwas spilled
وماءِ وجهٍ في ثراهُ سُفِك
What generosity was enclosed within his grave,
And what luster of countenance was spilled into its dust!
مضىhe passed away ولمand not يُفتَكviolence be done بهto him إذwhen مضىhe passed away
مضى ولم يُفتَك به إذ مضى
لكنbut بروحيto my soul وبجسميand to my body فُتكviolence was done
لكن بروحي وبجسمي فُتك
He passed away; it was not he who was slain in passing,
Rather, it was my soul and body that were slain.
قدindeed كانhe was حسبيenough for me منamong بنيthe sons of آدمٍAdam
قد كان حسبي من بني آدمٍ
لوif only أنهthat he عُمّرَwas granted long life ليfor me أوor تُركwas spared
لو أنه عُمّرَ لي أو تُرك
He was all I needed among the sons of Adam—
If only he had been granted long life for me, or been spared!
ياO قمراًmoon كانit would إذاwhen ماfor emphasis بداappear
يا قمراً كان إذا ما بدا
بينamong نجومِthe stars of الليلthe night لمdid not تشتبكcluster together
بين نجومِ الليل لم تشتبك
O moon, whenever you appeared
Among the stars of night, they did not cluster.
أصبحتُI have become مذsince غُيّبتَyou were hidden عنfrom ناظريmy sight
أصبحتُ مذ غُيّبتَ عن ناظري
كأننيas though I فيin حَيرةٍbewilderment مرتبكam entangled
كأنني في حَيرةٍ مرتبك
Since you were hidden from my sight, I have been
Like one entangled in bewilderment.
يرحمكَmay He have mercy on you الرحمنُthe All-Merciful منas هالكone departed
يرحمكَ الرحمنُ من هالك
لوif تُقبَلwere accepted الفديةthe ransom غاليتُI would pay dearly بكfor you
لو تُقبَل الفدية غاليتُ بك
May the All-Merciful have mercy on you, departed one!
Had ransom been accepted, I would have paid dearly for you.
Sol 6.1