الحَمدُpraise لِلَّهِto God ماwhat يُوَقّيHe wards off
الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ ما يُوَقّي
أَكثَرُis greater مِنthan كُلِّall ماthat يُلَقّيHe brings upon us
أَكثَرُ مِن كُلِّ ما يُلَقّي
Praise be to God: what He wards off
Praise be to God; that from which He shields us
is greater than all He brings upon us.
Is greater than all the trials He casts upon us.
ياO فَجعَتيmy grief بِالحَبيبِfor the beloved سحّيpour forth
يا فَجعَتي بِالحَبيبِ سحّي
دَمعيmy tears وَقَلبيand my heart عَلَيهِfor him شقّيrend
دَمعي وَقَلبي عَلَيهِ شقّي
O my grief for the beloved, pour forth
O my calamity over the beloved, pour forth;
my tears, and rend my heart for him.
Shed my tears, and tear my heart asunder for him.
وَاِكتَتِبيand inscribe ثُكلَهُthe loss of him بِدَمعيwith my tears
وَاِكتَتِبي ثُكلَهُ بِدَمعي
فيon وَجناتيmy cheeks مَكانَin place of رقِّparchment
في وَجناتي مَكانَ رقِّ
And inscribe the loss of him with my tears
And inscribe his loss with my flowing tears
upon my cheeks, in place of parchment.
Upon my cheeks, as if upon parchment.
أَكَوكَبٌis it a star? غارَsank فيinto ضَريحa tomb
أَكَوكَبٌ غارَ في ضَريح
أمor درَّةٌa pearl صُنتهاI guarded it بِحقِّin a casket
أم درَّةٌ صُنتها بِحقِّ
Is he a star that sank into a tomb,
Is he a star that has set within a tomb?
or a pearl I have kept safe in a casket,
Or a pearl I guarded within a casket?
فيin جَنَّةِthe Garden الخُلدِof Eternity عِندَwith رَبّيmy Lord
في جَنَّةِ الخُلدِ عِندَ رَبّي
حَيثُwhere تَناهىreached its utmost بيwith me التَرَقّيascent
حَيثُ تَناهى بي التَرَقّي
in the Garden of Eternity, with my Lord,
In the Garden of Eternity, beside my Lord,
where my ascent attained its utmost height?
Where my ascension reaches its ultimate end.
فازَhe won ثَواباًreward بِماfor what تَشَكّىhe suffered
فازَ ثَواباً بِما تَشَكّى
وَلاand no ثَوابٌreward بِغَيرِwithout شقِّhardship
وَلا ثَوابٌ بِغَيرِ شقِّ
He won reward for the suffering he endured,
He won a reward for what he suffered,
and there is no reward without hardship.
For there is no reward without hardship.
إِنif كانَhe was طِفلاًa child فَفيthen in حجاهُhis understanding
إِن كانَ طِفلاً فَفي حجاهُ
أَربىhe surpassed عَلىbeyond الأَشيَبِthe gray-haired man الأَمَقِّthe tall one
أَربى عَلى الأَشيَبِ الأَمَقِّ
Though he was a child, in understanding
Though he was but a child, yet in his wisdom,
he surpassed the tall, gray-haired man.
He surpassed the tall, white-haired elder.
اِبعُدgo away فَقَدfor indeed هِجتyou stirred عبرَتيmy tears ياO
اِبعُد فَقَد هِجت عبرَتي يا
نوروزُNowruz لِلحادِثِat the calamity الأَشَقِّthe most grievous
نوروزُ لِلحادِثِ الأَشَقِّ
Go away, for you have stirred my tears, O
Begone, for you have stirred my tears, O
Nowruz, at this most grievous calamity.
Nowruz, on this most agonizing occasion.
لاmay not سَمعَhear الجارُthe neighbor فيكَon your day عِنديat my house
لا سَمعَ الجارُ فيكَ عِندي
حَسيسُa crackle نارٍof a fire وَلاnor مُدقِّa pestle
حَسيسُ نارٍ وَلا مُدقِّ
May my neighbor hear at my house, on your day,
During your days, the neighbor hears from me
neither a fire's crackle nor a pestle's pounding.
Neither the hiss of a cooking fire nor the sound of a pestle.
لاnot يَملِكُcan possess الناسُpeople بِالهَداياwith gifts
لا يَملِكُ الناسُ بِالهَدايا
مِنfrom بَعدِafter عبدAbd الغَنِيِّal-Ghani رِقّيmy servitude
مِن بَعدِ عبد الغَنِيِّ رِقّي
People cannot purchase with gifts,
People cannot enslave me with their gifts,
after Abd al-Ghani, my servitude.
Or claim my bondage now that Abd al-Ghani is gone.
مِنfor أَجلِهِhis sake كُنتُI was مادِحاًpraising مَنthose who
مِن أَجلِهِ كُنتُ مادِحاً مَن
لَيسَis not لِمَدحيof my praise بِمُستَحقِّdeserving
لَيسَ لِمَدحي بِمُستَحقِّ
For his sake I used to praise those
For his sake, I used to praise those
who did not deserve my praise.
Who were never worthy of my praise.
وَلَستُand I am not مِنfrom بَعدِafter ماwhen تَوَلّىhe departed
وَلَستُ مِن بَعدِ ما تَوَلّى
أنعّمُI pamper الناسpeople بَلrather أبقّيI spare
أنعّمُ الناس بَل أبقّي
And since he departed, I no longer
And I will not, now that he has departed,
pamper people; instead, I spare them.
Flatter the people; rather, I will turn away in defiance.
زَهَّدَنيhe made me indifferent فيto النَعيمِluxury حَتّىto the point that
زَهَّدَني في النَعيمِ حَتّى
يَدنُسgrows soiled ثَوبيmy garment فَلاso not أُنَقّيI clean
يَدنُس ثَوبي فَلا أُنَقّي
He made me renounce luxury, to the point that
He has made me renounce all comfort, until
my garment grows soiled and I do not clean it.
My robe becomes soiled, yet I do not cleanse it.
لَوif بِتُّI spent the night ظَمآنَthirsty حَولَbeside وِردٍa watering place
لَو بِتُّ ظَمآنَ حَولَ وِردٍ
لَمnot أَتَضَرَّعI plead لِمَنto whoever يُسَقّيgives water
لَم أَتَضَرَّع لِمَن يُسَقّي
Were I to spend the night thirsty beside a watering place,
If I were to spend the night thirsting beside a spring,
I would not beg the one who gives water.
I would not beg the water-bearer for a drink.
لَوif أَنَّthat بِالمُنتَشيin the tipsy man هُموميmy sorrows
لَو أَنَّ بِالمُنتَشي هُمومي
صَدَّتهُwould turn him away عَنfrom قَينَةٍa singing slave-girl وَزقِّand a wineskin
صَدَّتهُ عَن قَينَةٍ وَزقِّ
Were a tipsy man to bear my sorrows,
If the intoxicated reveler bore my sorrows,
they would turn him from a singing girl and a wineskin.
They would turn him away from the singing girl and the wine skin.
كَأَنَّنيas though I مِنfrom أَذىthe harm أُناسٍof some people
كَأَنَّني مِن أَذى أُناسٍ
بَينَamong ذُبابٍflies وَبَينَand among بَقِّbedbugs
بَينَ ذُبابٍ وَبَينَ بَقِّ
The harm some people do makes me feel as though
It is as if I am, amidst the harm of people,
I were among flies and among bedbugs.
Caught between flies and bedbugs.
ياO رَبِّmy Lord ياO رَبَّLord of كُلِّevery شَيءٍthing
يا رَبِّ يا رَبَّ كُلِّ شَيءٍ
خُذtake ليfor me مِنَfrom الظالِمينَthe wrongdoers حَقّيmy due
خُذ لي مِنَ الظالِمينَ حَقّي
O my Lord, O Lord of everything,
O Lord, O Lord of all things,
claim my due for me from the wrongdoers.
Exact my right from the oppressors for me.
غلَّظhardened قولٌa saying يُقالis said قَلبيmy heart
غلَّظ قولٌ يُقال قَلبي
وَهوَand it كَماءِlike the water الهَوىof love الأَرَقِّthe most delicate
وَهوَ كَماءِ الهَوى الأَرَقِّ
A saying being repeated has hardened my heart,
Harsh words are spoken: that my heart is hard,
though it is like love's most delicate water.
Yet it is like the water of love, most gentle and thin.
قيلَit was said الكَبيرُthe elder الأَجَلُّthe greater خلقاًin build
قيلَ الكَبيرُ الأَجَلُّ خلقاً
قَضىdid away عَلىwith الأَصغَرِthe younger الأَدَقِّthe slighter
قَضى عَلى الأَصغَرِ الأَدَقِّ
It was said: the elder, greater in build,
It was said that the great one, most exalted in stature,
killed the younger, slighter one.
Has passed judgment upon the smallest, most fragile one.
وَماand none يُتيحُbrings about القَضاءُfate إِلّاexcept
وَما يُتيحُ القَضاءُ إِلّا
أَنتَYou وَلاand not يَنفَعُhelps التَوَقّيtaking precautions
أَنتَ وَلا يَنفَعُ التَوَقّي
And none brings fate to pass but
And Fate brings nothing to pass except
You; precautions are of no avail.
Through You, and caution is of no avail.
فَإِنso if يَكُنis ماwhat يُقالُis said حَقّاًtrue
فَإِن يَكُن ما يُقالُ حَقّاً
فَلاthen do not تذرهُleave him وَلاnor تُبَقّيspare
فَلا تذرهُ وَلا تُبَقّي
So if what is said is true,
So if what is said is indeed the truth,
then do not leave him be, nor spare him.
Then do not spare him, nor leave a trace remaining.
جَبرُconsolation مُصابِthe loss of الأَبَرِّthe more dutiful عِنديto me
جَبرُ مُصابِ الأَبَرِّ عِندي
راحَةُthe relief قَلبيof my heart مِنَfrom الأَعَقِّthe more undutiful
راحَةُ قَلبي مِنَ الأَعَقِّ
For me, solace for losing the more dutiful
Mending the injury of the most pious one, for me,
is my heart's relief from the more undutiful.
Lies in relieving my heart of the most ungrateful one.
ماتَdied أَحَقُّthe most deserving الوَرىof all people بِبِرّيof my kindness
ماتَ أَحَقُّ الوَرى بِبِرّي
وَعاشَand lives on مَنone who لَيسَis not بِالأَحَقِّthe most deserving
وَعاشَ مَن لَيسَ بِالأَحَقِّ
Of all people, the one most deserving of my kindness has died,
The one most worthy of my kindness has died,
and one less deserving lives on.
While he who is least worthy remains alive.
Sol 6.1