عَزَّتwas hard to bear عَلىupon الوالِهِthe distraught mourner المُعَزّىthe one being consoled
عَزَّت عَلى الوالِهِ المُعَزّى
ميتَتُكَyour death المُرَّةُbitter المساغِthe swallowing
ميتَتُكَ المُرَّةُ المساغِ
Hard it was for the distraught mourner being consoled—
Your death, so bitter to swallow, has weighed heavily upon this grief-stricken, consoled father.
your death, so bitter to swallow.
Fate overpowered me regarding my beloved, before the camels of departure even groaned.
غالَبَنيcontended with me الدَهرُTime فيover حَبيبيmy beloved
غالَبَني الدَهرُ في حَبيبي
وَماand no رَغَتbellowed لِلنّوىfor departure رَواغِbellowing camels
وَما رَغَت لِلنّوى رَواغِ
Time contended with me over my beloved,
The auspicious crescent has vanished from my sight, and the cooing jewel has been silenced.
though no camels bellowed for departure.
The Evil Eye altered his form—once so radiant it shamed every envious rival.
غابَvanished الهِلالُthe crescent السَعيدُthe fortunate عَنّيfrom me
غابَ الهِلالُ السَعيدُ عَنّي
وَأُسكِتَand was silenced الجَوهَرُthe jewel المُناغيthe cooing one
وَأُسكِتَ الجَوهَرُ المُناغي
The fortunate crescent vanished from me,
The waters of bliss nourished him, yet he withered, though the one who withered him sought no malice.
and the cooing jewel was silenced.
The blood of his brain covered him—flowing from his nose, his mouth, and his eyes.
غَيَّرتِmarred العَينُthe evil eye مِنهُof him باعاًan armspan
غَيَّرتِ العَينُ مِنهُ باعاً
أَزهىblossomed فَأَزرىand so put to shame بِكُلِّevery باغِaspirant
أَزهى فَأَزرى بِكُلِّ باغِ
The evil eye marred his stature,
A tunic that inflamed my burning grief, red and hideous in its dye.
which blossomed and put every aspirant to shame.
I washed it away with my tears as it flowed, yet how can I stanch it when it surges so wildly?
غَذّاهُnourished him ماءُwater النَعيمِbliss لكِنbut
غَذّاهُ ماءُ النَعيمِ لكِن
ذَوىwithered وَمذويهِand the one who withered him غَيرُnot باغِa wrongdoer
ذَوى وَمذويهِ غَيرُ باغِ
The water of bliss nourished him, but
I held back the flood as best I could, until it swelled and poured out into the void.
he withered, and the one who withered him was not unjust.
Spread through the lowlands, O my calamity, and rise to the highlands, reaching every heart that listens to me.
غَطّاهُcovered him مِنfrom أَنفِهِhis nose وَفيهِand his mouth
غَطّاهُ مِن أَنفِهِ وَفيهِ
وَمُقلَتَيهِand his two eyes دَمُblood الدِماغِthe brain
وَمُقلَتَيهِ دَمُ الدِماغِ
What covered him, from his nose and mouth
My West and my East have challenged me, until every seeker strove to draw near.
and his two eyes, was blood from his brain:
The rhymes have submitted to Ghilan, though my skill never wished to fashion his dirge.
غلالَةًa thin robe أَضرَمَتkindled غَليليmy burning anguish
غلالَةً أَضرَمَت غَليلي
حَمراءred مَقبوحَةَhideous الصِباغِthe dye
حَمراء مَقبوحَةَ الصِباغِ
a thin robe that kindled my burning anguish,
I enraged my envier, so he kept babbling against my honor—for the envious one speaks only nonsense.
red, hideous in its dye.
In others, the impossible finds acceptance, yet the truth is more worthy of being believed.
غَسَلَتهُI washed him إِذwhen جَرىit flowed بِدَمعيwith my tears
غَسَلَتهُ إِذ جَرى بِدَمعي
وَكَيفَand how أَرقيهِI stanch it وَهوَwhile it is طاغِoverflowing
وَكَيفَ أَرقيهِ وَهوَ طاغِ
I washed him with my tears as it flowed;
O goal of my hopes, answer me! Where now is the promise that once dwelt within you?
and how can I stanch it when it is overflowing?
غَيَّضتُهُI made it ebb ماas much as اِستَطَعتُI could حَتّىuntil
غَيَّضتُهُ ما اِستَطَعتُ حَتّى
زادَit increased وَأَفضىand led إِلىto الفَراغِemptiness
زادَ وَأَفضى إِلى الفَراغِ
I made it ebb as much as I could, until
it increased and led to emptiness.
غُرgo to the lowlands ياO مُصابيmy bereavement بِهِthrough him وَأَنجِدand go to the highlands
غُر يا مُصابي بِهِ وَأَنجِد
كلَّevery فُؤادٍheart إِليَّto me صاغِlistening
كلَّ فُؤادٍ إِليَّ صاغِ
Go to the lowlands, O my grief for him, and to the highlands—
into every heart that listens to me.
غَربيmy West وَشَرقيand my East تَحَدَّيانيboth challenged me
غَربي وَشَرقي تَحَدَّياني
حَتّىuntil بَغىsought القُربَnearness كُلُّevery باغِseeker
حَتّى بَغى القُربَ كُلُّ باغِ
My West and my East challenged me,
until every seeker sought to draw near.
غيلانُGhaylan دانَتsubmitted لَهُto him القَوافيthe rhymes
غيلانُ دانَت لَهُ القَوافي
وَلَمand did not يَصُغcast شِعرَهُhis poetry مصاغيmy manner of casting
وَلَم يَصُغ شِعرَهُ مصاغي
Ghaylan—to him the rhymes submitted,
yet he did not cast his verse as I cast mine.
غِظتُI enraged حَسوديmy envier فَظَلَّso he kept on يَلغىbabbling
غِظتُ حَسودي فَظَلَّ يَلغى
فيabout شَرَفيmy honor وَالحَسودُand the envier لاغِan idle babbler
في شَرَفي وَالحَسودُ لاغِ
I enraged my envier, so he kept babbling
about my honor; the envier is an idle babbler.
غَيريsomeone other than me يَسوغُis readily swallowed المُحالُabsurdity فيهِabout him
غَيري يَسوغُ المُحالُ فيهِ
وَالحَقُّand truth أَولىmore deserving بِالانسِياغِof being swallowed
وَالحَقُّ أَولى بِالانسِياغِ
In another's case, absurdity can be swallowed;
yet truth is more deserving of being swallowed.
غايَةَgoal آمالِيَmy hopes اِستَجِبanswer ليme
غايَةَ آمالِيَ اِستَجِب لي
أَينَwhere الَّذيthat which فيكَin you مِنof بَلاغِeloquence
أَينَ الَّذي فيكَ مِن بَلاغِ
O goal of my hopes, answer me:
Where is the eloquence in you?
Partial English translation: 15 of 30 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1