كَأَنَّas though المَناياthe fates of death قَدalready قَرَعنَthey struck صَفاتيmy rock
كَأَنَّ المَنايا قَد قَرَعنَ صَفاتي
وَقَوَّسنَنيand they bent me like a bow حَتّىuntil قَصَفنَthey snapped قَناتيmy spear-shaft
وَقَوَّسنَني حَتّى قَصَفنَ قَناتي
It is as though the fates of death have already struck my rock,
Death seems to have struck my qualities
and bent me like a bow until they snapped my spear-shaft.
And bent me until my channels were chipped
وَباشَرتُand I touched أَطباقَthe layers of الثَرىthe soil وَتَوَجَّهَتand set out
وَباشَرتُ أَطباقَ الثَرى وَتَوَجَّهَت
بِنَعيِيwith news of my death إِلىto مَنthe one whom غِبتُI was absent عَنهُfrom him نُعاتيmy death-announcers
بِنَعيِي إِلى مَن غِبتُ عَنهُ نُعاتي
And I have touched the layers of earth, and off have gone
I turned to the layers of earth as my address
my death-announcers, bearing news of my death to those I have left behind.
To the one I was absent from, my attributes
فَياthen, oh عَجَباًwonder مِنat طولِthe length of سَهويmy inattention وَغَفلَتيand my heedlessness
فَيا عَجَباً مِن طولِ سَهوي وَغَفلَتي
وَماand what هُوَit آتٍcoming لاno مَحالَةَescape آتِcoming
وَما هُوَ آتٍ لا مَحالَةَ آتِ
How strange, then, my long inattention and heedlessness,
What a surprise from my long heedlessness and neglect
when what is coming will inevitably come.
And what is coming inevitably comes
حُتوفُthe fatal blows المَناياof death قاصِداتٌaimed لِمَنat those whom تَرىyou see
حُتوفُ المَنايا قاصِداتٌ لِمَن تَرى
مُوافينَarriving بِالرَوحاتِin the evenings وَالغَدَواتِand the mornings
مُوافينَ بِالرَوحاتِ وَالغَدَواتِ
Death's fatal blows are aimed at those you see
The anklets of death are heading to the one you see
arriving in the evenings and the mornings.
Accompanying the spirits morning and evening
وَكَمand how many مِنof عَظيمٍa great man شَأنُهُhis standing لَمnot تَكُنwere لَهُfor him
وَكَم مِن عَظيمٍ شَأنُهُ لَم تَكُن لَهُ
بِمُهجَتِهِfor his life الأَيامُthe days مُنتَظِراتِwaiting
بِمُهجَتِهِ الأَيامُ مُنتَظِراتِ
And how many a man of high standing found no
And how many great ones, their days
reprieve for his life from the days.
Did not wait for their brains
رَأَيتُI saw ذَويthose of قُرباهُhis kin تَحثيcasting handfuls أَكُفُّهُمtheir palms
رَأَيتُ ذَوي قُرباهُ تَحثي أَكُفُّهُم
عَلَيهِupon him تُرابَthe dust of الأَرضِthe earth مُبتَدِراتِhastening
عَلَيهِ تُرابَ الأَرضِ مُبتَدِراتِ
I saw his kinsmen, their hands casting
I saw his close ones hastily scooping with their palms
the earth's dust upon him in haste.
The earth's soil over him competing
وَقامَتand stood عَلَيهِover him حُسَّرٌbareheaded women مِنfrom among نِسائِهِhis womenfolk
وَقامَت عَلَيهِ حُسَّرٌ مِن نِسائِهِ
يُنادينَcrying out بِالوَيلاتِwith cries of woe مُحتَجِراتِwith their garments gathered about them
يُنادينَ بِالوَيلاتِ مُحتَجِراتِ
And some of his women stood over him, bareheaded,
And over him stood canopies of his women
crying out in woe, their garments gathered about them.
Crying, wailing, confined
Sol 6.1