يَقولونَthey say ليto me لَوif كانَhe had been بِالرَملِin the sands لَمdid not يَمُتdie
يَقولونَ لي لَو كانَ بِالرَملِ لَم يَمُت
نُشَيبَةُNushaybah وَالطُرّاقُand the night visitors يَكذِبُis false قيلُهاtheir claim
نُشَيبَةُ وَالطُرّاقُ يَكذِبُ قيلُها
They tell me: had he been in the sands, he would not have died—
They say to me, had he been with the sand, he would not have died
Nushaybah; yet the night visitors' claim is false.
Gray hair and baldness belie what is said
وَلَوand even if أَنَّنيthat I اِستَودَعتُهُI entrusted him الشَمسَthe sun لَاِرتَقَتwould surely have climbed
وَلَو أَنَّني اِستَودَعتُهُ الشَمسَ لَاِرتَقَت
إِلَيهِto him المَناياthe fates of death عَينُهاtheir scout وَرَسولُهاand their messenger
إِلَيهِ المَنايا عَينُها وَرَسولُها
And even had I entrusted him to the sun, up would have climbed
And had I entrusted him to the sun, death would have risen
To him the fates of death—their scout and their messenger.
To it, its eye and its messenger
وَكُنتُand I was كَعَظمِlike a bone العاجِماتِthe gnawers اِكتَنَفنَهُthey surrounded it
وَكُنتُ كَعَظمِ العاجِماتِ اِكتَنَفنَهُ
بِأَطرافِهِat its ends حَتّىuntil اِستَدَقَّgrew thin نُحولُهاtheir wearing-down
بِأَطرافِهِ حَتّى اِستَدَقَّ نُحولُها
And I was like a bone that the gnawers had surrounded
And I would have been like the bones of foreigners that surrounded him
At its ends, until their gnawing wore it thin.
With its edges until its leanness narrowed
عَلىat حينَthe time when ساواهُbrought him to full growth الشَبابُyouth وَقارَبَتand drew closer together
عَلى حينَ ساواهُ الشَبابُ وَقارَبَت
خُطايَmy steps وَخِلتُand I thought الأَرضَthe earth وَعثاًsoft, difficult ground سُهولُهاits level stretches
خُطايَ وَخِلتُ الأَرضَ وَعثاً سُهولُها
Just when youth had brought him to full growth, and shorter grew
When youth equalized him and the earth's expanse neared
My steps, and I thought even the earth's level stretches loose sand.
My sins, and the plain was strewn with litter
حَدَرناهُwe lowered him بِالأَثوابِwith the cloths فيinto قَعرِthe bottom هُوَّةٍa deep pit
حَدَرناهُ بِالأَثوابِ في قَعرِ هُوَّةٍ
شَديدٍharsh عَلىupon ماwhat ضَمَّenclosed فيin اللَحدِthe burial niche جولُهاits side
شَديدٍ عَلى ما ضَمَّ في اللَحدِ جولُها
We lowered him with cloths into the bottom of a pit,
We lowered him in clothes to the bottom of a deep abyss
Whose side was harsh upon what it enclosed in the burial niche.
Stronger than what the grave gathered in its circumference
Sol 6.1