مُصابيmy affliction جَليلٌgrave وَالعَزاءُand patient endurance جَميلُnoble
مُصابي جَليلٌ وَالعَزاءُ جَميلُ
وَظَنّيand my belief بِأَنَّthat اللَهَGod سَوفَwill يُديلُgrant a favorable turn
وَظَنّي بِأَنَّ اللَهَ سَوفَ يُديلُ
My affliction is grave, and patience in grief is noble;
My affliction is grave, yet consolation is sweet,
And I trust that God will turn fortune in my favor.
And I think that Allah will soon grant relief.
جِراحٌwounds تَحاماهاshunned them الأُساةُthe physicians مَخوفَةٌfearsome
جِراحٌ تَحاماها الأُساةُ مَخوفَةٌ
وَسُقمانِand two ailments بادٍoutward مِنهُماof the two وَدَخيلُand inward
وَسُقمانِ بادٍ مِنهُما وَدَخيلُ
Fearsome wounds that physicians have shunned,
Wounds tended by constant sorrows are dreadful,
And two ailments: one outward, the other within.
And from both maladies relief has long been rare.
وَأَسرٌand captivity أُقاسيهِI endure it وَلَيلٌand a night نُجومُهُits stars
وَأَسرٌ أُقاسيهِ وَلَيلٌ نُجومُهُ
أَرىI see كُلَّevery شَيءٍthing غَيرَهُنَّexcept them يَزولُpasses away
أَرى كُلَّ شَيءٍ غَيرَهُنَّ يَزولُ
And captivity I endure, and a night whose stars
I endure captivity and nights whose stars
I see remain, while everything else passes away.
Reveal all things vanishing except for them.
تَطولُgrow long بِيَfor me الساعاتُthe hours وَهيَand they are قَصيرَةٌshort
تَطولُ بِيَ الساعاتُ وَهيَ قَصيرَةٌ
وَفيand in كُلِّevery دَهرٍseason لايَسُرُّكَthat does not delight you طولُprotracted length
وَفي كُلِّ دَهرٍ لايَسُرُّكَ طولُ
The hours stretch long for me, though they are short;
The hours drag on though short for me,
And every joyless season drags on.
And in every age, none will please you long.
تَناسانِيَdeliberately forgot me الأَصحابُthe companions إِلّاexcept عُصَيبَةًa little band
تَناسانِيَ الأَصحابُ إِلّا عُصَيبَةً
سَتَلحَقُwill catch up بِالأُخرىwith the other group غَداًtomorrow وَتَحولُand change
سَتَلحَقُ بِالأُخرى غَداً وَتَحولُ
My companions have put me out of mind, save a little band,
When times are fair, friends tend to forget me
That tomorrow will join the others and turn away.
Till another misfortune comes my way.
وَمَنand who ذاis it الَّذيwho يَبقىremains عَلىupon العَهدِthe pledge إِنَّهُمindeed they
وَمَن ذا الَّذي يَبقى عَلى العَهدِ إِنَّهُم
وَإِنand though كَثُرَتhave multiplied دَعواهُمُtheir claims لَقَليلُindeed few
وَإِن كَثُرَت دَعواهُمُ لَقَليلُ
And who is it that keeps the pledge? They are,
Who now keeps faith? Though many profess it, few remain loyal.
Though their claims abound, few indeed.
I look around in vain for a faithful friend
أُقَلِّبُI turn about طَرفيmy gaze لاnot أَرىI see غَيرَother than صاحِبٍa companion
أُقَلِّبُ طَرفي لا أَرى غَيرَ صاحِبٍ
يَميلُinclines مَعَwith النَعماءِprosperity حَيثُwherever تَميلُit inclines
يَميلُ مَعَ النَعماءِ حَيثُ تَميلُ
I turn my gaze and see only a companion
Who will not incline wherever fortune flows.
Who sways with prosperity wherever it sways.
Now we think the estranged man moral
وَصِرناand we have become نَرىwe consider أَنَّthat المُتارِكَone who leaves others alone مُحسِنٌa benefactor
وَصِرنا نَرى أَنَّ المُتارِكَ مُحسِنٌ
وَأَنَّand that صَديقاًa friend لايُضِرُّdoes no harm خَليلُa close companion
وَأَنَّ صَديقاً لايُضِرُّ خَليلُ
And we have come to think that one who leaves us alone is a benefactor,
And a friend who does no injury, kind.
And that a friend who does no harm is a close companion.
What friend is this, so unfair,
أَكُلُّis every خَليلٍfriend هَكَذاlike this غَيرُnot مُنصِفٍfair
أَكُلُّ خَليلٍ هَكَذا غَيرُ مُنصِفٍ
وَكُلُّand every زَمانٍage بِالكِرامِwith noble people بَخيلُmiserly
وَكُلُّ زَمانٍ بِالكِرامِ بَخيلُ
Is every friend like this, so unfair,
What age is this, so mean in kindness?
And every age so miserly with noble people?
Yes, life invites betrayal. Learned and ignorant
نَعَمyes دَعَتِcalled الدُنياthe world إِلىto الغَدرِtreachery دَعوَةًa call
نَعَم دَعَتِ الدُنيا إِلى الغَدرِ دَعوَةً
أَجابَanswered إِلَيهاto it عالِمٌa learned man وَجَهولُand an ignoramus
أَجابَ إِلَيها عالِمٌ وَجَهولُ
Yes, the world has sounded a call to treachery;
Answer its summons.
The learned and the ignorant alike answered it.
Amr abandoned his brother az-Zubair
وَفارَقَand forsook عَمروُAmr بنُson of الزُبَيرِal-Zubayr شَقيقُهُhis brother
وَفارَقَ عَمروُ بنُ الزُبَيرِ شَقيقُهُ
وَخَلّىand abandoned أَميرَcommander of المُؤمِنينَthe faithful عَقيلُAqil
وَخَلّى أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ عَقيلُ
And his own brother forsook Amr ibn al-Zubayr,
And Aqeel deserted the Commander of the Faithful.
And Aqil abandoned the Commander of the Faithful.
Oh what remorse that I have no close friend
فَياso, O حَسرَتاmy sorrow مَنwho ليfor me بِخِلٍّwith a friend مُوافِقٍlike-minded
فَيا حَسرَتا مَن لي بِخِلٍّ مُوافِقٍ
أَقولُI speak بِشَجويof my grief مَرَّةًat one turn وَيَقولُand he speaks
أَقولُ بِشَجوي مَرَّةً وَيَقولُ
Alas! Who can give me a like-minded friend?
To lament with me and to console!
I would tell my grief one moment, and he speak the next.
Behind the curtains a mother weeps for me, though years pass,
وَإِنَّand indeed وَراءَbehind السَترِthe veil أُمّاًa mother بُكاؤُهاher weeping
وَإِنَّ وَراءَ السَترِ أُمّاً بُكاؤُها
عَلَيَّover me وَإِنand though طالَgrows long الزَمانُtime طَويلُlong
عَلَيَّ وَإِن طالَ الزَمانُ طَويلُ
And behind the veil there is a mother whose weeping
Her weeping is long.
For me endures, though time itself grows long.
O my mother, do not despair, patience brings
فَياso, O أُمَّتاmy mother لاتَعدَميdo not lose الصَبرَpatience إِنَّهُfor it is
فَيا أُمَّتا لاتَعدَمي الصَبرَ إِنَّهُ
إِلىtoward الخَيرِgoodness وَالنُجحِand success القَريبِnear at hand رَسولُa messenger
إِلى الخَيرِ وَالنُجحِ القَريبِ رَسولُ
So, Mother, do not lose patience, for it is
Swiftly the good news of deliverance.
A messenger leading to good and success close at hand.
O my mother, do not lose your reward,
وَياand O أُمَّتاmy mother لاتُخطِئيdo not miss الأَجرَthe reward إِنَّهُfor it is
وَيا أُمَّتا لاتُخطِئي الأَجرَ إِنَّهُ
عَلىin proportion to قَدَرِthe measure of الصَبرِpatience الجَميلِnoble جَزيلُabundant
عَلى قَدَرِ الصَبرِ الجَميلِ جَزيلُ
And Mother, do not miss the reward, for it is
Great is the recompense for noble patience.
Abundant in proportion to noble patience.
Have you no model in the Lady of the Waistband
أَماis there not لَكِfor you فيin ذاتِthe Lady of النِطاقَينِthe two girdles أُسوَةٌan example
أَما لَكِ في ذاتِ النِطاقَينِ أُسوَةٌ
بِمَكَّةَin Mecca وَالحَربُand war العَوانُrenewed تَجولُsweeps around
بِمَكَّةَ وَالحَربُ العَوانُ تَجولُ
Have you no example in the Lady of the Two Girdles,
When the foe roamed free in Mecca?
In Mecca, while war raged anew?
Her son sought safety, but she granted no consent,
أَرادَwanted اِبنُهاher son أَخذَobtaining الأَمانِsafe conduct فَلَمbut did not تُجِبshe consent
أَرادَ اِبنُها أَخذَ الأَمانِ فَلَم تُجِب
وَتَعلَمُand she knows عِلماًwith certainty أَنَّهُthat he لَقَتيلُsurely to be slain
وَتَعلَمُ عِلماً أَنَّهُ لَقَتيلُ
Her son wished to obtain safe conduct, but she would not consent,
Knowing well that he would be slain.
Though she knew with certainty that he would be slain.
May God guard you from the fears you harbor,
تَأَسّيfollow her example كَفاكِmay He spare you اللَهُGod ماwhat تَحذَرينَهُyou fear it
تَأَسّي كَفاكِ اللَهُ ما تَحذَرينَهُ
فَقَدfor indeed غالَlaid low هَذاthese الناسُpeople قَبلَكِbefore you غولُa calamity
فَقَد غالَ هَذا الناسُ قَبلَكِ غولُ
Follow her example; may God spare you what you fear.
For people before you have met such misfortunes.
For calamity has laid these people low before you.
Be as Safiyya was at Uhud,
وَكونيand be كَماas كانَتshe was بِأُحدٍat Uhud صَفِيَّةٌSafiyya
وَكوني كَما كانَت بِأُحدٍ صَفِيَّةٌ
وَلَمand was not يُشفَsoothed مِنهاwithin her بِالبُكاءِby weeping غَليلُburning anguish
وَلَم يُشفَ مِنها بِالبُكاءِ غَليلُ
And be as Safiyya was at Uhud,
When her laments brought her no relief,
Whose burning grief was not soothed by weeping.
If the return of the noble Hamzah could have lifted her sorrow,
وَلَوand if رَدَّbrought back يَوماًone day حَمزَةَHamza الخَيرِthe good حُزنُهاher grief
وَلَو رَدَّ يَوماً حَمزَةَ الخَيرِ حُزنُها
إِذاًthen ماindeed عَلَتهاrose over her رَنَّةٌa plaintive cry وَعَويلُand wailing
إِذاً ما عَلَتها رَنَّةٌ وَعَويلُ
And if her grief could ever have brought back Hamza the good,
No wailing cry would have risen from her that day.
Then a cry and wailing would indeed have overcome her.
I met the stars of the horizon as they rose, swords at the ready,
لَقيتُI faced نُجومَthe stars of الأُفقِthe horizon وَهيَand they were صَوارِمٌkeen swords
لَقيتُ نُجومَ الأُفقِ وَهيَ صَوارِمٌ
وَخُضتُand I plunged through سَوادَthe blackness of اللَيلِnight وَهوَand it was خُيولُhorses
وَخُضتُ سَوادَ اللَيلِ وَهوَ خُيولُ
I faced the stars of the horizon, and they were keen swords;
And penetrated the black night with its racing steeds.
And plunged through the blackness of night, and it was horses.
Yet I did not allow my noble soul to show cowardice
وَلَمand did not أَرعَI show regard لِلنَفسِfor the soul الكَريمَةِnoble خِلَّةًfriendship
وَلَم أَرعَ لِلنَفسِ الكَريمَةِ خِلَّةً
عَشِيَّةَon the evening لَمdid not يَعطِفturn kindly عَلَيَّtoward me خَليلُa friend
عَشِيَّةَ لَم يَعطِف عَلَيَّ خَليلُ
And I showed my noble soul no friendly care,
On that eve when I had no protecting friend.
That evening when no friend turned to my aid.
Rather I went to meet death until I left it behind,
وَلَكِنbut لَقيتُI faced المَوتَdeath حَتّىuntil تَرَكتُهاI left it
وَلَكِن لَقيتُ المَوتَ حَتّى تَرَكتُها
وَفيهاand in it وَفيand in حَدِّthe edge of الحُسامِthe sword فُلولُnotches
وَفيها وَفي حَدِّ الحُسامِ فُلولُ
But I faced death until I left my soul
Amid the broken swords and scattered forces.
Notched, as was the edge of the sword.
He whom God does not protect is torn to pieces,
وَمَنand whoever لَمdoes not يُوَقِّprotect اللَهُGod فَهوَthen he is مُمَزَّقٌtorn apart
وَمَن لَم يُوَقِّ اللَهُ فَهوَ مُمَزَّقٌ
وَمَنand whoever لَمdoes not يُعِزِّexalt اللَهُGod فَهوَthen he is ذَليلُabased
وَمَن لَم يُعِزِّ اللَهُ فَهوَ ذَليلُ
And whoever is not protected by God is torn apart;
He whom God does not honor is disgraced.
And whoever is not exalted by God is abased.
What God does not will in all affairs
وَماand whatever لَمdoes not يُرِدهُwill it اللَهُGod فيin الأَمرِthe matter كُلِّهِall of it
وَما لَم يُرِدهُ اللَهُ في الأَمرِ كُلِّهِ
فَلَيسَthen there is no لِمَخلوقٍfor a created being إِلَيهِto it سَبيلُpath
فَلَيسَ لِمَخلوقٍ إِلَيهِ سَبيلُ
And whatever God does not will in any affair,
Cannot be attained by any creature.
No created being has a way to attain it.
Partial English translation: 49 of 50 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1