أَيُّwhat اِصطِبارٍpatient endurance لَيسَis not بِالزائِلِfading
أَيُّ اِصطِبارٍ لَيسَ بِالزائِلِ
وَأَيُّand what دَمعٍtears لَيسَis not بِالهامِلِflowing
وَأَيُّ دَمعٍ لَيسَ بِالهامِلِ
What patient endurance does not fade?
And what tears do not flow?
إِنّاindeed we فُجِعناwe were bereaved بِفَتىof the young hero وائِلٍWa'il
إِنّا فُجِعنا بِفَتى وائِلٍ
لَمّاwhen فُجِعناwe were bereaved بِأَبيof Abu وائِلِWa'il
لَمّا فُجِعنا بِأَبي وائِلِ
We were indeed bereaved of Wa'il's young hero
when we were bereaved of Abu Wa'il,
المُشتَريthe buyer الحَمدَpraise بِأَموالِهِwith his wealth
المُشتَري الحَمدَ بِأَموالِهِ
وَالبائِعِand the seller النائِلَbounty بِالنائِلِfor bounty
وَالبائِعِ النائِلَ بِالنائِلِ
who bought praise with his wealth
and sold bounty for bounty.
ماذاwhat أَرادَتintended سَطَواتُthe onslaughts الرَدىof death
ماذا أَرادَت سَطَواتُ الرَدى
بِالأَسَدِfor the lion اِبنِson of الأَسَدِthe lion الباسِلِvaliant
بِالأَسَدِ اِبنِ الأَسَدِ الباسِلِ
What did death's onslaughts intend
for the lion, son of the valiant lion,
السَيِّدِthe lord اِبنِson of السَيِّدِthe lord المُرتَجىlooked to with hope
السَيِّدِ اِبنِ السَيِّدِ المُرتَجى
وَالعالِمِand the scholar اِبنُson of العالِمِthe scholar الفاضِلِvirtuous
وَالعالِمِ اِبنُ العالِمِ الفاضِلِ
the lord, son of the lord in whom hopes were placed,
and the scholar, son of the virtuous scholar?
أَقسَمتُI swear لَوif لَمnot يَحكِهِmirrored him ذِكرُهُhis renown
أَقسَمتُ لَو لَم يَحكِهِ ذِكرُهُ
رَجَعنَthey would have turned back عَنهُfrom him بِشَبّاًwith blade-points ثاكِلِbereft
رَجَعنَ عَنهُ بِشَبّاً ثاكِلِ
I swear, had his renown not mirrored him,
they would have turned back from him, their blade-points bereft.
كَأَنَّماas though دَمعِيَmy tears مِنfrom بَعدِهِafter him
كَأَنَّما دَمعِيَ مِن بَعدِهِ
صَوبُdownpour سَحابٍa cloud واكِفٍstreaming وابِلِpouring heavily
صَوبُ سَحابٍ واكِفٍ وابِلِ
My tears since his loss seem like
the downpour of a cloud, streaming in torrents.
ماnot أَناI أَبكيهِI weep for him وَلَكِنَّماbut rather
ما أَنا أَبكيهِ وَلَكِنَّما
تَبكيهِweep for him أَطرافُthe tips القَناof the spears الذابِلِslender
تَبكيهِ أَطرافُ القَنا الذابِلِ
It is not I who weep for him; rather,
the tips of the slender spears weep for him.
ماكانَhe was not إِلّاexcept حَدَثاًa calamity نازِلاًdescending
ماكانَ إِلّا حَدَثاً نازِلاً
مُوَكَّلاًcharged بِالحَدَثِwith calamity النازِلِthat befalls
مُوَكَّلاً بِالحَدَثِ النازِلِ
He was nothing but a calamity descending,
charged with confronting each calamity that befell.
دانٍnear إِلىto سُبلِthe paths النَدىof generosity وَالعُلاand high honor
دانٍ إِلى سُبلِ النَدى وَالعُلا
ناءٍfar عَنِfrom الفَحشاءِindecency وَالباطِلِand falsehood
ناءٍ عَنِ الفَحشاءِ وَالباطِلِ
Near to the paths of generosity and high honor,
far from indecency and falsehood.
أَرىI see المَعاليnoble virtues إِذwhen قَضىhe completed نَحبَهُhis allotted span
أَرى المَعالي إِذ قَضى نَحبَهُ
تَبكيweeping بُكاءَthe weeping الوالِهِof one distraught الثاكِلِbereaved
تَبكي بُكاءَ الوالِهِ الثاكِلِ
I see noble virtues, since he met his end,
weeping like one distraught and bereaved.
الأَسَدُthe lion الباسِلُvaliant وَالعارِضُand the rain cloud الthe
الأَسَدُ الباسِلُ وَالعارِضُ ال
هاطِلُpouring down عِندَduring الزَمَنِthe time الماحِلِdrought-stricken
هاطِلُ عِندَ الزَمَنِ الماحِلِ
The valiant lion, and the rain cloud—
pouring down in a time of drought.
لَوif كانَwere يَفديcould ransom مَعشَرٌa people هالِكاًone doomed to die
لَو كانَ يَفدي مَعشَرٌ هالِكاً
فَداهُwould have ransomed him مِنfrom among حافٍthe barefoot وَمِنand from among ناعِلِthe shod
فَداهُ مِن حافٍ وَمِن ناعِلِ
If a people could ransom one doomed to die,
barefoot and shod alike would have ransomed him.
فَكَمfor how many حَثاheaped earth over قَبرَكَyour grave مِنof راغِبٍa seeker
فَكَم حَثا قَبرَكَ مِن راغِبٍ
وَكَمand how many حَشاenclosed تُربَكَyour dust مِنof آمِلِa hopeful
وَكَم حَشا تُربَكَ مِن آمِلِ
For how many a seeker has your grave buried,
and how many a hopeful has your dust enclosed!
سَقىmay water ثَرىًearth ضَمَّenfolded أَباAbu وائِلٍWa'il
سَقى ثَرىً ضَمَّ أَبا وائِلٍ
صَوبُthe downpour عَطاياof gifts كَفِّهِhis palm الهاطِلِpouring forth
صَوبُ عَطايا كَفِّهِ الهاطِلِ
May the earth that enfolded Abu Wa'il be watered
by the downpour of gifts from his streaming hand.
لادَرَّmay it never flow دَرُّthe milk الدَهرِof time مابالُهُwhat ails it?
لادَرَّ دَرُّ الدَهرِ مابالُهُ
حَمَّلَنيit burdened me مالَستُwhat I am not بِالحامِلِable to bear
حَمَّلَني مالَستُ بِالحامِلِ
May time's milk run dry! What ails it,
that it burdened me with what I cannot bear?
كانَwas اِبنُthe son of عَمّيmy paternal uncle إِنif عَراbefell حادِثٌa calamity
كانَ اِبنُ عَمّي إِن عَرا حادِثٌ
كَاللَيثِlike a lion أَوor كَالصارِمِlike a keen sword الصاقِلِgleaming
كَاللَيثِ أَو كَالصارِمِ الصاقِلِ
My cousin, whenever a calamity befell,
was like a lion or a keen, gleaming sword.
كانَwas اِبنُthe son of عَمّيmy paternal uncle عالِماًa scholar فاضِلاًvirtuous
كانَ اِبنُ عَمّي عالِماً فاضِلاً
وَالدَهرُand time لايُبقيdoes not spare عَلىon فاضِلِa virtuous man
وَالدَهرُ لايُبقي عَلى فاضِلِ
My cousin was a learned and virtuous man,
but time spares no virtuous man.
كانَwas اِبنُthe son of عَمّيmy paternal uncle بَحرَa sea جودٍof generosity طَمىoverflowed
كانَ اِبنُ عَمّي بَحرَ جودٍ طَمى
لَكِنَّهُbut he بَحرٌa sea بِلاwithout ساحِلِa shore
لَكِنَّهُ بَحرٌ بِلا ساحِلِ
My cousin was a sea of generosity, overflowing,
yet he was a sea without a shore.
مَنwhoever كانَwas أَمسىreached evening قَلبُهُhis heart خالِياًfree of care
مَن كانَ أَمسى قَلبُهُ خالِياً
فَإِنَّنيthen indeed I فيin شُغُلٍa preoccupation شاغِلِall-consuming
فَإِنَّني في شُغُلٍ شاغِلِ
If anyone has reached evening with a heart free of care,
I, for my part, am caught in all-consuming care.
Sol 6.1