يُضَيَّعُis neglected مَفروضٌa prescribed duty وَيُغفَلُand is overlooked واجِبُan obligation
يُضَيَّعُ مَفروضٌ وَيُغفَلُ واجِبُ
وَإِنّيand indeed I عَلىtoward أَهلِthe people of الزَمانِthe age لَعاتِبُam surely reproachful
وَإِنّي عَلى أَهلِ الزَمانِ لَعاتِبُ
A prescribed duty is neglected, an obligation overlooked;
Duties are neglected and obligations forgotten,
and I indeed reproach the people of this age.
And I denounce the people of this age.
أَتُندَبُare mourned? أَطلالُthe ruins of البِلادِthe lands وَلاyet no يُرىis seen
أَتُندَبُ أَطلالُ البِلادِ وَلا يُرى
لِإِلبيرَةٍfor Ilbira مِنهُمamong them عَلىon الأَرضِthe earth نادِبُa mourner
لِإِلبيرَةٍ مِنهُم عَلى الأَرضِ نادِبُ
Are the ruins of the lands mourned, yet none is seen
The ruins of cities are left unmourned,
among them on earth to mourn Ilbira,
Not one lamenting their fate.
عَلىdespite أَنَّهاher being شَمسُthe sun of البِلادِthe lands وَأُنسُهاand their solace
عَلى أَنَّها شَمسُ البِلادِ وَأُنسُها
وَكُلُّand all سِواهاbesides her وَحشَةٌdesolation وَغَياهِبُand deep darkness
وَكُلُّ سِواها وَحشَةٌ وَغَياهِبُ
though she is the sun of the lands and their solace,
Though it shone like a sun over the land,
and all besides her is desolation and deep darkness?
All else is wilderness and gloom but for it.
وَكَمand how many مِنof مُجيبٍone who answers كانَwas فيهاwithin her لِصارِخٍto one crying for help
وَكَم مِن مُجيبٍ كانَ فيها لِصارِخٍ
تُجابُwere traversed إِلىto reach جَدوىthe bounty of يَدَيهِhis two hands السَباسِبُthe vast deserts
تُجابُ إِلى جَدوى يَدَيهِ السَباسِبُ
And how many a man within her answered a cry for help,
How many who cried out gained response
for whose hands' bounty the vast deserts were crossed!
As hands were freed from shackles!
وَكَمand how many مِنof نَجيبٍa noble man أَنجَبَتهُshe bore him وَعالِمٍand a scholar
وَكَم مِن نَجيبٍ أَنجَبَتهُ وَعالِمٍ
بِأَبوابِهِمat their doors كانَتused to be تُناخُmade to kneel الرَكائِبُthe riding camels
بِأَبوابِهِم كانَت تُناخُ الرَكائِبُ
And how many a noble man she bore, and a scholar,
How many nobles and scholars it produced
at whose doors the riding camels were made to kneel!
Whose doors were trampled by mounted heroes!
وَكَمand how often بَلَغَتcame true فيهاwithin her الأَمانيthe hopes وَقُضِّيَتand were fulfilled
وَكَم بَلَغَت فيها الأَماني وَقُضِّيَت
لِصَبٍّfor a yearning lover لُباناتٌlongings بِهاwithin her وَمَآرِبُand desires
لِصَبٍّ لُباناتٌ بِها وَمَآرِبُ
And how often hopes came true within her, and there were fulfilled
How many desires found fruition within it
a yearning lover's longings and desires within her!
As youth gained their every wish and dream!
وَكَمand how many طَلَعَتrose فيهاwithin her الشُموسُthe suns وَكَمand how many مَشَتwalked
وَكَم طَلَعَت فيها الشُموسُ وَكَم مَشَت
عَلىupon الأَرضِthe earth أَقمارٌmoons بِهاwithin her وَكَواكِبُand stars
عَلى الأَرضِ أَقمارٌ بِها وَكَواكِبُ
And how many suns rose within her, and how many walked
How many suns rose and moons marched
upon the earth there—moons and stars!
Across its lands, stars and planets alike!
وَكَمand how often فَرَسَتpreyed upon فيهاwithin her الظِباءُthe gazelles ضَراغِماًlions
وَكَم فَرَسَت فيها الظِباءُ ضَراغِماً
وَكَمand how often صَرَعَتfelled فيهاwithin her الكُماةَthe armored champions كَواعِبُmaidens with budding breasts
وَكَم صَرَعَت فيها الكُماةَ كَواعِبُ
And how often gazelles within her preyed upon lions,
How many steeds raced, their riders triumphing,
and how often budding-breasted maidens there felled armored champions!
How many archers felled their targets!
لَعَهديindeed, my recollection بِهاof her مُبيَضَّةَshining white اللَيلِthe night فَاغتَدَتthen she became
لَعَهدي بِها مُبيَضَّةَ اللَيلِ فَاغتَدَت
وَأَيّامُهاand her days قَدalready سَوَّدَتهاhave blackened them النَوائِبُcalamities
وَأَيّامُها قَد سَوَّدَتها النَوائِبُ
I well remember her nights shining white; now she stands
I knew it once, brightening the darkest night,
with her days blackened by calamities.
Now days made black by endless calamities.
وَماand not كانَwas فيهاwithin her غَيرُother than بُشرىglad tidings وَأَنعُمٍand blessings
وَما كانَ فيها غَيرُ بُشرى وَأَنعُمٍ
فَلَمso did not يَبقَremain فيهاwithin her الآنَnow إِلّاexcept المَصائِبُcalamities
فَلَم يَبقَ فيها الآنَ إِلّا المَصائِبُ
And nothing was within her but glad tidings and blessings;
It had naught but glad tidings and blessings,
now nothing remains within her except calamities.
But only sorrows and trials remain.
غَدَتbecame بَعدَafter رَبّاتِthe ladies of الحِجالِthe curtained chambers قُصورُهاher palaces
غَدَت بَعدَ رَبّاتِ الحِجالِ قُصورُها
يَباباًdesolate wasteland تُغاديهاvisit them each morning الصَباthe east wind وَالجَنائِبُand the south winds
يَباباً تُغاديها الصَبا وَالجَنائِبُ
Her palaces, their ladies of curtained chambers gone, became
Mansions of ladies became, after them,
wastelands, visited each morning by the east wind and southerlies.
Dens, where the winds and storms intrude.
فَآهٍso, ah! أُلوفاًby the thousands تَقتَضيrequiring عَدَدَthe number of الحَصاthe pebbles
فَآهٍ أُلوفاً تَقتَضي عَدَدَ الحَصا
عَلىfor عَهدِهاher bygone days ماعاهَدَتهاwhile they keep faith with her السَحائِبُthe clouds
عَلى عَهدِها ماعاهَدَتها السَحائِبُ
So, ah!—thousands of sighs, as many as the pebbles,
Alas, ten thousand sighs for every stone
for her bygone days, as long as clouds keep faith with her!
Of its buildings, once caressed by clouds.
عَجِبتُI marveled لِماat what أَدريI know بِهاwithin her مِنof عَجيبَةٍa marvel
عَجِبتُ لِما أَدري بِها مِن عَجيبَةٍ
فَيالَيتَso, if only شِعريmy knowledge أَينَwhere تِلكَthose العَجائِبُwonders
فَيالَيتَ شِعري أَينَ تِلكَ العَجائِبُ
I marveled at the wonders I knew within her;
I marvel at the wonders known to me here -
if only I knew where those wonders are!
Would that I knew where those miracles went!
وَماand what فَعَلَتbecame of أَعلامُهاher eminent men وَفِئامُهاand her multitudes
وَما فَعَلَت أَعلامُها وَفِئامُها
وَأَرآمُهاand her white gazelles أَمor أَينَwhere تِلكَthose المَراتِبُthe high ranks
وَأَرآمُها أَم أَينَ تِلكَ المَراتِبُ
And what became of her great men and her multitudes,
Where are its icons, its glories and virtues?
and her white gazelles? Or where are those high ranks?
Where are its degrees, ranks and titles?
وَأَينَand where بِحارُthe seas of العِلمِknowledge وَالحِلمِand forbearance وَالنَدىand bounty
وَأَينَ بِحارُ العِلمِ وَالحِلمِ وَالنَدى
وَأَينَand where الأَكُفُّthe hands الهامِياتُraining down السَواكِبُpouring forth
وَأَينَ الأَكُفُّ الهامِياتُ السَواكِبُ
And where are the seas of knowledge, forbearance, and bounty,
Where are the seas of knowledge, wisdom and dew?
and where the hands that rained and poured forth bounty?
Where are the clasping hands, piercing stars?
شَقَقناwe tore عَلىfor مَنthose who ماتَdied مِنهُمamong them جُيوبَناour garment fronts
شَقَقنا عَلى مَن ماتَ مِنهُم جُيوبَنا
وَكانَand it would have been قَليلاًlittle أَنthat تُشَقَّbe torn التَرائِبُthe breastbones
وَكانَ قَليلاً أَن تُشَقَّ التَرائِبُ
We tore our garment fronts for those of them who died,
We rent our garments for its fallen sons,
and even rending our breastbones would have been too little.
Though too little, for so noble were they.
وَإِنand even if فُقِدَتare lost أَعيانُهُمtheir persons فَلَتوجَدَنyet will surely be found
وَإِن فُقِدَت أَعيانُهُم فَلَتوجَدَن
مَدىthroughout الدَهرِall time أَفعالٌdeeds لَهُمof theirs وَمَناقِبُand virtues
مَدى الدَهرِ أَفعالٌ لَهُم وَمَناقِبُ
And even if their persons are lost, there will surely be found
If their presence is gone, their deeds remain
throughout all time their deeds and virtues.
Sublime traits for all time, never erased.
وَقَدand indeed بَقِيَتhas remained فيon الأَرضِthe earth مِنهُمof them بَقِيَّةٌa remnant
وَقَد بَقِيَت في الأَرضِ مِنهُم بَقِيَّةٌ
كَأَنَّهُمas though they were فيهاupon it نُجومٌstars ثَواقِبُpiercingly bright
كَأَنَّهُم فيها نُجومٌ ثَواقِبُ
And a remnant of them still remains upon the earth,
Some vestige lingers still upon this earth,
as though they were stars of piercing brilliance upon it.
As if stars fixed in the sphere eternal.
فَلِلَّهِso to God ثاويهِمtheir buried dead وَلِلَّهِand to God حَيُّهُمtheir living
فَلِلَّهِ ثاويهِم وَلِلَّهِ حَيُّهُم
فَكُلٌّfor each جَوادٌbountiful باهِرُdazzling in الفَضلِmerit واهِبُa giver
فَكُلٌّ جَوادٌ باهِرُ الفَضلِ واهِبُ
So to God belong their dead, and to God their living,
Praise to their Maker! Praise to the living!
for each is bountiful, dazzling in merit, a giver.
Each most noble, of overflowing merit.
لَساءَلتُI indeed questioned عَنهُمabout them رَسمَهاher ruined site فَأَجابَنيand it answered me
لَساءَلتُ عَنهُم رَسمَها فَأَجابَني
أَلاbehold كُلَّevery شَيءٍthing ماexceptive particle خَلاexcept اللَهَGod ذاهِبُpasses away
أَلا كُلَّ شَيءٍ ما خَلا اللَهَ ذاهِبُ
I did question her ruined site about them, and it answered me:
I asked of their abode, and it replied:
“Behold, everything except God passes away.”
All things perish, but God remains forever.
يُخاطِبُناit addresses us أَنthat قَدindeed أُخِذتُI was punished بِذَنبِكُمfor your sin
يُخاطِبُنا أَن قَد أُخِذتُ بِذَنبِكُم
وَماyet no أَحَدٌone مِنكُمamong you عَنِof الذَنبِsin تائِبُis repentant
وَما أَحَدٌ مِنكُم عَنِ الذَنبِ تائِبُ
It tells us: “I have been punished for your sin,
It tells us: for your sins I was seized,
yet not one of you repents of sin.
And none of you turn in repentance to God.
وَأَنand that قَدindeed قَسَتhave hardened أَكبادُكُمyour livers وَقُلوبُكُمand your hearts
وَأَن قَد قَسَت أَكبادُكُم وَقُلوبُكُم
وَماand no مِنكُمamong you داعٍa supplicant إِلىto اللَهِGod راغِبُyearning
وَما مِنكُم داعٍ إِلى اللَهِ راغِبُ
And your livers and your hearts have hardened,
Your hearts have hardened, your souls darkened,
and none of you calls to God with longing.
And none among you cry out, aspiring to Him.
لَشَكلُكُمُsurely your condition أَولىis more deserving وَأَجدَرُand worthier بِالبُكاof weeping
لَشَكلُكُمُ أَولى وَأَجدَرُ بِالبُكا
عَلىover مِثلِهِits like حَقّاًtruly تَقومُrise النَوادِبُthe mourning women
عَلى مِثلِهِ حَقّاً تَقومُ النَوادِبُ
Surely your condition is more deserving and worthier of tears;
More fitting you should weep at their loss,
over its like, truly, the mourning women rise.”
As the keenest laments rise up in their name.
Sol 6.1