أقولُI say للنفسِto the soul تأساءًas solace وتعزيةًand consolation
أقولُ للنفسِ تأساءً وتعزيةً
قدindeed كانthere was مِنin place of مسمعٍMismaʿ فيin مالكٍMālik خلفُa successor
قد كان مِن مسمعٍ في مالكٍ خلفُ
I speak to my soul in solace and consolation:
I say to my soul in consolation and comfort
Indeed, in Mālik there was a successor to Mismaʿ.
There was once a refuge behind in the angels' realm
ياO مسمعَMismaʿ الخيرِof goodness منwhom ندعوwe call upon إذاwhen نزلتbefalls
يا مسمعَ الخيرِ من ندعو إذا نزلت
إحدىone of النوائبthe calamities بالأقوامupon the people واختلفواand they fall into discord
إحدى النوائب بالأقوام واختلفوا
O benevolent Mismaʿ, whom shall we call when
O hearer of good whom do we call when
one of the calamities strikes the people and they fall into discord?
One of the adversities befell the tribes and they differed
ياO مسمعاًa Mismaʿ لعراقٍfor Iraq لاno زعيمleader لهاfor it
يا مسمعاً لعراقٍ لا زعيم لها
بمنby whom نُرىwe wonder يؤمنُis made safe المستشرفُthe vulnerable man النَطفُin peril
بمن نُرى يؤمنُ المستشرفُ النَطفُ
O for a Mismaʿ for Iraq, which has no leader!
O hearer of Iraq that has no leader
Who, we wonder, will safeguard the vulnerable man in peril?
With whom do we see the noble embryos believe?
تلكthose العيونeyes بحيثwhere المصرthe city سادمةًgrief-stricken
تلك العيون بحيث المصر سادمةً
تُبكيكmourn you إذwhen غالكstruck you down الأكفانthe shrouds والجرفand the earthen bank
تُبكيك إذ غالك الأكفان والجرف
Those eyes there in the city, bewildered with grief,
Those eyes in the direction of Egypt weeping
mourn you, since the shrouds and the earthen bank claimed you.
Weeping for you when shrouds and cliffs took you
قدindeed وسدوكthey pillowed you يميناًa right hand غيرnot موسدةٍpillowed
قد وسدوك يميناً غير موسدةٍ
وبذلand an outpouring جودٍof bounty لماwhen أودىbrought ruin بكupon you التلَفdeath
وبذل جودٍ لما أودى بك التلَف
They laid you down—a right hand never before pillowed,
They enshrouded you without enshrouding
and an outpouring of bounty—when death carried you away.
And exerted generosity when decay took you
كنتَyou were الشهابَthe meteor الذيwhich يُرمىis pelted العدوّthe enemy بهwith it
كنتَ الشهابَ الذي يُرمى العدوّ به
والبحرand the sea مِنهfrom it سجالbucketfuls الجودof generosity تغترفare drawn
والبحر مِنه سجال الجود تغترف
You were the meteor hurled against the enemy,
You were the meteor thrown at the enemy
and the sea from which bucketfuls of generosity are drawn.
And from it the sea drew streaks of generosity
Sol 6.1