أَيُّwhat نَدىًgenerosity بَينَbetween الثَرىthe moist earth وَالجَبوبِand the hard ground
أَيُّ نَدىً بَينَ الثَرى وَالجَبوبِ
وَسُؤدُدٍand nobility لَدنٍgentle وَرَأيٍand judgment صَليبِsteadfast
وَسُؤدُدٍ لَدنٍ وَرَأيٍ صَليبِ
What bounty lies between the moist soil and the hard earth!
What generosity lies between moist earth and hard ground,
What pliant nobility, and what unbending judgment!
what gentle nobility, what steadfast judgment!
يابنَO son of أَبيAbu (father of) رِبعِيٍّRib‘i اِستُقبِلَتwas greeted مِنfrom
يابنَ أَبي رِبعِيٍّ اِستُقبِلَت مِن
يَومِكَyour day الدُنياthe world بِيَومٍwith a day عَصيبِgrievous
يَومِكَ الدُنيا بِيَومٍ عَصيبِ
O son of Abū Rubayyiʿ, from
O son of Abu Rib‘i, there came from
your death-day the world faced a day of anguish.
your day a grievous day upon the world.
شَقَّit tore جُيوباًshirtfronts مِنof رِجالٍmen لَوِif اِسطاthey could (first part)
شَقَّ جُيوباً مِن رِجالٍ لَوِ اِسطا
عوا(completes 'they could') لَشَقّواthey would have torn ماwhat وَراءَbehind الجُيوبِthe shirtfronts
عوا لَشَقّوا ما وَراءَ الجُيوبِ
It tore the collars of men who, had they been able,
It tore men's shirtfronts—had they been able,
would have torn what lay beyond the collars.
they would have torn what lay behind those shirtfronts.
كُنتَyou were عَلىdespite البُعدِthe distance قَريباًnear فَقَدyet now
كُنتَ عَلى البُعدِ قَريباً فَقَد
صِرتَyou have become عَلىdespite قُربِكَyour nearness غَيرَnot القَريبِnear
صِرتَ عَلى قُربِكَ غَيرَ القَريبِ
Though far away, you were near; and now,
You were near despite the distance; yet now
despite your nearness, you are no longer near.
despite your nearness, you have become no longer near.
راحَتdeparted وُفودُthe delegations الأَرضِof the earth عَنfrom قَبرِهِhis grave
راحَت وُفودُ الأَرضِ عَن قَبرِهِ
فارِغَةَempty الأَيديhands مِلاءَfull القُلوبِhearts
فارِغَةَ الأَيدي مِلاءَ القُلوبِ
The delegations of every land departed from his grave
The earth's delegations departed from his grave,
empty-handed, their hearts brimful.
empty-handed, their hearts full.
قَدindeed عَلِمَتthey knew ماwhat رُزِئَتthey were bereaved of إِنَّماonly
قَد عَلِمَت ما رُزِئَت إِنَّما
يُعرَفُis known فَقدُthe loss الشَمسِof the sun بَعدَafter الغُروبِsunset
يُعرَفُ فَقدُ الشَمسِ بَعدَ الغُروبِ
Now you know what a loss you have suffered; for only
They knew what they had lost; only
after sunset is the loss of the sun understood.
after sunset is the sun's loss known.
إِذاwhen البَعيدُone far away الوَطَنِfrom his homeland اِنتابَهُvisited him
إِذا البَعيدُ الوَطَنِ اِنتابَهُ
حَلَّhe alighted إِلىbeside نَهيٍa pool وَجِزعٍand a valley bend خَصيبِfertile
حَلَّ إِلى نَهيٍ وَجِزعٍ خَصيبِ
Whenever a traveler whose homeland was far away came to him,
When one far from home visited him,
he alighted beside a pool and a fertile valley bend.
he alighted beside a pool and a fertile valley bend.
أَدنَتهُbrought him near أَيديthe forelegs العيسِof pale camels مِنto ساحَةٍa courtyard
أَدنَتهُ أَيدي العيسِ مِن ساحَةٍ
كَأَنَّهاas though it were مَسقَطُthe place of falling رَأسِthe head الغَريبِof the stranger
كَأَنَّها مَسقَطُ رَأسِ الغَريبِ
The forelegs of the pale camels brought him near a courtyard
The forelegs of pale camels brought him near a courtyard
as though it were the stranger’s birthplace.
as though it were the stranger's birthplace.
أَظلَمَتِgrew dark الآمالُhopes مِنfrom بَعدِهِafter him
أَظلَمَتِ الآمالُ مِن بَعدِهِ
وَعُرِّيَتand were stripped مِنof كُلِّevery حُسنٍbeauty وَطيبِand sweetness
وَعُرِّيَت مِن كُلِّ حُسنٍ وَطيبِ
Hopes darkened after him
Hopes darkened after his passing,
and were stripped of every beauty and sweetness.
and were stripped of all beauty and sweetness.
كانَتthey had been خُدوداًcheeks صُقِلَتwere burnished بُرهَةًfor a time
كانَت خُدوداً صُقِلَت بُرهَةً
فَاليَومَso today صارَتthey have become مَألَفاًa haunt لِلشُحوبِfor pallor
فَاليَومَ صارَت مَألَفاً لِلشُحوبِ
They had been cheeks, burnished for a time;
They had been cheeks, burnished for a time;
today they have become the dwelling place of pallor.
today they have become a haunt of pallor.
كَمhow many حاجَةٍa need صارَتbecame رَكوباًa docile mount بِهِthrough him
كَم حاجَةٍ صارَت رَكوباً بِهِ
وَلَمand not تَكُنit had been مِنfrom قَبلِهِbefore him بِالرَكوبِrideable
وَلَم تَكُن مِن قَبلِهِ بِالرَكوبِ
How many a need became a mount through him,
How many a need became a docile mount through him,
though before him it had not been fit to ride.
though before him it could not be ridden.
حَلَّhe undid عُقالَيهاits two hobbles كَماjust as أَطلَقَتreleased
حَلَّ عُقالَيها كَما أَطلَقَت
مِنfrom عُقَدِthe knots المُزنَةِof the raincloud ريحُthe wind الجَنوبِof the south
مِن عُقَدِ المُزنَةِ ريحُ الجَنوبِ
He loosed its two hobbles, just as
He undid its two hobbles, as rain is released
the south wind looses rain from the raincloud’s knots.
from the raincloud's knots by the south wind.
إِذاwhen تَيَمَّمناهُwe sought him فيin مَطلَبٍa pursuit
إِذا تَيَمَّمناهُ في مَطلَبٍ
كانَhe was قَليباًa well أَوor رِشاءَthe rope القَليبِof the well
كانَ قَليباً أَو رِشاءَ القَليبِ
Whenever we sought him in pursuit of some request,
Whenever we sought him in pursuit of something,
he was a well—or the well’s own rope.
he was a well, or the well's rope.
وَنِعمَةٍand many a blessing مِنهُfrom him تَسَربَلتُهاI clothed myself in it
وَنِعمَةٍ مِنهُ تَسَربَلتُها
كَأَنَّهاas though it were طُرَّةُthe border ثَوبٍof a garment قَشيبِnew
كَأَنَّها طُرَّةُ ثَوبٍ قَشيبِ
And many a favor of his I donned like a robe,
And many a blessing from him I wore as a robe,
as though it were the bright border of a new garment.
as though it were the border of a new garment.
Sol 6.1