إِنّيindeed, I أَظُنُّI think البِلىdecay لَوif كانَwere يَفهَمُهُunderstood him
إِنّي أَظُنُّ البِلى لَو كانَ يَفهَمُهُ
صَدَّwould turn away البِلىdecay عَنfrom بَقاياremnants وَجهِهِhis face الحَسَنِbeautiful
صَدَّ البِلى عَن بَقايا وَجهِهِ الحَسَنِ
I think that, if decay could understand him,
I think that if decay could understand
Decay would turn away from the remnants of his beautiful face.
It would spare his lovely face that still remains
ياO مَوتَةًa death لَمdid not تَدَعleave ظَرفاًgrace وَلاnor أَدَباًrefinement
يا مَوتَةً لَم تَدَع ظَرفاً وَلا أَدَباً
إِلّاexcept حَكَمتِyou decreed بِهِconcerning it لِلَّحدِto the grave وَالكَفَنِand the shroud
إِلّا حَكَمتِ بِهِ لِلَّحدِ وَالكَفَنِ
O death that left no grace or refinement
O death that left no grace or manners be
Without consigning it to the grave and the shroud!
But ruled that he to grave and shroud be lain
لِلَّهِto God (expressing admiration) أَلحاظُهُhis glances وَالمَوتُand death يَكسِرُهاbreaks them
لِلَّهِ أَلحاظُهُ وَالمَوتُ يَكسِرُها
كَأَنَّas though أَجفانَهُhis eyelids سَكرىdrunk مِنَfrom الوَسَنِdrowsiness
كَأَنَّ أَجفانَهُ سَكرى مِنَ الوَسَنِ
God, how wondrous his glances, as death breaks them,
His glances now for God, though death will mar
As though his eyelids were drunk with drowsiness!
Their beauty, drunk with mortal’s bane
يَرُدُّdrives back أَنفاسَهُhis breaths كَرهاًagainst his will وَتَعطِفُهاand bends them
يَرُدُّ أَنفاسَهُ كَرهاً وَتَعطِفُها
يَدُthe hand المَنِيَّةِof death عَطفَlike the bending الريحِof the wind لِلغُصُنِof the branches
يَدُ المَنِيَّةِ عَطفَ الريحِ لِلغُصُنِ
His breaths are driven back against his will, and bent
His breath returns against its will, the hand
By death's hand, as the wind bends branches.
Of death directs it like the wind a bough
ياO هَولَthe horror ماwhat أَبصَرَتsaw عَينيmy eye وَماand what سَمِعَتheard
يا هَولَ ما أَبصَرَت عَيني وَما سَمِعَت
أُذنيmy ear فَلاso may not بَقِيَتsurvive عَينيmy eye وَلاnor أُذُنيmy ear
أُذني فَلا بَقِيَت عَيني وَلا أُذُني
O the horror of what my eye saw and what was heard
O horror! What mine eyes saw, what mine ears heard
By my ear! May neither my eye nor my ear survive.
No more mine eyes or ears remain
لَمdid not يَبقَremain مِنof بَدَنيmy body جُزءٌa part عَلِمتُI knew بِهِof it
لَم يَبقَ مِن بَدَني جُزءٌ عَلِمتُ بِهِ
إِلّاexcept وَقَدand already حَلَّهُsettled in it جُزءٌa portion مِنَof الحَزَنِsorrow
إِلّا وَقَد حَلَّهُ جُزءٌ مِنَ الحَزَنِ
No part of my body that I knew of remained
No part of me but sorrow has interred
Without some portion of sorrow having settled in it.
In sadness dipped and steeped and slain
كانَwould have been اللَحاقُjoining بِهِwith him أَولىmore fitting وَأَحسَنَand better بيfor me
كانَ اللَحاقُ بِهِ أَولى وَأَحسَنَ بي
مِنthan أَنthat أَعيشَI live سَقيمَsick الروحِin soul وَالبَدَنِand body
مِن أَن أَعيشَ سَقيمَ الروحِ وَالبَدَنِ
Joining him would have been more fitting and better for me
With him to be united was most fit
Than to live sick in soul and body.
Than live, my soul and body sick and smit
Sol 6.1