أَصَمَّdeafened us بِكَwith news of you الناعيthe death-announcer وَإِنand though كانَhe had أَسمَعاmade us hear
أَصَمَّ بِكَ الناعي وَإِن كانَ أَسمَعا
وَأَصبَحَand became مَغنىthe abode of الجودِgenerosity بَعدَكَafter you بَلقَعاa barren wasteland
وَأَصبَحَ مَغنى الجودِ بَعدَكَ بَلقَعا
The herald of your death deafened us, though he made us hear.
The deaf man became deafer when he lamented you, though he was hearing before
And generosity's abode became a wasteland after you.
And the generous man's singing voice turned into mere stuttering after you were gone
لِلَحدِto the grave of أَبيAbu نَصرٍNasr تَحِيَّةُthe greeting of مُزنَةٍa rain cloud
لِلَحدِ أَبي نَصرٍ تَحِيَّةُ مُزنَةٍ
إِذاwhen هِيَit حَيَتgreeted مُمعِراًbarren ground عادَbecame مُمرِعاlush with pasture
إِذا هِيَ حَيَت مُمعِراً عادَ مُمرِعا
May a rain cloud greet Abu Nasr's grave:
Greetings to the tomb of my father Abu Nasr
when it greets barren ground, that ground turns lush.
When it seemed alive again, it went back to being lifeless
فَلَمso not أَرَI saw يَوماًa day كانَwas أَشبَهَmore like ساعَةًfor an hour
فَلَم أَرَ يَوماً كانَ أَشبَهَ ساعَةً
بِيَوميto my own day مِنَthan اليَومِthe day الَّذيwhich فيهِon it وَدَّعاhe bade farewell
بِيَومي مِنَ اليَومِ الَّذي فيهِ وَدَّعا
Never did I see a day, for even an hour, more like
So I never saw a day that resembled the hour
my own last day than the day on which he bade farewell.
Of the day when he bid farewell
مَصيفٌa summer season أَفاضَpoured forth الحُزنُgrief فيهِin it جَداوِلاًstreams
مَصيفٌ أَفاضَ الحُزنُ فيهِ جَداوِلاً
مِنَof الدَمعِtears حَتّىuntil خِلتُهُI thought it عادَhad become مَربَعاspringtime
مِنَ الدَمعِ حَتّى خِلتُهُ عادَ مَربَعا
A summer day when grief poured forth streams
A summer in which sorrow overflowed in streams
of tears, until I thought it had turned to spring.
Of tears, until it was all a marsh
وَوَاللَهِand by God لاnot تَقضيrepay العُيونُthe eyes الَّذيwhat لَهُis due to him
وَوَاللَهِ لا تَقضي العُيونُ الَّذي لَهُ
عَلَيهاupon them وَلَوand even if صارَتthey became مَعَwith الدَمعِthe tears أَدمُعاtears
عَلَيها وَلَو صارَت مَعَ الدَمعِ أَدمُعا
And by God, eyes cannot repay what is owed to him
By Allah, eyes cannot repay what is owed
by them, even if they became tears along with their tears.
To them, even if they turn into tears
فَتىًa youth كانَwas شَرباًa source of drink لِلعُفاةِfor seekers of bounty وَمَرتَعاًand a pasture
فَتىً كانَ شَرباً لِلعُفاةِ وَمَرتَعاً
فَأَصبَحَthen he became لِلهِندِيَّةِfor Indian swords البيضِthe gleaming ones مَرتَعاa pasture
فَأَصبَحَ لِلهِندِيَّةِ البيضِ مَرتَعا
A youth who was drink and pasture for seekers of bounty,
A young man who was a drinking place for the thirsty and a pasture
then became pasture for the gleaming Indian swords.
Became a pasture for the white Indian swords
فَتىًa youth كُلَّماwhenever اِرتادَsought الشُجاعُthe brave man مِنَfrom الرَدىdeath
فَتىً كُلَّما اِرتادَ الشُجاعُ مِنَ الرَدى
مَفَرّاًan escape غَداةَon the morning of المَأزَقِthe battle's crisis اِرتادَhe sought مَصرَعاa place to fall slain
مَفَرّاً غَداةَ المَأزَقِ اِرتادَ مَصرَعا
A youth who, whenever a brave man sought from death
A young man, whenever the brave sought escape
an escape on the morning of battle's crisis, sought a place to fall.
From tight spots the next morning, he turned out a place of death
إِذاwhen ساءَwas dreadful يَومٌa day فيin الكَريهَةِbattle مَنظَراًto behold
إِذا ساءَ يَومٌ في الكَريهَةِ مَنظَراً
تَصَلّاهُhe braved its fire عِلماًknowing أَنthat سَيَحسُنُit will be pleasing مَسمَعاto hear of
تَصَلّاهُ عِلماً أَن سَيَحسُنُ مَسمَعا
When a day of battle was dreadful to behold,
When an ugly day loomed in hatedness
he braved its fire, knowing it would be pleasing to hear of.
I prayed it would turn out well in the hearing
فَإِنand if تُرمَyou are cast away عَنfrom عُمرٍa lifetime تَدانىdrew near بِهِfor it المَدىthe end
فَإِن تُرمَ عَن عُمرٍ تَدانى بِهِ المَدى
فَخانَكَand it betrayed you حَتّىuntil لَمdid not يَجِدit find فيكَin you مَنزَعاa way of escape
فَخانَكَ حَتّى لَم يَجِد فيكَ مَنزَعا
And if you were cast from a life whose end drew near,
If you shy from a life whose length competes with the horizon's
and it betrayed you until it found no escape within you,
Until it betrayed you and left you no escape
فَماso not كُنتَyou were إِلّاexcept السَيفَthe sword لاقىmet ضَريبَةًa target to cleave
فَما كُنتَ إِلّا السَيفَ لاقى ضَريبَةً
فَقَطَّعَهاand cut it to pieces ثُمَّthen اِنثَنىbent back فَتَقَطَّعاand broke apart
فَقَطَّعَها ثُمَّ اِنثَنى فَتَقَطَّعا
you were nothing but a sword that met a target,
You were but the sword that met its appointed blow
and cut it to pieces, then bent back and broke apart.
It cut through then folded back and was broken
Sol 6.1