رَيبُvicissitudes دَهرٍan age أَصَمَّdeaf دونَto العِتابِreproach
رَيبُ دَهرٍ أَصَمَّ دونَ العِتابِ
مُرصِدٌlying in wait بِالأَوجالِwith fears وَالأَوصابِand afflictions
مُرصِدٌ بِالأَوجالِ وَالأَوصابِ
The vicissitudes of an age deaf to reproach
The vicissitudes of fate turned a deaf ear to reproach,
lie in wait with fears and afflictions.
Lying in ambush with calamities and disasters.
جَفَّdried up دَرُّthe milk of الدُنياthe world فَقَدfor now أَصبَحَتshe has come to تَكtakes by measure (first part)
جَفَّ دَرُّ الدُنيا فَقَد أَصبَحَت تَك
تالُtakes by measure (completion) أَرواحَناour souls بِغَيرِwithout حِسابِreckoning
تالُ أَرواحَنا بِغَيرِ حِسابِ
The world's milk has dried up, for now she takes
The freshness of life has faded away and so our souls are snatched
our souls by measure, without reckoning.
Without any regard or calculation.
لَوif بَدَتshe appeared سافِراًunveiled أُهينَتshe would be scorned وَلَكِنand yet
لَو بَدَت سافِراً أُهينَت وَلَكِن
شَعَفَbewitched الخَلقَhumankind حُسنُهاher beauty فيin النِقابِthe veil
شَعَفَ الخَلقَ حُسنُها في النِقابِ
Had she appeared unveiled, she would have been scorned; but
Had she appeared unveiled she would have been disgraced, but
her beauty behind the veil has bewitched humankind.
The beauty of her face was enhanced by the veil.
إِنَّindeed رَيبَvicissitudes الزَمانِtime يُحسِنُis skilled أَنat يُهbestowing (first part)
إِنَّ رَيبَ الزَمانِ يُحسِنُ أَن يُه
ديbestowing (completion) الرَزاياcalamities إِلىupon ذَويthose possessing الأَحسابِnoble lineages
دي الرَزايا إِلى ذَوي الأَحسابِ
Indeed, time's vicissitudes excel at bestowing
Indeed the vicissitudes of time know how to guide
calamities upon those of noble lineage.
Misfortunes to those of intellect and reason.
فَلِهَذاso for this reason يَجِفُّwithers بَعدَafter اِخضِرارٍgreening
فَلِهَذا يَجِفُّ بَعدَ اِخضِرارٍ
قَبلَbefore رَوضِthe meadow of الوِهادِthe hollows رَوضُthe meadow of الرَوابيthe heights
قَبلَ رَوضِ الوِهادِ رَوضُ الرَوابي
Thus, after greening, there withers—
That is why freshness withers after flourishing
before the meadow in the hollows—the meadow on the heights.
Before gardens bloom, deserts do.
لَمdid not تَدُرturn عَينُهُits eye عَنِaway from الحُمسِthe valiant حَتّىuntil
لَم تَدُر عَينُهُ عَنِ الحُمسِ حَتّى
ضَعضَعَتshook رُكنَthe pillar of حِميَرَHimyar الأَربابِthe lords
ضَعضَعَت رُكنَ حِميَرَ الأَربابِ
Its eye never turned away from the valiant until
His eyes did not turn away from attending to serious matters until
it shook the pillar of lordly Himyar.
The power of the lords was shaken.
بَطَشَتstruck violently مِنهُمfrom among them بِلُؤلُؤَةِat a pearl of الغَوّاthe diver (first part)
بَطَشَت مِنهُم بِلُؤلُؤَةِ الغَوّا
صِthe diver (completion) حُسناًin beauty وَدُميَةِand a statue of المِحرابِthe sanctuary
صِ حُسناً وَدُميَةِ المِحرابِ
It struck down among them one lovely as a diver's pearl
With them perished the pearl of the false dawn,
and as a statue in a sanctuary:
Beauty and the darling of the prayer niche.
بِالصَريحِat the pure-blooded الصَريحِthe pure-blooded وَالأَروَعِand the most splendid الأَرmost splendid (first part)
بِالصَريحِ الصَريحِ وَالأَروَعِ الأَر
وَعِmost splendid (completion) مِنهُمamong them وَبِاللُبابِand at the choicest اللُبابِthe choicest
وَعِ مِنهُم وَبِاللُبابِ اللُبابِ
the purest of the pure, the most splendid of the
With the plain spoken and the most eloquent,
splendid among them, the choicest of the choice.
And the most reasonable of reasonable men.
ذَهَبَتhave departed ياO مُحَمَّدُMuhammad الغُرُّthe radiant ones مِنamong أَيّاyour days (first part)
ذَهَبَت يا مُحَمَّدُ الغُرُّ مِن أَيّا
مِكَyour days (completion) الواضِحاتِthe bright ones أَيَّwhat a ذَهابِdeparture
مِكَ الواضِحاتِ أَيَّ ذَهابِ
Gone, O Muhammad, are the radiant ones among your
O Muhammad, the outstanding qualities
bright days—how utterly they have gone!
Of your clear days have certainly gone.
عَبَّسَmade frown اللَحدُthe grave وَالثَرىand the moist earth مِنكَof yours وَجهاًa face
عَبَّسَ اللَحدُ وَالثَرى مِنكَ وَجهاً
غَيرَnot ماat all (emphatic) عابِسٍfrowning وَلاnor قَطّابِscowling
غَيرَ ما عابِسٍ وَلا قَطّابِ
The grave and the earth made your face frown,
The tomb and the earth frowned upon your face
a face that neither frowned nor scowled.
Which was neither frowning nor sullen.
أَطفَأَextinguished اللَحدُthe grave وَالثَرىand the moist earth لُبَّكَyour intellect المُسilluminated (first part)
أَطفَأَ اللَحدُ وَالثَرى لُبَّكَ المُس
رَجَilluminated (completion) فيat وَقتِthe time of ظُلمَةِthe darkness of الأَلبابِminds
رَجَ في وَقتِ ظُلمَةِ الأَلبابِ
The grave and the earth extinguished your shining mind
The tomb and the earth extinguished the light
at a time when minds were in darkness.
Of your shining lamp in the darkness of confused minds.
وَتَبَدَّلتَand you took in exchange مَنزِلاًan abode ظاهِرَmanifest in الجَدbarrenness (first part)
وَتَبَدَّلتَ مَنزِلاً ظاهِرَ الجَد
بِbarrenness (completion) يُسَمّىis called مُقَطِّعَthe severer of الأَسبابِties
بِ يُسَمّى مُقَطِّعَ الأَسبابِ
And you took instead an abode plainly
You moved to a known abode that is called
barren, called 'the severer of ties';
The severer of causes.
مَنزِلاًan abode موحِشاًdesolate وَإِنand though كانَit was مَعinhabited (first part)
مَنزِلاً موحِشاً وَإِن كانَ مَع
موراًinhabited (completion) بِحِلِّby the presence of الصَديقِthe friend وَالأَحبابِand loved ones
موراً بِحِلِّ الصَديقِ وَالأَحبابِ
a desolate abode, though it is
A lonely abode, even though thronged
peopled by the presence of friend and loved ones.
By the coming of the trustworthy and loved ones.
ياO شِهاباًa blazing star خَباwent out لِآلِfor the house of عُبَيدِUbayd اللAllah (first part)
يا شِهاباً خَبا لِآلِ عُبَيدِ الل
لَهِAllah (completion) أَعزِزhow grievous! بِفَقدِat the loss of هَذاthis الشِهابِthe blazing star
لَهِ أَعزِز بِفَقدِ هَذا الشِهابِ
O blazing star gone dark for the house of Ubayd
O shooting star that descended on the family of Ubaydullah
Allah—how grievous the loss of this blazing star!
He is sore distressed by the loss of this shooting star.
زَهرَةٌa flower غَضَّةٌfresh and tender تَفَتَّقَburst open عَنهاto reveal it الthe
زَهرَةٌ غَضَّةٌ تَفَتَّقَ عَنها ال
مَجدُglory فيin مَنبِتٍa growing-place أَنيقِlovely in الجَنابِsurroundings
مَجدُ في مَنبِتٍ أَنيقِ الجَنابِ
A tender flower brought forth by
A fresh flower whose glory
glory, in a bed of lovely surroundings.
Blossomed in a delicate and gentle court.
خُلُقٌa disposition كَالمُدامِlike wine أَوor كَرِضابِlike grains of المِسmusk (first part)
خُلُقٌ كَالمُدامِ أَو كَرِضابِ المِس
كِmusk (completion) أَوor كَالعَبيرِlike blended perfume أَوor كَالمُلابِlike saffron perfume
كِ أَو كَالعَبيرِ أَو كَالمُلابِ
A disposition like wine, or like grains of
A manner like wine or the drizzle of a water-skin,
musk, or like blended perfume, or like saffron perfume.
Or like perfume or dissolving snow.
وَحياًand modesty ناهيكَenough to impress you فيin غَيرِthe absence of عِيٍّinarticulacy
وَحياً ناهيكَ في غَيرِ عِيٍّ
وَصِباًand youth مُشرِقٌradiant بِغَيرِwithout تَصابِaffected youthfulness
وَصِباً مُشرِقٌ بِغَيرِ تَصابِ
And admirable modesty, without inarticulacy,
Vigorously alive beyond any blemish,
and radiant youth, without affected youthfulness.
Radiantly youthful beyond any artifice.
أَنزَلَتهُcast him down الأَيّامُthe days عَنoff ظَهرِهاtheir back مِنfrom
أَنزَلَتهُ الأَيّامُ عَن ظَهرِها مِن
بَعدِafter إِثباتِsetting firmly رِجلِهِhis foot فيin الرِكابِthe stirrup
بَعدِ إِثباتِ رِجلِهِ في الرِكابِ
The days cast him down from their back,
The days brought him down from their backs
after his foot had been set firmly in the stirrup,
After he had established himself in the saddle.
حينَwhen سامىrivaled الشَبابَyouth وَاِغتَدَتِand became الدُنthe world (first part)
حينَ سامى الشَبابَ وَاِغتَدَتِ الدُن
ياthe world (completion) عَلَيهِto him مَفتوحَةَopen الأَبوابِthe doors
يا عَلَيهِ مَفتوحَةَ الأَبوابِ
when he rivaled youth, and the world
When he had reached the prime of youth and life
stood with its doors open to him.
Had opened its doors to him.
وَحكىand resembled الصارِمَthe keen-edged sword المُحَلّىthe adorned سِوىexcept أَنَّthat
وَحكى الصارِمَ المُحَلّى سِوى أَنَّ
حُلاهُhis ornaments جَواهِرُjewels الآدابِrefinement
حُلاهُ جَواهِرُ الآدابِ
And he resembled a keen, adorned sword, save that
And related the warrior girt with his polished sword except that
his ornaments were jewels of refinement.
His adornment was the jewels of high principles.
وَهوَand he غَضُّfresh in الآراءِjudgments وَالحَزمِand resolve خِرقٌadept
وَهوَ غَضُّ الآراءِ وَالحَزمِ خِرقٌ
ثُمَّmoreover غَضُّfresh in النَوالِbounty غَضُّfresh in الشَبابِyouth
ثُمَّ غَضُّ النَوالِ غَضُّ الشَبابِ
And, fresh in judgment and resolve, he was adept,
He was most resolute in his opinions and wisdom, a rending
and fresh in bounty, fresh in youth.
Of veils, then most resolute in granting gifts, a rending of youth.
قَصَدَتheaded نَحوَهُtoward him المَنِيَّةُdeath حَتّىuntil
قَصَدَت نَحوَهُ المَنِيَّةُ حَتّى
وَهَبَتbestowed حُسنَthe beauty of وَجهِهِhis face لِلتُرابِto the dust
وَهَبَت حُسنَ وَجهِهِ لِلتُرابِ
Death made straight for him until
Death approached him until
it bestowed the beauty of his face upon the dust.
It bestowed the beauty of his face upon the dust.
Sol 6.1