مَنwhoever ظَنَّthought بَعدَكَafter you أَنthat يَقولَhe might utter رِثاءَan elegy
مَن ظَنَّ بَعدَكَ أَن يَقولَ رِثاءَ
فَليَرثِthen let him mourn مِنamong هَذاthis الوَرىhumankind مَنwhomever شاءَhe wishes
فَليَرثِ مِن هَذا الوَرى مَن شاءَ
Whoever thinks he can utter an elegy after you,
let him mourn whomever he wishes among humankind.
فَجَعَbereaved المَكارِمَthe noble virtues فاجِعٌa calamity فيin the loss of رَبِّهاtheir master
فَجَعَ المَكارِمَ فاجِعٌ في رَبِّها
وَالمَجدَand glory فيin the loss of بانيهِits builder وَالعَلياءَand eminence
وَالمَجدَ في بانيهِ وَالعَلياءَ
A calamity bereaved noble virtues of their master,
and glory of its builder, and eminence too.
وَنَعىand announced the death of النُعاةُthe death-criers إِلىto المُروءَةِchivalry كَنزَهاits treasure
وَنَعى النُعاةُ إِلى المُروءَةِ كَنزَها
وَإِلىand to الفَضائِلِthe virtues نَجمَهاtheir star الوَضّاءَradiant
وَإِلى الفَضائِلِ نَجمَها الوَضّاءَ
Death's heralds announced to chivalry its treasure's death,
and to the virtues, the death of their radiant star.
أَأَباO father of مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad اِتَّئِدgo slowly فيin ذاthis النَوىparting
أَأَبا مُحَمَّدٍ اِتَّئِد في ذا النَوى
وَاِرفُقand be gentle بِآلِكَwith your family وَاِرحَمِand have mercy on الأَبناءَthe sons
وَاِرفُق بِآلِكَ وَاِرحَمِ الأَبناءَ
O Abu Muhammad, go slowly in this parting;
be gentle with your family, and have mercy on your sons.
وَاِستَبقِand preserve عِزَهُمtheir glory بِطَهراءَin Tahra الَّتيwhich
وَاِستَبقِ عِزَهُم بِطَهراءَ الَّتي
كانواthey were النُجومَthe stars بِهاin it وَكُنتَand you were سَماءَa sky
كانوا النُجومَ بِها وَكُنتَ سَماءَ
And preserve their glory in Tahra, where
they were the stars, and you the sky.
أَدجىgrew dark بِهاin it لَيلُthe night الخُطوبِthe calamities وَطالَماand so often
أَدجى بِها لَيلُ الخُطوبِ وَطالَما
مُلِأَتwere filled مَنازِلُهاits dwellings سَنىًradiance وَسَناءَand grandeur
مُلِأَت مَنازِلُها سَنىً وَسَناءَ
The night of calamities has darkened there, though so often
its dwellings were filled with radiance and grandeur.
وَإِذاand whenever سُلَيمانَSulayman اِستَقَلَّsettled in مَحَلَّةًa quarter
وَإِذا سُلَيمانَ اِستَقَلَّ مَحَلَّةً
كانَتit became بِساطاًa carpet لِلنَدىfor generosity وَرَجاءَand hope
كانَت بِساطاً لِلنَدى وَرَجاءَ
And whenever Sulayman settled in a quarter,
it became a carpet for generosity, and a source of hope.
فَاِنظُرso look مِنَfrom الأَعوادِthe bier's timbers حَولَكَaround you هَلdo ...? تَرىyou see
فَاِنظُر مِنَ الأَعوادِ حَولَكَ هَل تَرى
مِنfrom بَعدِafter طِبِّكَyour healing لِلعُفاةِfor those seeking aid دَواءَa remedy
مِن بَعدِ طِبِّكَ لِلعُفاةِ دَواءَ
So look around you from the bier: do you see
any remedy for those seeking aid, now your healing is gone?
سارَتset forth جَنازَةُthe funeral كُلِّevery فَضلٍvirtue فيin الوَرىhumankind
سارَت جَنازَةُ كُلِّ فَضلٍ في الوَرى
لَمّاwhen رَكِبتَyou mounted الآلَةَthe conveyance الحَدباءَhumpbacked
لَمّا رَكِبتَ الآلَةَ الحَدباءَ
The funeral of every virtue in the world set forth
when you mounted the humpbacked bier.
وَتَيَتَّمَand became orphaned الأَيتامُthe orphans أَوَّلَfirst مَرَّةٍtime
وَتَيَتَّمَ الأَيتامُ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ
وَرَمىand struck الزَمانُTime بِصَرفِهِwith its reversals الفُقَراءَthe poor
وَرَمى الزَمانُ بِصَرفِهِ الفُقَراءَ
And the orphans were orphaned for the first time,
and Time struck the poor with its reversals.
وَلَقَدand indeed عَهِدتُكَI knew you لاnot تُضَيِّعُyou disappoint راجِياًone who hopes
وَلَقَد عَهِدتُكَ لا تُضَيِّعُ راجِياً
وَاليَومَand today ضاعَwas lost الكُلُّeveryone فيكَin you رَجاءَhope
وَاليَومَ ضاعَ الكُلُّ فيكَ رَجاءَ
Indeed, I knew you never to disappoint a hopeful soul,
yet today all have lost their hope in you.
وَعَلِمتُand I knew أَنَّكَthat you مَنone who يَوَدُّloves وَمَنand one who يَفيkeeps faith
وَعَلِمتُ أَنَّكَ مَن يَوَدُّ وَمَن يَفي
فَقِفِso stay الغَداةَthis morning لَوِif اِستَطَعتَyou could وَفاءَout of loyalty
فَقِفِ الغَداةَ لَوِ اِستَطَعتَ وَفاءَ
And I knew you as one who loves and keeps faith;
so stay this morning, if you can, out of loyalty.
وَذَكَرتُand I recalled سَعيَكَyour efforts ليfor me مَريضاًill فانِياًwasting away
وَذَكَرتُ سَعيَكَ لي مَريضاً فانِياً
فَجَعَلتُso I made سَعيِيَmy efforts بِالرِثاءِin elegy جَزاءَa repayment
فَجَعَلتُ سَعيِيَ بِالرِثاءِ جَزاءَ
I recalled your efforts for me when I was ill and wasting away,
so I made my labor in this elegy a repayment.
وَالمَرءُand a person يُذكَرُis remembered بِالجَمائِلِfor good deeds بَعدَهُafter his passing
وَالمَرءُ يُذكَرُ بِالجَمائِلِ بَعدَهُ
فَاِرفَعso raise لِذِكرِكَto your memory بِالجَميلِwith good deeds بِناءَan edifice
فَاِرفَع لِذِكرِكَ بِالجَميلِ بِناءَ
A man is remembered for good deeds after he is gone;
so raise a monument to your memory with good deeds.
وَاِعلَمand know بِأَنَّكَthat you سَوفَwill تُذكَرُbe remembered مَرَّةًone day
وَاِعلَم بِأَنَّكَ سَوفَ تُذكَرُ مَرَّةً
فَيُقالُthen it will be said أَحسَنَhe did good أَوor يُقالُit will be said أَساءَhe did wrong
فَيُقالُ أَحسَنَ أَو يُقالُ أَساءَ
And know that one day you will be remembered,
and they will say, 'He did good,' or say, 'He did wrong.'
أَبَنيهِO his sons كونواbe لِلعِدىto the enemies مِنfrom بَعدِهِafter him
أَبَنيهِ كونوا لِلعِدى مِن بَعدِهِ
كَيداًa stratagem وَكونواand be لِلوَلِيِّto the friend عَزاءَa consolation
كَيداً وَكونوا لِلوَلِيِّ عَزاءَ
O his sons, after him be to his enemies
a bane, and be a consolation to his friends.
وَتَجَلَّدواand show fortitude لِلخَطبِagainst calamity مِثلَlike ثَباتِهِhis steadfastness
وَتَجَلَّدوا لِلخَطبِ مِثلَ ثَباتِهِ
أَيّامَin the days when يُدافِعُhe warded off الأَرزاءَmisfortunes
أَيّامَ يُدافِعُ الأَرزاءَ
And face calamity with the steadfastness he showed
in the days when he warded off misfortunes.
وَاللَهُby God ماnot ماتَhas died الوَزيرُthe minister وَكُنتُمُwhile you are
وَاللَهُ ما ماتَ الوَزيرُ وَكُنتُمُ
فَوقَabove التُرابِthe earth أَعِزَّةًhonored أَحياءَalive
فَوقَ التُرابِ أَعِزَّةً أَحياءَ
By God, the minister is not dead, so long as you are
above the earth, honored and alive.
Sol 6.1