يامَنO you who أَتىcame لِلقَبرِto the grave يَقرَأto read طَرسَهits inscribed page
يامَن أَتى لِلقَبرِ يَقرَأ طَرسَه
مَهلاًgently فَلَيسَfor it is not كِتابُهُits writing بِمِدادin ink
مَهلاً فَلَيسَ كِتابُهُ بِمِداد
O you who come to the grave to read its page,
gently: its writing is not in ink.
وَأَعدand repeat لَهُfor it نَظراًa look فإنfor indeed حُروفَهُits letters
وَأَعد لَهُ نَظراً فإن حُروفَهُ
كَتَبَتwere written بِذوبwith the melted essence of العَينِthe eye وَالاِكبادِand livers
كَتَبَت بِذوب العَينِ وَالاِكبادِ
Look upon it again, for its letters
were written with the melted essence of eyes and livers.
ماnot خَضَبَتdyed كَفاa palm وَلكِنbut حُروفُهُits letters
ما خَضَبَت كَفا وَلكِن حُروفُهُ
قَدindeed خَضَبواthey dyed راحاتِهِمtheir palms بِسَوادwith blackness
قَد خَضَبوا راحاتِهِم بِسَواد
No palm was henna-stained; but its letters
have stained their palms black.
ماnot زَيَّنواthey were adorned بِمَلابِسَin garments مَنقوشَةpatterned
ما زَيَّنوا بِمَلابِسَ مَنقوشَة
أَبَداever وَلكِنbut زَيَّنواthey were adorned بِحدادin mourning
أَبَدا وَلكِن زَيَّنوا بِحداد
They were not adorned in patterned garments,
ever, but adorned in mourning.
تَبّاcurses لِدَهرupon a Time خانَهاthat betrayed her وَاِغتالَهاand treacherously slew her
تَبّا لِدَهر خانَها وَاِغتالَها
مِنfrom خُدرِهاher secluded chamber كَفَريَةlike the prey of الآسادlions
مِن خُدرِها كَفَريَة الآساد
Cursed be Time, which betrayed her and slew her
from her secluded chamber, as lions seize their prey.
وَفَريدَةand a peerless pearl لَمdid not تَدرِknow قيمَتُهاher worth الوَرىhumankind
وَفَريدَة لَم تَدرِ قيمَتُها الوَرى
قَدindeed باعَهاsold her الغَواصthe pearl-diver بَيعَa sale كَسادlow demand
قَد باعَها الغَواص بَيعَ كَساد
And a peerless pearl, whose worth humankind did not know,
the pearl-diver sold her for a pittance.
نَظمتshe was strung بِعِقدon the necklace of المَوتdeath وَهُوَand it is مُفصَلset at intervals
نَظمت بِعِقد المَوت وَهُوَ مُفصَل
بِجَواهِرwith jewels فيin نُظُمُهُنَّtheir stringing جِيادexcellent
بِجَواهِر في نُظُمُهُنَّ جِياد
She was strung upon death's necklace, itself set
with jewels splendid in their settings.
وَجَدتُshe came into being وَأَعدَمهاand deprived her of الزَمانُTime حَياتِهاher life
وَجَدتُ وَأَعدَمها الزَمانُ حَياتِها
ماhow أَقرَبُclose الاِعدامannihilation لِلاِيجادto creation
ما أَقرَبُ الاِعدام لِلاِيجاد
She came into being, and Time robbed her of her life.
How close annihilation is to creation!
وَاِخلَولَقَتand it seemed imminent يَبدوto appear لَناto us اِصلاحَهاher recovery
وَاِخلَولَقَت يَبدو لَنا اِصلاحَها
عَلَناplainly فَعاجَلَهاthen overtook her الرَدىdeath بِفَسادwith ruin
عَلَنا فَعاجَلَها الرَدى بِفَساد
Her recovery seemed about to show itself to us
plainly, but death hastened her ruin.
جاءَcame الطَبيبُthe physician يَجِسto feel نَبضَthe pulse of ذِراعَهاher arm
جاءَ الطَبيبُ يَجِس نَبضَ ذِراعَها
فَرَأىand he found التَأَثُّرَthe response لَيسَwas not كَالمُعادِas before
فَرَأى التَأَثُّرَ لَيسَ كَالمُعادِ
The physician came to feel the pulse in her arm,
and found its response was not as before.
فَتَنَفَّسَthen he breathed الصُعَداءُa deep sigh مَرّاتٍseveral times وَقَدand he had
فَتَنَفَّسَ الصُعَداءُ مَرّاتٍ وَقَد
أَعياgrown helpless وَقالَand said اليَومَtoday ضَلَّhas gone astray رَشاديmy judgment
أَعيا وَقالَ اليَومَ ضَلَّ رَشادي
He sighed deeply, time and again, now
at a loss, and said, “Today my judgment has failed me.”
فَتَهدتthen she sighed جَزعاin anguish وَقالَتand she said سيديmy lord
فَتَهدت جَزعا وَقالَت سيدي
أَأَموتُshall I die قَبلَbefore التُربِage-mates وَالاِندادand peers
أَأَموتُ قَبلَ التُربِ وَالاِنداد
Then she sighed in anguish and said, “My lord,
shall I die before my age-mates and peers,
وَأَسيرُand I depart مِنfrom دونapart from الاِنامhumankind وَكَمand how many أَرىI see
وَأَسيرُ مِن دون الاِنام وَكَم أَرى
لِلدَّهرِof Time قَبلَbefore المَوتِdeath مِنof رُوادforerunners
لِلدَّهرِ قَبلَ المَوتِ مِن رُواد
and go apart from all mankind? How many I see
of Time's heralds before death!
أَواهُalas مِنfor فعلthe deeds of الزَمانِTime وَمكرهand its deceit
أَواهُ مِن فعل الزَمانِ وَمكره
مَكرthe deceit of الزَمانTime يَزَلmakes stumble بِالاِطوادthe mountains
مَكر الزَمان يَزَل بِالاِطواد
Alas for Time's deeds and its deceit!
Time's deceit topples mountains.
بَلغattained العدوthe enemy مَعwith الحَسودthe envious one مُرادَهُhis desire
بَلغ العدو مَع الحَسود مُرادَهُ
وَاِحسَرتاoh, my sorrow اِذsince لَمnot أَفُزI attained بِمُراديmy desire
وَاِحسَرتا اِذ لَم أَفُز بِمُرادي
The enemy, with the envious, has gained his wish.
Alas for me, since I have not gained my desire!”
فَبَقيتso I remained بَعدَafter حَياتِهاher life تَنتابَنيrepeatedly assailing me
فَبَقيت بَعدَ حَياتِها تَنتابَني
نَوبthe assaults of الرَدىdeath حَتىuntil لَزَمتَI kept to وُسادىmy pillow
نَوب الرَدى حَتى لَزَمتَ وُسادى
So I lived on after her life ended, assailed
by death's calamities, until I kept to my pillow.
أَحَبيبَتيO my beloved كَيفَhow الرِضاacceptance بتشتتof separation
أَحَبيبَتي كَيفَ الرِضا بتشتت
قَدindeed ضَرَّhas harmed بِالاِخوانbrothers وَالاولادand children
قَد ضَرَّ بِالاِخوان وَالاولاد
O my beloved, how can I accept a separation
that has harmed brothers and children?
وَمَتىand when يَكونcould it be وَالتيand that which ماas long as عِشتI live لاnot
وَمَتى يَكون وَالتي ما عِشت لا
أَرضاهُI accept it لِلغُرَباءfor strangers وَالآحادand solitary people
أَرضاهُ لِلغُرَباء وَالآحاد
And how could that be, when all my life I would not
accept it for strangers or solitary souls?
ياO قَبرُgrave مَهلاgently ماwhat قَدindeed حَظيتyou have gained بِدُرَّةa pearl
يا قَبرُ مَهلا ما قَد حَظيت بِدُرَّة
جَلتshe is exalted عَنbeyond الاِمثالِcounterparts وَالاِندادand equals
جَلت عَن الاِمثالِ وَالاِنداد
O grave, be gentle: what you have gained is a pearl
exalted beyond all counterparts and equals.
أَناI بيwithin me اِلىfor ماwhat قَدalready ضَمَمتyou have enclosed تَشوقa longing
أَنا بي اِلى ما قَد ضَمَمت تَشوق
ياoh لَيتَنيif only I أَسعدَتwere blessed بِالتَردادwith a return
يا لَيتَني أَسعدَت بِالتَرداد
I feel within me a longing for what you have enclosed.
Oh, if only I were blessed with her return!
كَنزُa treasure اللآلىءof pearls كَيفَhow يَحتُمis decreed دَرجهits enclosure
كَنزُ اللآلىء كَيفَ يَحتُم دَرجه
ياoh لَيتَهاif only it had شَلتbeen paralyzed يَدُthe hand of اللِحادthe gravedigger
يا لَيتَها شَلت يَدُ اللِحاد
A treasure of pearls—how can its enclosure be decreed?
Oh, if only the gravedigger's hand had been paralyzed!
Sol 6.1