ياO عَينِeye جوديpour forth generously بِالدُموعِwith tears الغِزارabundant
يا عَينِ جودي بِالدُموعِ الغِزار
وَاِبكيand weep عَلىfor أَروَعَa splendid man حاميguardian of الذِمارhonor
وَاِبكي عَلى أَروَعَ حامي الذِمار
O eye, pour forth abundant tears,
Oh my eye, be generous with your flowing tears
And weep for a splendid man, guardian of honor,
And cry for the grandest defender against adversaries
فَرعٍa scion مِنَof القَومِthe people كَريمِgenerous in الجَداbounty
فَرعٍ مِنَ القَومِ كَريمِ الجَدا
أَنماهُbrought him forth مِنهُمamong them كُلُّevery مَحضِpure النِجارlineage
أَنماهُ مِنهُم كُلُّ مَحضِ النِجار
A scion of his people, generous in bounty,
A branch from a generous people, noble lineage
Brought forth by all their men of pure lineage.
Raised by them, nothing but the best timber
أَقولُI say لَمّاwhen جاءَنيreached me هُلكُهُhis death
أَقولُ لَمّا جاءَني هُلكُهُ
وَصَرَّحَand spoke openly الناسُthe people بِنَجوىof whispered talk السِرارsecrecy
وَصَرَّحَ الناسُ بِنَجوى السِرار
I said when news of his death reached me,
I say, when news of his death reached me
And people spoke openly of their secret whispers:
And people whispered in secret
أُخَيَّmy dear brother إِمّاif indeed تَكُyou have وَدَّعتَناbidden us farewell
أُخَيَّ إِمّا تَكُ وَدَّعتَنا
وَحالَand intervened مِنfrom دونِكَthis side of you بُعدُthe remoteness of المَزارthe place of visitation
وَحالَ مِن دونِكَ بُعدُ المَزار
My dear brother, if you have indeed bid us farewell,
Oh brother, whether you bid us farewell
And distance to your resting place has barred the way to you,
Or distance keeps you from your grave
فَرُبَّfor many a عُرفٍkindness كُنتَyou had أَسدَيتَهُbestowed it
فَرُبَّ عُرفٍ كُنتَ أَسدَيتَهُ
إِلىto عِيالٍfamilies وَيَتامىand orphans صِغارlittle
إِلى عِيالٍ وَيَتامى صِغار
For many a kindness you had bestowed
How many kind acts you bestowed
On families and little orphans,
Upon orphans and little ones
وَرُبَّand many a نُعمىfavor مِنكَfrom you أَنعَمتَهاyou granted it
وَرُبَّ نُعمى مِنكَ أَنعَمتَها
عَلىto عُناةٍcaptives غُلَّقٍbound fast فيin الإِسارcaptivity
عَلى عُناةٍ غُلَّقٍ في الإِسار
And many a favor of yours you granted
How much bounty you granted
To captives bound fast in captivity.
To captives in chains
أَهليmy family فِداءٌa ransom لِلَّذيfor him who غودِرَتwere left behind
أَهلي فِداءٌ لِلَّذي غودِرَت
أَعظُمُهُhis bones تَلمَعُgleam بَينَamid الخَبارthe loose earth
أَعظُمُهُ تَلمَعُ بَينَ الخَبار
My family be ransom for him left abandoned,
My family is ransomed for one so wronged
His bones gleaming amid the loose earth,
The greatest among them shone between adverts
صَريعِfelled by أَرماحٍspears وَمَشحوذَةٍand sharpened blades
صَريعِ أَرماحٍ وَمَشحوذَةٍ
كَالبَرقِlike lightning يَلمَعنَthey flash خِلالَamid الدِيارthe dwellings
كَالبَرقِ يَلمَعنَ خِلالَ الدِيار
Felled by spears and sharpened blades,
A slain hero of thrusting polished spears
Flashing like lightning amid the dwellings.
Like lightning flashing through homes
مَنwhoever كانَhas been يَوماًever باكِياًweeping for سَيِّداًa chief
مَن كانَ يَوماً باكِياً سَيِّداً
فَليَبكِهِthen let him mourn him بِالعَبَراتِwith tears الحِرارburning
فَليَبكِهِ بِالعَبَراتِ الحِرار
Whoever has ever wept for a chief,
Let those who once wept for a master
Let him weep for him with burning tears.
Now weep for him with burning tears
وَلتَبكِهِand let them mourn him الخَيلُthe horses إِذاwhen غودِرَتthey are left behind
وَلتَبكِهِ الخَيلُ إِذا غودِرَت
بِساحَةِon the field of المَوتِdeath غَداةَthe morning of العِثارstumbling
بِساحَةِ المَوتِ غَداةَ العِثار
And let the horses mourn him when left behind
Let the horses weep when their master is lost
On death's field, on the morning they stumble.
In the field of death after stumbling
وَليَبكِهِand let him mourn him كُلُّevery أَخيone afflicted with كُربَةٍdistress
وَليَبكِهِ كُلُّ أَخي كُربَةٍ
ضاقَتhas grown narrow عَلَيهِfor him ساحَةُthe space of المُستَجارthe refuge
ضاقَت عَلَيهِ ساحَةُ المُستَجار
And let every man in distress mourn him,
Let every brother in distress weep
For whom the space of refuge has grown narrow.
When the refuge grows too confining
رَبيعُa springtime for هُلّاكٍthe perishing وَمَأوىand a haven of نَدىًbounty
رَبيعُ هُلّاكٍ وَمَأوى نَدىً
حينَwhen يَخافُfear الناسُthe people قَحطَthe failure of القِطارthe rains
حينَ يَخافُ الناسُ قَحطَ القِطار
A springtime for the perishing, a haven of bounty,
A spring rain for the slain, a shelter for dew
When people fear the failure of the rains.
When people fear drought suspending rain
أَسقىmay it water بِلاداًa land ضُمِّنَتwas made to hold قَبرَهُhis grave
أَسقى بِلاداً ضُمِّنَت قَبرَهُ
صَوبُthe downpour of مَرابيعِearly-spring showers الغُيوثِthe rains السَوارtraveling by night
صَوبُ مَرابيعِ الغُيوثِ السَوار
May the land that holds his grave be watered
He watered a land hosting his grave
By the downpour of early spring rains traveling by night.
With clouds pouring heavy rain
وَماand not سُؤاليmy asking ذاكَthat إِلّاexcept لِكَيso that
وَما سُؤالي ذاكَ إِلّا لِكَي
يُسقاهُit may be watered هامٍa pouring cloud بِالرَويto the full فيin القِفارthe wastes
يُسقاهُ هامٍ بِالرَوي في القِفار
And I ask for that only so that
My only question, so he might be quenched
It may be watered to the full by a pouring cloud in the wastes.
By a downpour in the arid desert
قُلsay لِلَّذيto the one who أَضحىhas become بِهِover him شامِتاًgloating
قُل لِلَّذي أَضحى بِهِ شامِتاً
إِنَّكَindeed you وَالمَوتَand death مَعاًtogether فيin شِعارa garment next to the skin
إِنَّكَ وَالمَوتَ مَعاً في شِعار
Say to the man who now gloats over him:
Say to those who rejoice at his fate
You and death are together in one close-worn garment.
You and death are both destined
هَوَّنَeased وَجديmy anguish أَنَّthat مَنwhoever سَرَّهُdelighted him
هَوَّنَ وَجدي أَنَّ مَن سَرَّهُ
مَصرَعَهُhis fall لاحِقُهُwill follow him لاdo not تُمارdispute
مَصرَعَهُ لاحِقُهُ لا تُمار
My grief is eased: whoever rejoiced at
It eased my sorrow that he who cheered
His fall will follow him—do not doubt it.
His death pursues him, never resting
وَإِنَّماand only بَينَهُماbetween the two of them رَوحَةٌan afternoon departure
وَإِنَّما بَينَهُما رَوحَةٌ
فيin إِثرِthe wake of غادٍa morning traveler سارَtraveled حَدَّthe height of النَهارthe day
في إِثرِ غادٍ سارَ حَدَّ النَهار
And only an afternoon departure lies between them,
Between them just a moment
In the wake of a morning traveler who went at the height of day.
After one who marched by daylight's end
ياO ضارِبَstriker of الفارِسِthe horseman يَومَthe day of الوَغىbattle
يا ضارِبَ الفارِسِ يَومَ الوَغى
بِالسَيفِwith the sword فيin الحَومَةِthe thick of battle ذاتِfull of الأُوارblazing heat
بِالسَيفِ في الحَومَةِ ذاتِ الأُوار
O you who struck the horseman on the day of battle,
Oh you who struck the knight in battle
With the sword in the blazing heart of the fray,
With your sword in the land of thorn trees
يَرديbounds بِهِwith him فيin نَقعِهاits dust سابِحٌa swimming-gaited steed
يَردي بِهِ في نَقعِها سابِحٌ
أَجرَدُsleek كَالسِرحانِlike a wolf ثَبتُsteady in الحِضارgalloping
أَجرَدُ كَالسِرحانِ ثَبتُ الحِضار
A swimming steed bounds with him through its dust,
Hurling him into its pits, smooth
Sleek as a wolf, steady in its gallop.
As the desert lynx, firm in slaughter
نازَلتَyou fought أَبطالاًchampions لَهاfor it ذادَةًdefenders
نازَلتَ أَبطالاً لَها ذادَةً
حَتّىuntil ثَنَواthey drew back عَنfrom حُرُماتِthe sanctities of الذِمارhonor
حَتّى ثَنَوا عَن حُرُماتِ الذِمار
You fought champions who stood as its defenders,
You battled champions protecting her
Until they drew back from the sanctities of honor.
Until they shunned harming homes
حَلَفتُI swore بِالبَيتِby the House وَزُوّارِهِand its visitors
حَلَفتُ بِالبَيتِ وَزُوّارِهِ
إِذas يُعمِلونَthey urge on العيسَthe pale camels نَحوَtoward الجِمارthe Jamarat stoning sites
إِذ يُعمِلونَ العيسَ نَحوَ الجِمار
I swore by the House and its visitors,
I swear by the House and its visitors
As they urge the pale camels toward the Jamarat:
As they set the smooth stones towards pebbles
لاnot أَجزَعُI grieve deeply الدَهرَever عَلىover هالِكٍone who dies
لا أَجزَعُ الدَهرَ عَلى هالِكٍ
بَعدَكَafter you ماas long as حَنَّتmoan هَواديthe necks of العِشارshe-camels ten months pregnant
بَعدَكَ ما حَنَّت هَوادي العِشار
I shall never grieve deeply for one who dies
I will not lament after you are gone
After you, as long as pregnant she-camels' necks moan.
Though the valleys of goodwill mourn you
ياO لَوعَةًburning anguish بانَتbecame evident تَباريحُهاits torments
يا لَوعَةً بانَت تَباريحُها
تَقدَحُkindles فيin قَلبيmy heart شَجاًsorrow كَالشَرارlike sparks
تَقدَحُ في قَلبي شَجاً كَالشَرار
O anguish whose torments stand revealed,
Oh what anguish appeared in my core
Kindling sorrow in my heart like sparks.
Like embers bursting within my heart
أَبدىshowed لِيَto me الجَفوَةَcoldness مِنfrom بَعدِهِafter him
أَبدى لِيَ الجَفوَةَ مِن بَعدِهِ
مَنthose who كانَwere مِنamong ذيthose possessing رَحِمٍkinship أَوor جِوارneighborly ties
مَن كانَ مِن ذي رَحِمٍ أَو جِوار
After his passing, coldness was shown to me
Those once kin or neighbors now spurn me
By those who were kin or neighbors.
Should time finish with you
إِنif يَكُbe هَذاthis الدَهرُage أَودىbrought ruin بِهِupon him
إِن يَكُ هَذا الدَهرُ أَودى بِهِ
وَصارَand he became مَسحاًbare, level ground لِمَجاريfor the channels of القِطارrain
وَصارَ مَسحاً لِمَجاري القِطار
If this age has carried him off,
And you become a course for flowing sands
And he has become bare ground for the rain's channels,
For every living meets decay
فَكُلُّthen every حَيٍّliving being صائِرٌis destined لِلبَلىfor decay
فَكُلُّ حَيٍّ صائِرٌ لِلبَلى
وَكُلُّand every حَبلٍcord مَرَّةًone day لِاِندِثارfor wearing away
وَكُلُّ حَبلٍ مَرَّةً لِاِندِثار
Then every living being is destined for decay,
And every rope must someday unravel
And every cord will one day wear away.
Partial English translation: 51 of 52 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1