لَقَدindeed صَوَّتَcalled out الناعيthe death-crier بِفَقدِannouncing the loss of أَخيbrother of النَدىgenerosity
لَقَد صَوَّتَ الناعي بِفَقدِ أَخي النَدى
نِداءًa cry لَعَمريby my life لاno أَباfather لَكَfor you يُسمَعُis heard
نِداءً لَعَمري لا أَبا لَكَ يُسمَعُ
Indeed the death-crier proclaimed the loss of generosity’s brother,
The mourner cried out at the loss of my brother, dew
a cry, by my life—may you have no father!—that could be heard.
A cry, by my life, you cannot fail to hear
فَقُمتُso I rose وَقَدand already كادَتalmost لِرَوعَةِfrom the horror of هُلكِهِhis death
فَقُمتُ وَقَد كادَت لِرَوعَةِ هُلكِهِ
وَفَزعَتِهِand its terror نَفسيmy soul مِنَfrom الحُزنِgrief تَتبَعُfollows
وَفَزعَتِهِ نَفسي مِنَ الحُزنِ تَتبَعُ
So I rose, and the horror of his death had almost made
I rose up, though at his tragic death
my soul, in its shock and grief, follow
My soul almost followed his terror and panic
إِلَيهِtoward him كَأَنّيas though I were حَوبَةًdistress وَتَخَشُّعاًand self-abasement
إِلَيهِ كَأَنّي حَوبَةً وَتَخَشُّعاً
أَخوbrother of الخَمرِwine يَسموrises تارَةًone moment ثُمَّthen يُصرَعُis felled
أَخو الخَمرِ يَسمو تارَةً ثُمَّ يُصرَعُ
after him—as though, in distress and abasement, I were
To him, as if I were humble and devout
a brother of wine, rising one moment, then felled.
Wine's brother, rising at times, then struck down
فَمَنthen who لِقِرىfor the hospitality of الأَضيافِthe guests بَعدَكَafter you إِنif هُمُthey
فَمَن لِقِرى الأَضيافِ بَعدَكَ إِن هُمُ
قُبالَكَbefore you حَلّواalighted ثُمَّthen نادواcalled out فَأَسمَعواso made themselves heard
قُبالَكَ حَلّوا ثُمَّ نادوا فَأَسمَعوا
Who, then, will offer the guests hospitality after you, if they
Who now remains for the homes of guests, if they
alight before you, then call and make themselves heard,
Came to you, then called out and heard?
كَعَهدِهِمِas was their custom إِذwhen أَنتَyou حَيٌّalive وَإِذand when لَهُمfor them
كَعَهدِهِمِ إِذ أَنتَ حَيٌّ وَإِذ لَهُم
لَدَيكَwith you مَنالاتٌgifts وَرِيٌّand quenched thirst وَمَشبَعُand satisfying food
لَدَيكَ مَنالاتٌ وَرِيٌّ وَمَشبَعُ
as was their custom when you were alive, and when they had
As was their custom, when you lived, as they had
with you gifts, drink to quench thirst, and food to fill them?
With you bounty, water and plenty
وَمَنand who لِمُهِمٍّfor a grave trouble حَلَّbefell بِالجارِupon the neighbor فادِحٍcrushing
وَمَن لِمُهِمٍّ حَلَّ بِالجارِ فادِحٍ
وَأَمرٍand an affair وَهىcame apart مِنof صاحِبٍa companion لَيسَis not يُرقَعُpatched up
وَأَمرٍ وَهى مِن صاحِبٍ لَيسَ يُرقَعُ
And who will meet a crushing trouble that befalls a neighbor,
Who remains for a worried guest, fallen on hardship
and a companion’s affairs come apart, beyond patching?
And matters beyond a companion's mending?
وَمَنand who لِجَليسٍfor a companion مُفحِشٍabusive لِجَليسِهِto his companion
وَمَن لِجَليسٍ مُفحِشٍ لِجَليسِهِ
عَلَيهِagainst him بِجَهلٍin folly جاهِداًstriving hard يَتَسَرَّعُrushes recklessly
عَلَيهِ بِجَهلٍ جاهِداً يَتَسَرَّعُ
And who will deal with a companion abusive to his fellow,
Who remains for a vulgar drinking companion, attacking
rushing recklessly at him in folly, with all his might?
His companion in crass ignorance?
وَلَوand if كُنتَyou were حَيّاًalive كانَwould be إِطفاءُthe extinguishing of جَهلِهِhis folly
وَلَو كُنتَ حَيّاً كانَ إِطفاءُ جَهلِهِ
بِحِلمِكَby your forbearance فيwith رِفقٍgentleness وَحِلمُكَand your forbearance أَوسَعُmore expansive
بِحِلمِكَ في رِفقٍ وَحِلمُكَ أَوسَعُ
And had you been alive, his folly would have been extinguished
If you lived, your patience would have dampened his foolishness
gently by your forbearance—and your forbearance was greater.
With gentle, great forbearance
وَكُنتُand I used to إِذاwhen ماever خِفتُI feared إِردافَthe close following of عُسرَةٍhardship
وَكُنتُ إِذا ما خِفتُ إِردافَ عُسرَةٍ
أَظَلُّI would remain لَهاfor it مِنfrom خيفَةٍfear أَتَقَنَّعُI veil myself
أَظَلُّ لَها مِن خيفَةٍ أَتَقَنَّعُ
And whenever I feared hardship following close behind,
Whenever I feared the specter of hardship
I would remain veiled for fear of it;
I sought refuge in it from dire want
دَعَوتُI called upon لَهاfor it صَخرَSakhr النَدىgenerosity فَوَجَدتُهُso I found him
دَعَوتُ لَها صَخرَ النَدى فَوَجَدتُهُ
لَهُhe had موسَرٌmeans of ease يُنفىis banished بِهِby it العُسرُhardship أَجمَعُaltogether
لَهُ موسَرٌ يُنفى بِهِ العُسرُ أَجمَعُ
I would call on Sakhr of bounty to meet it, and find him
I called to the rock of dew, and found
possessed of means by which all hardship was banished.
In it ease to banish all troubles
Sol 6.1