أَعَينَيَّO my two eyes هَلّاwhy not تَبكِيانِyou both weep عَلىfor صَخرِSakhr
أَعَينَيَّ هَلّا تَبكِيانِ عَلى صَخرِ
بِدَمعٍwith tears حَثيثٍswift-flowing لاnot بَكيءٍscant-flowing وَلاnor نَزرِmeager
بِدَمعٍ حَثيثٍ لا بَكيءٍ وَلا نَزرِ
O my two eyes, will you not weep for Sakhr,
With rushing tears, neither trickling nor scant,
وَتَستَفرِغانِand you both pour out completely الدَمعَthe tears أَوor تَذرِيانِهِyou both scatter them
وَتَستَفرِغانِ الدَمعَ أَو تَذرِيانِهِ
عَلىfor ذيthe possessor of النَدىgenerosity وَالجودِand bounty وَالسَيِّدِand the lord الغَمرِunstintingly generous
عَلى ذي النَدى وَالجودِ وَالسَيِّدِ الغَمرِ
And pour out all your tears, or scatter them,
For the man of generosity and bounty, the unstinting lord?
فَماso what لَكُماis with you two عَنaway from ذيthe man with يَمينَينِtwo right hands فَاِبكِياso both of you weep
فَما لَكُما عَن ذي يَمينَينِ فَاِبكِيا
عَلَيهِfor him مَعَwith الباكيthe mourner المُسَلَّبِstripped مِنof صَبرِpatience
عَلَيهِ مَعَ الباكي المُسَلَّبِ مِن صَبرِ
Why then turn away from the man with two right hands? Weep
For him, with the mourner stripped of patience.
كَأَنas though لَمnot يَقُلhe said أَهلاًwelcome لِطالِبِto one seeking حاجَةٍa favor
كَأَن لَم يَقُل أَهلاً لِطالِبِ حاجَةٍ
وَكانَand he was بَليجَradiant الوَجهِthe face مُنشَرِحَexpansive الصَدرِthe breast
وَكانَ بَليجَ الوَجهِ مُنشَرِحَ الصَدرِ
As though he had never said 'Welcome' to someone seeking help,
Though he was radiant-faced and open-hearted,
وَلَمand did not يَغدُgo out at dawn فيamong خَيلٍcavalry مُجَنَّبَةِflanked by القَناlances
وَلَم يَغدُ في خَيلٍ مُجَنَّبَةِ القَنا
لِيُروِيَto slake أَطرافَthe tips of الرُدَينيَّةِthe Rudayni spears السُمرِdusky
لِيُروِيَ أَطرافَ الرُدَينيَّةِ السُمرِ
Nor ridden out at dawn among cavalry flanked by lances,
To slake the thirst of the dusky Rudayni spearpoints.
فَشَأنُso the way of المَناياdeath إِذnow that أَصابَكَstruck you رَيبُهاits calamity
فَشَأنُ المَنايا إِذ أَصابَكَ رَيبُها
لِتَغدوlet it come at dawn عَلىupon الفِتيانِthe young men بَعدَكَafter you أَوor تَسريtravel by night
لِتَغدو عَلى الفِتيانِ بَعدَكَ أَو تَسري
Then let death have its way, now that its calamity has struck you:
Let it visit young men after you, at dawn or by night.
فَمَنso who يَضمَنُpledges المَعروفَkindness فيin صُلبِthe core of مالِهِhis wealth
فَمَن يَضمَنُ المَعروفَ في صُلبِ مالِهِ
ضَمانَكَyour pledge أَوor يَقريhosts الضُيوفَthe guests كَماas تَقريyou host
ضَمانَكَ أَو يَقري الضُيوفَ كَما تَقري
Who, then, will pledge kindness from the very substance of his wealth,
As you did, or host guests as you used to?
وَمَبثوثَةٍand many a scattered host مِثلَlike الجَرادِlocusts وَزَعتَهاyou held it in check
وَمَبثوثَةٍ مِثلَ الجَرادِ وَزَعتَها
لَهاit has زَجَلٌa clamor يَملاfills القُلوبَthe hearts مِنَwith الذُعرِterror
لَها زَجَلٌ يَملا القُلوبَ مِنَ الذُعرِ
And many a host, spread out like locusts, you held in check,
Its clamor filling hearts with terror.
صَبَحتَهُمُyou came upon them at dawn بِالخَيلِwith horses تَرديgalloping كَأَنَّهاas though they were
صَبَحتَهُمُ بِالخَيلِ تَردي كَأَنَّها
جَرادٌlocusts زَفَتهُswept it along ريحُa wind from نَجدٍNajd إِلىtoward البَحرِthe sea
جَرادٌ زَفَتهُ ريحُ نَجدٍ إِلى البَحرِ
You fell upon them at dawn with galloping horses, as though they were
Locusts swept by a wind from Najd toward the sea.
وَكائِنand how often قَرَنتَyou coupled الحَقَّwhat was due مِنfrom ثَوبِa robe of صَفوَةٍchoicest quality
وَكائِن قَرَنتَ الحَقَّ مِن ثَوبِ صَفوَةٍ
وَمِنand from سابِحٍswimming-gaited طِرفٍa thoroughbred وَمِنand from كاعِبٍa round-breasted maiden بِكرِa virgin
وَمِن سابِحٍ طِرفٍ وَمِن كاعِبٍ بِكرِ
And how often you coupled what was due with a choice robe,
With a swimming-gaited thoroughbred, and a round-breasted virgin.
وَقائِلَةٍand many a woman saying وَالنَعشُand the bier قَدalready فاتَoutpaced خَطوَهاher steps
وَقائِلَةٍ وَالنَعشُ قَد فاتَ خَطوَها
لِتُدرِكَهُto catch up with it ياO لَهفَanguish of نَفسيmy soul عَلىfor صَخرِSakhr
لِتُدرِكَهُ يا لَهفَ نَفسي عَلى صَخرِ
And many a woman cried, the bier having outpaced her steps,
As she tried to reach it: Oh, my soul's anguish for Sakhr!
أَلاAh ثَكَلَتmay she be bereaved أُمُّthe mother of الَّذينَthose who مَشَواwalked بِهِwith him
أَلا ثَكَلَت أُمُّ الَّذينَ مَشَوا بِهِ
إِلىto القَبرِthe grave ماذاwhat يَحمِلونَthey carry إِلىto القَبرِthe grave
إِلى القَبرِ ماذا يَحمِلونَ إِلى القَبرِ
Ah, bereaved be the mother of those who bore him
To the grave! What are they carrying to the grave?
وَماذاand what يُواريconceals القَبرُthe grave تَحتَbeneath تُرابِهِits dust
وَماذا يُواري القَبرُ تَحتَ تُرابِهِ
مِنَof الخَيرِgoodness ياO بُؤسَmisery الحَوادِثِcalamities وَالدَهرِand time
مِنَ الخَيرِ يا بُؤسَ الحَوادِثِ وَالدَهرِ
And what does the grave conceal beneath its dust
Of goodness! Oh, the misery of calamities and time!
وَمِand of الحَزمِresolve فيin العَزّاءِadversity وَالجودِand bounty وَالنَدىand openhandedness
وَمِ الحَزمِ في العَزّاءِ وَالجودِ وَالنَدى
غَداةَwhen يُرىhe is seen حِلفَa sworn ally of اليَسارَةِplenty وَالعُسرِand want
غَداةَ يُرى حِلفَ اليَسارَةِ وَالعُسرِ
And of resolve in hardship, bounty and openhandedness,
When he was seen as the sworn ally of plenty and want.
لَقَدindeed كانَhe was فيin كُلِّall الأُمورِaffairs مُهَذَّباًrefined
لَقَد كانَ في كُلِّ الأُمورِ مُهَذَّباً
جَليلَgreat in الأَياديbenefactions لاnot يُنَهنَهُheld back بِالزَجرِby rebuke
جَليلَ الأَيادي لا يُنَهنَهُ بِالزَجرِ
He was indeed refined in every affair,
Great in benefactions, undeterred by rebuke.
وَإِنand if تَلقَهُyou meet him فيamong الشَربِthe drinkers لاnot تَلقَyou find فاحِشاًfoul-mouthed
وَإِن تَلقَهُ في الشَربِ لا تَلقَ فاحِشاً
وَلاnor ناكِثاًbreaking عَقدَthe bond of السَرائِرِsecrets وَالصَبرِand self-restraint
وَلا ناكِثاً عَقدَ السَرائِرِ وَالصَبرِ
And if you met him among drinkers, you would not find him foul-mouthed,
Nor breaking the bonds of secrecy and self-restraint.
فَلاso may ... not يُبعِدَنperish قَبرٌa grave تَضَمَّنَenfolded شَخصَهُhis body
فَلا يُبعِدَن قَبرٌ تَضَمَّنَ شَخصَهُ
وَجادَand may it shower generously عَلَيهِupon it كُلُّevery واكِفَةِdripping cloud القَطرِrain
وَجادَ عَلَيهِ كُلُّ واكِفَةِ القَطرِ
So may the grave that holds his body never fall to ruin,
And may every rain-shedding cloud shower it generously.
Sol 6.1