ماwhat بالُails عَينِكِyour eye مِنهاfrom it الدَمعُtears مُهراقِpoured forth
ما بالُ عَينِكِ مِنها الدَمعُ مُهراقِ
سَحّاًin torrents فَلاso neither عازِبٌdeparting عَنهاfrom it وَلاnor راقِabating
سَحّاً فَلا عازِبٌ عَنها وَلا راقِ
What ails your eye, from which tears pour
What ails your eyes that tears from them do pour
in torrents, neither leaving it nor abating?
Ceaselessly, neither halting nor forbearing?
أَبكيI weep عَلىfor هالِكٍone who perished أَودىdied فَأَورَثَنيand so bequeathed me
أَبكي عَلى هالِكٍ أَودى فَأَورَثَني
عِندَat التَفَرُّقِparting حُزناًa grief حَرُّهُits heat باقِenduring
عِندَ التَفَرُّقِ حُزناً حَرُّهُ باقِ
I weep for one who perished, bequeathing me
I weep for one whom death has come to lure
at parting a grief whose heat endures.
And at our parting, grief beyond comparing
لَوif كانَwere يَشفيto heal سَقيماًa sick person وَجدُanguish ذيone possessing رَحِمٍkinship
لَو كانَ يَشفي سَقيماً وَجدُ ذي رَحِمٍ
أَبقىwould have kept أَخيmy brother سالِماًsafe وَجديmy grief وَإِشفاقيand my anxious concern
أَبقى أَخي سالِماً وَجدي وَإِشفاقي
If a kinsman's anguish could heal the sick,
If healing could restore the ill at heart
my grief and loving concern would have kept my brother safe.
My brother would be sound, and well my caring.
لَوif كانَhe were يُفدىransomed لَكانَthen would be الأَهلُthe family كُلَّهُمُall of them
لَو كانَ يُفدى لَكانَ الأَهلُ كُلَّهُمُ
وَماand whatever أُثَمِّرُI make grow مِنof مالٍwealth وَأَوراقِand silver coins
وَما أُثَمِّرُ مِن مالٍ وَأَوراقِ
If he could be ransomed, all his kin would be the ransom,
If he could be redeemed, my kith and kin
and whatever wealth and silver I accumulate.
Would pay all that I own and life itself for bearing.
لَكِنbut سِهامُarrows المَناياdeath مَنwhomever تُصِبهُit strikes him بِهاwith them
لَكِن سِهامُ المَنايا مَن تُصِبهُ بِها
لاnot يَشفِهِcure him رِفقُgentle care ذيone possessing طِبٍّmedical knowledge وَلاnor راقِan incantation-healer
لا يَشفِهِ رِفقُ ذي طِبٍّ وَلا راقِ
But whomever death strikes with its arrows,
But fate's arrows strike whom they are meant to strike
neither a physician's care nor a reciter of healing spells can cure him.
No gentle touch nor any ransom sparing.
لَأَبكِيَنَّكَI shall surely weep for you ماas long as ناحَتlaments مُطَوَّقَةٌa ring-necked dove
لَأَبكِيَنَّكَ ما ناحَت مُطَوَّقَةٌ
وَماand as long as سَرَيتُI travel by night مَعَwith الساريthe night-traveler عَلىon الساقِthe leg; on foot
وَما سَرَيتُ مَعَ الساري عَلى الساقِ
I shall surely weep for you as long as a ring-necked dove laments,
I'll weep for you as long as maidens sigh
and as long as I travel by night with the night-traveler on foot.
And I walk on with staff, my legs still faring.
تَبكيshe weeps عَلَيكَfor you بُكاthe weeping of ثَكلىa bereaved mother مُفَجَّعَةٍstricken by loss
تَبكي عَلَيكَ بُكا ثَكلى مُفَجَّعَةٍ
ماnot إِنindeed (emphatic) يَجِفَّdries لَهاfor her مِنbecause of ذِكرِهِremembering him ماقيan eye's inner corner
ما إِن يَجِفَّ لَها مِن ذِكرِهِ ماقي
She weeps for you as a bereaved, grief-stricken mother weeps,
For you a bereft mother weeps her fill.
whose eye's inner corner never dries at the thought of him.
Her memories fresh, though years may pass their wearing.
إِذهَبgo فَلاso may not يُبعِدَنكَcast you far away اللَهُGod مِنwhat a (exclamatory) رَجُلٍman
إِذهَب فَلا يُبعِدَنكَ اللَهُ مِن رَجُلٍ
لاقىmet الَّذيthat which كُلُّevery حَيٍّliving being بَعدَهُafter him لاقيwill meet
لاقى الَّذي كُلُّ حَيٍّ بَعدَهُ لاقي
Go; may God not cast you far away—what a man,
Go forth! May God not distance you from men
who met what every living soul after him will meet.
Whose fate, like yours, is mortal and unsparing.
Sol 6.1