ألاCome! حَيِّgreet مَفقودَlost الشَّمائلِnoble qualities ماثلاstanding before you
ألا حَيِّ مَفقودَ الشَّمائلِ ماثلا
غَدَاhe became هَاجِرَforsaking الدنياthe world وإنand although كانhe is واصِلاmaintaining ties
غَدَا هَاجِرَ الدنيا وإن كان واصِلا
Come, greet him standing here, his noble ways now gone.
O absent of sublime traits though present,
He has forsaken the world, though still joined to it.
He departed this world while joined to it.
أقامَhe remained وقدand already جَدَّتْhastened بهwith him رِحْلَةُthe journey of الرَّدىdeath
أقامَ وقد جَدَّتْ به رِحْلَةُ الرَّدى
فأضحىso he became مُقيماًremaining فيin ذُرىthe heights of الجِذْعِthe tree-trunk راحِلاdeparting
فأضحى مُقيماً في ذُرى الجِذْعِ راحِلا
He stayed, though death's journey had hastened him away,
Settling though the journey of misery moved him,
So he remained high on the tree-trunk, yet journeyed away.
So he remained established on the trunk's fleece mounted.
أباO father of الفضلِal-Fadl غَالَتْكَslew you الخطوبُcalamities ولمand did not يكنْbe
أبا الفضلِ غَالَتْكَ الخطوبُ ولم يكنْ
ليَعدَمَto lack ذوone endowed with الأَفضالِacts of generosity منهاfrom them الغَوائلاdeadly misfortunes
ليَعدَمَ ذو الأَفضالِ منها الغَوائلا
Abu al-Fadl, calamities have slain you; nor could
O Abu al-Fadl, calamities befell you, yet
A man of bounty escape their deadly blows.
The virtuous is not devoid of misfortunes.
فأصبحْتَso you became مَسْلوبَstripped of القَميصِthe shirt وطالَماand so often
فأصبحْتَ مَسْلوبَ القَميصِ وطالَما
حَمَلْتَyou bore علىover قُمْصِshirts of الحَديدِiron الحَمائِلاsword-belts
حَمَلْتَ على قُمْصِ الحَديدِ الحَمائِلا
So you were stripped of your shirt, though so often
You became stripped of your shirt though you have
You bore sword-belts over shirts of iron.
Long borne over the iron shirt burdens.
وحولَكَand around you منfrom بَكْرِBakr بنِson of وائِلَWa'il فِتيَةٌyoung men
وحولَكَ من بَكْرِ بنِ وائِلَ فِتيَةٌ
إذاwhenever عُدَّwere counted أهلُpeople of الفَضْلِmerit كانواthey were الأوائِلاthe foremost
إذا عُدَّ أهلُ الفَضْلِ كانوا الأوائِلا
And around you are young men of Bakr ibn Wa'il:
Around you are Wail's youths,
Whenever men of merit were counted, they were foremost.
If people of merit are counted they are the first.
أصابَهُمُstruck them رَيْبُthe reversals of الزَّمانِtime وإنَّماbut only
أصابَهُمُ رَيْبُ الزَّمانِ وإنَّما
أصابَstruck منof العَلياgreatness سَناماًa hump وكاهِلاand withers
أصابَ من العَليا سَناماً وكاهِلا
Time's reversals struck them, but they only
The time's suspicion afflicted them, though
Struck the hump and withers of greatness.
It only afflicted a sublime summit and shoulder.
كأنَّهُمُas though they were فيin اللَّيلِthe night رَكْبٌa caravan تَحَيَّرواthey were bewildered
كأنَّهُمُ في اللَّيلِ رَكْبٌ تَحَيَّروا
فَجَدُّواso they severed منfrom السيرtravel الحثيثswift الحبائلاthe cords
فَجَدُّوا من السير الحثيث الحبائلا
As though they were a caravan bewildered in the night,
As if they were, in the night, a group lost
And so had severed the cords of swift travel.
Finding the path's inextricable twists.
تَلَقَّاهُمُmet them حَرَّthe heat of الهَجيرِnoonday برأفةٍwith compassion
تَلَقَّاهُمُ حَرَّ الهَجيرِ برأفةٍ
تُخَيِّلُmakes seem أوقاتَthe hours of الهَجيرِnoonday heat أصائِلاlate afternoons
تُخَيِّلُ أوقاتَ الهَجيرِ أصائِلا
The noonday heat met them with a tenderness
The heat of departure met them with kindness
That made the hours of noon seem like late afternoons.
Making departure's times seem twined.
وأضحىand became الحَياthe rain فيat غَيْرِother than حينِthe time of أوانِهits season
وأضحى الحَيا في غَيْرِ حينِ أوانِه
رَذاذاًdrizzle علىupon تلكَthose الجُسومِbodies ووَابلاand a downpour
رَذاذاً على تلكَ الجُسومِ ووَابلا
And out of its due season, the rain became
And the living became, not in its time,
Drizzle upon those bodies, and a downpour.
Spray over those bodies and rained.
كأنَّas though السَّماءَthe sky استَعْبَرَتْburst into tears لِمَصابِهِمfor their calamity
كأنَّ السَّماءَ استَعْبَرَتْ لِمَصابِهِم
فماand so not مَلَكَتْheld back فيهover it الدُّموعَthe tears الهَوامِلاfreely flowing
فما مَلَكَتْ فيه الدُّموعَ الهَوامِلا
As though the sky had burst into tears at their calamity,
As if the sky cried for their affliction
And could not hold back its streaming tears over it.
So it did not restrain the shedding tears.
Sol 6.1