ذَكَرناهُwe remembered him فانهلَّتand poured forth مدامعُناour tearful eyes تترىone after another
ذَكَرناهُ فانهلَّت مدامعُنا تترى
مُخبَّرَةًbearing news عنof كلِّevery ذيone with كَبِدٍa liver (heart) حرَّىburning
مُخبَّرَةً عن كلِّ ذي كَبِدٍ حرَّى
We remembered him, and our tears poured down one after another,
We mentioned him, so our tears flowed
Bearing news of everyone with a burning heart.
Informing every grieving soul
عَهِدناكَwe knew you مَخصوصاًsingled out منfrom البيتِthe house كلِّهall of it
عَهِدناكَ مَخصوصاً من البيتِ كلِّه
بمنزِلَةٍfor a position فيin الصَّدرِthe forefront أنتَyou بهاof it أحرَىmore deserving
بمنزِلَةٍ في الصَّدرِ أنتَ بها أحرَى
We knew you, singled out from all within the house,
We knew you especially from all the household
For a place at the forefront, which you deserved most.
You held a place in our hearts that made you most deserving
تَظَلُّremain لهاfor it رِجلاكَyour two feet فيin قَعرِthe bottom of وَهْدَةٍa hollow
تَظَلُّ لها رِجلاكَ في قَعرِ وَهْدَةٍ
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle عَلَتْrose إحداهُماone of the two هَوَتِfell الأُخرىthe other
إذا ما عَلَتْ إحداهُما هَوَتِ الأُخرى
For its sake, your two feet stay in the depths of a hollow,
Your legs remain still at the bottom of a valley
Whenever one rises, the other falls.
If one were to rise, the other would fall
وفوقَكand above you صَفراوانِtwo yellow ones إنif شئتَyou wish غَنَّتاthey both sing
وفوقَك صَفراوانِ إن شئتَ غَنَّتا
كذاكِرَتيْlike two females remembering فَرخَينْtwo chicks شفَّهُماhas wasted them both الذِّكرىremembrance
كذاكِرَتيْ فَرخَينْ شفَّهُما الذِّكرى
And above you are two yellow ones; if you wish, both sing,
Above you two yellow birds, if you wish, would sing
Like two mother birds recalling two chicks, wasted by remembrance.
Like two chicks reminded by the memory
وكمand how often أرسلَتْsent يُمنىthe right of يَديكyour two hands رسولَهاits messenger
وكم أرسلَتْ يُمنى يَديك رسولَها
فماand not لَبِثَتْهdetained him حينَwhen صافحَتِshook hands اليُسرىthe left hand
فما لَبِثَتْه حينَ صافحَتِ اليُسرى
And how often your right hand sent its messenger,
And how many times did your right hand send its messenger
And the left did not detain him when it shook his hand.
Only to meet the left hand shortly after
عَجِبْتُI marveled لهat him طِرفاًa fine steed يَجُرُّhe drags عِنانَهُhis rein
عَجِبْتُ له طِرفاً يَجُرُّ عِنانَهُ
ولاand does not يتشكَّىcomplain of الأينَweariness ماhowever بَعُدَbecame distant المَسرىthe night journey
ولا يتشكَّى الأينَ ما بَعُدَ المَسرى
I marveled at him—a fine steed dragging his rein,
I wondered at him pulling his reigns
Nor does he complain of weariness, however long the night journey.
Not complaining where after ease comes hardship
يَشُقُّhe cleaves نقيَّspotless المتنِthe back (surface) جَعْداًrippling كأنَّهas though it were
يَشُقُّ نقيَّ المتنِ جَعْداً كأنَّه
غديرٌa pool تمشَّىstrolled الرِّيحُthe wind منfrom فوقِهabove it حَسرىweary
غديرٌ تمشَّى الرِّيحُ من فوقِه حَسرى
He cuts through a spotless, rippling surface, as though it were
Cleaving the smooth body of the camel, as if it were
A pool over which the wind strolled, weary.
A stream that the blowing wind crossed over
فياso O هالكاًone who perished أعرىleft bare الصديقَthe friend بهُلْكِهthrough his death
فيا هالكاً أعرى الصديقَ بهُلْكِه
وعَزَّand it was grievous علىfor تلكَthose الأناملِfingers أنto تَعرىbecome bare
وعَزَّ على تلكَ الأناملِ أن تَعرى
So, O you who perished, leaving your friend naked through your loss,
Oh if only the friend knew the agony of his death
And it was grievous for those fingers to be left bare.
And it was difficult for those fingers to bare
إذاif صَغُرَتْbecame small يوماًone day رَزِيَّةُa bereavement صاحبٍa friend
إذا صَغُرَتْ يوماً رَزِيَّةُ صاحبٍ
بصاحِبهat losing his companion كانتwas رَزيَّتُكَthe loss of you الكُبرىthe greatest
بصاحِبه كانت رَزيَّتُكَ الكُبرى
If ever a friend's bereavement seemed slight
If one day the calamity of a companion grew
At losing his companion, the loss of you was the greatest.
Yours would be the greatest calamity
Sol 6.1