هُوit المَوتُdeath صَمصَامةٌa keen sword مُنتَضَىdrawn
هُو المَوتُ صَمصَامةٌ مُنتَضَى
يُلَبِّheeds القَضَاءَfate عَلَىaccording to مُتَضَىwhat is required (uncertain reading)
يُلَبِّ القَضَاءَ عَلَى مُتَضَى
It is death: a keen sword drawn.
Death is irrevocable fate condensed to strike,
It heeds fate according to [what is required],
Enforcing destiny upon the doomed to die.
ويَجرِيَand proceeds علَىaccording to مُقتضىthe requirements of جَريِهِits course
ويَجرِيَ علَى مُقتضى جَريِهِ
فَفِيfor in جَرِيهِits course مُقتَضَىthe demand of المُقتَضَىwhat is required
فَفِي جَرِيهِ مُقتَضَى المُقتَضَى
and proceeds as its course requires;
And destiny flows in the way that it must flow;
for in its course lies what necessity demands.
In flowing thus it follows destiny's decree.
وبِالسَّيِّدِand with the master المُرتَضَىthe esteemed مُولَعٌobsessed
وبِالسَّيِّدِ المُرتَضَى مُولَعٌ
كَأنَّas though لَهُit has الثَّأرَa blood feud فيagainst المُرتَضَىthe esteemed man
كَأنَّ لَهُ الثَّأرَ في المُرتَضَى
And it is obsessed with the esteemed master,
The beloved master death holds much in thrall,
as though it had a blood feud with that esteemed man.
As though avenging all whom death has claimed.
وللِدَّهرِand Time has فيamong أهلِهِits people صَولَةٌa fierce assault
وللِدَّهرِ في أهلِهِ صَولَةٌ
ورَمىٌand a shot مُصِيبٌunerring بِسَهمٍwith an arrow مِضَاpiercing
ورَمىٌ مُصِيبٌ بِسَهمٍ مِضَا
Time fiercely assails its people,
Through all its people time wields savage power,
with an unerring shot from a piercing arrow.
Its arrows strike, unerring, through the throng.
فَلاَso do not تَأمَنِfeel safe from الدَّهرَTime فيin صَرفِهِits reversals
فَلاَ تَأمَنِ الدَّهرَ في صَرفِهِ
فَلَمfor not يَامنِfeel safe from الشَّاءُthe sheep سِيدَthe wolf of الغَضَاthe ghada thickets
فَلَم يَامنِ الشَّاءُ سِيدَ الغَضَا
So do not feel safe from Time's reversals,
So do not trust time's turning, for it grants
for sheep have never been safe from the wolf of the ghada thickets.
No safety, sparing not the high or low.
فَكَمso how often غَرَّdeceived غِراًّan unwary man بِاقِبَالِهِwith its favor
فَكَم غَرَّ غِراًّ بِاقِبَالِهِ
فَلَمَّاthen when تَيَقَّنَهُhe became certain of it أعرَضَاit turned away
فَلَمَّا تَيَقَّنَهُ أعرَضَا
How often it has deceived an unwary man with its favor,
Often it lures with favor, then betrays,
then turned away once he had come to trust it.
Once confident, it turns from men and spurns.
قَضَىdied الحَبرُthe learned scholar عَينِينَاAynina فيin دَارِهِhis home
قَضَى الحَبرُ عَينِينَا في دَارِهِ
ولاَand no غَروَwonder فيin دَارِهhis home إِنif قَضَىhe died
ولاَ غَروَ في دَارِه إِن قَضَى
The scholar Aynina died in his home;
Our asset lost his eyesight in his land,
and no wonder if in his home he died.
No wonder in his land though it be gone.
وقَدand indeed قَادَhas led لِلصَّبرِto patience إِسلاَمُنَاour Islam
وقَد قَادَ لِلصَّبرِ إِسلاَمُنَا
وقَادand has led لِنهجِto the path of الرِّضَاacceptance بِالقَضَاof fate
وقَاد لِنهجِ الرِّضَا بِالقَضَا
Our Islam has led us to patience,
Submission led our Islam, wise of soul,
and led us to the path of accepting fate.
To walk the path of fate and acquiescence.
ولَيسَand does not يَرُدُّundo البُكَاweeping والعَويلُand wailing
ولَيسَ يَرُدُّ البُكَا والعَويلُ
وفَرطُand the excess of التَّبَارِيحِanguish خَطباًa calamity مَضَىthat has passed
وفَرطُ التَّبَارِيحِ خَطباً مَضَى
Weeping and wailing cannot undo—
No wailing, tears or wild lament can wrest
nor can overwhelming anguish—a calamity already past.
The fortunes fixed that inexorably passed.
يُصَيِّرُturns مُسوَدَّthe blackened رَأسِhead of الوَلِيدِthe infant
يُصَيِّرُ مُسوَدَّ رَأسِ الوَلِيدِ
وإِنّand even if كَانَhe is فيin مَهدِهِhis cradle أبيَضَاwhite
وإِنّ كَانَ في مَهدِهِ أبيَضَا
It turns the infant's black-haired head,
Grey heads once black as jet it forces now,
even while he lies in his cradle, white.
Although but babes first cradled snowy-fair.
وأنيand how can تَصُونُhold back الدُّمُوعَthe tears العُيُونُthe eyes
وأني تَصُونُ الدُّمُوعَ العُيُونُ
وعَينُand the eye of القُضَاةُthe judges وَيبكِىand weeps القَضَاjustice
وعَينُ القُضَاةُ وَيبكِى القَضَا
And how can eyes hold back tears,
Would you two eyes withhold your streaming tears
and the judges' own eye, while justice weeps?
While fated judges weep and fate decrees?
سَتَبكيwill weep النَّواديthe assemblies وَيَبكيand will weep النَّدىgenerosity
سَتَبكي النَّوادي وَيَبكي النَّدى
وَتَبكيand will weep القُضاةُthe judges وَيَبكيand will weep القَضاjustice
وَتَبكي القُضاةُ وَيَبكي القَضا
The assemblies will weep, and generosity will weep;
Both grove and dew shall weep as fate ordains,
the judges will weep, and justice will weep.
While judges weep, and fate itself doth mourn.
ويَبكِىand will weep القُرَانُthe Qur'an وَيبكِىand will weep القِرَىhospitality
ويَبكِى القُرَانُ وَيبكِى القِرَى
وتَبكِىand will weep عَلَيهِfor him القُرَىthe villages والفَضَاand the open spaces
وتَبكِى عَلَيهِ القُرَى والفَضَا
The Qur'an will weep, and hospitality will weep;
The Koran weeps; the villages weep on;
the villages will weep for him, and the open spaces.
The villages weep, meadows weep around.
وتبكِىand will weep العُلُومlearning وتبكِىand will weep الحُلُومُwisdom
وتبكِى العُلُوم وتبكِى الحُلُومُ
وتَبكِىand will weep البِحَارُthe seas وتَبكِىand will weep الإِضَاthe pools
وتَبكِى البِحَارُ وتَبكِى الإِضَا
Learning will weep, and wisdom will weep;
All knowledge weeps; the rivers weep, the plains;
the seas will weep, and the pools will weep.
The oceans weep, horizons weep beyond.
فلاso let not يَفرَحِrejoice الشَّامِتُthe gloater مِنat فَقدِهِhis loss
فلا يَفرَحِ الشَّامِتُ مِن فَقدِهِ
فَإِنَّfor indeed لَهُhe has مَنزِلاًan abode مُرتَضَىwell-pleasing
فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَنزِلاً مُرتَضَى
Let no gloater rejoice at his loss,
Let no malicious joy in him be shown,
for he has a well-pleasing abode.
For his is habitation sweetly graced.
وقَدand indeed عوِّضَhe was given in exchange الخَيرَwhat is better مِنthan أهلِهِhis family
وقَد عوِّضَ الخَيرَ مِن أهلِهِ
وخَيراًand something better مِنَthan الدَّارِthe home قَدindeed عُوِّضَاhe was given in exchange
وخَيراً مِنَ الدَّارِ قَد عُوِّضَا
He has been given better kin than his own,
The good he had was recompensed with good,
and, in exchange, a dwelling better than his home.
Good for good was given him in place.
يُلِينُeases السَّنِينَthe years علىfor المُسلِمينَthe Muslims
يُلِينُ السَّنِينَ على المُسلِمينَ
إِذَاwhen أجحَفَravages الخَطبُcalamity أوor أجَهَضَاlays low
إِذَا أجحَفَ الخَطبُ أو أجَهَضَا
He eases the hard years for Muslims,
Hard years will gentle turn for Muslims when
when calamity ravages or lays them low.
Misfortune strikes or hopes run dry or waste.
فَتًىa noble young man يَهَبُgrants الحَاجَthe needs مَنwhoever جَاءَهُcomes to him
فَتًى يَهَبُ الحَاجَ مَن جَاءَهُ
وصَرَّحَand states plainly بالحَاجِabout the need أوor عَرَّضَاhints
وصَرَّحَ بالحَاجِ أو عَرَّضَا
A noble young man who meets the needs of whoever comes to him,
A youth who gives to all who beg their needs,
whether he states his need plainly or hints at it.
Declaring want, or in his bounty blessed.
فِدَاءٌa ransom لَهُfor him كُلُّevery وَجهٍface عَبُوسٍscowling
فِدَاءٌ لَهُ كُلُّ وَجهٍ عَبُوسٍ
إِذَاwhen مَاemphatic particle أتَتهُcome to him الوُجُوهُthe faces الوِضَاradiant
إِذَا مَا أتَتهُ الوُجُوهُ الوِضَا
May every scowling face be his ransom,
Ransom for him each frowning countenance
whenever the radiant faces come to him—
Should faces come to him in brightness drest, -
وجُوهُthe faces of الرِّجَالِthe men الكِرَامِthe noble الألىwho
وجُوهُ الرِّجَالِ الكِرَامِ الألى
إِذَاwhen مَاemphatic particle تَلَقَّواthey encounter ظَلاَماًdarkness أضَاit shines
إِذَا مَا تَلَقَّوا ظَلاَماً أضَا
the faces of the noble men who,
The faces of the honored generous elite
whenever they encounter darkness, it shines.
Should they meet darkness, and dispel night's shade.
وبَارَكand may He bless فِيهِمin them وفيand in دارَهِمtheir home
وبَارَك فِيهِم وفي دارَهِم
ونَالواand may they receive منfrom اللهGod حُسنَthe goodness of القَضَاthe decree
ونَالوا من الله حُسنَ القَضَا
May He bless them and their home,
For them, their house, God's blessing did descend,
and may they receive from God a favorable decree.
And from God's will they gained the best accolade.
Sol 6.1