أَفيis there in مُستَهِلّاتِfirst outpourings الدُموعِthe tears السَوافِحِstreaming
أَفي مُستَهِلّاتِ الدُموعِ السَوافِحِ
إِذاwhen جُدنَthey flow freely بُرءٌa cure مِنfor جَوىًburning anguish فيin الجَوىًنِحِthe ribs
إِذا جُدنَ بُرءٌ مِن جَوىً في الجَوىًنِحِ
Is there, in the first outpourings of streaming tears,
when they flow freely, a cure for anguish within the ribs?
لَعَمرِيَby my life قَدindeed بَقّىleft behind وَصَيفٌWasif بِهُلكِهِthrough his death
لَعَمرِيَ قَد بَقّى وَصَيفٌ بِهُلكِهِ
عَقابيلَlingering aftereffects سَقمٍillness لِلقُلوبِfor the hearts الصَحائِحِhealthy
عَقابيلَ سَقمٍ لِلقُلوبِ الصَحائِحِ
By my life, Wasif has left, through his death,
lingering aftereffects of sickness in sound hearts.
أَسىًgrief مُبرِحٌagonizing بَزَّrobbed العُيونَthe eyes دُموعَهاtheir tears
أَسىً مُبرِحٌ بَزَّ العُيونَ دُموعَها
لِمَثوىfor the resting place مُقيمٍone abiding فيin الثَرىthe earth غَيرُnot بارِحِdeparting
لِمَثوى مُقيمٍ في الثَرى غَيرُ بارِحِ
An agonizing grief has robbed the eyes of their tears,
for the resting place of one abiding in the earth, never departing.
فَيالَكَso, what a wonder for you! مِنof حَزمٍprudence وَعَزمٍand resolve طَواهُماfolded them both away
فَيالَكَ مِن حَزمٍ وَعَزمٍ طَواهُما
جَديدُnewly come الرَدىdeath تَحتَbeneath الثَرىthe earth وَالصَفائِحِand the stone slabs
جَديدُ الرَدى تَحتَ الثَرى وَالصَفائِحِ
And oh, what prudence and resolve were folded away
by death, newly come, beneath the earth and stone slabs!
أَساءَكَdid it grieve you? مِنfrom شَيخِthe chief of المَواليthe retainers نُزولَهُhis coming to rest
أَساءَكَ مِن شَيخِ المَوالي نُزولَهُ
بِمَنزِلِin an abode دانيnear مَوضِعِthe site of الدارِthe home نازِحِfar away
بِمَنزِلِ داني مَوضِعِ الدارِ نازِحِ
Did it grieve you that the chief of the retainers came to rest
in an abode near his home's site, yet far away?
إِذاwhen جَدَّspoke earnestly ناعيهِthe announcer of his death تَوَهَّمتَyou imagined أَنَّهُthat he
إِذا جَدَّ ناعيهِ تَوَهَّمتَ أَنَّهُ
يُكَرِّرُrepeats مِنamong أَخبارِهِhis reports قَولَthe words of مازِحِsomeone joking
يُكَرِّرُ مِن أَخبارِهِ قَولَ مازِحِ
When the announcer of his death spoke earnestly, you imagined he
was repeating, among his reports, the words of someone joking.
وَماand not كُنتُI was أَخشىI feared أَنthat يُرامَbe targeted مَكانُهُhis station
وَما كُنتُ أَخشى أَن يُرامَ مَكانُهُ
بِشَيءٍby anything سِوىexcept لَحظِthe glances of العُيونِthe eyes الطَوامِحِambitious
بِشَيءٍ سِوى لَحظِ العُيونِ الطَوامِحِ
And I had not feared that his station would be targeted
by anything but the glances of ambitious eyes.
وَلَوand if أَنَّهُthat he خافَfeared الظُلامَةَinjustice لَاِعتَزىhe would have sought support
وَلَو أَنَّهُ خافَ الظُلامَةَ لَاِعتَزى
إِلىto عُصَبٍbands غُلبِthick الرِقابِof neck جَحاجِحِmighty chieftains
إِلى عُصَبٍ غُلبِ الرِقابِ جَحاجِحِ
And had he feared injustice, he would have sought support
from bands of thick-necked, mighty chieftains.
فَياso, oh! لَضَلالِwhat misguidance of الرَأيِjudgment كَيفَhow أَرادَهُtargeted him
فَيا لَضَلالِ الرَأيِ كَيفَ أَرادَهُ
أَحِبّاؤُهُhis loved ones بِالمُعضِلاتِwith grievous afflictions الجَوائِحِdevastating
أَحِبّاؤُهُ بِالمُعضِلاتِ الجَوائِحِ
So, what misguided judgment! How could they target him—
his loved ones—with devastating afflictions?
تَغَيَّبَstayed away أَهلُthe people of النَصرِaid عَنهُfrom him وَأُحضِرَتand was brought forth
تَغَيَّبَ أَهلُ النَصرِ عَنهُ وَأُحضِرَت
سَفاهَةُfolly مَضعوفٍone deemed weak وَتَكثيرُand exaggeration كاشِحِa spiteful foe
سَفاهَةُ مَضعوفٍ وَتَكثيرُ كاشِحِ
His supporters stayed away from him, and there was brought forth
the folly of one deemed weak and a spiteful foe's exaggerations.
فَأَلّاthen why not? نَهاهُمdeterred them عَنfrom تَوَرُّدِassailing نَفسِهِhis life
فَأَلّا نَهاهُم عَن تَوَرُّدِ نَفسِهِ
تَقَلُّبُcoming and going غادٍone going at dawn فيin رِضاهُمtheir satisfaction وَرائِحِand one returning at dusk
تَقَلُّبُ غادٍ في رِضاهُم وَرائِحِ
Why, then, were they not kept from assailing his life
by his coming and going, morning and evening, to please them?
وَأَلّاand why not? أَعَدّواthey prepared بَأسَهُhis might وَانتِقامَهُand his vengeance
وَأَلّا أَعَدّوا بَأسَهُ وَانتِقامَهُ
لِكَبشِfor the ram of العَدُوِّthe enemy المُستَميتِfighting to the death المُناطِحِlocking horns
لِكَبشِ العَدُوِّ المُستَميتِ المُناطِحِ
And why did they not marshal his might and vengeance
for the enemy's ram, fighting to the death and locking horns?
قَتيلٌa slain man يَعُمُّencompasses المُسلِمينَthe Muslims مُصابُهُhis loss
قَتيلٌ يَعُمُّ المُسلِمينَ مُصابُهُ
وَإِنand though خَصَّsingled out مِنthrough قُربٍclose ties قُرَيشَQuraysh الأَباطِحِthe broad valley-beds
وَإِن خَصَّ مِن قُربٍ قُرَيشَ الأَباطِحِ
A slain man whose loss afflicts all Muslims,
though, through close ties, it singles out Quraysh of the broad valleys.
تَوَلّىhe departed بِعَزمٍwith resolve لِلخِلافَةِfor the caliphate ناصِرِsupporting
تَوَلّى بِعَزمٍ لِلخِلافَةِ ناصِرِ
كَلوءٍever-watchful وَصَدرٍand a heart لِلخَليفَةِto the caliph ناصِحِsincere in counsel
كَلوءٍ وَصَدرٍ لِلخَليفَةِ ناصِحِ
He departed with a resolve that upheld the caliphate,
ever-watchful, and a heart sincere in counsel to the caliph.
وَكانَand he was لِتَقويمِto straighten الأُمورِaffairs إِذاwhen التَوَتthey grew tangled
وَكانَ لِتَقويمِ الأُمورِ إِذا التَوَت
عَلَيهِfor him وَتَدبيرِand directing الحُروبِthe wars اللَواقِحِpregnant with strife
عَلَيهِ وَتَدبيرِ الحُروبِ اللَواقِحِ
And he was there to straighten affairs when they grew tangled
for him, and to direct wars pregnant with strife.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle جَرَواthey raced فيin حَلبَةِthe racing arena of الرَأيِjudgment بَرَّزَتoutstripped
إِذا ما جَرَوا في حَلبَةِ الرَأيِ بَرَّزَت
تَجاريبُexperiences مَعروفٍone renowned لَهُfor him السَبقُthe lead قارِحِa mature steed
تَجاريبُ مَعروفٍ لَهُ السَبقُ قارِحِ
When they raced in the arena of judgment, they were outstripped
by the experience of a mature steed renowned for taking the lead.
سَقىmay water عَهدَهُhis remembered days فيin كُلِّevery مُمساًevening وَمُصبَحٍand morning
سَقى عَهدَهُ في كُلِّ مُمساً وَمُصبَحٍ
دَراكُsuccessive arrivals الغُيومِof the clouds الغادِياتِcoming at dawn الرَوائِحِreturning at dusk
دَراكُ الغُيومِ الغادِياتِ الرَوائِحِ
May his remembered days be watered, every evening and morning,
by successive clouds, coming at dawn and returning at dusk.
تَعَزَّtake comfort أَميرَCommander of المُؤمِنينَthe Faithful فَإِنَّهاfor these are
تَعَزَّ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ فَإِنَّها
مُلِمّاتُcalamities أَحداثِthe happenings of الزَمانِtime الفَوادِحِgrievous
مُلِمّاتُ أَحداثِ الزَمانِ الفَوادِحِ
Take comfort, Commander of the Faithful, for these are
the calamities of time's grievous turns.
لَئِنif indeed عَلِقَتthey seized مَولاكَyour retainer صُبحاًat dawn فَبَعدَماthen after
لَئِن عَلِقَت مَولاكَ صُبحاً فَبَعدَما
أَقامَتthey set up عَلىover الأَقوامِthe peoples حَسرىweary النَوائِحِthe mourning women
أَقامَت عَلى الأَقوامِ حَسرى النَوائِحِ
If they seized your retainer at dawn, it was only after
they had set weary mourners lamenting over the peoples.
مَضىhe passed away غَيرَnot مَذمومٍblamed فَأَصبَحَand so became ذِكرُهُhis memory
مَضى غَيرَ مَذمومٍ فَأَصبَحَ ذِكرُهُ
حُلِيَّthe adornment of القَوافيrhymes بَينَamong راثٍan elegist وَمادِحِand a panegyrist
حُلِيَّ القَوافي بَينَ راثٍ وَمادِحِ
He passed away without reproach, and his memory became
the ornament of rhymes for elegist and panegyrist alike.
فَلَمso not أَرَI have seen مَفقوداًa departed man لَهُfor him مِثلُthe like of رُزئِهِhis loss
فَلَم أَرَ مَفقوداً لَهُ مِثلُ رُزئِهِ
وَلاnor خَلَفاًa successor مِنfrom مِثلِهِone like him مِثلَlike صالِحِSalih
وَلا خَلَفاً مِن مِثلِهِ مِثلَ صالِحِ
So I have never seen a departed man whose loss matched his,
nor a successor from one like him to equal Salih.
وَقورٌdignified تُعانيهِput him to the test الأُمورُaffairs فَتَنجَليand then clears
وَقورٌ تُعانيهِ الأُمورُ فَتَنجَلي
غَيايَتُهاtheir cloud عَنrevealing وازِنِweighty in الحِلمِforbearance راجِحِpreeminent
غَيايَتُها عَن وازِنِ الحِلمِ راجِحِ
Dignified, he is tested by affairs, and then
their cloud clears, revealing a man of weighty, surpassing forbearance.
رَمَيتَyou cast بِهِwith him أُفقَthe horizon of الشَآمَal-Sham وَإِنَّماand in truth
رَمَيتَ بِهِ أُفقَ الشَآمَ وَإِنَّما
رَمَيتَyou cast بِنَجمٍwith a star فيin الدُجَنَّةِthe darkness لائِحِgleaming
رَمَيتَ بِنَجمٍ في الدُجَنَّةِ لائِحِ
You cast him toward al-Sham's horizon, and what you truly
cast was a star gleaming in the darkness.
إِذاwhen اختَلَفَتdiverged سُبلُthe paths of الرِجالِmen وَجَدتَهُyou find him
إِذا اختَلَفَت سُبلُ الرِجالِ وَجَدتَهُ
مُقيماًsteadfast عَلىon نَهجٍa path مِنَof القَولِspeech واضِحِclear
مُقيماً عَلى نَهجٍ مِنَ القَولِ واضِحِ
When men's paths diverge, you find him
steadfast on a clear path of speech.
سَيُرضيكَhe will please you هَدياًin manner فيin الأُمورِaffairs وَسيرَةًand conduct
سَيُرضيكَ هَدياً في الأُمورِ وَسيرَةً
وَيَكفيكَand he will spare you شَغبَthe troublemaking of الأَبلَخِthe arrogant man المُتَجانِحِwayward
وَيَكفيكَ شَغبَ الأَبلَخِ المُتَجانِحِ
He will please you by his manner in affairs and his conduct,
and spare you the trouble of the arrogant, wayward man.
Sol 6.1