نَعَوكَthey announced your death بِهِمconcerning them كانَwas النَعيُّthe death announcement وَلَمand did not تَمُتyou die
نَعَوكَ بِهِم كانَ النَعيُّ وَلَم تَمُت
وَلَوand if مُتَّyou died ماتَdied الظَرفُwit أَجمَعَentirely كُلُّهُall of it
وَلَو مُتَّ ماتَ الظَرفُ أَجمَعَ كُلُّهُ
They announced your death; the death notice concerned them, and you did not die.
They mourned you though you had not died,
And had you died, all wit would have died, every bit of it.
And if you had died, everything charming would have died.
وَماand what اِستَثقَلواthey found burdensome مِنin مُدَّةٍa span of time قَدalready تَكامَلَتhad reached completion
وَما اِستَثقَلوا مِن مُدَّةٍ قَد تَكامَلَت
وَمِنand in عُمُرٍa lifetime لَمdid not يَبقَremain إِلّاexcept أَقَلُّهُthe smallest part of it
وَمِن عُمُرٍ لَم يَبقَ إِلّا أَقَلُّهُ
And what did they find burdensome in a span already complete,
They did not find your long life a burden,
And in a life of which only the smallest part remains,
Nor the little left of your life too short.
عَلىdespite أَنَّthe fact that لَهواًdiversion لِلصَديقِfor the friend يَسُرُّهُit delights him
عَلى أَنَّ لَهواً لِلصَديقِ يَسُرُّهُ
وَدَرءًand a defense عَلىagainst حَدِّthe edge of العَدُوِّthe enemy يَفُلُّهُit blunts it
وَدَرءً عَلى حَدِّ العَدُوِّ يَفُلُّهُ
Though diversion for a friend brings him joy,
To cheer a friend is joy,
And a defense against the enemy’s edge blunts it?
To repel a foe gives cause to cheer.
بَقيتَmay you remain أَباO Abu العَيناءِal-ʿAynāʾ فيناamong us وَلاand may not يَزَلcease
بَقيتَ أَبا العَيناءِ فينا وَلا يَزَل
لَناfor us ظِلُّa shade أُنسٍcompanionship فيin ذَراكَyour shelter نَحُلُّهُwe dwell in it
لَنا ظِلُّ أُنسٍ في ذَراكَ نَحُلُّهُ
May you remain among us, Abu al-ʿAynāʾ, and may there always be
You remain, Abu Al-Ayna, among us,
For us a shade of companionship in your shelter, where we dwell.
And we will always find dear company in your memory.
Sol 6.1