أَتَردَعُنيdo you restrain me? باللَومِwith blame والدهرُand time أردعُmore restraining
أَتَردَعُني باللَومِ والدهرُ أردعُ
وَتفظعand you are appalled مِنby شكوايmy complaint والخطبand the calamity أفظعُmore appalling
وَتفظع مِن شكواي والخطب أفظعُ
Do you restrain me with blame, when time restrains me more?
Do you deter me with blame while fate deters
And are you appalled by my complaint, when the calamity is more appalling?
And are appalled by my complaints though woes appall more
وَتأمُرنيand you command me بالصبرِto be patient والصبرُand patience منهجٌa path
وَتأمُرني بالصبرِ والصبرُ منهجٌ
مَداهُits reach عَلىfor مثليone like me عسيرٌdifficult ممنّعُinaccessible
مَداهُ عَلى مثلي عسيرٌ ممنّعُ
And you bid me be patient, though patience is a path
And bid me have patience though patience for my like
whose reach is arduous and inaccessible to one like me.
Is hard, obstructed in its course and cannot last
وَتعجبُand you marvel مِنat تَضييعِthe wasting of دَمعيmy tears وإنّماyet in fact
وَتعجبُ مِن تَضييعِ دَمعي وإنّما
سُوَيداءُthe innermost core قَلبيmy heart منthan دموعيmy tears أضيعُmore wasted
سُوَيداءُ قَلبي من دموعي أضيعُ
And you marvel at my wasting tears, yet
And wonder at my shedding tears yet my heart
the innermost core of my heart is wasted even more than my tears.
Is darkened by my tears I weep and most prodigal
رَأيتُI have seen منَfrom الأيّامِthe days ماwhat لمnot تَرىyou have seen وقدand indeed
رَأيتُ منَ الأيّامِ ما لم تَرى وقد
سَمِعتI have heard منَfrom الأيّامthe days ماwhat ليسnot تسمعُyou hear
سَمِعت منَ الأيّام ما ليس تسمعُ
I have seen in the days what you have not seen, and indeed
I've seen of fate what you have not and heard
I have heard from the days what you do not hear.
What you can't hear though fate makes deaf its victim
فَماfor not أطابَتgladdened قلبيmy heart حذامHadhām وزينبand Zaynab
فَما أطابَت قلبي حذام وزينب
وَلاnor شاقَنيstirred my longing ربعُthe dwelling-place العذيبal-ʿUdhayb ولعلعُand Laʿlaʿ
وَلا شاقَني ربعُ العذيب ولعلعُ
For Hadhām and Zaynab have not gladdened my heart,
Not Hudham or Zainab made my heart delight
nor have al-ʿUdhayb's dwelling-place and Laʿlaʿ stirred my longing.
Nor Rabi'a or Laila grieve me overmuch
وَلكنbut رمَتنيshot me الحادثاتُcalamities بأسهمٍwith arrows
وَلكن رمَتني الحادثاتُ بأسهمٍ
منَfrom الدهرِtime لاnot ممّاfrom what تأبّطcarried under his arm مصدعُa bold warrior
منَ الدهرِ لا ممّا تأبّط مصدعُ
But calamities have shot me with arrows
But fortunes archers aimed their shafts at me
from time, not those a bold warrior carried under his arm.
With blows not even coats of mail could thrust
سَيرجعُwill return منّاamong us كلّevery ذيone with غيبةٍabsence وماbut no
سَيرجعُ منّا كلّ ذي غيبةٍ وما
لِغائبfor one absent أسفارِjourneys المنيّةdeath مرجعُreturn
لِغائب أسفارِ المنيّة مرجعُ
Every absent one among us will return, but there is no
All who depart will return but death the inn
return for one away on death's journeys.
Of no return has no chambers for the guest
وَكَمand how many غائبٍan absent one تحتَbeneath الترابِthe earth وشخصهand his form
وَكَم غائبٍ تحتَ الترابِ وشخصه
لَهُfor him بينَamong أحشاءthe inward parts مقامٌa dwelling ومربعُand an abode
لَهُ بينَ أحشاء مقامٌ ومربعُ
And how many an absent one lies beneath the earth, while his image
Many asleep under the soil who in the tomb
has a dwelling and an abode within my breast.
Have places decked and ready for their rest
تُحاولseeks عَينيmy eye نظرةًa glimpse منهُof him لمnot تجدhas found
تُحاول عَيني نظرةً منهُ لم تجد
وَناظرُand the eye قَلبيmy heart فيهin him يرعىgrazes ويرتعُand roams freely
وَناظرُ قَلبي فيه يرعى ويرتعُ
My eye seeks a glimpse of him, but has found none,
My eyes seek but a glimpse of them and fail
and my heart's eye grazes and roams freely in him.
While my heart's spying shepherd roams to their bequest
وَأَحسبُand I think ألّاthat there is no نفعهits benefit إلّاexcept كماas أناI
وَأَحسبُ ألّا نفعه إلّا كما أنا
أبثُّpour out my grief وأشكوand complain إلّاexcept اِنثنتit turned back تتصدّعُbreaking apart
أبثُّ وأشكو إلّا اِنثنت تتصدّعُ
And I think there is no benefit in it, except as I
And I suppose my gain is only tears
pour out my grief and complain—only for it to turn back, breaking apart.
I pour and plaints to unhearing walls addressed
فَكَمso how often أَناI أرثيlament أعدّcount وكمand how often وكمand how often
فَكَم أَنا أرثي أعدّ وكم وكم
أَنوحُI wail وكَمand how often أَبكيI weep وكمand how often أتفجّعُI grieve deeply
أَنوحُ وكَم أَبكي وكم أتفجّعُ
So how often I lament and count—and how often, how often
How many friends I've mourned already and how often
I wail, and how often I weep, and how often I grieve deeply!
Keened and wept and cried how many tears expressed
وَماand not اِقتنعتwere satisfied منّيfrom me صروفthe vicissitudes الردىof death بماwith what
وَما اِقتنعت منّي صروف الردى بما
أَصابتthey inflicted وهلand is there منany بعدafter ذلكthat مقنعُsatisfaction
أَصابت وهل من بعد ذلك مقنعُ
Nor were death's vicissitudes content with what
Nor were the turns of fortune satisfied
they had inflicted on me—and could anything satisfy them after that?
With all the blows on me they had impressed
وَلَمand not تَكتفيwere content منّيfrom me بفقدwith the loss of الّذيthe one whom أناI
وَلَم تَكتفي منّي بفقد الّذي أنا
مَدىthroughout عمريmy life قلبيmy heart لهfor him يتقطّعُis torn apart
مَدى عمري قلبي له يتقطّعُ
Nor were they content with my loss of the one for whom
Not content to bereave me of the one whose loss
my heart is torn apart throughout my life,
Left my heart shattered, severed in my chest
إِلىuntil أَنthat أَصابَتنيthey struck me برزءwith the loss of الّذيthe one whom أناI
إِلى أَن أَصابَتني برزء الّذي أنا
إِلىto غيثِthe rain جدوىof bounty كفّهhis hand كنتI used to أنجعُjourney for sustenance
إِلى غيثِ جدوى كفّه كنت أنجعُ
until they struck me with the loss of the one
Till I was struck down by the stroke whose wielder was
to whose hand's rain of bounty I used to journey.
My only comfort on the day distress
فَزادَتso they added عَلىto الجرحِthe wound القديمِold جراحهits wounds
فَزادَت عَلى الجرحِ القديمِ جراحه
وناراًand a fire علىupon نارٍa fire منَof الحزنsorrow تلذعُsears
وناراً على نارٍ منَ الحزن تلذعُ
So they added its wounds to the old wound,
To older wounds were added injuries new
and a fire upon a fire of sorrow that sears.
Fires heaped on fires that rage within my breast
تقضّىpassed away الهمامُthe valiant man القرمthe chieftain كهلانKahlān واِنقَضتand ended
تقضّى الهمامُ القرم كهلان واِنقَضت
مَخايلthe portents آمالٍof hopes تسحُّpour down وتهمعُand stream
مَخايل آمالٍ تسحُّ وتهمعُ
The valiant chieftain Kahlān passed away, and vanished
Youth's zeal is wasted on the aged and the plans
the portents of hopes that poured and streamed.
I built in hope are leveled with the rest
فَياso, oh سوءَthe wretchedness حالthe state المجدِof glory مِنfrom بعدafter ماwhen غدتwent forth
فَيا سوءَ حال المجدِ مِن بعد ما غدت
تخبُّtrot بهِwith it عيسpale camels المناياdeaths وتوضعُand hasten
تخبُّ بهِ عيس المنايا وتوضعُ
Oh, how wretched glory's state, now that
Oh what a state where glory lies disgraced
death's pale camels trot and hasten away with it!
And mighty works decay and are divested
فَتىًa youth لَمnot يَكُنwas مِنfrom بطشهِhis force غيرother than نفسهhis own self
فَتىً لَم يَكُن مِن بطشهِ غير نفسه
إليهِwith him شفيعan intercessor للمُسيئينَfor wrongdoers يشفعُintercedes
إليهِ شفيع للمُسيئينَ يشفعُ
A youth against whose wrath none but his own self
A man whose wrath spared any but himself
was an intercessor with him, pleading for wrongdoers.
Who interceded for all transgressors' bequest
وَكانَتand there were لهُfor him للزائرينَfor visitors خلائقٌqualities of character
وَكانَت لهُ للزائرينَ خلائقٌ
يقصّرfalls short عنهاof them البابليُّBabylonian wine المشعشعُmixed with water
يقصّر عنها البابليُّ المشعشعُ
And for his visitors he had qualities
A man whose nature was to spread good cheer
that Babylonian wine mixed with water could not match.
To give the sad heart ease and gentle rest
خلاقٌtraits تَهادتswayed gently بالسرورِwith delight لطيفةgentle
خلاقٌ تَهادت بالسرورِ لطيفة
تقرُّfinds comfort بِهاthrough them عينُthe eye الحزينof the sorrowful وتهجعُand sleeps
تقرُّ بِها عينُ الحزين وتهجعُ
Gentle traits that came swaying with joy,
Console Abu Duhman for this unforeseen event
through which the sorrowful eye finds comfort and sleeps.
Whose ordained writ no creature can protest
تعزّtake comfort أَباAbū (father of) دهمانَDahmān فيin الحادثِthe calamity الّذيthat
تعزّ أَبا دهمانَ في الحادثِ الّذي
أَصابَstruck فماfor there is no ممّاof what قَضىdecreed اللّهGod مجزعُoccasion for anguish
أَصابَ فما ممّا قَضى اللّه مجزعُ
Take comfort, Abū Dahmān, in the calamity that
If all horizons narrow for what came to pass
has struck; there is no place for anguish over what God has decreed.
Your judgment in their breadth finds roomiest
فَإِنso if ضاقتِgrew narrow الآفاقُthe horizons ذرعاًin capacity to bear بماat what جرىhappened
فَإِن ضاقتِ الآفاقُ ذرعاً بما جرى
فَحكمكَthen your judgment منهاthan them ياO اِبنson of نبهانNabhān أوسعُbroader
فَحكمكَ منها يا اِبن نبهان أوسعُ
If the horizons are too narrow to bear what has happened,
If death has claimed your brother passing is
then your judgment, O son of Nabhān, is broader than they are.
The solace for calamities long suppressed
وَإِنand though كانَwas قَدalready أَودىperished أَخوكyour brother فإنّماthen indeed
وَإِن كانَ قَد أَودى أَخوك فإنّما
طريقُthe path التسلّيof consolation بالأوائلِthrough those gone before مهيعُbroad and clear
طريقُ التسلّي بالأوائلِ مهيعُ
And though your brother has perished, surely
What kings before him died while pleasure domes
the path of consolation through those gone before is broad and clear.
And all their joys and music were divested
فَكمfor how many ملكٍa king مِنfrom قبلهِbefore him ماتَdied واِغتَدتand became
فَكم ملكٍ مِن قبلهِ ماتَ واِغتَدت
مَغانيهِhis dwellings قفراًdesolate بعدهafter him فهيso they are بلقعُa barren waste
مَغانيهِ قفراً بعده فهي بلقعُ
For how many a king before him died, and then
Where is the son of Dara, Khusraw, Caesar gone
his dwellings became desolate after him—a barren waste!
And he who reigned two days where is Tubba's bequest
فَأَينَso where اِبنthe son of داراDārā وَكسرىand Kisrā وقيصرand Caesar
فَأَينَ اِبن دارا وَكسرى وقيصر
وَأَينand where أَخوthe man of اليومينthe two days بلrather أينَwhere تبَّعُTubbaʿ
وَأَين أَخو اليومين بل أينَ تبَّعُ
So where are the son of Dārā, Kisrā, and Caesar?
And where is the man of the two days—nay, where is Tubbaʿ?
Partial English translation: 48 of 50 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1