آهاAlas! ولوand if نفعتit benefited منwhoever قالsaid أوّاهاAlas!
آها ولو نفعت من قال أوّاها
كررتهاI would repeat it ولعمريand by my life لمdid not اقلI say واهاAh! (admiration)
كررتها ولعمري لم اقل واها
Alas! If it could help the one who cried 'Alas,'
Alas, if only my advice would benefit one who cried "Alas!"
I would repeat it; by my life, I did not cry 'Ah, how fine!'
I would repeat it though by my life I never said "Woe!"
نارfire الوغىbattle والقرىand hospitality بالأمسyesterday واريةblazing
نار الوغى والقرى بالأمس وارية
وهاand behold هيit اليومtoday حكمthe decree اللَهGod واراهاburied it
وها هي اليوم حكم اللَه واراها
The fire of battle and hospitality blazed yesterday;
The fires of turmoil burned the villages yesterday,
And behold it today: God's decree has buried it.
Yet today, behold them - God's judgment has restored them.
ماتdied الأميرthe prince التيwhose كانتwas مهابتهhis awe-inspiring majesty
مات الأمير التي كانت مهابته
جميعall منwhoever وطئtrod الغبراءthe dusty earth يخشاهاfears it
جميع من وطئ الغبراء يخشاها
The prince has died, whose awe-inspiring majesty
The prince who all who trod the dust feared
Was feared by all who trod the dusty earth.
Has died - his might is gone that they dreaded.
ومنand he who مكارمهhis noble deeds عمتreached everyone وشيدand he built بهاwith them
ومن مكارمه عمت وشيد بها
بيتhouse المعاليhigh honors حتىuntil احتلhe occupied أعلاهاthe highest of them
بيت المعالي حتى احتل أعلاها
And he whose noble deeds reached everyone, who built with them
Among his virtues which spread and were built upon
The house of high honors, until he attained their highest rank.
Were the House of Glorious Deeds, raised to the summit.
ومنand he who سدوسSadus بهthrough him شاعتbecame renowned مفاخرهاits glories
ومن سدوس به شاعت مفاخرها
يومthe day المفاخرglories أولاهاthe first of them وأخراهاand the last of them
يوم المفاخر أولاها وأخراها
And he through whom Sadus's glories became renowned,
From his integrity his merits proliferated
On the day of vying in glory, from first to last.
On the day of merits, the first and last of them.
قدindeed كانhe was أصدقهاthe most truthful of them قولاًin speech وأحسنهاand the best of them
قد كان أصدقها قولاً وأحسنها
فعلاًin deeds وأرسبهاand the most profound of them عقلاًin judgment وأوفاهاand the most faithful of them
فعلاً وأرسبها عقلاً وأوفاها
He was indeed the most truthful of them in speech, the finest
He was truest in word, finest in deed,
In deeds, the deepest in judgment, and the most faithful:
Soundest in mind, and most faithful.
أبوfather of الحسينal-Husayn عليّAli خيرthe best منthose who فخرتboasted
أبو الحسين عليّ خير من فخرت
علىover المطاياthe mounts مطاياmounts قدalready تمطاهاhe rode them
على المطايا مطايا قد تمطاها
Abu al-Husayn Ali, the best of men whose mounts boasted
Abu al-Husayn Ali was best of those
Over other mounts—the mounts that he had ridden.
Who paraded on steeds that raced them.
إنif كانhe was ماتdied فماthen ... not ماتتdied مكارمهhis noble deeds
إن كان مات فما ماتت مكارمه
بيانهاtheir recounting وجميلand fair الذكرremembrance أحياهاrevived them
بيانها وجميل الذكر أحياها
If he has died, his noble deeds have not died;
If he died, his virtues did not die -
Their recounting and fair remembrance have kept them alive.
Their clarity and his memory's beauty revived them.
بعامرthrough Amir عمرmade flourish اللَهGod البلادthe land وقدand indeed
بعامر عمر اللَه البلاد وقد
أحياrevived العبادthe people بهthrough him لماwhen تولاهاhe took charge of it
أحيا العباد به لما تولاها
Through Amir, God has made the land flourish, and has
With Umar living long, God has revived the land
Revived the people through him when he took charge of it.
And its people through him since he assumed it.
أمستcame to be عميرUmayr بهthrough him فيin حفظprotection مؤتمنa trusted guardian
أمست عمير به في حفظ مؤتمن
عنfrom كلevery نائبةcalamity الأيامthe days وقاهاhe protected it
عن كل نائبة الأيام وقاها
Through him, Umayr came under a trusted guardian's care;
With him Umayr safeguards what is entrusted
He shielded it from every calamity of time.
From every affliction of time and protects it.
إنif أعوزواthey were in need لنوالfor bounty عمهمhe embraced them all كرماgenerously
إن أعوزوا لنوال عمهم كرما
أوor حاذرواthey feared نوباcalamities ماnot إنemphatic particle توقاهاhe shunned them
أو حاذروا نوبا ما إن توقاها
If they need bounty, he embraces them all with generosity;
If they lack to gain his generous uncle's bounty
Or if they dread calamities, he does not shrink from them.
Or fear his ire, he wards it off and averts it.
لازالmay he remain فيin العمرlifespan لقمانLuqman وأنسرهand his vultures
لازال في العمر لقمان وأنسره
فيin حفظthe protection of يسYa-Sin عماfrom whatever خافhe feared أوor طاهاTa-Ha
في حفظ يس عما خاف أو طاها
May he live as long as Luqman and his vultures,
He remains in life Luqman, and most felicitous -
Protected from whatever he fears by Ya-Sin or Ta-Ha.
Preserving Jesus from what he fears or veils him.
ولاand not تزالcease بيوتverses الحمدpraise قاصدةjourneying
ولا تزال بيوت الحمد قاصدة
منيfrom me إليهto him ومنand whoever عاداهopposed him يقراهاreads them
مني إليه ومن عاداه يقراها
And may verses of praise forever journey
The houses of praise will ever be bound
From me to him, while whoever opposes him reads them.
For me to him; from him who hates him he shields me.
والحمدand praise أفضلbetter منthan مالwealth سمحتyou were generous بهwith it
والحمد أفضل من مال سمحت به
هيهاتfar from it! ماnot لاحمدpraise (likely intended reading) والأموالand wealth أشباهاalike
هيهات ما لاحمد والأموال أشباها
And praise is worth more than the wealth you freely bestowed;
Praise is superior to wealth dispensed generously -
Far from it! Praise and wealth are not alike.
Never! Laudation and riches are not its equal.
Sol 6.1