لَعَمرُكَby your life ماnot آسىI grieve إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle تَحَمَّلَتdeparted
لَعَمرُكَ ما آسى إِذا ما تَحَمَّلَت
عَنِfrom الجِسمِthe body روحٌa soul كانَwas يُدعىcalled لَهاfor it رَبعاa dwelling
عَنِ الجِسمِ روحٌ كانَ يُدعى لَها رَبعا
By your life, I do not grieve when it departs—
By your life! I shall not grieve when
a soul, from the body that was called its dwelling.
A soul that was called generous leaves the body.
وَماand not أَسأَلُI ask الأَحياءَthe living بَعديafter my death زِيارَةًa visit
وَما أَسأَلُ الأَحياءَ بَعدي زِيارَةً
ثَلاثاًthree times لإِيناسِto comfort الدَفينِthe buried one وَلاnor سَبعاseven times
ثَلاثاً لإِيناسِ الدَفينِ وَلا سَبعا
And I ask the living for no visits after my death—
And I do not ask the living after me for frequent visitation -
neither three to comfort the buried, nor seven.
Thrice to the narrow grave or seven times.
وَلاnor تَرِثُinherit الزَوجاتُthe wives عَنِّيَfrom me حِصَةًa share
وَلا تَرِثُ الزَوجاتُ عَنِّيَ حِصَةً
مِنَof المالِthe wealth ثُمَناًan eighth فيin الفَريضَةِthe prescribed inheritance division أَوor رُبعاa quarter
مِنَ المالِ ثُمَناً في الفَريضَةِ أَو رُبعا
Nor shall wives inherit from me a share
Nor shall the wives inherit from me
of wealth—an eighth in the prescribed division, or a quarter.
A portion or a fourth of wealth in the law of inheritance.
جِوارُliving beside بَنيthe sons of الدُنِّياthis world ضَنىًa wasting sickness ليto me دائِمٌconstant
جِوارُ بَني الدُنِّيا ضَنىً لي دائِمٌ
تَمَنَّيتُI wished for لَمّاwhen شَفَّنيit wasted me الغِبَّfever every other day وَالرِبعاand fever every fourth day
تَمَنَّيتُ لَمّا شَفَّني الغِبَّ وَالرِبعا
Living beside the sons of this world is a constant wasting sickness to me;
The company of the people of this lowly world was irksome to me,
when it wasted me, I wished for tertian and quartan fevers.
When absence and remoteness gave me pleasure.
لَقَدindeed فَعَلواthey did الخَيرَthe good القَليلَthe little تَكَلُّفاًwith forced effort
لَقَد فَعَلوا الخَيرَ القَليلَ تَكَلُّفاً
وَجاؤُواand they committed الَّذيwhat جاؤُوهُthey committed it مِنof شَرِّهِمtheir evil طَبعاby nature
وَجاؤُوا الَّذي جاؤُوهُ مِن شَرِّهِم طَبعا
Indeed, they did their little good by forcing themselves,
Indeed, they did little good reluctantly
and whatever evil they committed, they did by nature.
And did the evil that they did naturally.
فَأَينَwhere, then يَنابيعُsprings النَدىgenerosity وَبِحارُهُand its seas
فَأَينَ يَنابيعُ النَدى وَبِحارُهُ
وَهَلand have ...? أَبقَتِleft الأَيّامُthe days مِنof أَسَدٍa lion ضَبعاa foreleg
وَهَل أَبقَتِ الأَيّامُ مِن أَسَدٍ ضَبعا
Where, then, are the springs of generosity and its seas?
So where are the springs of dew and their seas?
And have the days left even a lion's foreleg?
And did the days leave any lion a cub?
إِذاif حُرِقَتare burned عيدانُهُمtheir branches فَأُلُوَّةٌthen aloeswood
إِذا حُرِقَت عيدانُهُم فَأُلُوَّةٌ
وَهَلand have ...? أَبقَتِleft الَيّامُthe days مِنof أَسَدٍa lion ضَبعاa foreleg
وَهَل أَبقَتِ الَيّامُ مِن أَسَدٍ ضَبعا
If their branches are burned, they are aloeswood.
When their fire-sticks are burnt, they are gloomy.
And have the days left even a lion's foreleg?
And did the days leave any lion a cub?
Sol 6.1