أَرىI see كُلَّevery أُمٍّmother عُبرُهاher bereavement غَيرُnot مُبطِئٍslow in coming
أَرى كُلَّ أُمٍّ عُبرُها غَيرُ مُبطِئٍ
وَماand not أُمُّmother دَفرٍDafr (stench) بِالَّتيthe one whose بانَbecame apparent عُبرُهاher bereavement
وَما أُمُّ دَفرٍ بِالَّتي بانَ عُبرُها
I see bereavement come without delay to every mother,
yet Umm Dafr shows no sign of bereavement.
هِيَit is النَفسُthe soul تَهوىdesires الرُحبَspaciousness فيin كُلِّevery مَنزِلٍdwelling
هِيَ النَفسُ تَهوى الرُحبَ في كُلِّ مَنزِلٍ
فَكَيفَso how بِهاfor it إِنif ضاقَbecame cramped فيin الأَرضِthe earth قَبرُهاits grave
فَكَيفَ بِها إِن ضاقَ في الأَرضِ قَبرُها
It is the soul: it loves spaciousness in every dwelling;
how then will it fare if its grave in the earth is cramped?
وَآخِرُand the last عَهدِencounter القَومِof the people بيwith me يَومَthe day تَنطَويcloses
وَآخِرُ عَهدِ القَومِ بي يَومَ تَنطَوي
عَلَيَّover me جَرورُa deep well الوَردِof watering يُكرَهُis dreaded زَبرُهاits stone lining
عَلَيَّ جَرورُ الوَردِ يُكرَهُ زَبرُها
The people's last encounter with me will be the day there closes
over me a deep watering-well, whose stone lining is dreaded.
فَهَلthen does يَرتَجيhope for خُضرَgreen ones المَلابِسِof the garments ظاعِنٌa departing traveler
فَهَل يَرتَجي خُضرَ المَلابِسِ ظاعِنٌ
وَقَدand already مُزِّقَتhave been torn فيin باطِنِthe depths التُربِof the soil غُبرُهاtheir gray ones
وَقَد مُزِّقَت في باطِنِ التُربِ غُبرُها
Does a departing traveler hope for green garments,
when their gray ones have been torn within the soil?
أَتَتنِيَhave reached me أَنباءٌreports كَثيرٌmany شُجونُهاtheir ramifications
أَتَتنِيَ أَنباءٌ كَثيرٌ شُجونُها
لَهاthey have طُرُقٌpaths أَعياbaffled عَلىfor الناسِhumankind خُبرُهاunderstanding of them
لَها طُرُقٌ أَعيا عَلى الناسِ خُبرُها
Reports have reached me, their ramifications many,
with paths whose true nature has baffled humankind.
هَفاfaltered دونَهاbefore them قَسُّthe priest النَصارىof the Christians وَموبَذُand the mobed الthe
هَفا دونَها قَسُّ النَصارى وَموبَذُ ال
مَجوسِMagi وَدَيّانُand the judge اليَهودِof the Jews وَحَبرُهاand their rabbi
مَجوسِ وَدَيّانُ اليَهودِ وَحَبرُها
The Christian priest faltered before them, and the mobed of the
Magi, and the Jews' judge and their rabbi.
وَخَطّواand they wrote أَحاديثاًtales لَهُمof their own فيon صَحائِفٍpages
وَخَطّوا أَحاديثاً لَهُم في صَحائِفٍ
لَقَدindeed ضاعَتwere wasted الأَوراقُthe pages فيهاon them وَحِبرُهاand their ink
لَقَد ضاعَت الأَوراقُ فيها وَحِبرُها
They inscribed their own tales on pages;
the paper and its ink were indeed wasted on them.
تَخالَفَتِdisagreed الأَشياعُthe sects فيabout عُقَبِthe aftermath الرَدىof death
تَخالَفَتِ الأَشياعُ في عُقَبِ الرَدى
وَتِلكَand those بِحارٌseas لَيسَnot يُدرَكُcan be reached عِبرُهاtheir farther shore
وَتِلكَ بِحارٌ لَيسَ يُدرَكُ عِبرُها
The sects have disagreed over what follows death;
those are seas whose farther shores cannot be reached.
وَقيلَand it was said نُفوسُthe souls الناسِof people تَسطيعُcan فِعلَهاtheir actions
وَقيلَ نُفوسُ الناسِ تَسطيعُ فِعلَها
وَقالَand said رِجالٌmen بَلrather تَبَيَّنَbecame clear جَبرُهاtheir being compelled
وَقالَ رِجالٌ بَل تَبَيَّنَ جَبرُها
It has been said that human souls can perform their acts;
and men have said, 'Rather, their compulsion is clear.'
وَلَوeven if خُلِقَتwere created أَجسادُناour bodies مِنfrom صَبارَةٍhard stone
وَلَو خُلِقَت أَجسادُنا مِن صَبارَةٍ
لَقَلَّwould surely dwindle عَلىunder كَرِّthe repeated assaults الحَوادِثِof calamities صَبرُهاtheir endurance
لَقَلَّ عَلى كَرِّ الحَوادِثِ صَبرُها
Even if our bodies were fashioned from hard stone,
their endurance would dwindle under calamities' repeated assaults.
يَجيئُكَcome to you شَهراًtwo months ناجِرٍof Najir بَعدَafter قَرِّهاtheir cold
يَجيئُكَ شَهراً ناجِرٍ بَعدَ قَرِّها
وَصِنَّبُرهاand their Sinnabr بَعدَafter المَقيظِthe summer heat وَوَبرُهاand their Wabr
وَصِنَّبُرها بَعدَ المَقيظِ وَوَبرُها
Najir's two months come to you after the cold,
and Sinnabr and Wabr after the summer heat.
وَماand not أَحرَزَتsafeguarded نَفسَthe life المُدَجَّجِof the armored warrior فيin الوَغىbattle
وَما أَحرَزَت نَفسَ المُدَجَّجِ في الوَغى
مُضَبِّرَةٌa leaping mare يَستَأسِرُtakes captive الوَحشُwild beasts ضَبرُهاher bounding
مُضَبِّرَةٌ يَستَأسِرُ الوَحشُ ضَبرُها
Nor has the armored warrior's life in battle been saved
by a leaping mare whose bounds take wild beasts captive,
أَوor النَثرَةُthe chain mail الحَصداءُtightly wrought قورِبَwas made close نَسجُهاits weave
أَو النَثرَةُ الحَصداءُ قورِبَ نَسجُها
لَهاit has حَلَقٌrings هالَdaunted الأَسِنَّةَthe spearpoints عَبرُهاpassage through them
لَها حَلَقٌ هالَ الأَسِنَّةَ عَبرُها
or by stout chain mail, closely woven,
with rings whose piercing daunts the spearpoints.
إِذاwhen أودِعَتهاis lodged within it جُثَّةٌa body وَتَعَرَّضَتand faces
إِذا أودِعَتها جُثَّةٌ وَتَعَرَّضَت
لِبيضِto the gleaming الظُبىblade-edges لَمnot يُمكِنِis possible for السَيفَthe sword هَبرُهاcleaving it
لِبيضِ الظُبى لَم يُمكِنِ السَيفَ هَبرُها
When a body is lodged within it and faces
gleaming blade-edges, the sword cannot cleave it.
وَأَودَتand perished بَنوthe offspring وَبَرٍof a hyrax وَبَبرٍand a tiger فَماso not حَمىprotected
وَأَودَت بَنو وَبَرٍ وَبَبرٍ فَما حَمى
عَزيزٌa mighty one وَلاnor شُمٌّlofty peaks تَوَقَّلَclimbed وَبرُهاtheir hyrax
عَزيزٌ وَلا شُمٌّ تَوَقَّلَ وَبرُها
The offspring of hyrax and tiger perished; no protection came
from a mighty beast or lofty peaks their hyrax climbed.
وَقَدand indeed سُمِّيَwas named المَرءُthe man الهِزَبرَHizabr (Lion) تَفاؤُلاًas a hopeful omen
وَقَد سُمِّيَ المَرءُ الهِزَبرَ تَفاؤُلاً
وَلَيسَand not بِباقٍenduring فيamid اللَياليthe nights هِزَبرُهاtheir lion
وَلَيسَ بِباقٍ في اللَيالي هِزَبرُها
A man has been named Hizabr—'Lion'—as a hopeful omen,
yet even the nights' lion will not endure.
نَوائِبُcalamities أَلقَتcast فيinto النُفوسِthe souls جَرائِحاًwounds
نَوائِبُ أَلقَت في النُفوسِ جَرائِحاً
عَصىdefied كُلَّevery آسٍhealer فيin البَريَّةِcreation سَبرُهاprobing them
عَصى كُلَّ آسٍ في البَريَّةِ سَبرُها
Calamities have cast wounds into souls,
whose probing has defied every healer in creation.
لِيَfor me القوتُsustenance فَليَعمُرso let it fill سَرنَديبَSarandib حَظُّهاits share
لِيَ القوتُ فَليَعمُر سَرنَديبَ حَظُّها
مِنَof الدُرِّpearls أَوor يَكثُرُabound بِغانَةَin Ghana تِبرِهاits gold dust
مِنَ الدُرِّ أَو يَكثُرُ بِغانَةَ تِبرِها
I have my sustenance; let Sarandib be filled with its share
of pearls, or let Ghana's gold dust abound.
Sol 6.1