يَقولونَthey say صِنعٌa work مِنfrom كَواكِبَplanets سَبعَةٍseven
يَقولونَ صِنعٌ مِن كَواكِبَ سَبعَةٍ
وَماand not هُوَit إِلّاexcept مِنfrom زَعيمِthe master of الكَواكِبِthe planets
وَما هُوَ إِلّا مِن زَعيمِ الكَواكِبِ
They say it is the work of seven planets,
They say it's made of seven stars aligned,
yet it comes only from the master of the planets.
Yet it is but the work of the starry guide.
إِذاwhen رَفَعَتraised تِلكَthose المَواكِبُthe processions قَسطَلاًa dust cloud
إِذا رَفَعَت تِلكَ المَواكِبُ قَسطَلاً
فَرافِعُهُthen its raiser لِلعَينِto the eye مُجريthe mover of الكَواكِبِthe planets
فَرافِعُهُ لِلعَينِ مُجري الكَواكِبِ
When those processions raise a cloud of dust,
When those stars raise their bowl on high,
its raiser before the eye is the mover of the planets.
'Tis He who lifts it to the eye.
أَتَرجِعُdoes ... return? نَفسُthe soul of المَيتِthe dead man بَعدَafter رَحيلِهِhis departure
أَتَرجِعُ نَفسُ المَيتِ بَعدَ رَحيلِهِ
فَيَجزِيَand so repay قَوماًpeople بِالدُموعِfor the tears السَواكِبِstreaming
فَيَجزِيَ قَوماً بِالدُموعِ السَواكِبِ
Does the dead man's soul return after his departure,
Can the soul of the dead return after its farewell
to repay people for their streaming tears?
To recompense a people with tearful, starry eyes?
تُبَدِّلَexchanges أَعناقَnecks الرِجالِof the men وَأَيدِياًand hands
تُبَدِّلَ أَعناقَ الرِجالِ وَأَيدِياً
تَناقُلُهُhis conveyance مِنin place of عَسجَديّgolden المَراكِبِmounts
تَناقُلُهُ مِن عَسجَديّ المَراكِبِ
Men's necks and hands have been substituted,
He who changes the necks and hands of men,
in his conveyance, for golden mounts.
Passing them like vessels from port to port.
أَحَبُّdearer إِلَيهِto him كَونُهُhis being مُتَواطِأًtrampled
أَحَبُّ إِلَيهِ كَونُهُ مُتَواطِأً
بِأَقدامِهِمby their feet لاnot الحَملُbeing carried فَوقَupon المَناكِبِthe shoulders
بِأَقدامِهِم لا الحَملُ فَوقَ المَناكِبِ
He would prefer to be trampled
Dearer to Him are feet trudging in accord
by their feet, rather than carried upon their shoulders.
Than bodies borne upon shoulders toward the shrine.
هُوَit المَوتُdeath مُثرٍa wealthy man عِندَهُin its eyes مِثلُlike مُقتِرٍa poor man
هُوَ المَوتُ مُثرٍ عِندَهُ مِثلُ مُقتِرٍ
وَقاصِدُand one following نَهجٍa path مِثلُlike آخَرَanother ناكِبِone who strays
وَقاصِدُ نَهجٍ مِثلُ آخَرَ ناكِبِ
It is death: to it a wealthy man is like a poor man,
To Him death is but a pauper at the door,
and one who follows a path is like another who strays.
While another beggar walks the road declined.
وَدِرعُand the armor of الفَتىthe young man فيin حُكمِهِits judgment دِرعُa dress غادَةٍa graceful maiden
وَدِرعُ الفَتى في حُكمِهِ دِرعُ غادَةٍ
وَأَبياتُand the palaces of كِسرىKisra مِنamong بُيوتِthe houses of العَناكِبِthe spiders
وَأَبياتُ كِسرى مِن بُيوتِ العَناكِبِ
And in its judgment a young man's armor is a maiden's dress,
To Him the youth's armor is but the armor of Ghadah,
and Kisra's palaces are among the houses of spiders.
And Kisra's palace but the web of spiders spined.
فَرُجِّلَso he was dismounted فيin غَبراءَdusty earth وَالخَطبُwhile calamity فارِسٌa horseman
فَرُجِّلَ في غَبراءَ وَالخَطبُ فارِسٌ
وَماand not زالَceased to be فيamong الأَهلينِthe kinsfolk أَشرَفَthe noblest راكِبِrider
وَما زالَ في الأَهلينِ أَشرَفَ راكِبِ
So he was dismounted in dusty earth, while calamity rides,
He galloped unto Ghobra and the orator took the stand
though he had always been the noblest rider among his kin.
While He remained the noblest rider of the two clans.
وَماand not النَعشُthe bier إِلّاexcept كَالسَفينَةِlike a ship رامِياًcasting
وَما النَعشُ إِلّا كَالسَفينَةِ رامِياً
بِغَرقاهُwith its drowned ones فيinto مَوجِthe waves of الرَدىdeath المُتَراكِبِpiling upon one another
بِغَرقاهُ في مَوجِ الرَدى المُتَراكِبِ
And the bier is only like a ship, casting
The bier is but a ship that voyages on billows
its drowned ones into death's waves, heaped one upon another.
Of surging calamity, wave upon wave entwined.
Sol 6.1