أَباO father of بِشرٍBishr ذَهَبتَyou departed بِكُلِّwith all أُنسٍcheer
أَبا بِشرٍ ذَهَبتَ بِكُلِّ أُنسٍ
فَماso not شَيءٌanything لَدَيناamong us مِنهof it يُعهَدis known
فَما شَيءٌ لَدَينا مِنه يُعهَد
Abu Bishr, you have taken all cheer away,
O Abū Bashr, you took away all our joy,
so none of it is known among us.
So nothing of it remains for us to rely upon.
أَأَنسىshall I forget? طيبَthe sweetness of أَيّامٍdays تَوَلَّتwent by
أَأَنسى طيبَ أَيّامٍ تَوَلَّت
بِعِشرَتِكَin your company الَّتيwhich تُرضىis pleasing وَتُحمَدand is praised
بِعِشرَتِكَ الَّتي تُرضى وَتُحمَد
Shall I forget the sweetness of days gone by
Shall I forget the bliss of the days that have passed
in your company, so pleasing and praiseworthy,
With your company that brings contentment and praise?
إِذِwhen الأَحداثُmisfortunes عَنّاof us غافِلاتٌheedless
إِذِ الأَحداثُ عَنّا غافِلاتٌ
وَخَطوُand the tread of صُروفِهاtheir vicissitudes عَنّاfrom us مُقيّدfettered
وَخَطوُ صُروفِها عَنّا مُقيّد
when misfortunes were heedless of us,
When worries were oblivious to us
and the tread of their vicissitudes was held back from us,
And the steps of vicissitudes were restricted from us.
وَإِذand when تَشدوyou sing لَناto us بِرَقيقِwith a tender لَحنٍmelody
وَإِذ تَشدو لَنا بِرَقيقِ لَحنٍ
تقاصرُfall short عِندَهُbeside it ألحانُthe melodies of مَعبدMaʿbad
تقاصرُ عِندَهُ ألحانُ مَعبد
and when you sang to us a tender melody,
And when you used to sing to us with soft melodies
beside which Maʿbad's melodies fell short?
That made the hymns of the temple seem inferior.
فَأمّاso as for الموصِلِيُّal-Mawsili فَلَوthen if وَعاهُhe took it in
فَأمّا الموصِلِيُّ فَلَو وَعاهُ
لَكانَhe would have been لَدَيهِbefore it يَستَخزيfeeling abashed وَيَسجُدand prostrating himself
لَكانَ لَدَيهِ يَستَخزي وَيَسجُد
As for al-Mawsili, had he taken it in,
As for Al-Mawṣilī, had he known you,
he would have felt abashed before it and prostrated himself.
He would have felt humbled and bowed down before you.
وَلَوand if عاشَhad lived الغَريضُal-Gharid لَكانَhe would have been مِمَّنamong those who
وَلَو عاشَ الغَريضُ لَكانَ مِمَّن
يُقِرّacknowledges بِفَضلِthe excellence of صَنعَتِهُhis art وَيَشهَدand bears witness
يُقِرّ بِفَضلِ صَنعَتِهُ وَيَشهَد
And had al-Gharid lived, he would have been among those
And if Al-Gharīḍ had lived, he would have been among
who acknowledge the excellence of his art and bear witness.
Those who acknowledge your superior skill and bear witness to it.
بَعُدتَyou went far away فَماso not لَناfor us فيin الأُنسِcheer حَظٌّa share
بَعُدتَ فَما لَنا في الأُنسِ حَظٌّ
وَشَملُand the fellowship of اللَهوِmerriment مُفتَرِقٌsundered مُبَدّدscattered
وَشَملُ اللَهوِ مُفتَرِقٌ مُبَدّد
You have gone far away, and we have no share in cheer;
You went away, so we have no more share of joy,
and the fellowship of merriment is sundered and scattered.
And the clothes of merriment lie scattered and torn.
أَلاah! هَلwill ...? راجِعٌreturning عَيشٌa life تَولّىhas gone by
أَلا هَل راجِعٌ عَيشٌ تَولّى
وَهَلand will ...? مُتَبَدّلٌchanging عَيشٌa life تَنكّدhas grown bitter
وَهَل مُتَبَدّلٌ عَيشٌ تَنكّد
Ah, will a life gone by return?
Oh! Will a life that is gone ever come back?
And will a life grown bitter change?
And will a grieved life ever change?
Sol 6.1