أَلاIs there no مُخبِرٌinformant فيماin what يَقولُhe says جَلِيَّةًa clear truth
أَلا مُخبِرٌ فيما يَقولُ جَلِيَّةً
يُزيلُdispels بِهاthrough it الشَكَّthe doubt المُريبَdisquieting يَقينُcertainty
يُزيلُ بِها الشَكَّ المُريبَ يَقينُ
Is there no one whose words tell a clear truth,
Informer, speak clearly, dispel my doubts
through which certainty dispels disquieting doubt?
With certainty, replace uncertainty
أُسائِلُهُI ask him عَنabout غائِبٍan absent one كَيفَhow حالُهُhis condition
أُسائِلُهُ عَن غائِبٍ كَيفَ حالُهُ
وَمَنand one who نَزَلَdescended into الغَبراءَthe dusty earth كَيفَhow يَكونُhe is
وَمَن نَزَلَ الغَبراءَ كَيفَ يَكونُ
I would ask him about one absent: how does he fare?
Of the absent one, tell me how is he
And how does one who has descended into the dusty earth fare?
He who went to the sands, what is his fate?
وَماand not كُنتُI was أَخشىI feared مِنfrom زَمانِيَmy time أَنَّنيthat I
وَما كُنتُ أَخشى مِن زَمانِيَ أَنَّني
أَرِقُّI soften عَلىunder ضَرّائِهِits hardships وَأَلينُand I yield
أَرِقُّ عَلى ضَرّائِهِ وَأَلينُ
I never feared that my time would make me
I never feared my own hard times would make
soften beneath its hardships and yield,
Me soft and weak, till she whose love would take
إِلىuntil أَنthat رَمانيit struck me بِالَّتيwith that which لاno شَوىa nonfatal wound لَهاin it
إِلى أَن رَماني بِالَّتي لا شَوى لَها
فَأَعقَبَthen followed مِنfrom بَعدِafter الرَنينِthe wailing أَنينُa moan
فَأَعقَبَ مِن بَعدِ الرَنينِ أَنينُ
until it struck me with a blow that was no mere flesh wound,
No other shot me, and after the blow
and after the wailing came a moan.
Came but doubled woe and crying in tow
مُعينيmy helper عَلىagainst الأَيّامِthe days فَجَّعنَنيthey bereaved me بِهِof him
مُعيني عَلى الأَيّامِ فَجَّعنَني بِهِ
فَماso no ليfor me عَلىagainst أَحداثِهِنَّtheir calamities مُعينُhelper
فَما لي عَلى أَحداثِهِنَّ مُعينُ
My helper against the days—they bereaved me of him;
My support against the days, she made me rue
so I have no helper against their calamities.
Against their events I've no recourse, no clue
غَلَبنَthey prevailed عَلىover عِلقيmy treasure النَفيسِprecious فَحُزنَهso they took him
غَلَبنَ عَلى عِلقي النَفيسِ فَحُزنَه
وَفارَقَنيand parted from me عِلقٌa treasure عَلَيَّto me ثَمينُprecious
وَفارَقَني عِلقٌ عَلَيَّ ثَمينُ
They prevailed over my precious treasure and took him,
She conquered my precious sanity, and sorrow
and a treasure dear to me departed from me.
Parted us, though to me she was dear morrow
سَمَحتُI let go بِهِof him إِذsince لَمnot أَجِدI found عَنهُfrom him مَدفَعاًa means of defense
سَمَحتُ بِهِ إِذ لَم أَجِد عَنهُ مَدفَعاً
وَإِنّيand indeed I عَلىdespite عُذريmy excuse بِهِwith him لَضَنينُam surely grudging
وَإِنّي عَلى عُذري بِهِ لَضَنينُ
I let him go, since I found no way to shield him,
I let her go, could stop her not at all
yet despite my excuse, I am truly loath to give him up.
Yet for my weakness here, blame myself I shall
وَإِنَّand indeed أَحَقَّmost entitled المُجهِشينَthose bursting into tears لِعَبرَةٍto a tear
وَإِنَّ أَحَقَّ المُجهِشينَ لِعَبرَةٍ
وَوَجدٍand grief قَرينٌa companion بانَdeparted عَنهُfrom him قَرينُa companion
وَوَجدٍ قَرينٌ بانَ عَنهُ قَرينُ
Indeed, the one most entitled to sob in tears
Most deserving of sadness and the weeping eye
and grief is a companion whose companion has departed.
Are those whose dear one said goodbye, goodbye
وَماand not تَنفَعُbenefits المَرءَa person الشِمالُthe left hand وَحيدَةًalone
وَما تَنفَعُ المَرءَ الشِمالُ وَحيدَةً
إِذاif فارَقَتهاhas parted from it بِالمَنونِthrough death يَمينُa right hand
إِذا فارَقَتها بِالمَنونِ يَمينُ
And the left hand alone is no use to a man
One hand won't avail when the other took death
when death has taken the right hand from it.
And went to what's beyond this mortal breath
تَجَرَّمَhas elapsed عامٌa year لَمnot أَنَلI gained مِنكَof you نَظرَةًa glimpse
تَجَرَّمَ عامٌ لَم أَنَل مِنكَ نَظرَةً
وَحانَand arrived وَلَمand not يُقدَرwas ordained لِقاؤُكَmeeting you حينُa time
وَحانَ وَلَم يُقدَر لِقاؤُكَ حينُ
A year has passed without my gaining a glimpse of you,
Year passed with no sight of you, now time's run out
and a time came, yet meeting you was not ordained.
We couldn't meet, though the chance was about
وَكَيفَand how وَقَدand already قَطَّعنَthey severed مِنكَfrom you عَلائِقيmy ties
وَكَيفَ وَقَد قَطَّعنَ مِنكَ عَلائِقي
وَسَدَّتand barred the way شَعوبٌShaʿūb (Death) بَينَناbetween us وَمَنونُand Manūn (Death)
وَسَدَّت شَعوبٌ بَينَنا وَمَنونُ
And how could it, when they have severed my ties to you,
For you cut bonds, people came between us riven
and Shaʿūb and Manūn have barred the way between us?
Blocking with death what once was so tight-knit
أَضَبَّclosed over جَديدُthe surface الأَرضِof the earth دونَكَbetween us and you وَاِلتَقَتand gathered
أَضَبَّ جَديدُ الأَرضِ دونَكَ وَاِلتَقَت
عَليكَover you رِجامٌheaps of stones كَالغَياطِلِlike dense thickets جونُdark
عَليكَ رِجامٌ كَالغَياطِلِ جونُ
The earth's surface has shut you away, and gathered
The new days heaped dirt on you, arrows like rain
above you are dark heaps of stones like dense thickets.
Poured down till all around you was but bane
تُجاوِرُyou dwell beside فيهاwithin it هامِدينَthe lifeless تَعَطَّلواthey grew idle
تُجاوِرُ فيها هامِدينَ تَعَطَّلوا
وَمِنand from قَبلُbefore دانواthey ruled فيin الزَمانِtime وَدينواand were ruled
وَمِن قَبلُ دانوا في الزَمانِ وَدينوا
You dwell there beside the lifeless, now idle,
Among those who perished and moved no more
though once, in their time, they ruled and were ruled,
They lived before, thrived in days of yore
مُقيمينَabiding مِنهاwithin it فيin بُطونِthe bellies ضَرائِحٍof tombs
مُقيمينَ مِنها في بُطونِ ضَرائِحٍ
حَوامِلُpregnant لاnot يَبدوemerges لَهُنَّfrom them جَنينُa fetus
حَوامِلُ لا يَبدو لَهُنَّ جَنينُ
abiding within it, in the bellies of tombs—
In graves they dwell, wombs that bear no child
pregnant, yet no fetus emerges from them.
By sorrow for your tomb I'm stripped, running wild
أَمرٌI pass بِقَبرٍby a grave قَدalready طَواكَhas enfolded you صَعيدُهُits soil
أَمرٌ بِقَبرٍ قَد طَواكَ صَعيدُهُ
فَأَبلَسُso I fall speechless حَتّىuntil ماnot أَكادُI can almost أُبينُspeak clearly
فَأَبلَسُ حَتّى ما أَكادُ أُبينُ
I pass by a grave whose soil has already enfolded you,
Ribs shudder with painful longing, affairs shaken
so I fall mute in despair, scarcely able to speak clearly.
Eyes rain tears in torrents, all bonds taken
وَتَنفَضُّand break apart بِالوَجدِwith grief الأَليمِpainful أَضالِعٌribs
وَتَنفَضُّ بِالوَجدِ الأَليمِ أَضالِعٌ
وَتَرفَضَّand overflow بِالدَمعِwith tears الغَزيرِcopious شُؤونُtear ducts
وَتَرفَضَّ بِالدَمعِ الغَزيرِ شُؤونُ
And my ribs break apart with agonizing grief,
These cheeks not marred, yet marred they are in stages
and my tear ducts overflow with copious tears.
By teardrop hordes storming tender visages
فَإِلّاso if not يَكُنthere is عَقرٌslaughter فَقَدthen indeed عُقِرَتhave been wounded لَهُfor him
فَإِلّا يَكُن عَقرٌ فَقَد عُقِرَت لَهُ
خُدودٌcheeks بِأَسرابِby streams الدُموعِof tears عُيونُsprings
خُدودٌ بِأَسرابِ الدُموعِ عُيونُ
So if there is no slaughter, there have been wounded for him
No wonder rains fall on your plot, the eye weeps
cheeks, made springs by streams of tears.
For there lies the black of eyes in earthen deeps
وَلاand no عَجَبٌwonder أَنthat تُمطِرَrains العَينُthe eye فَوقَهُabove it
وَلا عَجَبٌ أَن تُمطِرَ العَينُ فَوقَهُ
فَإِنَّfor indeed سَوادَthe black pupil العَينِof the eye فيهِwithin it دَفينُburied
فَإِنَّ سَوادَ العَينِ فيهِ دَفينُ
And it is no wonder that the eye rains above it,
for the eye's dark pupil lies buried within it.
Partial English translation: 34 of 36 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1