ياO يوسُفُYusuf اِبنَson of أَبيAbu (father of) سَعيدٍSa'id دَعوَةًa call
يا يوسُفُ اِبنَ أَبي سَعيدٍ دَعوَةً
أَوحىwhispered إِلَيكَto you بِهاwith it ضَميرٌan inner heart موجَعُanguished
أَوحى إِلَيكَ بِها ضَميرٌ موجَعُ
O Yusuf, son of Abu Sa'id—a call
O Yusuf son of Abi Saeed, a call
whispered to you by an anguished heart.
That an aching conscience has inspired you with
إِنَّindeed الفَجائِعَcalamities بِالرَجالِamong men كَثيرَةٌmany
إِنَّ الفَجائِعَ بِالرَجالِ كَثيرَةٌ
وَلَقَلَّyet very few مَنthose who يَرعىkeeps faith وَمَنand those who يَتَفَجَّعُgrieves
وَلَقَلَّ مَن يَرعى وَمَن يَتَفَجَّعُ
Indeed, calamities befall men in abundance;
Though men face many tragedies
yet few keep faith, and few grieve.
Few care for and lament them
لَمّاwhen رَأَيتُI saw الناسَthe people بَعدَكَafter you نَكَّبواthey shunned
لَمّا رَأَيتُ الناسَ بَعدَكَ نَكَّبوا
سُنَنَthe ways of الحِفاظِfidelity فَغادِرٌso, a betrayer وَمُضَيِّعُand one who neglects
سُنَنَ الحِفاظِ فَغادِرٌ وَمُضَيِّعُ
When I saw that, after you, people had shunned
When I saw people turning away
the ways of fidelity—one betraying, another neglecting—
From keeping with tradition, neglecting and forfeiting
قَرطَستُI hit the bull's-eye فيin غَرَضِthe target of الوَفاءِfidelity بِقَولَةٍwith a declaration
قَرطَستُ في غَرَضِ الوَفاءِ بِقَولَةٍ
لَأَكونَI shall surely be بَعدَكَafter you حافِظاًa guardian of ماwhat ضَيَّعواthey neglected
لَأَكونَ بَعدَكَ حافِظاً ما ضَيَّعوا
I struck the bull's-eye of fidelity with a pledge:
I vowed to remain true to fidelity with a few words
I shall, after you, preserve what they neglected.
To preserve what they neglected after you
مَنwhoever كانَwas أَسرَعَquickest عِندَat أَمرِكَyour command نَهضَةًin rising
مَن كانَ أَسرَعَ عِندَ أَمرِكَ نَهضَةً
قَدalready باتَhas become وَهوَwhile he is إِلىtoward سُلُوِّكَforgetting you أَسرَعُquicker
قَد باتَ وَهوَ إِلى سُلُوِّكَ أَسرَعُ
He who was quickest to rise at your command
Whoever was quickest to rise at your command
has now become quicker still to forget you.
Remains so inclined towards your ways
كَمhow many مِنof أَخٍa brother لَكَof yours لَمnot يَدُمendure لَكَfor you عَهدُهُhis pledge
كَم مِن أَخٍ لَكَ لَم يَدُم لَكَ عَهدُهُ
قَدindeed كانَhad been مِنكَwith you بِحَيثُin a place where تُثنىis bent الإِصبَعُthe finger
قَد كانَ مِنكَ بِحَيثُ تُثنى الإِصبَعُ
How many a brother of yours failed to keep his pledge to you,
How many a brother of yours did not keep faith
though once you bent a finger to count him among your own!
Who once stood so close he could touch your finger
لَمnot يُنسِناmade us forget كافيKafi (sufficer of) الكُفاةِal-Kufat (the sufficers) مُصابَهُhis loss
لَم يُنسِنا كافي الكُفاةِ مُصابَهُ
حَتّىuntil رَماناstruck us فيكَin your loss خَطبٌa calamity مُظلِعُcrippling
حَتّى رَمانا فيكَ خَطبٌ مُظلِعُ
We had not yet forgotten the loss of Kafi al-Kufat
The sufficient mentor did not forget us in his affliction
when a crippling calamity struck us in losing you.
Until he burdened us with grave concerns in your memory
قِرفٌa scab عَلىupon قَرحٍa wound تَقارَبَdrew near عَهدُهُits time
قِرفٌ عَلى قَرحٍ تَقارَبَ عَهدُهُ
إِنَّindeed القُروفَthe scabs عَلىupon القُروحِthe wounds لَأَوجَعُsurely more painful
إِنَّ القُروفَ عَلى القُروحِ لَأَوجَعُ
A scab upon a wound still fresh;
An injury upon a wound, its pain still fresh
indeed, scabs upon wounds are more painful.
For injuries upon wounds hurt the most
وَتَلاحُقُand the succession of الفُضَلاءِthe worthy أَعظَمُgreatest شاهِدٍwitness
وَتَلاحُقُ الفُضَلاءِ أَعظَمُ شاهِدٍ
إِنَّindeed الحِمامَdeath بِغَيرِwith other than عِلقٍa precious thing مولَعُenamored
إِنَّ الحِمامَ بِغَيرِ عِلقٍ مولَعُ
And the succession of the worthy is the greatest witness:
And the falling of the virtuous is the greatest witness
Death is indeed enamored of what is not precious.
That a pigeon without a neckband is out of control
واهاًalas لَهُfor him لَوif only كانَit were أَسرٌcaptivity يُفتَدىis ransomed
واهاً لَهُ لَو كانَ أَسرٌ يُفتَدى
بِرَغيبَةٍwith a precious gift أَوor كانَit were خَرقٌa rent يُرقَعُis patched
بِرَغيبَةٍ أَو كانَ خَرقٌ يُرقَعُ
Alas for him! If only this were captivity that could be ransomed
Alas, if only he were a hostage to be ransomed
with a precious gift, or a rent that could be patched.
Or a tear to be mended
فيon كُلِّevery يَومٍday لِلنُعوشِfor the biers مُشَيِّعٌan escort
في كُلِّ يَومٍ لِلنُعوشِ مُشَيِّعٌ
مِنّاfrom among us يَرُفُّflutters وَراجِعٌand one returning يَستَرجِعُsays, 'We belong to God and to Him we return'
مِنّا يَرُفُّ وَراجِعٌ يَستَرجِعُ
Every day, there is an escort for the biers
Each day we walk behind one funeral bier or another
from among us, fluttering, and one returning who says, 'We belong to God and to Him we return.'
One of us escorting, another retrieving what is lost
كَيفَhow الغُرورُdelusion وَلِلفَناءِand for annihilation ثَنِيَّةٌa mountain pass
كَيفَ الغُرورُ وَلِلفَناءِ ثَنِيَّةٌ
وَيَدُand the hand of المَنونِDeath تُشيرُpoints ثُمَّthen المَطلَعُthe ascent
وَيَدُ المَنونِ تُشيرُ ثُمَّ المَطلَعُ
How can there be delusion, when a mountain pass leads to annihilation,
How can there be heedlessness when death beckons
and Death's hand points—then comes the ascent?
And the hand of fate points then waves us through
وَلَرُبَّand many a أَصغَرَlesser man عاقِدٍwrinkling عِرنينَهُhis nose
وَلَرُبَّ أَصغَرَ عاقِدٍ عِرنينَهُ
أَمسىhas become لَهُfor him فيin الأَرضِthe earth خَدٌّa cheek أَضرَعُmore humbled
أَمسى لَهُ في الأَرضِ خَدٌّ أَضرَعُ
And many a lesser man, wrinkling his nose,
When many a baby still on the breast
has ended with a humbler cheek in the earth.
Finds himself with a cheek buried in the earth
ماnot كُنتُI would أَبخَلُbegrudge أَنto أُطيلَspeak at length لَوَif أَنَّهُit were the case that
ما كُنتُ أَبخَلُ أَن أُطيلَ لَوَ أَنَّهُ
يُجديis of use المُطيلُone who speaks at length إِذاwhen أَطالَhe speaks at length وَيَنفَعُand helps
يُجدي المُطيلُ إِذا أَطالَ وَيَنفَعُ
I would not begrudge going on at length, if
I would not begrudge elaborating if it helped
one who went on at length could thereby help and be of use.
Though rambling avails not if it lengthens yet brings no benefit
لَكِنَّهُbut it سِيّانِboth alike مَنone who تَجريflows لَهُfor him
لَكِنَّهُ سِيّانِ مَن تَجري لَهُ
عِندَat الفَجائِعِcalamities دَمعَةٌa tear أَوor أَدمُعُtears
عِندَ الفَجائِعِ دَمعَةٌ أَو أَدمُعُ
But it is all the same to one for whom there flows
To weep or well up serves equally
amid calamities, a single tear or many tears.
When faced with tragedies
Sol 6.1