داويت ما نفع العليل دوائي

داويت ما نفع العليل دوائي

بل زاد سقماً في خلال ضناء

بل زاد سقماً في خلال ضناء

I treated him; my medicine did not help the sick one.

My treatment did not cure the sick one,

Rather, it added sickness amid wasting illness.

But rather increased illness during hardship.

وأيست من برء الطبيب لدائه

وأيست من برء الطبيب لدائه

فاعتل قلبي للأياس بداء

فاعتل قلبي للأياس بداء

And I despaired of the physician's curing his illness,

And I despaired of the doctor curing his disease,

So my heart sickened with a malady of despair.

So my heart was afflicted with the illness of despair.

أملت فيه صحة من سقمه

أملت فيه صحة من سقمه

فحصلت في أملي بعكس رجائي

فحصلت في أملي بعكس رجائي

I hoped for his recovery from his sickness,

I hoped for his health from his sickness,

But in my hope I found the opposite of my expectation.

But my hope was the opposite of my wish.

ورجوت أني قد أكون فداءه

ورجوت أني قد أكون فداءه

عورضت في أملي فكان فدائي

عورضت في أملي فكان فدائي

And I hoped I might be his ransom;

And I wished I could be his sacrifice,

I was thwarted in my hope, so he became my ransom.

But my hope was foiled so I was his sacrifice.

ووددت لو كنت الدفين بقبره

ووددت لو كنت الدفين بقبره

عوضاً له ويكون في دنائي

عوضاً له ويكون في دنائي

And I wished I were the one buried in his grave,

And I wished I was buried in his grave,

In his stead, and he might be near me.

In his place while he was in my home.

حرمت طيب النوم بعد فراقه

حرمت طيب النوم بعد فراقه

عن ناظري فسلا عن الإغفاء

عن ناظري فسلا عن الإغفاء

I withheld the sweetness of sleep after his departure

After his departure, I was deprived of the pleasure of sleep,

From my eye, which has forgotten slumber.

It avoided my eyes so I lost sleep.

ولقد أبيت وفي فؤادي جمرة

ولقد أبيت وفي فؤادي جمرة

ولهيبها متوقد بجوائي

ولهيبها متوقد بجوائي

And indeed I spend the night with an ember in my heart,

And indeed I refused while in my heart was an ember,

And its flame burns in my inward depths;

Its flames kindled by my sides.

وذبالة أضحى بقلبي لذعها

وذبالة أضحى بقلبي لذعها

زفراته بتنفس الصعداء

زفراته بتنفس الصعداء

And a wick whose scorching in my heart has become

And my heart was filled with its burning so,

Its groans as it breathes out deep sighs,

My sighs came with the panting breath.

من فقد شبل عاجلته منية

من فقد شبل عاجلته منية

ما كان فيها مهلة لبقاء

ما كان فيها مهلة لبقاء

From losing a lion cub whom death overtook,

One who lost a cub, death hastened him,

Allowing no respite for him to live.

It did not linger to let him stay.

ما كان أسرع ما أتاه حمامه

ما كان أسرع ما أتاه حمامه

ورحيله عني إلى الصحراء

ورحيله عني إلى الصحراء

How swiftly his death came to him,

Nothing came to him faster than his fate,

And how swiftly he departed from me to the desert!

And his departure from me into the wilderness.

ما عاش إلا سبعة من عمره

ما عاش إلا سبعة من عمره

ونأى إلى دار البلى لبلاء

ونأى إلى دار البلى لبلاء

He lived only seven years of his life,

He only lived seven years of his life,

And went far off to the abode of decay, to suffer affliction.

And went to the abode of destruction for the test.

ثم امتطى ثبج المنايا طالباً

ثم امتطى ثبج المنايا طالباً

جدثاً يناط بصخرة صماء

جدثاً يناط بصخرة صماء

Then he mounted the back of death, seeking

Then he rode the steed of death seeking,

A grave bound to an unyielding rock.

A mound tied to a barren boulder.

يأوي إلى لحد ووحشة منزل

يأوي إلى لحد ووحشة منزل

وجنادل صم وصلد وصفاء

وجنادل صم وصلد وصفاء

He shelters in a grave-niche and a dwelling's desolation,

He took refuge in a coffin and the loneliness of a residence,

And unyielding boulders, hard rock, and smooth stones.

And shrouds, deaf, rigid, and bleak.

واختار سكناه القرافة ذاهلاً

واختار سكناه القرافة ذاهلاً

عن عيشة ليست بداء بقاء

عن عيشة ليست بداء بقاء

And chose al-Qarafa as his home, unmindful

And he chose his dwelling in the burial ground distracted,

Of a life that is no 'malady of continuance' [wording unclear].

From a life that is no cure for survival.

إني على إسماعيل لا أعطى عزى

إني على إسماعيل لا أعطى عزى

بل قد عدمت تجلدي وعزائي

بل قد عدمت تجلدي وعزائي

For Isma'il, I am granted no consolation;

I, for Ishmael, am not consoled,

Rather, I have lost my fortitude and consolation.

But I have lost my patience and solace.

وأوحشني لفراقه وبعاده

وأوحشني لفراقه وبعاده

وأفجعني بمصيبة غبراء

وأفجعني بمصيبة غبراء

And he left me desolate through his parting and distance,

His separation and distance have saddened me

And devastated me with a grim calamity.

And his immense tragedy has distressed me.

قد كنت أذخره لكل ملمة

قد كنت أذخره لكل ملمة

وأقيه في البأساء والضراء

وأقيه في البأساء والضراء

I had treasured him against every calamity,

I was hoarding him for every disaster,

And shielded him in hardship and distress.

And protecting him in good and bad times.

فاغتالني فيه الحمام ففوقت

فاغتالني فيه الحمام ففوقت

قوس المنايا سهمها بحشائي

قوس المنايا سهمها بحشائي

So death ambushed me through him, and aimed

But death has snatched him from me,

The arrow of death's bow at my entrails.

So it has aimed the bow of death into my heart.

تركت فؤادي مثخناً بجراحه

تركت فؤادي مثخناً بجراحه

متضرجاً بمدامعي ودمائي

متضرجاً بمدامعي ودمائي

It left my heart ravaged by its wounds,

It left my heart riddled with its wounds,

Stained with my tears and my blood.

Drenched in my tears and my blood.

أجري المياه على فؤادي طمعة

أجري المياه على فؤادي طمعة

في أن يبرد غلتي وظمائي

في أن يبرد غلتي وظمائي

I let waters flow over my heart, in hope

I make the waters flow over my heart hoping

That they might cool my inner burning and my thirst.

It will cool my burning thirst and craving.

فتهيج لي نار إذا بردتها

فتهيج لي نار إذا بردتها

فعجبت من نار تهيج بماء

فعجبت من نار تهيج بماء

But a fire flares in me whenever I cool it;

But if I cool its fire it rages,

So I marveled at a fire kindled by water.

So I am astonished by a fire stoked by water.

قلقاً أبيت على فراشي ساهراً

قلقاً أبيت على فراشي ساهراً

فكأنني ملقى على الرمضاء

فكأنني ملقى على الرمضاء

Restless, I spend the night awake upon my bed,

Restlessly I stayed up all night wakeful,

As though I were cast upon sun-scorched sand.

As if I was thrown upon hot sands.

متلهفاً أبكي إلى من مر بي

متلهفاً أبكي إلى من مر بي

وإذا أرى ولداً يثور بلائي

وإذا أرى ولداً يثور بلائي

Distraught, I weep to whoever passes by me,

Yearning I cry for the one who passed by me,

And whenever I see a boy, my anguish surges.

And when I see a boy my affliction rages.

إني لأعجب من حياتي بعده

إني لأعجب من حياتي بعده

وتلذذي عنه بشرب الماء

وتلذذي عنه بشرب الماء

I truly marvel at my life after him,

Truly I am astonished by my life after him,

And at my pleasure, without him, in drinking water;

And my pleasure without him in drinking water,

أو أن أرى مبتسماً متنسماً

أو أن أرى مبتسماً متنسماً

من بعد رحلته نسيم هواء

من بعد رحلته نسيم هواء

Or that I should be seen smiling and breathing in,

Or seeing myself smiling and sniffing

After his departure, a breeze of air;

The breeze after his departure.

أو أن تغيب همومه عن خاطري

أو أن تغيب همومه عن خاطري

وخياله متمثل بإزائي

وخياله متمثل بإزائي

Or that sorrows over him should vanish from my mind,

Or that worries of him leave my thoughts

While his image stands before me.

While his image is formed before me.

لو عاش كان منطقاً وموفقاً

لو عاش كان منطقاً وموفقاً

ومنزهاً عن صبوة الأبناء

ومنزهاً عن صبوة الأبناء

Had he lived, he would have been eloquent and successful,

Had he lived he would have been logical and successful,

And free of the waywardness of boys.

And far from the foolishness of youth.

كانت فراسته تدل عقولنا

كانت فراسته تدل عقولنا

أن سوف يخرج أنجب النجباء

أن سوف يخرج أنجب النجباء

His discernment showed our minds

His insight would have guided our minds,

That he would emerge as the most gifted of the gifted.

That he would emerge as the best of the best.

لكنه ما كل ما قد رامه

لكنه ما كل ما قد رامه

ذو فطنة فيناله بذكاء

ذو فطنة فيناله بذكاء

Yet not everything that is sought

But not everything sought by the wise,

By a discerning man is attained through wit.

Is attained through intelligence.

والبرق يشهد والرواعد أنها

والبرق يشهد والرواعد أنها

عنوان كل سحابة وطفاء

عنوان كل سحابة وطفاء

And lightning and thunderclaps bear witness that they

The lightning bears witness and the thunder,

Are the sign of every rain-laden cloud.

That it is the mark of every cloud and rain.

والفجر يشهد أن ساطع نوره

والفجر يشهد أن ساطع نوره

أبداً يدل على ضياء ذُكاء

أبداً يدل على ضياء ذُكاء

And dawn bears witness that its shining light

And dawn bears witness that the radiance of its light,

Always foretells the radiance of Dhuka', the sun.

Always indicates the illumination of brilliance.

ومضارب السيف المهند لم تزل

ومضارب السيف المهند لم تزل

تنبيك عن حد له ومضاء

تنبيك عن حد له ومضاء

And the striking edges of the Indian-steel sword have ever

The blows of the honed sword have not ceased

Told you of its keen edge and cutting power.

To warn you of its edge and flash.

أملت ساعة سعيهم بسريره

أملت ساعة سعيهم بسريره

أن لا أقيم بزمرة الأحياء

أن لا أقيم بزمرة الأحياء

I hoped, as they hurried along with his bier,

When they crowded around his deathbed,

That I would not remain among the living.

I hoped to not remain among the living.

وبقيت مكتئباً أكابد لوعة

وبقيت مكتئباً أكابد لوعة

في حالة أسوأ من الأسواء

في حالة أسوأ من الأسواء

Yet I remained, dejected, enduring anguish,

And I remained depressed, suffering agony,

In a state worse than the worst of woes.

In a state worse than misfortunes.

جار الزمان علي في أحكامه

جار الزمان علي في أحكامه

فبليت منه بعيشة غلماء

فبليت منه بعيشة غلماء

Time was unjust to me in its judgments,

Time was unjust to me in its rulings,

So I was afflicted by it with a turbulent life.

So I was afflicted by it with a life of servitude.

قد كان قوة ناظري بل خاطري

قد كان قوة ناظري بل خاطري

فبقيت صاحب مقلة عمياء

فبقيت صاحب مقلة عمياء

He had been the strength of my sight, nay, of my mind;

My strength and mind were my sight,

So I was left with a blind eye.

So I remained blind without vision.

فالميت ليس له صديق أو أب

فالميت ليس له صديق أو أب

صافاه بعد وفاته بوفاء

صافاه بعد وفاته بوفاء

For the dead man has no friend or father

For the dead have no loyal father or friend

Who has kept faith with him after his death.

Who visit him after his death loyally.

لا يغررن الحي طول بقائه

لا يغررن الحي طول بقائه

فمصيره من بعده لفناء

فمصيره من بعده لفناء

Let no living man be deceived by his long survival,

Let not the long life of the living deceive him,

For his fate thereafter is extinction.

For his fate after it is to perish.

ويطول مكث المرء ثاو في الثرى

ويطول مكث المرء ثاو في الثرى

حتى يرى أثراً من الزيزاء

حتى يرى أثراً من الزيزاء

And long is a man's stay, dwelling in the soil,

And one remains long buried in the earth

Until he is seen as a trace of the rugged high ground.

Until he sees a trace of the remains.