ألقىcast عليهover him القبرُthe grave ظلّthe shadow of حجابِةِits veil
ألقى عليه القبرُ ظلّ حجابِةِ
فثوىso he rested ثَواءَthe resting of النصلِthe blade مِلءَfilling قِرابهِits sheath
فثوى ثَواءَ النصلِ مِلءَ قِرابهِ
The grave cast the shadow of its veil over him;
So he rested as a blade rests, filling its sheath.
لوif كانwere يعلَمُto know قبرُهُhis grave كمhow many مُهجةٍa heart
لو كان يعلَمُ قبرُهُ كم مُهجةٍ
سَالتflowed عليهover him لردَّهit would return him لِصِحابهِto his companions
سَالت عليه لردَّه لِصِحابهِ
If his grave knew how many hearts
Had poured themselves out over him, it would return him to his companions.
لَهْفيmy sorrow عليهِfor him يومَthe day قيلit was said خَبَاfaded الضّياthe light
لَهْفي عليهِ يومَ قيل خَبَا الضّيا
فيin ناظِرَيهِhis two eyes وحارand was bewildered فيabout أسبابِهِits causes
في ناظِرَيهِ وحار في أسبابِهِ
Alas for him, the day they said the light had faded
In his eyes, and its causes were a mystery.
لمdid not يلوِهِdivert him البصرُsight الكفيفblind عنaway from الهدىguidance
لم يلوِهِ البصرُ الكفيف عن الهدى
ألعلْمknowledge فيin الدنياthis world هدَىguidance أصحابهِits followers
ألعلْم في الدنيا هدَى أصحابهِ
His blinded sight did not turn him from the right path;
Knowledge in this world is a guide to its followers.
لمdid not يلوِهِdivert him البصرُsight الكفيفblind عنaway from الهدىguidance
لم يلوِهِ البصرُ الكفيف عن الهدى
ألعلْمُknowledge فيin الدنياthis world هدَىguidance أصحابِهِits followers
ألعلْمُ في الدنيا هدَى أصحابِهِ
His blinded sight did not turn him from the right path;
Knowledge in this world is a guide to its followers.
ومشىand he walked معwith الأيامthe days يمزجmingling صفوَهاtheir serenity
ومشى مع الأيام يمزج صفوَها
بهمومهwith his cares ونعيمهاand their bliss بعذابهِwith his torment
بهمومه ونعيمها بعذابهِ
And he walked with the days, mingling their serenity
With his cares, and their bliss with his torment.
ناجيتُI communed with ذكراهhis memory وقدand already أَبلىhad worn away الردىdeath
ناجيتُ ذكراه وقد أَبلى الردى
ويحَwoe to الرَّدىdeath فيin التُّربِthe dust غَضُّtender إهابِهِhis skin
ويحَ الرَّدى في التُّربِ غَضُّ إهابِهِ
I communed with his memory; death had already worn away
—Woe to death!—his tender skin in the dust.
فذكرتُthen I recalled أجملَthe loveliest ماwhat حلتbecame sweet ذكرَىremembrance بهthrough it
فذكرتُ أجملَ ما حلت ذكرَى به
عنabout علمهhis learning وصفاتهand his qualities وشبابهand his youth
عن علمه وصفاته وشبابه
Then I recalled the loveliest things that sweetened remembrance:
His learning, his qualities, and his youth.
ليتif only المحاماةَthe legal profession التيwhich فُجِعتwas bereaved بهof him
ليت المحاماةَ التي فُجِعت به
صانتهhad protected him منfrom ظفْرthe claw of الحِمامdeath ونابهand its fang
صانته من ظفْر الحِمام ونابه
If only the legal profession, bereaved of him,
Had shielded him from death's claw and fang.
حَفَلتْit cared بهfor him عهداَfor a time فكانso he was لسانَهاits tongue
حَفَلتْ به عهداَ فكان لسانَها
أيامin days when نُنصِتwe listened attentively بهجةًwith delight لخطابِهِto his speech
أيام نُنصِت بهجةً لخطابِهِ
It cherished him for a time, and he was its voice,
In days when we listened with delight to his speech.
ذوpossessor of الحجتينthe two proofs العلمlearning فيin برهانِهِhis reasoning
ذو الحجتين العلم في برهانِهِ
والشيمةِand character الغرّاءradiant فيin آدابِهِhis manners
والشيمةِ الغرّاء في آدابِهِ
He possessed two proofs: learning in his reasoning,
And radiant character in his conduct.
سِرناwe went بهwith him فيon يومِهِhis day فكأنماso it was as though
سِرنا به في يومِهِ فكأنما
يمشيhe walks علىupon اللهفاتِanguished longings منfrom أحبابهِhis loved ones
يمشي على اللهفاتِ من أحبابهِ
We went with him on his day, as though
He were walking upon his loved ones' anguished longings.
فيin موكبٍa procession يتلوreciting حديثَthe story of حياتِهِhis life
في موكبٍ يتلو حديثَ حياتِهِ
فمشتso it walked كذاكlikewise حياتُهhis life بركابِهِin his train
فمشت كذاك حياتُه بركابِهِ
In a procession reciting the story of his life;
Thus his life, too, walked in his train.
إنيindeed I نظرتُlooked إلىat الحياةِlife فلمand did not أجدfind
إني نظرتُ إلى الحياةِ فلم أجد
إِلاّexcept حديثَthe story of المرءa person بعدafter ذهاِبهِhis departure
إِلاّ حديثَ المرء بعد ذهاِبهِ
Indeed, I looked at life and found nothing
But the story of a man after his passing.
النفسthe soul عندwith اللهGod فيin ملكوتهHis kingdom
النفس عند الله في ملكوته
والذكرand remembrance للإنسانfor man يومَon the day of حسابِهِhis reckoning
والذكر للإنسان يومَ حسابِهِ
The soul is with God in His kingdom,
And remembrance belongs to man on the day of his reckoning.
Sol 6.1