جازَتoverstepped مُلِمّاتُthe calamities الزَمانِof time حُدودَهاtheir bounds
جازَت مُلِمّاتُ الزَمانِ حُدودَها
وَاِستَفرَغَتand exhausted أَيّامُهاtheir days مَجهودَهاtheir utmost effort
وَاِستَفرَغَت أَيّامُها مَجهودَها
The calamities of time have overstepped their bounds,
The calamities of time have overstepped their bounds.
and its days have spent their utmost force.
And their days have spent their utmost strength.
وَقَضَتand decreed عَلَيناupon us بِالمَنونِdeath فَعَوَّضَتthen exchanged
وَقَضَت عَلَينا بِالمَنونِ فَعَوَّضَت
بِالكَرهِagainst our will مِنin place of بيضِthe white ones اللَياليof the nights سودَهاtheir black ones
بِالكَرهِ مِن بيضِ اللَيالي سودَها
It sentenced us to death, exchanging
And they decreed death upon us, exchanging
against our will, the bright nights for their dark ones.
White nights, against our will, for black ones.
بِاللَهِby God ماwhat بالُthe matter with الأَحِبَّةِthe loved ones أَعرَضَتturned away
بِاللَهِ ما بالُ الأَحِبَّةِ أَعرَضَت
عَنّاfrom us وَرامَتand sought بِالفِراقِthrough parting صُدودَهاtheir estrangement
عَنّا وَرامَت بِالفِراقِ صُدودَها
By God, what ails the loved ones, that they have turned
By God, why have the loved ones turned away
away from us and chosen the estrangement of parting?
From us and sought to keep their distance by parting?
رَضِيَتaccepted مُصاحَبَةَcompanionship with البِلىdecay وَاِستَوطَنَتand settled in
رَضِيَت مُصاحَبَةَ البِلى وَاِستَوطَنَت
بَعدَafter البُيوتِthe houses قُبورَهاtheir graves وَلُحودَهاand their burial niches
بَعدَ البُيوتِ قُبورَها وَلُحودَها
They accepted decay as their companion and settled
They accepted decay for company and settled
after their homes, into their graves and burial niches.
After living in houses, in their graves and burial niches.
حَرِصَتwas eager عَلىfor طولِlength of البَقاءِsurvival وَإِنَّماbut only
حَرِصَت عَلى طولِ البَقاءِ وَإِنَّما
مُبديthe originator of النُفوسِsouls أَبادَهاdestroyed them لِيُعيدَهاto restore them
مُبدي النُفوسِ أَبادَها لِيُعيدَها
They yearned for long life—yet it is
They longed for lasting life, but it was only
He who brings souls forth who destroys them, to bring them back.
The Originator of souls who destroyed them to restore them.
عَبَثَتtoyed بِهاwith them الأَيّامُthe days حَتّىuntil أَوثَقَتfastened firmly
عَبَثَت بِها الأَيّامُ حَتّى أَوثَقَت
أَيديthe hands of البِلىdecay تَحتَbeneath التُرابِthe earth قُيودَهاtheir fetters
أَيدي البِلى تَحتَ التُرابِ قُيودَها
The days toyed with them until
The days toyed with them, until
the hands of decay fastened their fetters beneath the earth.
Decay's hands tightened their fetters beneath the earth.
فَكَأَنَّماand so, as though تِلكَthose الجُسومُthe bodies صَوارِمٌkeen-edged swords
فَكَأَنَّما تِلكَ الجُسومُ صَوارِمٌ
نَحَتَcarved الحِمامُdeath مِنَfrom اللُحودِthe burial niches غُمودَهاtheir sheaths
نَحَتَ الحِمامُ مِنَ اللُحودِ غُمودَها
It is as though those bodies were drawn swords,
And so those bodies seemed like keen-edged swords,
for Death fashioned graves as their scabbards.
Whose sheaths death carved from burial niches.
نَسَجَتwove يَدُthe hand of الأَيّامِthe days مِنfrom أَكفانِهاtheir shrouds
نَسَجَت يَدُ الأَيّامِ مِن أَكفانِها
حُلَلاًrobes وَأَلقَتand cast بَينَهُنَّamong them عُقودَهاtheir necklaces
حُلَلاً وَأَلقَت بَينَهُنَّ عُقودَها
The hand of time wove from their shrouds
The hand of days wove from their shrouds
robes, and laid necklaces among them.
Robes, and cast their necklaces among them.
وَكَساand clothed الرَبيعُspring رُبوعَهاtheir dwelling places أَنوارَهُits blossoms
وَكَسا الرَبيعُ رُبوعَها أَنوارَهُ
لَماwhen سَقَتهاwatered them الغادِياتُthe morning rain-clouds عُهودَهاtheir recurring rains
لَما سَقَتها الغادِياتُ عُهودَها
Spring clothed their resting places in its blossoms,
And spring clothed their dwelling places in its blossoms,
when the morning rainclouds fulfilled their pledge and watered them.
When morning rain-clouds watered them with their recurring showers.
وَسَرىand drifted بِهاthrough them نَشرُthe fragrance النَسيمِof the breeze فَعَطَّرَتthen perfumed
وَسَرى بِها نَشرُ النَسيمِ فَعَطَّرَت
نَفَحاتُthe breaths of أَرواحِthe winds of الشَمالِthe north صَعيدَهاtheir soil
نَفَحاتُ أَرواحِ الشَمالِ صَعيدَها
The spreading breeze passed through them, till
And the breeze's fragrance drifted through them; then
the breaths of the north wind perfumed their soil.
The breaths of northern winds perfumed their soil.
هَلhas ...? عيشَةٌa life طابَتbeen sweet لَناto us إِلّاexcept وَقَدand already
هَل عيشَةٌ طابَت لَنا إِلّا وَقَد
أَبلىwore out الزَمانُtime قَديمَهاits old وَجَديدَهاand its new
أَبلى الزَمانُ قَديمَها وَجَديدَها
Was there ever a life made sweet for us, but
Has any life been sweet to us without
Time wore away both its old and its new?
Time wearing out its old and its new?
أَوor مُقلَةٌan eye ذاقَتtasted كَراهاits sleep لَيلَةًfor a night
أَو مُقلَةٌ ذاقَت كَراها لَيلَةً
إِلّاexcept وَأَعقَبَتِand followed الخُطوبُcalamities هُجودَهاits slumber
إِلّا وَأَعقَبَتِ الخُطوبُ هُجودَها
Or an eye that tasted sleep for one night,
Or has an eye tasted its sleep for a night,
but calamities followed and ended its slumber?
Without calamities following its slumber?
أَوor بِنيَةٌan edifice لِلمَجدِfor glory شيدَwas raised أَساسُهاits foundation
أَو بِنيَةٌ لِلمَجدِ شيدَ أَساسُها
إِلّاexcept وَقَدand already هَدَمَdemolished القَضاءُfate وَطيدَهاits solid structure
إِلّا وَقَد هَدَمَ القَضاءُ وَطيدَها
Or an edifice whose foundations were raised for glory,
Or has an edifice of glory had its foundation raised,
but Fate demolished its firm base?
Without fate demolishing its solid structure?
شَقَّتwas grievous عَلىto العَلياhigh honor وَفاةُthe death of كَريمَةٍa noble woman
شَقَّت عَلى العَليا وَفاةُ كَريمَةٍ
شَقَّتtore عَلَيهاfor her المَكرُماتُnoble deeds بُرودَهاtheir striped mantles
شَقَّت عَلَيها المَكرُماتُ بُرودَها
Grievous to high glory was the death of a noblewoman;
The death of a noble woman was grievous to high honor;
the virtues rent their robes in mourning for her.
Noble deeds tore their striped mantles for her.
وَعَزيزَةٍand a cherished woman مَفقودَةٍlost قَدindeed هَوَّنَتmade lighter
وَعَزيزَةٍ مَفقودَةٍ قَد هَوَّنَت
مُهَجُthe lifeblood of النَوافِلِgenerous men بَعدَهاafter her مَفقودَهاher loss
مُهَجُ النَوافِلِ بَعدَها مَفقودَها
A cherished woman, lost, whose loss made seem slight
And a cherished woman was lost; her loss was eased
the lives of lesser women lost after her.
By the lifeblood of generous men after her.
ماتَتshe died وَوُسِّدَتِand was pillowed on الفَلاةَthe desert قَتيلَةًslain
ماتَت وَوُسِّدَتِ الفَلاةَ قَتيلَةً
ياoh لَهفُthe anguish of نَفسيmy soul إِذwhen رَأَتit saw تَوسيدَهاher being pillowed
يا لَهفُ نَفسي إِذ رَأَت تَوسيدَها
She died, laid upon the wilderness, slain;
She died, slain, and the desert was made her pillow.
how my soul grieved for her when it saw her laid there.
Oh, my soul's anguish when it saw her laid down!
ياO قَيسُQays إِنَّindeed صُدورَناour breasts وَقَدَتblazed بِهbecause of it
يا قَيسُ إِنَّ صُدورَنا وَقَدَت بِه
نارٌa fire بِأَضلُعِناwithin our ribs تَشُبُّkindles وَقودَهاits fuel
نارٌ بِأَضلُعِنا تَشُبُّ وَقودَها
O Qays, through this our breasts have kindled
O Qays, indeed our breasts have blazed because of this;
a fire within our ribs, its fuel blazing.
A fire within our ribs kindles its fuel.
فَاِنهَضso rise لِأَخذِto take الثَأرِvengeance غَيرَnot مُقَسِّرٍremiss
فَاِنهَض لِأَخذِ الثَأرِ غَيرَ مُقَسِّرٍ
حَتّىuntil تُبيدَyou annihilate مِنَamong العِداةِthe foes عَديدَهاtheir multitude
حَتّى تُبيدَ مِنَ العِداةِ عَديدَها
Rise, then, to exact blood vengeance, holding nothing back,
So rise to exact vengeance, without slackening,
until you annihilate the enemies’ whole host.
Until you wipe out the multitude of the foes.
Sol 6.1