علىupon الجانبِthe region الإسكندريِّAlexandrian سلامُpeace
على الجانبِ الإسكندريِّ سلامُ
يُكرِّرهrepeats it منيfrom me عليهupon it دوامُperpetuity
يُكرِّره مني عليه دوامُ
Peace upon the Alexandrian region,
Peace be upon the Alexandrian side
forever repeated upon it from me.
It repeats from me to it permanence
سلامٌa greeting of peace يُناجِىwhispers to ذلكthat الثغرthe port مُضحِكاmaking smile
سلامٌ يُناجِى ذلك الثغر مُضحِكا
رُباهُits hills بنَوْرٍwith blossoms قدalready بَكاهُwept over it غَمامclouds
رُباهُ بنَوْرٍ قد بَكاهُ غَمام
A greeting that whispers to that port and makes
A peace that whispers to that smiling cheek
its hills smile with blossoms over which clouds have wept.
Its shine weeped by clouds
ذكرتُI recalled زمانيmy days فيهin it والعيشُand life أخضرgreen
ذكرتُ زماني فيه والعيشُ أخضر
وإذand when أناI طفلٌa child والزّمانand time غلامa boy
وإذ أنا طفلٌ والزّمان غلام
I recalled my days there, when life was green,
I recalled my time in it and life still green
and when I was a child and time was a boy.
When I was a child and time still a lad
وأيامُناand our days كالدرِّlike pearls فُصِّلwas finely arranged عِقْدُهits necklace
وأيامُنا كالدرِّ فُصِّل عِقْدُه
وتمand was completed ولمand did not ينفكَّcome undone منهfrom it نظامa string
وتم ولم ينفكَّ منه نظام
And our days were like pearls, their necklace finely set,
Our days like threaded pearls
complete, its string never coming undone.
Complete and intact in their system
محلٌّa place بهin it مَوْتَىmy death حياةٍlife شَهيةٍdelectable
محلٌّ به مَوْتَى حياةٍ شَهيةٍ
تَلذُّis delightful وعيِشيand my life فيin سِواهother than it حِمامdeath
تَلذُّ وعيِشي في سِواه حِمام
A place where my death is a delectable life,
A place where lively life died
sweet to savor, while my life elsewhere is death.
Pleasurable and my life without it torment
ففيfor on الجانبِthe side الغربيِّwestern منهof it مَدافنٌburial grounds
ففي الجانبِ الغربيِّ منه مَدافنٌ
وفيهنَّand in them أَجْداثgraves عليَّto me كِرامdear
وفيهنَّ أَجْداث عليَّ كِرام
For on its western side lie burial grounds,
In its western side are tombs
and in them are graves dear to me.
In them are coffins honoring me
سَقتْهاwatered them دموعُtears الغيثِthe rain بَدْءاًat first وَعَوْدَةand anew
سَقتْها دموعُ الغيثِ بَدْءاً وَعَوْدَة
ففيهاfor within them عِظامٌbones قدalready بَلِينَhave decayed عِظامnoble
ففيها عِظامٌ قد بَلِينَ عِظام
The tears of rain have watered them, first and anew,
Watered by the tears of rain at first and return
for within them lie bones, decayed yet noble.
In them bones weathered from bones
عِظامٌnoble bones لهاthey have أصلانِtwo roots فرعُهماtheir branch أناI
عِظامٌ لها أصلانِ فرعُهما أنا
وحَسْبُكand enough for you فَهْمٌFahm منهماof the two وجُذامand Judham
وحَسْبُك فَهْمٌ منهما وجُذام
Noble bones with two roots, whose branch I am;
Bones with two roots their branches being me
and of those two, Fahm and Judham suffice you.
Your understanding of them suffices, comprehension and vigor
مُنيفانtwo towering ones فوقabove الراسياتِthe firmly rooted mountains تَطاوُلاthey both rose high
مُنيفان فوق الراسياتِ تَطاوُلا
تُقصِّرُfalls short رَضْوَىRadwa عنهماof them both وشَمامand Shamam
تُقصِّرُ رَضْوَى عنهما وشَمام
Both towered high above the firmly rooted mountains;
Two towering above the headstones
Radwa and Shamam fall short of them.
Lessening approval from them and ambition
ولوand even if لمnot يكوناthey both were ليmine لَكانتْthen would be فضائليmy virtues
ولو لم يكونا لي لَكانتْ فضائلي
تُحقِّقconfirm ماwhat قدalready قالsaid قبليbefore me عِصامIsam
تُحقِّق ما قد قال قبلي عِصام
And even if those two were not mine, my virtues would
Had they not been mine, my virtues
bear out what Isam said before me.
Would prove what the resolute said before me
قبورgraves علىupon الدِّيماسِal-Dimas أضحتْcame to be وفضلُهاand their excellence
قبور على الدِّيماسِ أضحتْ وفضلُها
لهit has فيin ظهورِthe emergence النّيِّراتِthe shining stars زحامjostling
له في ظهورِ النّيِّراتِ زحام
Graves now lie upon al-Dimas, and their glory
Tombs in the cemetery have become superior
jostles with the shining stars as they emerge.
Due to them the scents are crowded
بهاthrough them طابbecame fragrant ذاكthat التُّرْبُthe soil حينwhen بطيبِهاwith their fragrance
بها طاب ذاك التُّرْبُ حين بطيبِها
تَأَرَّجbreathed fragrance فيهin it عَبْهَرٌnarcissus وخُزامand lavender
تَأَرَّج فيه عَبْهَرٌ وخُزام
Through them that soil grew fragrant, as with their scent
With them that soil was perfumed when with their perfume
narcissus and lavender breathed fragrance there.
Fragrance and flowers flourished within it
فرَياّso the fragrance رياضِgardens الخِصبِfertility بعضُpart of ثَنائِهمtheir praise
فرَياّ رياضِ الخِصبِ بعضُ ثَنائِهم
لهاit has فيin مناجاةِwhispered converse with الأنوفthe noses كلامwords
لها في مناجاةِ الأنوف كلام
So the scent of fertile gardens is part of their praise;
Some meadows boast of their praise
it speaks in whispered converse with noses.
Having intimate whispers to noses
فكمso how much همةٌhigh resolve فيهاin them وكمand how much أريحيةٌgenerosity
فكم همةٌ فيها وكم أريحيةٌ
وفضلٌand virtue ومجدٌand glory شامخtowering وذِمامand bonds of honor
وفضلٌ ومجدٌ شامخ وذِمام
How much high resolve lies there, and how much generosity,
How much ambition in them and comfort
and virtue, towering glory, and bonds of honor!
Merit, glory, towering and ambition
وجوهٌfaces نأتْgrew distant عنيfrom me وبينيand between me وبينهاand between them
وجوهٌ نأتْ عني وبيني وبينها
ذراعٌa cubit يُواريهconceals it ثَرىًearth ورِجامand piled stones
ذراعٌ يُواريه ثَرىً ورِجام
Faces grown distant from me, though between me and them
Faces departed from me and between me and them
lies a cubit's span, hidden by earth and piled stones.
An arm covered by soil and tomb
فكنتُso I used to إذاwhenever ماever (emphatic) اشتقْتُهاI longed for them خفضeased الأسىthe grief
فكنتُ إذا ما اشتقْتُها خفض الأسى
دُنُوٌّdrawing near إلىto أَجْداثهاtheir graves ولِمامand brief visits
دُنُوٌّ إلى أَجْداثها ولِمام
So whenever I longed for them, my grief would be eased
When I missed them sorrow lowered
by drawing near their graves and paying brief visits.
Drawing near their graves and determination
فكيفso how وقدand already صارhas become البعادُseparation ثلاثةًthreefold
فكيف وقد صار البعادُ ثلاثةً
مماتٌdeath وبَينٌand parting نازحٌfar-distant وسَقامand sickness
مماتٌ وبَينٌ نازحٌ وسَقام
How then, now that separation has become threefold:
But separation has now become threefold
death, far-distant parting, and sickness?
Death, expanse, departure and illness
فلاso no قربَnearness فيin الدنياthis world سوىexcept أنthat يزورنيvisits me
فلا قربَ في الدنيا سوى أن يزورني
خيالٌa phantom وهيهاتَand how far apart النَّوىseparation ومَنامand sleep
خيالٌ وهيهاتَ النَّوى ومَنام
So there is no nearness in this world, save a visit to me
No closeness to the world except a phantom visiting me
from a phantom—yet separation and sleep are far apart!
Alas for wishes and sleep
فياso, ah طالَماhow often شِيمَwas looked for الحَياlife-giving rain منfrom أَكُفِّهاtheir palms
فيا طالَما شِيمَ الحَيا من أَكُفِّها
وفيand in غُرَرٍradiant brows منهاof theirs الحياءُmodesty يُشامis discerned
وفي غُرَرٍ منها الحياءُ يُشام
Ah, how often life-giving rain was looked for from their palms,
O how often the snakes of life struck from their palms
and modesty is discerned in their radiant brows!
And in their deception, shame is sensed
سأبِكيI shall weep مدىthroughout the duration of الدنياthis world عليهاfor them فريضةًas a duty
سأبِكي مدى الدنيا عليها فريضةً
مؤكدةًfirmly enjoined فالصبرfor patience بعدُhenceforth حرامforbidden
مؤكدةً فالصبر بعدُ حرام
I shall weep for them as long as this world lasts, as a duty
I will cry over them forever as duty
firmly enjoined—for patience henceforth is forbidden.
Perseverance after is forbidden
Sol 6.1