أَرقتُI lay awake فَماso not أَنامُI sleep وَلاand not أُنيمُI let others sleep
أَرقتُ فَما أَنامُ وَلا أُنيمُ
وَجاءَand came بِحُزنِيَwith my grief اللَيلُthe night البَهيمُpitch-black
وَجاءَ بِحُزنِيَ اللَيلُ البَهيمُ
I have lain awake: I neither sleep nor let others sleep.
I stay up awake, not sleeping nor napping,
And the pitch-black night came bearing my grief.
And the ruthless night brings my sorrow,
وَأَصبَحَand came to be عامِرٌʿĀmir قَدindeed هَدَّshattered رُكنيmy pillar
وَأَصبَحَ عامِرٌ قَد هَدَّ رُكني
وَفارَقَنيand parted from me بِهِin him اللَطِفُthe gentle one الحَميمُthe intimate friend
وَفارَقَني بِهِ اللَطِفُ الحَميمُ
And now ʿĀmir has shattered my pillar,
Morning comes upon me with my pillar collapsed,
And in him I lost my gentle, intimate friend.
And intimacy abandons me along with charm.
فَكانَfor he was ثِمالَناour refuge تَأويseek shelter إِلَيهِto him
فَكانَ ثِمالَنا تَأوي إِلَيهِ
أَرامِلُناour widows وَعائِلُناand our needy one اليَتيمُthe orphan
أَرامِلُنا وَعائِلُنا اليَتيمُ
For he was our refuge, to whom would turn
So our shelter became
Our widows and our needy orphan.
Where our widows and orphaned family take refuge.
وَمَدرَهَand the champion خَصمِناour side in dispute فيin كُلِّevery أَمرٍmatter
وَمَدرَهَ خَصمِنا في كُلِّ أَمرٍ
لَهُbefore him تَجذوkneel عَلىupon الرُكَبِthe knees الخُصومِthe adversaries
لَهُ تَجذو عَلى الرُكَبِ الخُصومِ
And the champion of our cause in every matter;
And our opponent took charge in every matter,
Before him adversaries knelt upon their knees.
His feet trampling the traveling group.
وَقَيِّمَناand our guardian عَلىover الجُلّيthe gravest crisis بِجِدٍّwith resolve
وَقَيِّمَنا عَلى الجُلّي بِجِدٍّ
إِذاwhen ماever الكَربُthe distress أَفظَعَappalled مَنwhoever يَقومُstands forth
إِذا ما الكَربُ أَفظَعَ مَن يَقومُ
And our resolute guardian in the gravest crisis,
And he appointed over us forcibly
When anguish appalled anyone who stood to face it.
When hardship overwhelmed those who would stand up.
أَتىcame الرُكبانُthe riders بِالأَخبارِwith the news تَهويspeeding along
أَتى الرُكبانُ بِالأَخبارِ تَهوي
بِهاbearing it وَبِهِمand bearing them حَراجيجٌlean, long-legged camels هُجومُrushing onward
بِها وَبِهِم حَراجيجٌ هُجومُ
The riders came with news; speeding along,
The caravan came with news that shocked
Bearing it and them, were lean, long-legged camels surging onward.
And with it clamors swooped down.
فَقالواthen they said قَدindeed تَرَكناهُwe left him سَقيماًill
فَقالوا قَد تَرَكناهُ سَقيماً
فَماso not صَدَقواthey spoke truth وَلاand not صَحَّrecovered السَقيمُthe sick man
فَما صَدَقوا وَلا صَحَّ السَقيمُ
Then they said, “We left him sick.”
They said we left him sick,
But they spoke no truth, nor did the sick man recover.
But they did not speak truthfully nor was he sick.
فَعَزَّso it was grievous عَلَيَّto me أَنَّthat القَومَthe company آبواreturned
فَعَزَّ عَلَيَّ أَنَّ القَومَ آبوا
وَأَنتَwhile you بِواسِطٍat Wāsiṭ جَدَثٌa grave مُقيمٌremaining
وَأَنتَ بِواسِطٍ جَدَثٌ مُقيمٌ
So it grieved me deeply that the company returned,
I was pained that the people came
While you remain at Wāsiṭ in a grave.
While you remain in Wāsiṭ, a new grave.
جَزاكَmay He reward you اللَهُGod خَيراًwith good حَيثُwherever أَمسَتhave come to lie
جَزاكَ اللَهُ خَيراً حَيثُ أَمسَت
مِنamong البُلدانِthe lands أَعظُمُكَyour bones الرَميمُcrumbling
مِن البُلدانِ أَعظُمُكَ الرَميمُ
May God reward you well, wherever now lie
May God reward you well, for you have become
Among the lands your crumbling bones.
The most precious being to me from all the lands.
فَنِعمَso, how excellent الشَيءُthe thing كُنتَyou were وَلَيسَand there is not شَيءٌanything
فَنِعمَ الشَيءُ كُنتَ وَلَيسَ شَيءٌ
مِنof الدُنياthe world وَماand what فيهاin it يَدومُendures
مِن الدُنيا وَما فيها يَدومُ
How excellent you were! Yet nothing
You were a wondrous thing, and nothing
Of this world or what it holds endures.
In this world and what is in it lasts.
تَضَعضَعَwas shaken جُلُّmost of قَومِكَyour people وَاِستَكانواand were humbled
تَضَعضَعَ جُلُّ قَومِكَ وَاِستَكانوا
لِفَقدِكَat your loss إِنَّهُindeed it is حَدَثٌa calamity عَظيمُgreat
لِفَقدِكَ إِنَّهُ حَدَثٌ عَظيمُ
Most of your people were shaken and brought low
Most of your people faltered and bowed down
By your loss; it is a great calamity.
To your loss - it is indeed a tremendous event.
قَضىfulfilled نَحباًan allotted term فَبانَthen departed وَكانَand he was حَصناًa fortress
قَضى نَحباً فَبانَ وَكانَ حَصناً
يَعوذُseeks refuge بِهِin him المُدَفَّعُthe outcast وَالغَريمُand the debtor
يَعوذُ بِهِ المُدَفَّعُ وَالغَريمُ
He met his end and departed; he had been a fortress
He passed on, so it was evident, for he was a fortress
Where the outcast and the debtor sought refuge.
Where the armed and refugee would take cover.
يَريشُenriches الأَقرَبينَthe nearest kin وَيَطّبيهمand wins them over
يَريشُ الأَقرَبينَ وَيَطّبيهم
وَلاand not يَبريpares down كَماjust as يَبريpares down القَدومُthe adze
وَلا يَبري كَما يَبري القَدومُ
He feathered his nearest kin and won them over,
He would shelter his kin and comfort them,
And did not pare them down as an adze pares.
Not abandoning as the guest would abandon.
Sol 6.1