لِيَبكِlet him weep عَلىfor الحَجّاجِal-Hajjaj مَنwhoever كانَwas باكِياًweeping
لِيَبكِ عَلى الحَجّاجِ مَن كانَ باكِياً
عَلىfor الدينِthe faith أَوor شارٍa self-sacrificing warrior عَلىat الثَغرِthe frontier واقِفِstanding guard
عَلى الدينِ أَو شارٍ عَلى الثَغرِ واقِفِ
Let him weep for al-Hajjaj, whoever would weep
for the faith or a self-sacrificing warrior standing at the frontier;
وَأَيتامُand the orphans سَوداءِblack الذِراعَينِthe two arms لَمdid not يَدَعleave
وَأَيتامُ سَوداءِ الذِراعَينِ لَم يَدَع
لَهاfor her الدَهرُtime مالاًwealth بِالسِنينَthrough the years الجَوالِفِravaging
لَها الدَهرُ مالاً بِالسِنينَ الجَوالِفِ
and let the orphans of a black-armed woman weep—
time has left her no wealth through the ravaging years.
وَماand not ذَرَفَتshed tears عَينانِtwo eyes بَعدَafter مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad
وَما ذَرَفَت عَينانِ بَعدَ مُحَمَّدٍ
عَلىfor مِثلِهِhis like إِلّاexcept نُفوسَthe persons الخَلائِفِthe caliphs
عَلى مِثلِهِ إِلّا نُفوسَ الخَلائِفِ
And no eyes have shed tears since Muhammad
for anyone like him, save the caliphs themselves.
وَماand not ضُمِّنَتwas entrusted أَرضٌany earth فَتَحمَلَand so bear مِثلَهُhis like
وَما ضُمِّنَت أَرضٌ فَتَحمَلَ مِثلَهُ
وَلاnor خُطَّwas inscribed يُنعىhas his death announced فيin بُطونِthe insides الصَحائِفِthe written pages
وَلا خُطَّ يُنعى في بُطونِ الصَحائِفِ
No earth has ever been entrusted to bear his like,
nor has his like been mourned in writing within the pages,
لِحَزمٍin firm resolve وَلاnor تَنكيتِstriking down عِفريتِa demon فِتنَةٍsedition
لِحَزمٍ وَلا تَنكيتِ عِفريتِ فِتنَةٍ
إِذاwhen اِكتَحَلَتgrew dark with kohl أَنيابُthe fangs جَرباءَmangy شارِفِan aged she-camel
إِذا اِكتَحَلَت أَنيابُ جَرباءَ شارِفِ
in resolve or in striking down a demon of sedition,
when a mangy old she-camel's fangs grow dark with kohl.
فَلَمso did not أَرَI see يَوماًa day كانَwas أَنكىmore wounding رَزِيَّةًin loss
فَلَم أَرَ يَوماً كانَ أَنكى رَزِيَّةً
وَأَكثَرَand more لَطّاًblinding لِلعُيونِto the eyes الذَوارِفِstreaming with tears
وَأَكثَرَ لَطّاً لِلعُيونِ الذَوارِفِ
So I have never seen a day more grievous in loss,
or more blinding to eyes streaming with tears,
مِنَthan اليَومِthe day لِلحَجّاجِof al-Hajjaj لَمّاwhen غَدَواthey went out in the morning بِهِwith him
مِنَ اليَومِ لِلحَجّاجِ لَمّا غَدَوا بِهِ
وَقَدand indeed كانَhe used to يَحميward off مُضلِعاتِbackbreaking المَكالِفِthe burdens
وَقَد كانَ يَحمي مُضلِعاتِ المَكالِفِ
than al-Hajjaj's day, when they bore him away in the morning,
though he had warded off backbreaking burdens.
وَمُهمِلَةٍand many a woman letting her camels roam لَمّاwhen أَتاهاreached her نَعِيُّهُnews of his death
وَمُهمِلَةٍ لَمّا أَتاها نَعِيُّهُ
أَراحَتshe brought home عَلَيهاto herself مُهمِلاتِloose-roaming camels التَنايِفِthe desert wastes
أَراحَت عَلَيها مُهمِلاتِ التَنايِفِ
And many a woman who let her camels roam, when news of his death reached her,
brought home her camels wandering the desert wastes.
فَقالَتso she said لِعَبدَيهاto her two slaves أَريحاyou two, bring them home فَعَقِّلاthen you two, hobble them
فَقالَت لِعَبدَيها أَريحا فَعَقِّلا
فَقَدfor indeed ماتَhas died راعيthe keeper ذَودِناour small camel-herd بِالطَرايِفِat al-Tarayif
فَقَد ماتَ راعي ذَودِنا بِالطَرايِفِ
Then she said to her two slaves, “Bring them home, then hobble them,
for the keeper of our small camel-herd at al-Tarayif has died.”
وَماتَand has died الَّذيthe one who يَرعىsafeguards عَلىfor الناسِthe people دينَهُمtheir faith
وَماتَ الَّذي يَرعى عَلى الناسِ دينَهُم
وَيَضرِبُand strikes بِالهِندِيَّwith the Indian sword رَأسَthe head المُخالِفِof the dissenter
وَيَضرِبُ بِالهِندِيَّ رَأسَ المُخالِفِ
And dead is he who guarded the people's faith
and struck the dissenter's head with the Indian sword.
فَلَيتَso if only الأَكُفَّthe hands الدافِناتِthat buried اِبنَthe son of يوسُفٍYusuf
فَلَيتَ الأَكُفَّ الدافِناتِ اِبنَ يوسُفٍ
تَقَطَّعنَhad been severed إِذas يَحثينَthey scatter earth by handfuls فَوقَover السَقايِفِthe covering slabs
تَقَطَّعنَ إِذ يَحثينَ فَوقَ السَقايِفِ
If only the hands that buried Ibn Yusuf
had been severed as they scattered earth over the covering slabs!
وَكَيفَand how وَأَنتُمwhile you تَنظُرونَyou look on رَمَيتُمُyou cast
وَكَيفَ وَأَنتُم تَنظُرونَ رَمَيتُمُ
بِهِhim بَينَbetween جَولَيthe two sides of هُوَّةٍa deep pit فيin اللَفايِفِthe shrouds
بِهِ بَينَ جَولَي هُوَّةٍ في اللَفايِفِ
And how could you, looking on, have cast
him between the two sides of a pit, wrapped in shrouds?
أَلَمdid not? تَعلَمواyou know أَنَّthat الَّذيthe one whom تَدفِنونَهُyou are burying him
أَلَم تَعلَموا أَنَّ الَّذي تَدفِنونَهُ
بِهِthrough him كانَused to be يُرعىshepherded قاصِياتُthe remote ones الزَعانِفِthe rabble
بِهِ كانَ يُرعى قاصِياتُ الزَعانِفِ
Did you not know that the man you are burying
was he through whom the far-flung rabble were shepherded?
وَكانَتand were ظُباةُthe edges المَشرِفِيَّةِthe Mashrafi swords قَدalready شَفىhe healed
وَكانَت ظُباةُ المَشرِفِيَّةِ قَد شَفى
بِهاwith them الدينَthe faith وَالأَضغانَand the hatreds ذاتِhaving الخَوالِفِlingering remnants
بِها الدينَ وَالأَضغانَ ذاتِ الخَوالِفِ
And the edges of the Mashrafi swords—he had healed
with them the faith and long-lingering hatreds.
Sol 6.1