أَبكيI weep وَعَينُand the eye الشَرقِthe East تَبكيweeps مَعيwith me
أَبكي وَعَينُ الشَرقِ تَبكي مَعي
عَلىfor الأَريبِthe discerning الكاتِبِthe writer الأَلمَعيthe brilliant
عَلى الأَريبِ الكاتِبِ الأَلمَعي
I weep, and the eye of the East weeps with me,
I weep and the eye of the East weeps with me
For the discerning, brilliant writer.
For the eloquent, brilliant Arab writer
جَرىflowed عَصِيُّthe reluctant الدَمعِtears مِنfor أَجلِهِhis sake
جَرى عَصِيُّ الدَمعِ مِن أَجلِهِ
فَزادَand so exceeded فيin الجودِgenerosity عَلىbeyond الطَيِّعِthe willing
فَزادَ في الجودِ عَلى الطَيِّعِ
Reluctant tears flowed for his sake,
The water of tears flowed for his sake
And outdid the willing tears in generosity.
Increasing his generosity over the obedient
نَقصٌa loss مِنَfrom الشَرقِthe East وَمِنand from زَهوِهِits pride
نَقصٌ مِنَ الشَرقِ وَمِن زَهوِهِ
فَقدُthe loss of اليَراعِthe reed pen المُعجِزِinimitable المُبدِعِcreative
فَقدُ اليَراعِ المُعجِزِ المُبدِعِ
A loss to the East and to its pride
A loss for the East and its glory
Is the loss of that inimitable, creative reed pen.
The absence of the miraculous, creative genius
لَيسَthere is not لِمِصرٍfor Egypt فيamong رِجالاتِهاher distinguished men
لَيسَ لِمِصرٍ في رِجالاتِها
حَظٌّgood fortune وَلاnor لِلشامِfor Syria فيwith أَروَعِa splendid man
حَظٌّ وَلا لِلشامِ في أَروَعِ
Egypt has, among her men of distinction,
Egypt has no fortune among its men
No good fortune—nor has Syria with a splendid man.
Nor Syria among its most handsome
مُصابُthe loss of صَرّوفٍSarruf مُصابُa loss to النُهىreason
مُصابُ صَرّوفٍ مُصابُ النُهى
فَليَبكِهِso let it weep for him كُلَّevery فُؤادٍheart يَعيunderstands
فَليَبكِهِ كُلَّ فُؤادٍ يَعي
The loss of Sarruf is a loss to reason;
An affliction for Sarrouf, an affliction for decorum
So let every understanding heart weep for him.
Let every heart that comprehends weep for him
كُرِّمَwas honored بِالأَمسِyesterday وَأَكفانُهُwhile his shrouds
كُرِّمَ بِالأَمسِ وَأَكفانُهُ
تَنسِجُهاweave them الأَقدارُthe fates لِلمَصرَعِfor death
تَنسِجُها الأَقدارُ لِلمَصرَعِ
He was honored yesterday, while his shrouds
Honored yesterday, today his shroud
Were being woven by the fates for his death.
Is woven by the fates for his demise
ياO صائِغَfashioner of الدُرِّpearls لِتَكريمِهِto honor him
يا صائِغَ الدُرِّ لِتَكريمِهِ
صُغهُfashion it لِمَنعاهُfor his death announcement مِنَfrom الأَدمُعِtears
صُغهُ لِمَنعاهُ مِنَ الأَدمُعِ
O fashioner of pearls in his honor,
O maker of pearls, fashion them for his honor
Fashion them from tears to announce his death.
To spare him from tears
قَدindeed زَيَّنَadorned العِلمَlearning بِأَخلاقِهِwith his character
قَد زَيَّنَ العِلمَ بِأَخلاقِهِ
فَعاشَand so lived مِلءَfilling العَينِthe eye وَالمَسمَعِand the ear
فَعاشَ مِلءَ العَينِ وَالمَسمَعِ
He adorned learning with his character,
He adorned knowledge with his ethics
And lived filling the eye and ear.
And lived full of insight and hearing
تَواضُعٌhumility وَالكِبرُwhile arrogance دَأبُthe habit of الفَتىthe man
تَواضُعٌ وَالكِبرُ دَأبُ الفَتى
خَلاwas devoid مِنَof الفَضلِmerit فَلَمand so did not يَنفَعِbenefit
خَلا مِنَ الفَضلِ فَلَم يَنفَعِ
Humility was his; arrogance is the habit of a man
Humility while arrogance was the habit of the lad
Devoid of merit and therefore of no use.
Devoid of merit, he did not benefit
تَواضُعُthe humility of العِلمِlearning لَهُit has رَوعَةٌmajesty
تَواضُعُ العِلمِ لَهُ رَوعَةٌ
يَنهارُcollapses مِنهاbecause of it صَلَفُthe arrogance of المُدَّعيthe pretender
يَنهارُ مِنها صَلَفُ المُدَّعي
The humility of learning has a majesty
The humility of knowledge has a brilliance
Before which the pretender's arrogance crumbles.
At which the insolence of the pretentious crumbles
وَحُلَّةُand the robe of الفَضلِmerit لَهاit has شارَةٌan insignia
وَحُلَّةُ الفَضلِ لَها شارَةٌ
أَزهىmore splendid مِنَthan السَيفَينِthe two swords وَالمِدفَعِand the cannon
أَزهى مِنَ السَيفَينِ وَالمِدفَعِ
And the robe of merit bears an insignia
The garb of merit has a insignia
More splendid than the two swords and the cannon.
More radiant than sword and cannon
يُشبِعُsates مَنwhoever حَصَّلَacquired مِنfrom عِلمِهِhis knowledge
يُشبِعُ مَن حَصَّلَ مِن عِلمِهِ
وَهوَyet he مِنَwith التَحصيلِlearning لَمdid not يَشبَعِbecome sated
وَهوَ مِنَ التَحصيلِ لَم يَشبَعِ
He sates whoever draws upon his knowledge,
He satisfies those who gain his knowledge
Yet he was never sated with learning.
Yet he was never sated from seeking it
مُبَكِّرٌan early riser تَحسَبُهُyou think him طالِباًa student
مُبَكِّرٌ تَحسَبُهُ طالِباً
يُسابِقُraces الفَجرَthe dawn إِلىto المَطلَعِthe place of sunrise
يُسابِقُ الفَجرَ إِلى المَطلَعِ
An early riser, you would take him for a student
Seeming a student from his early rising
Racing the dawn to the place of sunrise.
Racing the dawn to the horizon
قَدindeed غالَتِravaged الأَسقامُillnesses أَضلاعَهُhis ribs
قَد غالَتِ الأَسقامُ أَضلاعَهُ
وَالرَأسُwhile the head فيin شُغلٍpreoccupation عَنِaway from الأَضلُعِthe ribs
وَالرَأسُ في شُغلٍ عَنِ الأَضلُعِ
Illnesses had ravaged his ribs,
Illnesses wasted his ribs
While his head was busy, heedless of his ribs.
While his head was busy beyond his sides
ماتَdied وَفيand in أَنمُلِهِhis fingertips صارِمٌa sharp sword
ماتَ وَفي أَنمُلِهِ صارِمٌ
لَمdid not يَنبُglance off فيin الضَربِstriking عَنِfrom المَقطَعِthe cutting point
لَم يَنبُ في الضَربِ عَنِ المَقطَعِ
He died with a sharp sword in his fingers,
He died with a sword still in his fingers
That never glanced off its mark when striking.
Unrelenting in combat and decisive arguments
صاحَبَهُaccompanied him خَمسينَfifty عاماًyears فَلَمand did not
صاحَبَهُ خَمسينَ عاماً فَلَم
يَخُنbetray لَهُto him عَهداًa pledge وَلَمand did not يَخدَعِdeceive
يَخُن لَهُ عَهداً وَلَم يَخدَعِ
It accompanied him for fifty years, and never
For fifty years his companion never
Broke a pledge to him or deceived him.
Broke a promise to him or was deceitful
مُوَفَّقاًgranted success أَنّىwherever جَرىran مُلهَماًinspired
مُوَفَّقاً أَنّى جَرى مُلهَماً
ماnever ضَلَّlost its way فيin الوِردِcoming to drink عَنِfrom المَشرَعِthe watering place
ما ضَلَّ في الوِردِ عَنِ المَشرَعِ
Successful wherever it ran, inspired,
Successful, inspired wherever he went
It never missed the watering place when coming to drink.
Never straying from the path in his pursuits
لَمdid not يَبرِهِsharpen it بارٍa sharpener سِوىexcept رَبِّهِits master
لَم يَبرِهِ بارٍ سِوى رَبِّهِ
وَلَمand did not يَحُزهُpossess it جاهِلٌan ignorant man أَوor دَعيa pretender
وَلَم يَحُزهُ جاهِلٌ أَو دَعي
No one sharpened it save its master,
None guided him but his Lord
And no ignorant man or pretender possessed it.
No ignorant or fraudulent person led him astray
فيin النَقلِtranslation وَالتَصنيفِand authorship أَربىsurpassed عَلىbeyond
في النَقلِ وَالتَصنيفِ أَربى عَلى
مَدىthe reach of اِبنِIbn (son of) بَحرٍBahr وَمَدىand the reach of الأَصمَعيal-Asma‘i
مَدى اِبنِ بَحرٍ وَمَدى الأَصمَعي
In translation and authorship, it surpassed
In transmitting and authoring he surpassed
The reach of Ibn Bahr and the reach of al-Asma‘i.
Ibn Bakr and al-Asma'i in scope
أَيَّwhich سَبيلٍpath لِلهُدىto guidance لَمdid not يَرِدenter
أَيَّ سَبيلٍ لِلهُدى لَم يَرِد
وَأَيُّand which بابٍdoor مِنهُof it لَمdid not يَقرَعِknock upon
وَأَيُّ بابٍ مِنهُ لَم يَقرَعِ
What path to guidance did it not take,
What path of guidance did he not walk
And which of its doors did it not knock upon?
What door did he not knock and open
يَقتَطِفُplucks الزَهرَthe flowers وَيَختارُهُand selects them
يَقتَطِفُ الزَهرَ وَيَختارُهُ
كَالنَحلِlike bees لاdoes not يَعفوpass عَنِover الأَينَعِthe ripest blooms
كَالنَحلِ لا يَعفو عَنِ الأَينَعِ
It plucks the flowers and selects them,
He picks and chooses the flowers
Like bees, passing over none of the ripest blooms.
Like bees, not neglecting the freshest
فَتَحسَبُso you think القُرّاءَthe readers فيin جَنَّةٍa paradise
فَتَحسَبُ القُرّاءَ في جَنَّةٍ
عُقولُهُمtheir minds فيin رَوضِهاits meadow تَرتَعيgraze
عُقولُهُم في رَوضِها تَرتَعي
So you would think the readers were in a paradise,
You'd think the readers were in a garden
Their minds grazing in its meadow.
Their minds grazing in its meadows
صَرّوفُSarruf لاdo not تَبعُدgo far فَلَستَfor you are not الَّذيthe one who
صَرّوفُ لا تَبعُد فَلَستَ الَّذي
يَطويهِfolds him away طاويthe enfolder of ذَلِكَthat المَضجَعِresting place
يَطويهِ طاوي ذَلِكَ المَضجَعِ
Sarruf, do not go far, for you are not one
Sarrouf, you have not gone far, it was not you
Whom the enfolder of that resting place can fold away.
Laid down in that final resting place
أَسكَتَكَsilenced you المَوتُdeath وَلَكِنَّهُand yet it
أَسكَتَكَ المَوتُ وَلَكِنَّهُ
لَمdid not يُسكِتِsilence الآثارَthe works فيin المَجمَعِthe assembly
لَم يُسكِتِ الآثارَ في المَجمَعِ
Death silenced you, but it
Death silenced you but it did not
Did not silence your works in the assembly.
Silence your legacy in the academy
ذِكراكَyour memory لاdoes not تَنفَكُّcease to be مَوصولَةًunbroken
ذِكراكَ لا تَنفَكُّ مَوصولَةً
فيin مَعهَدِthe institute of العِلمِlearning وَفيand in المَصنَعِthe factory
في مَعهَدِ العِلمِ وَفي المَصنَعِ
Your memory remains unbroken
Mention of you is ever connected
In the institute of learning and in the factory.
To the institute of knowledge and the factory
Sol 6.1