لَكَfor you اللَهُGod قَدindeed أَسرَعتَyou hastened فيon السَيرِthe journey قَبلَناahead of us
لَكَ اللَهُ قَد أَسرَعتَ في السَيرِ قَبلَنا
وَآثَرتَand you preferred ياO مِصرِيُّMisri (Egyptian) سُكنىdwelling المَقابِرِthe graveyards
وَآثَرتَ يا مِصرِيُّ سُكنى المَقابِرِ
God be with you! You hastened on the journey ahead of us,
and chose, O Misri, to dwell in the graveyards.
وَقَدand indeed كُنتَyou were فيناamong us ياO فَتىyouth of الشِعرِpoetry زَهرَةًa blossom
وَقَد كُنتَ فينا يا فَتى الشِعرِ زَهرَةً
تَفَتَّحُit blossoms لِلأَذهانِto minds قَبلَbefore النَواظِرِthe eyes
تَفَتَّحُ لِلأَذهانِ قَبلَ النَواظِرِ
And among us, O youth of verse, you were a blossom
that opened to minds before it opened to eyes.
فَلَهفيso, my grief عَلىfor تِلكَthose الأَنامِلِfingers فيin البِلىdecay
فَلَهفي عَلى تِلكَ الأَنامِلِ في البِلى
فَكَمfor how many نَسَجَتthey wove قَبلَbefore البِلىdecay مِنof مَفاخِرِglories
فَكَم نَسَجَت قَبلَ البِلى مِن مَفاخِرِ
How I grieve for those fingers in decay!
For how many glories they wove before decay!
وَياand O وَيحَalas لِلأَشعارِfor poems بَعدَafter نَجِيِّهاtheir confidant
وَيا وَيحَ لِلأَشعارِ بَعدَ نَجِيِّها
وَوَيحَand alas for القَوافيthe rhymes ساقَهاhas driven them غَيرُone who is not شاعِرِa poet
وَوَيحَ القَوافي ساقَها غَيرُ شاعِرِ
And alas for poems after their confidant's passing,
and alas for rhymes driven by one who is no poet.
تَزَوَّدتَyou took provisions مِنfrom دُنياكَyour earthly life ذِكراًremembrance مُخَلَّداًundying
تَزَوَّدتَ مِن دُنياكَ ذِكراً مُخَلَّداً
وَذاكَand that لَعَمريby my life نِعمَexcellent is زادُthe provision of المُسافِرِthe traveler
وَذاكَ لَعَمري نِعمَ زادُ المُسافِرِ
You took from your earthly life undying remembrance as provisions,
and that, by my life, is fine provision for the traveler.
وَأَورَثتَناand you bequeathed us حُزناًgrief عَلَيكَfor you وَحَسرَةًand anguish
وَأَورَثتَنا حُزناً عَلَيكَ وَحَسرَةً
عَلىat فَقدِthe loss of سَبّاقٍa forerunner كَريمِnoble in المَحاضِرِgatherings
عَلى فَقدِ سَبّاقٍ كَريمِ المَحاضِرِ
And you bequeathed us grief for you and anguish
at the loss of a forerunner, noble in every gathering.
فَلَمfor ... did not تَثوِياyou dwell, O عَبدَAbd (servant of) الحَليمِal-Halim (the Forbearing) بِحُفرَةٍin a pit
فَلَم تَثوِيا عَبدَ الحَليمِ بِحُفرَةٍ
وَلَكِنbut بِرَوضٍin a garden مِنof قَريضِكَyour verse ناضِرِverdant
وَلَكِن بِرَوضٍ مِن قَريضِكَ ناضِرِ
For you lie, Abd al-Halim, not in a pit,
but in a verdant garden of your verse.
فَديوانُكَfor your poetry collection الرَيّانُwell-watered يُغنيكَsuffices you طيبُهُits fragrance
فَديوانُكَ الرَيّانُ يُغنيكَ طيبُهُ
عَنِin place of الزَهرِflowers مَطلولاًbedewed بِجودِby the bounty of المَواطِرِrain clouds
عَنِ الزَهرِ مَطلولاً بِجودِ المَواطِرِ
For the fragrance of your lush book of verse leaves you no need
of flowers bedewed by the bounty of rain clouds.
فَسامِرso converse by night with أَباAbu (father of) بَكرٍBakr هُناكَthere فَإِنَّهُfor he
فَسامِر أَبا بَكرٍ هُناكَ فَإِنَّهُ
سَيَظفَرُhe will obtain فيin عَدنَEden بِخَيرِthe finest of مُسامِرِcompanions in evening talk
سَيَظفَرُ في عَدنَ بِخَيرِ مُسامِرِ
So converse by night with Abu Bakr there, for he
will find in Eden the finest companion.
هَنيئاًjoy لَكَto you الدارُthe abode الَّتيwhich قَدindeed حَلَلتَهاyou have entered it
هَنيئاً لَكَ الدارُ الَّتي قَد حَلَلتَها
وَأَعظِمand how great بِمَنis the one whom جاوَرتَهُyou have dwelt beside مِنas a مُجاوِرِneighbor
وَأَعظِم بِمَن جاوَرتَهُ مِن مُجاوِرِ
Joy to you in the abode you have entered,
and how great a neighbor is he beside whom you dwell!
عَلَيكَupon you سَلامٌpeace ماas long as تَرَنَّمَchants مُنشِدٌa reciter
عَلَيكَ سَلامٌ ما تَرَنَّمَ مُنشِدٌ
وَقامَand stands خَطيبٌan orator فَوقَupon هامِthe tops of المَنابِرِthe pulpits
وَقامَ خَطيبٌ فَوقَ هامِ المَنابِرِ
Peace be upon you as long as a reciter chants,
and an orator stands upon the tops of pulpits.
Sol 6.1