دُكَّwas razed ماthe interval بَينَbetween ضَحوَةٍmidmorning وَعَشِيِّand evening
دُكَّ ما بَينَ ضَحوَةٍ وَعَشِيِّ
شامِخٌa towering edifice مِنamong صُروحِthe edifices of آلِthe house of عَلِيِّAli
شامِخٌ مِن صُروحِ آلِ عَلِيِّ
Between midmorning and evening was laid low
a towering edifice of the house of Ali.
وَهَوىand fell عَنfrom سَماوَةِthe lofty height of العَرشِthe throne مَلكٌa king
وَهَوى عَن سَماوَةِ العَرشِ مَلكٌ
لَمnot نُمَتَّعwe were granted enjoyment بِعَهدِهِof his reign الذَهَبِيِّgolden
لَم نُمَتَّع بِعَهدِهِ الذَهَبِيِّ
And from the throne's lofty height a king fell;
we were not granted enjoyment of his golden reign.
قَدindeed تَساءَلتُI wondered يَومَon the day ماتَdied حُسَينٌHusayn
قَد تَساءَلتُ يَومَ ماتَ حُسَينٌ
أَفَقَدناhave we lost? بِفَقدِهِthrough losing him كُلَّevery شَيِّthing
أَفَقَدنا بِفَقدِهِ كُلَّ شَيِّ
I wondered on the day Husayn died:
Have we lost everything in losing him?
أَمor تَرىdo you think يُسعِدُwill gladden الكِنانَةَal-Kinana (Egypt) باريـthe Creator of
أَم تَرى يُسعِدُ الكِنانَةَ باريـ
ـهاher وَيَقضيand decree لَهاfor her بِلُطفٍwith kindness خَفِيِّhidden
ـها وَيَقضي لَها بِلُطفٍ خَفِيِّ
Or might al-Kinana's Creator bring her joy
and decree her lot with hidden kindness?
لَمnot تَكَدcome close to تُدرِكُattaining النُفوسُthe souls مُراداًa wish
لَم تَكَد تُدرِكُ النُفوسُ مُراداً
فيin زَمانِthe time of المُتَوَّجِthe crowned one العَلَوِيِّof Ali's line
في زَمانِ المُتَوَّجِ العَلَوِيِّ
Scarcely had souls attained a wish
in the reign of the crowned scion of Ali;
لَمnot تَكَدcome close to تَبلُغُreaching البِلادَthe country مُناهاits hopes
لَم تَكَد تَبلُغُ البِلادَ مُناها
تَحتَbeneath أَفياءِthe shades of عَدلِهِhis justice الكِسرَوِيِّlike Kisra's
تَحتَ أَفياءِ عَدلِهِ الكِسرَوِيِّ
scarcely had the country reached its hopes
beneath the shade of his Kisra-like justice;
لَمnot يَكَدcome close to يَنعَمُenjoying ease الفَقيرُthe poor man بِعَيشٍwith a livelihood
لَم يَكَد يَنعَمُ الفَقيرُ بِعَيشٍ
مِنfrom نَداهُhis bounty وَفَيضِهِand his abundance الحاتِمِيِّlike Hatim's
مِن نَداهُ وَفَيضِهِ الحاتِمِيِّ
scarcely had the poor man enjoyed a livelihood
from his bounty and his Hatim-like abundance.
حَجَبَveiled المَوتُdeath مَطلَعَthe dawning-place of الجودِgenerosity ياO مِصـEgypt (first part)
حَجَبَ المَوتُ مَطلَعَ الجودِ يا مِصـ
ـرُ(completes 'Egypt') فَجوديso give generously لَهُto him بِدَمعٍwith tears سَخِيِّabundant
ـرُ فَجودي لَهُ بِدَمعٍ سَخِيِّ
Death veiled generosity's dawning-place, O Egypt;
so give generously to him with abundant tears.
وَمَضىand passed away واهِبُthe giver of الأُلوفِthousands فَوَلَّتand so vanished
وَمَضى واهِبُ الأُلوفِ فَوَلَّت
يَومَon the day وَلّىhe departed بَشاشَةُthe cheerfulness of الأَريَحِيِّthe generous man
يَومَ وَلّى بَشاشَةُ الأَريَحِيِّ
And the giver of thousands passed away, and vanished
the generous man's cheerfulness, the day he departed.
وَقَضىand died كافِلُthe guardian of اليَتامىthe orphans فَوَيلٌso woe
وَقَضى كافِلُ اليَتامى فَوَيلٌ
لِليَتامىto the orphans مِنَfrom الزَمانِthe age العَتِيِّruthless
لِليَتامى مِنَ الزَمانِ العَتِيِّ
The orphans' guardian died; so woe
to the orphans from a ruthless age.
كَمhow greatly تَمَنّىhe wished لَوif only عاشَhe could live حَتّىuntil يَراناhe saw us
كَم تَمَنّى لَو عاشَ حَتّى يَرانا
أُمَّةًa nation ذاتَpossessing مَنعَةٍstrength وَرُقِيِّand advancement
أُمَّةً ذاتَ مَنعَةٍ وَرُقِيِّ
How he wished to live to see us
a nation possessed of strength and advancement.
غالَهُstruck him down الضَعفُfrailty حينَwhen شَمَّرَhe girded himself لِلإِصـfor reform (first part)
غالَهُ الضَعفُ حينَ شَمَّرَ لِلإِصـ
ـلاحِ(completes 'reform') فيin مُلكِهِhis kingdom بِعَزمٍwith resolve فَتِيِّyouthful
ـلاحِ في مُلكِهِ بِعَزمٍ فَتِيِّ
Frailty struck him down as he girded himself for reform
in his kingdom, with youthful resolve.
حَبَسَfettered الخَطبُthe calamity فيكَover you أَلسِنَةَthe tongues of القَوspeech (first part)
حَبَسَ الخَطبُ فيكَ أَلسِنَةَ القَو
لِ(completes 'speech') وَأَعياand exhausted قَريحَةَthe inspiration of العَبقَرِيِّthe genius
لِ وَأَعيا قَريحَةَ العَبقَرِيِّ
The calamity of your loss has silenced the tongues of speech
and exhausted the inspiration of genius.
وَإِذاand when جَلَّتِgrow grave الخُطوبُcalamities وَطَمَّتand overwhelm
وَإِذا جَلَّتِ الخُطوبُ وَطَمَّت
أَعجَزَتsurpass فيin القَريضِpoetry طَوقَthe capacity of الرَوِيِّthe rhyme-letter
أَعجَزَت في القَريضِ طَوقَ الرَوِيِّ
And when calamities grow grave and overwhelming,
they surpass the power of rhyme in verse.
إِنَّindeed شَرَّthe worst of المُصابِcalamity ماthat which أَطلَقَunleashed الدَمـtears (first part)
إِنَّ شَرَّ المُصابِ ما أَطلَقَ الدَمـ
ـعَ(completes 'tears') وَراعَand terrified المُفَوَّهينَthe eloquent بِعِيِّinto speechlessness
ـعَ وَراعَ المُفَوَّهينَ بِعِيِّ
The worst calamity is that which lets tears flow
and strikes the eloquent dumb with dread.
لَهفَthe anguish of نَفسيmy soul عَلىfor اِنبِساطِكَyour warm welcome لِلضَيـtoward the guest (first part)
لَهفَ نَفسي عَلى اِنبِساطِكَ لِلضَيـ
ـفِ(completes 'guest') وَذَيّالِكَand that dear ... of yours الحَديثِconversation الشَهِيِّdelightful
ـفِ وَذَيّالِكَ الحَديثِ الشَهِيِّ
How my soul mourns your warmth toward the guest
and that delightful conversation of yours!
يَحسَبُhe thinks الدارَthe house دارَهُhis own house وَهوَwhile he يَمشيwalks
يَحسَبُ الدارَ دارَهُ وَهوَ يَمشي
فَوقَupon زاهيradiant بِساطِكَyour carpet الأَحمَدِيِّAhmadi
فَوقَ زاهي بِساطِكَ الأَحمَدِيِّ
He thinks the house his own as he walks
across your splendid Ahmadi carpet.
خُلُقٌa character مِثلَماas though نَشَقتَyou inhaled أَريجَthe fragrance of الـthe
خُلُقٌ مِثلَما نَشَقتَ أَريجَ الـ
ـزَهرِflowers جادَتهُlavishly watered it زَورَةُa visit from الوَسمِيِّthe autumn rain
ـزَهرِ جادَتهُ زَورَةُ الوَسمِيِّ
A nature like the fragrance you breathe from flowers
lavishly watered by a visit from autumn rain;
وَاِهتِزازٌand an eager stirring لِلعُرفِfor good deeds مِثلُlike اِهتِزازِthe quivering of الـthe
وَاِهتِزازٌ لِلعُرفِ مِثلُ اِهتِزازِ الـ
ـسَيفِsword فيin قَبضَةِthe grip of الشُجاعِthe brave man الكَمِيِّthe armored warrior
ـسَيفِ في قَبضَةِ الشُجاعِ الكَمِيِّ
and an eager stirring toward good deeds, like a sword's quivering
in the grasp of a brave, armored warrior;
وَحَياءٌand modesty عِندَat the time of العَطِيَّةِgiving يَنفيdispels
وَحَياءٌ عِندَ العَطِيَّةِ يَنفي
خَجَلَthe embarrassment of السائِلِthe petitioner الكَريمِnoble الأَبِيِّself-respecting
خَجَلَ السائِلِ الكَريمِ الأَبِيِّ
and modesty when giving that dispels
the shame of the noble, self-respecting petitioner;
وَاِختِبارٌand experience يَثنيturns back عِنانَthe reins of العَواديadversities
وَاِختِبارٌ يَثني عِنانَ العَوادي
وَوَقارٌand dignity يَزينُadorns صَدرَthe foremost place of النَدِيِّthe gathering
وَوَقارٌ يَزينُ صَدرَ النَدِيِّ
and experience that reins in adversity,
and dignity that adorns the foremost seat of the gathering.
رَحِمَmay have mercy on اللَهُGod ياO حُسَينُHusayn خِلالاًvirtues
رَحِمَ اللَهُ يا حُسَينُ خِلالاً
فيكَin you لَمnot يَجتَمِعنَwere they united فيin نَفسِthe soul of حَيِّa living person
فيكَ لَم يَجتَمِعنَ في نَفسِ حَيِّ
May God have mercy, O Husayn, on virtues
in you that were never united in any other living soul.
ياO كَريماًgenerous one حَلَلتَyou have alighted in ساحَthe court of كَريمٍa generous one
يا كَريماً حَلَلتَ ساحَ كَريمٍ
وَضَعيفاًand O frail one حَلَلتَyou have alighted in ساحَthe court of القَوِيِّthe Mighty
وَضَعيفاً حَلَلتَ ساحَ القَوِيِّ
O generous one, you have alighted in the court of the Generous;
and O frail one, you have alighted in the court of the Mighty.
قَدindeed كَفاكَhas sufficed you السُهادُsleeplessness فيin العَيشِlife فَاِهنَأso rest content
قَد كَفاكَ السُهادُ في العَيشِ فَاِهنَأ
ياO أَليفَcompanion of الضَنىwasting illness بِنَومٍin a sleep هَنِيِّpeaceful
يا أَليفَ الضَنى بِنَومٍ هَنِيِّ
You have had your fill of sleeplessness in life; now rest content,
O companion of wasting illness, in a peaceful sleep.
وَيحَalas for مِصرٍEgypt فَأَيُّso what خَيطِa thread of رَجاءٍhope
وَيحَ مِصرٍ فَأَيُّ خَيطِ رَجاءٍ
قَطَعَتهُhas severed it رَنّاتُthe ringing tones of صَوتِthe voice of النَعِيِّthe death-announcer
قَطَعَتهُ رَنّاتُ صَوتِ النَعِيِّ
Alas for Egypt! What a thread of hope
the ringing tones of the death-announcer's voice have severed!
Sol 6.1