مَضَيتَyou departed وَنَحنُwhile we أَحوَجُmost in need ماas نَكونُwe could be
مَضَيتَ وَنَحنُ أَحوَجُ ما نَكونُ
إِلَيكَof you وَمِثلُand the like of خَطبِكَyour loss لاnot يَهونُis easily borne
إِلَيكَ وَمِثلُ خَطبِكَ لا يَهونُ
You departed when we were most in need
of you; a loss like yours is no small matter.
بِرَغمِagainst the will of النيلِthe Nile أَنthat عَدَتِassailed العَواديcalamities
بِرَغمِ النيلِ أَن عَدَتِ العَوادي
عَلَيكَupon you وَأَنتَwhile you خادِمُهُits servant الأَمينُfaithful
عَلَيكَ وَأَنتَ خادِمُهُ الأَمينُ
Against the Nile's will, calamities assailed
you, though you were its faithful servant.
بِرَغمِagainst the will of الثَغرِthe port أَنthat غُيِّبتَyou were taken away عَنهُfrom it
بِرَغمِ الثَغرِ أَن غُيِّبتَ عَنهُ
وَأَنand that نَزَلَتdescended بِساحَتِكَupon your courtyard المَنونُdeath
وَأَن نَزَلَت بِساحَتِكَ المَنونُ
Against the port's will, you were taken from it,
and Death descended upon your courtyard.
أَجَلُّloftiest مُناهُits wishes لَوif only يَحويكَit could hold you مَيتاًdead
أَجَلُّ مُناهُ لَو يَحويكَ مَيتاً
لِيَجبُرَso that he might mend كَسرَهُits brokenness ذاكَthat الدَفينُburied one
لِيَجبُرَ كَسرَهُ ذاكَ الدَفينُ
Its dearest wish was to hold you in death,
that the one buried there might mend its brokenness.
أَسالَit poured out مِنَof الدُموعِtears عَلَيكَfor you بَحراًa sea
أَسالَ مِنَ الدُموعِ عَلَيكَ بَحراً
تَكادُalmost بِلُجِّهِin its deep waters تَجريsail السَفينُships
تَكادُ بِلُجِّهِ تَجري السَفينُ
It shed a sea of tears for you,
in whose deep waters ships could almost sail.
وَقامَand rose النادِباتُthe mourning women بِكُلِّin every دارٍhome
وَقامَ النادِباتُ بِكُلِّ دارٍ
وَكَبَّرَand cried 'God is greatest' فيin مَآذِنِهِits minarets الأَذينُthe muezzin
وَكَبَّرَ في مَآذِنِهِ الأَذينُ
And mourning women rose in every home,
and the muezzin cried 'God is greatest' from its minarets.
أُصيبَit was bereaved بِذيof one endowed with مَضاءٍresolve أَريَحِيٍّgenerous
أُصيبَ بِذي مَضاءٍ أَريَحِيٍّ
بِهِfrom him عِندَduring الشَدائِدِhardships يَستَعينُit seeks help
بِهِ عِندَ الشَدائِدِ يَستَعينُ
It was bereaved of a resolute, generous man,
on whom it relied in times of hardship.
فَتىO noble man الفِتيانِof men غالَتكَsnatched you away المَناياthe fates of death
فَتى الفِتيانِ غالَتكَ المَنايا
وَغُصنُكَwhile your branch لاnot تُطاوِلُهُrival its height غُصونُbranches
وَغُصنُكَ لا تُطاوِلُهُ غُصونُ
O finest of men, death has snatched you away,
while no branch can rival yours in height.
صَحِبتُكَI kept your company حِقبَةًfor a time فَصَحِبتُand so I accompanied حُرّاًa free man
صَحِبتُكَ حِقبَةً فَصَحِبتُ حُرّاً
أَبِيّاًunbowed لاnot يُهانُhumiliated وَلاnor يُهينُhumiliating others
أَبِيّاً لا يُهانُ وَلا يُهينُ
I kept your company for a time—and kept company with a free man,
unbowed, neither humiliated nor humiliating others;
نَبيلَnoble الطَبعِby nature لاdoes not يَغتابُspeak ill of خِلّاًa friend
نَبيلَ الطَبعِ لا يَغتابُ خِلّاً
وَلاand does not يُؤذيharm العَشيرَa companion وَلاand does not يَمينُlie
وَلا يُؤذي العَشيرَ وَلا يَمينُ
noble by nature, never speaking ill of a friend,
nor harming a companion, nor ever lying.
تَطَوَّعَhe volunteered فيin الجِهادِthe struggle لِوَجهِfor the sake of مِصرٍEgypt
تَطَوَّعَ في الجِهادِ لِوَجهِ مِصرٍ
فَماso no حامَتhovered حَوالَيهِaround him الظُنونُsuspicions
فَما حامَت حَوالَيهِ الظُنونُ
He volunteered in the struggle for Egypt's sake,
so no suspicions hovered around him.
وَلَمnor did يَثنِturn aside الوَعيدُthreats لَهُfor him عِناناًa rein
وَلَم يَثنِ الوَعيدُ لَهُ عِناناً
وَلَمnor did تَحنَثprove false لَهُof his أَبَداًever يَمينُan oath
وَلَم تَحنَث لَهُ أَبَداً يَمينُ
Nor did threats ever turn his rein,
nor was any oath of his ever broken.
وَلَمnor did تَنزِلbring down بِعِزَّتِهِhis dignity الدَناياbase deeds
وَلَم تَنزِل بِعِزَّتِهِ الدَنايا
وَلَمnor did يَعلَقcling بِهِto him ذُلٌّhumiliation وَهونُand abasement
وَلَم يَعلَق بِهِ ذُلٌّ وَهونُ
Nor did base deeds bring down his dignity,
nor did humiliation or abasement cling to him.
مَضىhe departed لِسَبيلِهِon his way لَمdid not يَحنِbow رَأساًa head
مَضى لِسَبيلِهِ لَم يَحنِ رَأساً
وَلَمnor did يَبرَحleave سَريرَتَهُhis inmost self اليَقينُcertainty
وَلَم يَبرَح سَريرَتَهُ اليَقينُ
He went his way without bowing his head,
nor did certainty leave his inmost heart.
تَرَكتَyou left أَليفَةًa loving wife تَرجوshe hopes for مُعيناًa helper
تَرَكتَ أَليفَةً تَرجو مُعيناً
وَلَيسَand there is no سِوىexcept الدُموعِtears لَهاfor her مُعينُhelper
وَلَيسَ سِوى الدُموعِ لَها مُعينُ
You left a loving wife who longs for a helper,
and she has no helper but her tears.
تَنوحُshe mourns عَلىfor القَرينِher husband وَأَينَand how far مِنهاfrom her
تَنوحُ عَلى القَرينِ وَأَينَ مِنها
وَقَدand indeed غالَsnatched away الرَدىdeath ذاكَthat القَرينُhusband
وَقَد غالَ الرَدى ذاكَ القَرينُ
She mourns her husband—how far from her
is that husband, whom death has snatched away!
سَمِعتُI heard أَنينَهاher moaning وَاللَيلُwhile the night ساجٍstill
سَمِعتُ أَنينَها وَاللَيلُ ساجٍ
فَمَزَّقَso tore apart مُهجَتيmy heart ذاكَthat الأَنينُmoaning
فَمَزَّقَ مُهجَتي ذاكَ الأَنينُ
I heard her moaning while the night lay still,
and that moaning tore my heart apart.
فَقَدfor indeed عانَيتُI suffered قِدماًlong ago ماwhat يُعانيsuffers
فَقَد عانَيتُ قِدماً ما يُعاني
عَلىwith عِلّاتِهِits afflictions القَلبُthe heart الحَزينُgrieving
عَلى عِلّاتِهِ القَلبُ الحَزينُ
For long ago I endured what is endured
by the grieving heart, with all its afflictions.
مِنَamong الخَفِراتِmodest women قَدindeed نَعِمَتshe found happiness بِزَوجٍwith a husband
مِنَ الخَفِراتِ قَد نَعِمَت بِزَوجٍ
سَماexalted بِجَلالِهِhis dignity أَدَبٌrefinement وَدينُand faith
سَما بِجَلالِهِ أَدَبٌ وَدينُ
A modest woman, she had found joy in a husband
whose dignity was exalted by refinement and faith.
أَقامَتshe dwelt فيin النَعيمِbliss وَلَمand was not تُرَوَّعalarmed
أَقامَت في النَعيمِ وَلَم تُرَوَّع
فَكُلُّso all حَياتِهاher life رَغَدٌabundance وَلينُand ease
فَكُلُّ حَياتِها رَغَدٌ وَلينُ
She dwelt in bliss and was never alarmed;
so all her life was abundance and ease.
لَقَدindeed نَسَجَwove العَفافُchastity لَهاfor her رِداءًa robe
لَقَد نَسَجَ العَفافُ لَها رِداءً
وَزانَand adorned رِداءَهاher robe الخِدرُthe secluded chamber المَصونُwell-guarded
وَزانَ رِداءَها الخِدرُ المَصونُ
Chastity had indeed woven her a robe,
and her well-guarded chamber adorned her robe.
دَهاهاstruck her المَوتُdeath فيthrough الإِلفِthe beloved companion المُفَدّىdearly cherished
دَهاها المَوتُ في الإِلفِ المُفَدّى
وَكَدَّرَand clouded صَفوَهاher serenity الدَهرُtime الخَؤونُtreacherous
وَكَدَّرَ صَفوَها الدَهرُ الخَؤونُ
Death struck her through the loss of her cherished companion,
and treacherous time clouded her serenity.
فَكادَso almost مُصابُهاher bereavement يَأتيmake an end عَلَيهاof her
فَكادَ مُصابُها يَأتي عَلَيها
لِساعَتِهاin that very hour of hers وَتَقتُلُهاand kill her الشُجونُsorrows
لِساعَتِها وَتَقتُلُها الشُجونُ
So her bereavement almost made an end of her
that very hour, and her sorrows nearly killed her.
رَبيبَةُa woman reared in نِعمَةٍcomfort لَمhad not تَبلُexperienced حُزناًsorrow
رَبيبَةُ نِعمَةٍ لَم تَبلُ حُزناً
وَلَمnor had تَشرَقchoked بِأَدمُعِهاwith her tears الجُفونُthe eyelids
وَلَم تَشرَق بِأَدمُعِها الجُفونُ
Nurtured in comfort, she had never known sorrow,
nor had her eyelids ever choked with tears.
وَفَتshe kept faith لِأَليفِهاwith her husband حَيّاًwhile he lived وَمَيتاًand when he was dead
وَفَت لِأَليفِها حَيّاً وَمَيتاً
كَذاكَthus كَريمَةُthe noble daughter of اللَوزِيal-Lawzi تَكونُis
كَذاكَ كَريمَةُ اللَوزِي تَكونُ
She kept faith with her husband in his life and death;
such is al-Lawzi's noble daughter.
سَتَكفيهاwill shield her from العِنايَةُProvidence كُلَّevery شَرٍّevil
سَتَكفيها العِنايَةُ كُلَّ شَرٍّ
وَيَحرُسُand will guard خِدرَهاher chamber الروحُthe Spirit الأَمينُtrustworthy
وَيَحرُسُ خِدرَها الروحُ الأَمينُ
Providence will shield her from every evil,
and the Trustworthy Spirit will guard her chamber.
Sol 6.1