رَحِمَmay have mercy on اللَهُGod صاحِبَthe author of النَظَراتِAl-Nazarat ('Reflections')
رَحِمَ اللَهُ صاحِبَ النَظَراتِ
غابَdeparted عَنّاfrom us فيin أَحرَجِthe most critical of الأَوقاتِtimes
غابَ عَنّا في أَحرَجِ الأَوقاتِ
May God have mercy on the author of Al-Nazarat.
May God have mercy on the man of insights
He departed from us at the most critical of times.
He left us at the most precarious of times
ياO أَميرَprince of البَيانِeloquence وَالأَدَبِand literature النَضـradiant (first part)
يا أَميرَ البَيانِ وَالأَدَبِ النَضـ
ـرِ(completes 'radiant') لَقَدindeed كُنتَyou were فَخرَthe pride of أُمِّthe mother of اللُغاتِtongues
ـرِ لَقَد كُنتَ فَخرَ أُمِّ اللُغاتِ
O prince of eloquence and radiant literature,
O prince of eloquence and of refined literature
you were indeed the pride of the mother of tongues.
You were truly the pride of the mother of languages
كَيفَhow غادَرتَناyou left us سَريعاًswiftly وَعَهديand my knowledge
كَيفَ غادَرتَنا سَريعاً وَعَهدي
بِكَof you ياO مُصطَفىMustafa كَثيرِabundant in الأَناةِunhurried deliberation
بِكَ يا مُصطَفى كَثيرِ الأَناةِ
How did you leave us so swiftly, when I knew
How hastily you left us when I had a pact with you
you, Mustafa, to be so unhurried?
O Mustafa, so gentle and kind
أَقفَرَتgrew desolate بَعدَكَafter you الأَساليبُstyles of expression وَاِستَرand slackened (first part)
أَقفَرَت بَعدَكَ الأَساليبُ وَاِستَر
خى(completes 'slackened') عِنانُthe rein of الرَسائِلِthe essays المُمتِعاتِdelightful
خى عِنانُ الرَسائِلِ المُمتِعاتِ
After you, styles of expression grew desolate, and
After you, styles became desolate and the reins
the rein of delightful essays fell slack.
Of entertaining missives went slack
جَمَحَتran wild بَعدَكَafter you المَعانيmeanings وَكانَتand they had been
جَمَحَت بَعدَكَ المَعاني وَكانَت
سَلِساتِdocile القِيادِunder the reins مُبتَدَراتِeagerly forthcoming
سَلِساتِ القِيادِ مُبتَدَراتِ
Meanings ran wild after you, though once they were
Without you, meanings were confused and the smooth
docile under the reins, eagerly forthcoming.
Ways of leadership became impulsive
وَأَقامَand held البَيانُeloquence فيin كُلِّevery نادٍgathering place
وَأَقامَ البَيانُ في كُلِّ نادٍ
مَأتَماًa mourning gathering لِلبَدائِعِfor masterpieces الرَائِعاتِmarvelous
مَأتَماً لِلبَدائِعِ الرَائِعاتِ
And eloquence held in every gathering place
And eloquence held in every association
a mourning gathering for marvelous masterpieces.
A funeral service for the most splendid subtleties
لَطَمَتslapped مَجدُلينُMajdulin بَعدَكَafter you خَدَّيـthe two cheeks of
لَطَمَت مَجدُلينُ بَعدَكَ خَدَّيـ
ـهاher وَقامَتand arose قِيامَةُthe apocalyptic tumult of العَبَراتِtears
ـها وَقامَت قِيامَةُ العَبَراتِ
After you, Majdulin slapped her cheeks,
After you, the two Magdalenes struck their cheeks
and tears rose in an apocalyptic tumult.
And the day of tears was resurrected
وَاِنطَوَتand withdrew رِقَّةُtenderness of الشُعورِfeeling وَكانَتand it had been
وَاِنطَوَت رِقَّةُ الشُعورِ وَكانَت
سَلوَةَa solace to البائِسينَwretched men وَالبائِساتِand wretched women
سَلوَةَ البائِسينَ وَالبائِساتِ
And tenderness of feeling withdrew; it had been
And the gentleness of feeling collapsed, it was
a solace to wretched men and women.
The solace of the miserable, both men and women
كُنتَyou were فيin مِصرَEgypt شاعِراًa poet يَبهَرُwho dazzles اللُبـthe mind (first part)
كُنتَ في مِصرَ شاعِراً يَبهَرُ اللُبـ
ـبَ(completes 'mind') بِآياتِwith the wonders of شِعرِهِhis verse البَيِّناتِmanifest
ـبَ بِآياتِ شِعرِهِ البَيِّناتِ
In Egypt you were a poet who dazzled the mind
In Egypt you were a poet who dazzled minds
with the manifest wonders of his verse.
With verses of clear poetry
فَهَجَرتَso you abandoned الشِعرَpoetry السَرِيَّnoble إِلىto النَثـprose (first part)
فَهَجَرتَ الشِعرَ السَرِيَّ إِلى النَثـ
ـرِ(completes 'prose') فَجِئتَand so you came to الكُتّابَthe writers بِالمُعجِزاتِwith miracles
ـرِ فَجِئتَ الكُتّابَ بِالمُعجِزاتِ
So you abandoned noble poetry for prose,
You then abandoned covert poetry for prose
and brought the writers miracles.
And brought the writers miracles
مُتَّyou died وِالناسُand the people عَنaway from مُصابِكَyour loss وَشُغand preoccupation (first part)
مُتَّ وِالناسُ عَن مُصابِكَ وَشُغ
لٍ(completes 'preoccupation') بِجُرحِwith the wound of الرَئيسِthe leader حاميprotector of الحُماةِthe protectors
لٍ بِجُرحِ الرَئيسِ حامي الحُماةِ
You died while people were distracted from your loss,
While people were busy with your tragedy
absorbed in the wound of the leader, protector of protectors.
And the president was occupied with the protector’s wounds
شُغِلواthey were distracted عَنfrom أَديبِهِمtheir man of letters بِمُنَجّيـby the savior of
شُغِلوا عَن أَديبِهِم بِمُنَجّيـ
ـهِمthem فَلَمso they did not يَسمَعواhear نِداءَthe call of النُعاةِannouncers of death
ـهِم فَلَم يَسمَعوا نِداءَ النُعاةِ
They were distracted from their man of letters by their savior,
They were distracted from their literary man by their savior
and so did not hear the death-announcers' call.
And did not hear the cry of the mourners
وَأَفاقواand they awoke بَعدَafter النَجاةِdeliverance فَأَلفَواand so they found
وَأَفاقوا بَعدَ النَجاةِ فَأَلفَوا
مَنزِلَthe abode of الفَضلِexcellence مُقفَرَdesolate العَرَصاتِthe courtyards
مَنزِلَ الفَضلِ مُقفَرَ العَرَصاتِ
And they awoke after deliverance, only to find
And when they found safety, they returned
the abode of excellence, its courtyards desolate.
To find the abode of virtue deserted
قَدindeed بَكاكَhe wept for you الرَئيسُthe leader وَهوَwhile he was جَريحٌwounded
قَد بَكاكَ الرَئيسُ وَهوَ جَريحٌ
وَدُموعُand the tears of الرَئيسِthe leader كَالرَحَماتِlike mercies
وَدُموعُ الرَئيسِ كَالرَحَماتِ
The leader wept for you, wounded as he was,
The president cried for you while he was wounded
and the leader's tears were like mercies.
And a president’s tears are like mercy
لَمdid not تُبَقِّyou leave ياO فَتىyouth of المَحامِدِnoble deeds مالاًwealth
لَم تُبَقِّ يا فَتى المَحامِدِ مالاً
فَلَقَدfor indeed كُنتَyou were مُغرَماًenamored بِالهِباتِof giving gifts
فَلَقَد كُنتَ مُغرَماً بِالهِباتِ
You left no wealth, O youth of noble deeds,
O boy of praise, you left no money behind
for you were enamored of giving.
For you were enamored with giving
كَمhow often أَسالَتcaused to flow لَكَfor you اليَراعَةُthe reed pen سَيلاًa torrent
كَم أَسالَت لَكَ اليَراعَةُ سَيلاً
مِنof نُضارٍpure gold يَفيضُoverflowing فَيضَlike the flood of الفُراتِthe Euphrates
مِن نُضارٍ يَفيضُ فَيضَ الفُراتِ
How often the reed pen poured forth for you a torrent
How often did excellence send torrents of vigor
of pure gold, overflowing like the Euphrates!
Cascading through you like the Euphrates
لَمdid not تُؤَثِّلyou amass an estate مِماfrom what كَسَبتَyou earned وَلَمand did not تَحـyou reckon (first part)
لَم تُؤَثِّل مِما كَسَبتَ وَلَم تَحـ
ـسِب(completes 'reckon') عَلىaccording to ماwhat أَرىI see حِسابَaccount of المَماتِdeath
ـسِب عَلى ما أَرى حِسابَ المَماتِ
You amassed no estate from what you earned, nor did you
You did not hoard what you earned and you never
reckon with death, as far as I can see.
Calculated, from what I see, the count of death
مِتَّyou died عَنleaving behind يافِعٍan adolescent وَخَمسِand five بَناتٍdaughters
مِتَّ عَن يافِعٍ وَخَمسِ بَناتٍ
لَمdid not تُخَلِّفyou leave behind لَهاfor them سِوىanything but الذِكرَياتِmemories
لَم تُخَلِّف لَها سِوى الذِكرَياتِ
You died leaving an adolescent son and five daughters;
You died while still youthful, leaving five girls
you left them nothing but memories.
For whom you left nothing but memories
وَتُراثُand the legacy of الأَديبِthe writer فيin الشَرقِthe East حُزنٌsorrow
وَتُراثُ الأَديبِ في الشَرقِ حُزنٌ
لِبَنيهِfor his children وَثَروَةٌand wealth لِلرَواةِfor the reciters
لِبَنيهِ وَثَروَةٌ لِلرَواةِ
And in the East a writer's legacy is sorrow
In the East, a writer's legacy is sorrow
for his children, and wealth for the reciters.
For his children and wealth for the narrators
لاdo not تَخَفfear عَثرَةَa mishap of الزَمانِtime عَلَيهِمupon them
لا تَخَف عَثرَةَ الزَمانِ عَلَيهِم
لاno وَلاnor صَولَةَthe onslaught of اللَياليthe nights العَواتيruthless
لا وَلا صَولَةَ اللَيالي العَواتي
Fear no mishap of time befalling them,
Do not fear the pitfalls of time upon them
no, nor the onslaught of ruthless nights.
Nor the ravages of vicious nights
عَينُthe eye of سَعدٍSaad تَرعاهُمُwatches over them بَعدَafter عَينِthe eye of الـGod (first part)
عَينُ سَعدٍ تَرعاهُمُ بَعدَ عَينِ الـ
ـلَهِ(completes 'God') فَاِهدَأso be at peace فَقَدfor indeed وَجَدتَyou have found المُواتيthe willing helper
ـلَهِ فَاِهدَأ فَقَد وَجَدتَ المُواتي
Saad's eye watches over them, after the eye of
Saad's eye looks after them after God’s
God; be at peace, for you have found a willing helper.
So be reassured for you have found care.
Sol 6.1