ماwhat للعيونwith the eyes حاربتwaged war against رقادَهاtheir sleep
ما للعيون حاربت رقادَها
وسالمتand made peace with علىdespite القذىthe grit سهادهاtheir sleeplessness
وسالمت على القذى سهادها
What ails the eyes, that they have waged war on their sleep,
What ails these eyes that battled sleep
And, despite the grit, made peace with their sleeplessness?
And bid the pillow's down farewell?
وماand what الذيwhich أوجستsensed with dread الناسthe people ضحىat midmorning
وما الذي أوجست الناس ضحى
فألزمتso they pressed أكفّهاtheir palms أكبادهاtheir livers
فألزمت أكفّها أكبادها
And what did people sense with dread at midmorning,
What stirred men at the break of day
That they pressed their palms against their livers?
To clench their livers in their hands?
نعمyes هوتfell دعامةُthe pillar of الفضلvirtue التيwhich
نعم هوت دعامةُ الفضل التي
لدينهfor His religion ربُّthe Lord of السماءheaven شادهاraised it
لدينه ربُّ السماء شادها
Yes, the pillar of virtue has fallen—the one
Alas, the pillar of all grace
The Lord of heaven raised for His faith.
That Heaven's Lord for faith ere reared
واليومَand today عزِّيconsoled جعفراًJa‘far بجعفرover the loss of Ja‘far
واليومَ عزِّي جعفراً بجعفر
ناعٍa bearer of death news نعىannounced the death of إلىto الورىhumankind رشادهاits guidance
ناعٍ نعى إلى الورى رشادها
And today Ja‘far is consoled for the loss of Ja‘far
Is fallen. Today I comfort Ja'far
By a herald who announced to humankind the death of its guidance.
With Ja'far, one whose death the world
قدindeed جمعgathered الدهرَTime قواهits powers كلهاall of them
قد جمع الدهرَ قواه كلها
بليلةin a night قدindeed ضاعفdoubled اسودادهاits darkness
بليلة قد ضاعف اسودادها
Time has gathered all its powers
In grief proclaims. All time has massed
In a night whose darkness it has doubled,
Its strength and in a night laid waste
حتَّىuntil علىon top of رزءthe loss of الهدىguidance بقلبهin his heart
حتَّى على رزء الهدى بقلبه
أرزاءُthe calamities of كلall آلهhis kin أعادهاbrought them back
أرزاءُ كل آله أعادها
Until, on top of the loss of guidance, in his heart
Its havoc, till o'er Ja'far's heart
It brought back the calamities of all his kin.
Ruin each house of faith o'erspread.
اللهGod ياO دهرُTime لقدcertainly خلّدتهاyou made it everlasting
الله يا دهرُ لقد خلّدتها
سبَّةa disgrace عارٍof shame لاnot ترىyou see نفادهاits end
سبَّة عارٍ لا ترى نفادها
By God, O Time, you have made it everlasting—
O Time thou'st burdened my soul
A shameful disgrace whose end you will never see.
With shame, with woe that knows no end.
للمجدfor glory كانتthere was مقلةٌan eye واحدةٌsingle
للمجد كانت مقلةٌ واحدةٌ
مسحتyou wiped away فيin كفِّthe palm of الردىDeath سوادهاits black pupil
مسحت في كفِّ الردى سوادها
Glory had but a single eye;
Sole gateway once to glory's reach,
You wiped away its black pupil in Death’s palm.
Dark in the dust its lustre lies.
Sol 6.1