بالأمسyesterday كانhe was خطيبَناour orator بالناديat the club
بالأمس كان خطيبَنا بالنادي
واليومَand today مصرعُهhis death حديثthe talk of الواديthe valley
واليومَ مصرعُه حديث الوادي
Yesterday he was our orator at the club;
Yesterday our orator was at the club,
and today his death is the talk of the valley.
And today his death is the talk of the valley.
أنحيطُdo we surround فيin الناديthe club بمنبرهِaround his pulpit دجىًby night
أنحيطُ في النادي بمنبرهِ دجىً
والصبحُand at dawn نحملهُwe carry him علىupon الأعوادِthe wooden bier
والصبحُ نحملهُ على الأعوادِ
Do we surround his pulpit at the club by night,
I used to surround him at the club with his pulpit in the darkness,
and at dawn carry him upon the wooden bier?
And this morning we carry him on the bier.
تصفيقapplause إعجابٍof admiration تحوّلturned فجأةًsuddenly
تصفيق إعجابٍ تحوّل فجأةً
لطماًslapping in mourning بأيدٍwith hands جئنthey came بالأضدادِwith opposites
لطماً بأيدٍ جئن بالأضدادِ
Applause of admiration suddenly turned
Applause of admiration suddenly turned
to mourning slaps, by hands performing opposite acts.
To slaps by hands that came with adversaries.
أمستbecame at evening بمرآهُat the sight of him العيونُthe eyes قريرةgladdened
أمست بمرآهُ العيونُ قريرة
وغدتand became at morning أسىgrieving بِنَواهover his departure رهنcaptive to سهادِsleeplessness
وغدت أسى بِنَواه رهن سهادِ
At evening, eyes were gladdened by the sight of him;
In the evening eyes were cheerful with his mirror,
and by morning, grieving his departure, they were captive to sleeplessness.
And in the morning they were in mourning under pillows.
ماnot بينbetween إزهارِthe blossoming of الحياةlife لقاسمfor Qasim
ما بين إزهارِ الحياة لقاسم
وذبولهاand its withering إلاexcept كقدْحِlike striking زنادِa flint
وذبولها إلا كقدْحِ زنادِ
Between life's blossoming for Qasim
Between the blossoming of life for Qasim
and its withering lay only the time to strike a flint.
And its wilting was only like the flint of tinder.
لمdid not تشكُyou complain منof ألمٍpain ولمand not تكyou were كبرةًaged
لم تشكُ من ألمٍ ولم تك كبرةً
ماwhat بالis the matter with ناركyour fire حولتwas turned لرمادِto ash
ما بال نارك حولت لرمادِ
You did not complain of pain, nor were you old;
You did not complain of pain and you were not an old woman,
why was your fire turned to ash?
So what made your fire turn to ashes?
هلاwhy did not عدَتْكَpassed you by إلىto سواكِsomeone other than you منيةٌdeath
هلا عدَتْكَ إلى سواكِ منيةٌ
ممنfrom among those who عثَواwrought havoc فيin مصرEgypt بالإفسادِthrough corruption
ممن عثَوا في مصر بالإفسادِ
Why did death not pass you by for someone else,
If only death had brought you back to your solitude
among those who spread corruption in Egypt?
Away from those corrupting in Egypt.
كمhow many هادمa destroyer لبنائهاof its edifice متطلعyearning
كم هادم لبنائها متطلع
لفنائهاfor its ruin متربصlying in wait لجلادِfor combat
لفنائها متربص لجلادِ
How many a destroyer of its edifice yearns
How many destroyers of its construction are hoping
for its ruin, lying in wait for combat!
For its ruin, lurking for executioners.
ولكَمand how many بهاin it منof راتعone reveling at ease فيin لهوهhis idle pleasure
ولكَم بها من راتع في لهوه
مسترسلunrestrained فيin غيّهhis waywardness متمادِpersisting
مسترسل في غيّه متمادِ
And how many there revel in their idle pleasures,
And how many revelers in its entertainment
unrestrained in their waywardness, persisting in it!
Are unrestrained in their ignorance, persistent.
ولكمand how many بهذاin this القطرland باغىa seeker of فتنةstrife
ولكم بهذا القطر باغى فتنة
هوhe رائحgoing forth at evening لشبوبهاto kindle its flames أوor غادِgoing forth at dawn
هو رائح لشبوبها أو غادِ
And how many a seeker of strife in this land
And how many dissenters in this country
goes forth at evening or dawn to kindle its flames!
Are set on sedition or have departed.
ومخاتلand a deceiver يسعىstrives بكلby every وسيلةٍmeans
ومخاتل يسعى بكل وسيلةٍ
للمالfor money يقنصهُhe hunts it منfrom الأفرادِthe individuals
للمال يقنصهُ من الأفرادِ
And a deceiver who strives by every means
And how many swindlers strive by every means
for money, which he snares from individuals;
To hunt money from individuals.
ومعمرand a long-lived man سئمgrew weary of الحياةlife وملّهand tired of him
ومعمر سئم الحياة وملّه
أهلوهhis family واستحيىand felt ashamed منbefore الأحفادِthe grandchildren
أهلوه واستحيى من الأحفادِ
and a long-lived man, weary of life, whom
And the weary of life have tired of it
his family has tired of, and who feels shame before his grandchildren!
Though they were coddled and shy of descendants.
ماwhat بالهمis the matter with them ضلlost الحِمامُdeath سبيلَهمthe way to them
ما بالهم ضل الحِمامُ سبيلَهم
فتمكنواso they became firmly established فيin الأرضthe earth كالأوتادِlike stakes
فتمكنوا في الأرض كالأوتادِ
Why has death lost the way to them,
Why did they lose their way
so they stand firm in the earth like stakes?
And take hold in the land like pegs?
لكYours is حكمةa wisdom ياO ربِLord تعلمYou know سرهاits secret
لك حكمة يا ربِ تعلم سرها
دقتْproved too subtle علىfor النُّظارthe thinkers والنُّقادِand the critics
دقتْ على النُّظار والنُّقادِ
Yours is a wisdom, O Lord, whose secret You know,
You have wisdom, O Lord, the secret of which
too subtle for thinkers and critics to fathom.
Is obscure to observers and critics.
Sol 6.1