واalas كَبداO liver قدْindeed تَقَطَّعَتْhas been torn apart كَبِديmy liver
وا كَبدا قدْ تَقَطَّعَتْ كَبِدي
وحَرَّقَتْهَاand burned it لواعِجُsearing pangs الْكَمَدِgrief
وحَرَّقَتْهَا لواعِجُ الْكَمَدِ
Alas, my liver! My liver has been torn apart,
My liver is torn to pieces,
and the searing pangs of grief have burned it.
And its coals are stoked by inner pain.
ماnot ماتَdied حَيٌّa living person لِمَيِّتٍfor a dead person أَسَفاًin sorrow
ما ماتَ حَيٌّ لِمَيِّتٍ أَسَفاً
أَعْذَرُmore justified مِنْthan والِدٍa father علىover وَلَدِa child
أَعْذَرُ مِنْ والِدٍ على وَلَدِ
No living soul ever died grieving for the dead
No living soul dies of grief for a dead one -
more justifiably than a father for his child.
I'm more grieved than a parent for a child.
ياO رَحمَةَmercy اللَّهِGod جاوِريdwell beside جَدَثاًa grave
يا رَحمَةَ اللَّهِ جاوِري جَدَثاً
دَفَنْتُI buried فِيهِin it حُشاشَتيmy life's last spark بِيَدِيwith my hand
دَفَنْتُ فِيهِ حُشاشَتي بِيَدِي
O mercy of God, dwell beside a grave
O God's mercy, be my grave-mate
where I buried my life's last spark with my own hand.
In which I've buried my madness by my hand.
وَنَوِّريand illuminate ظُلْمَةَdarkness الْقُبُورِthe graves علىover
وَنَوِّري ظُلْمَةَ الْقُبُورِ على
مَنone who لَمْdid not يَصِلْreach ظُلْمُهُhis wrongdoing إِلىto أَحَدِanyone
مَن لَمْ يَصِلْ ظُلْمُهُ إِلى أَحَدِ
And brighten the darkness of the graves over
And light up the gloom of graves for one
one whose wrongdoing never reached anyone,
Whose darkness hasn't reached anyone.
مَنْone who كانَwas خِلْواًfree مِنْof كُلِّevery بائِقَةٍevil deed
مَنْ كانَ خِلْواً مِنْ كُلِّ بائِقَةٍ
وَطَيِّبَand good الرُّوحِthe spirit طاهِرَpure الجَسَدِthe body
وَطَيِّبَ الرُّوحِ طاهِرَ الجَسَدِ
one who was free of every evil deed,
One devoid of all lastingness,
and good in spirit, pure in body.
Of fine spirit and pure body.
ياO مَوتdeath يحيىYahya لَقَدْindeed ذَهَبْتَyou went away بِهِwith him
يا مَوت يحيى لَقَدْ ذَهَبْتَ بِهِ
لَيْسَwas not بِزُمَّيْلةٍa weakling ولاnor نَكِدِill-natured
لَيْسَ بِزُمَّيْلةٍ ولا نَكِدِ
O death of Yahya, you have indeed carried him away—
O Death, you took away Yahya,
he was neither a weakling nor ill-natured.
Neither peevish nor morose.
ياO مَوْتَهُhis death لوif only أَقَلْتَyou pardoned عَثْرَتَهُhis stumble
يا مَوْتَهُ لو أَقَلْتَ عَثْرَتَهُ
ياO يَوْمَهُhis day لوif only تَرَكْتَهُyou left him لِغَدِuntil tomorrow
يا يَوْمَهُ لو تَرَكْتَهُ لِغَدِ
O his death, if only you had pardoned his stumble!
O his death, if only you'd spared his stumbling,
O his day, if only you had left him till tomorrow!
O his day, if only you'd left him for tomorrow!
ياO مَوْتُDeath لوif لمnot تَكُنْyou were تُعَاجِلُهُhurrying him away
يا مَوْتُ لو لم تَكُنْ تُعَاجِلُهُ
لَكانَhe would have been لاno شَكَّdoubt بَيْضةَegg (figuratively: peerless man) البَلَدِthe land
لَكانَ لا شَكَّ بَيْضةَ البَلَدِ
O Death, had you not hastened to take him,
O Death, if only you hadn't been so quick to take him -
he would surely have been the land's prized egg—its peerless man.
No doubt he'd have been the paragon of the country.
أوor كُنْتَyou had رَاخَيْتَslackened فيin العنانِthe rein لَهُfor him
أو كُنْتَ رَاخَيْتَ في العنانِ لَهُ
حَازَhe won العُلاhigh honor واحْتَوىand gained possession علىof الأَمدِthe goal
حَازَ العُلا واحْتَوى على الأَمدِ
Or had you slackened the reins for him,
Or had you slackened the rein for him,
he would have won high honor and attained the goal.
He'd have attained the heights and commanded the future.
أَيَّwhat a حُسَامٍkeen sword سَلبْتَyou took away رَوْنَقَهُits luster
أَيَّ حُسَامٍ سَلبْتَ رَوْنَقَهُ
وَأَيَّand what a رُوحٍsoul سَلَلْتَyou drew out منْfrom جَسَدِa body
وَأَيَّ رُوحٍ سَلَلْتَ منْ جَسَدِ
What a keen sword you have robbed of its luster!
What sword have you deprived of its edge?
And what a soul you have drawn from a body!
What soul have you drained from what body?
وَأَيَّand what a سَاقٍleg قَطَعْتَyou severed مِنْfrom قَدَمٍa foot
وَأَيَّ سَاقٍ قَطَعْتَ مِنْ قَدَمٍ
وأيَّand what a كفٍّhand أَزَلتَyou removed مِنْfrom عَضُدِan upper arm
وأيَّ كفٍّ أَزَلتَ مِنْ عَضُدِ
And what a leg you have severed from a foot!
What leg have you lopped from what foot?
And what a hand you have removed from an upper arm!
What palm have you removed from what arm?
ياO قَمَراًmoon أَجْحَفَdealt harshly الخُسُوفُthe eclipse بِهِwith it
يا قَمَراً أَجْحَفَ الخُسُوفُ بِهِ
قَبْلَbefore بُلوغِreaching السَّواءِfullness فيin الْعَدَدِthe count
قَبْلَ بُلوغِ السَّواءِ في الْعَدَدِ
O moon ravaged by the eclipse
O a moon eclipsed before reaching its fullness in number!
before reaching fullness in the count of years!
What grief for which you haven't moaned?
أَيُّwhat حَشاًheart لَمْhas not تَذُبْmelted لَهُfor him أَسَفاًin sorrow
أَيُّ حَشاً لَمْ تَذُبْ لَهُ أَسَفاً
وَأَيُّand what عَينٍeye عَليْهِover him لَمْhas not تَجُدِshed tears freely
وَأَيُّ عَينٍ عَليْهِ لَمْ تَجُدِ
What heart has not melted in sorrow for him?
What eye for him hasn't overflowed?
And what eye has not poured forth tears over him?
I've no composure or endurance left after him -
لاno صَبْرَpatience ليfor me بَعْدَهُafter him ولاnor جَلَدٌfortitude
لا صَبْرَ لي بَعْدَهُ ولا جَلَدٌ
فُجعْتُI was bereaved بالصَّبْرِof patience فِيهِin him وَالجَلَدِand fortitude
فُجعْتُ بالصَّبْرِ فِيهِ وَالجَلَدِ
I have no patience after him, nor fortitude;
I'm dispossessed of endurance and fortitude through him.
in his loss I was bereft of patience and fortitude.
If I hadn't died inwardly when he died,
لوif لَمْnot أَمُتْI died عِنْدَat مَوْتِهhis death كَمداًfrom grief
لو لَمْ أَمُتْ عِنْدَ مَوْتِه كَمداً
لحُقَّit would be fitting ليfor me أَنْthat أَمُوتَI die مِنْfrom كمدِيmy grief
لحُقَّ لي أَنْ أَمُوتَ مِنْ كمدِي
If I did not die of grief when he died,
I'd have deserved to die of my inner pain.
it would be only right for me to die of my grief.
What intense pain won't stop stoking
يَاO لَوْعَةًanguish مَاnot يَزَالُceases لاعجُهاits searing pain
يَا لَوْعَةً مَا يَزَالُ لاعجُها
يَقْدحُkindles نَارَthe fire الأَسَىof sorrow علىupon كبِدِيmy liver
يَقْدحُ نَارَ الأَسَى على كبِدِي
O anguish, whose searing pain never ceases
The fire of anguish upon my liver!
to kindle sorrow's fire upon my liver!
Partial English translation: 31 of 32 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1