قَصَدَsought المَنونُDeath لَهُtoward him فَماتَso he died فَقيداsorely missed
قَصَدَ المَنونُ لَهُ فَماتَ فَقيدا
وَمَضىand passed away علىdespite صَرفِthe turns of الخُطوبِmisfortunes حَمِيداpraiseworthy
وَمَضى على صَرفِ الخُطوبِ حَمِيدا
Death sought him out; he died, sorely missed.
Death sought him, so he died a captive
And passed away, praised despite misfortune's turns.
And departed having faced misfortunes with dignity
بِأبِيwith my father as ransom وَأُمِّيand my mother هَالِكاًdead أَفْرَدْتُهُI left him alone
بِأبِي وَأُمِّي هَالِكاً أَفْرَدْتُهُ
قَدْindeed كانَhe was فيin كلِّevery العُلومِfield of learning فَريداpeerless
قَدْ كانَ في كلِّ العُلومِ فَريدا
My father and mother be his ransom—the dead man I left alone!
By my father and mother, I singled him out for ruin
He was indeed peerless in every field of learning.
He had excelled in every field of knowledge
سُودُthe black ones المقابرthe graves أَصْبَحَتْbecame بِيضاًwhite بِهِthrough him
سُودُ المقابر أَصْبَحَتْ بِيضاً بِهِ
وَغَدَتْand became لَهُfor him بِيضُthe white ones الضَّمائِرِhearts سُوداblack
وَغَدَتْ لَهُ بِيضُ الضَّمائِرِ سُودا
The black graves became white through him,
Graves, once black, turned white because of him
And for him, white hearts turned black.
While the hearts of the virtuous turned black for him
لمnot نُرْزَهُwe were bereaved of him لماwhen رُزِئنَاwe were bereaved وَحْدَهُhim alone
لم نُرْزَهُ لما رُزِئنَا وَحْدَهُ
وَإنِand even though اسْتَقَلَّbore away بِهِhim المَنونُDeath وَحِيْداalone
وَإنِ اسْتَقَلَّ بِهِ المَنونُ وَحِيْدا
We did not lose him alone when we were bereaved,
We did not grieve when we alone were stricken
Even though Death bore him away alone.
And death took him away deserted and alone
لكِنْrather رُزئناwe were bereaved of القاسِمَal-Qasim بْنَson of مُحمدٍMuhammad
لكِنْ رُزئنا القاسِمَ بْنَ مُحمدٍ
فيin فَضْلِهِhis excellence والأسْوَدَand al-Aswad بْنَson of يَزيداYazid
في فَضْلِهِ والأسْوَدَ بْنَ يَزيدا
Rather, we lost al-Qasim ibn Muhammad
Rather we grieved al-Qasim ibn Muhammad
In his excellence, and al-Aswad ibn Yazid;
For his virtuousness, and al-Aswad ibn Yazid
وَابْنَand the son of المُبارَكِal-Mubarak فيin الرقائِقِheart-softening counsels مُخْبِراًnarrating
وَابْنَ المُبارَكِ في الرقائِقِ مُخْبِراً
وَابْنَand the son of المُسَيَّبِal-Musayyab فيin الحديْثِhadith سَعيداSa'id
وَابْنَ المُسَيَّبِ في الحديْثِ سَعيدا
And Ibn al-Mubarak, narrating heart-softening counsels;
And Ibn al-Mubarak for his gentle ways
And Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab in hadith;
And Ibn al-Musayyab for his excellent traditions
وَالأخْفَشَينِand the two al-Akhfashes فَصاحَةًeloquence وَبَلاغَةًand rhetoric
وَالأخْفَشَينِ فَصاحَةً وَبَلاغَةً
والأَعشَيَيْنِand the two al-A'shas رِوايَةًtransmission of verse وَنَشيداand poetic chanting
والأَعشَيَيْنِ رِوايَةً وَنَشيدا
And the two al-Akhfashes in eloquence and rhetoric;
And the two Ahfashes for their eloquence
And the two al-A'shas in transmitting verse and chanting it.
And the two A’shas for their recitation and verse
كانَhe was الوَصِيَّthe executor إذاwhen أَرَدْتُI wished وَصِيَّةًa will
كانَ الوَصِيَّ إذا أَرَدْتُ وَصِيَّةً
وَالمُستَفادَand a source of benefit إذاwhen طَلَبْتُI sought مُفيداone who gives benefit
وَالمُستَفادَ إذا طَلَبْتُ مُفيدا
He was my executor when I wished to make a will,
He was the trustee when I wanted a trustee
And a source of benefit when I sought a benefactor.
And the useful one when I sought benefit
وَلّىhe departed حَفيظاًwatchful فيregarding الأَذمَّةِpledges حَافِظاًa faithful keeper
وَلّى حَفيظاً في الأَذمَّةِ حَافِظاً
وَمضىand passed away وَدوداًloving فيamong الوَرَىhumankind مَوْدوداbeloved
وَمضى وَدوداً في الوَرَى مَوْدودا
He departed, watchful over pledges, faithfully keeping them;
He turned a vigilant guardian in adversities
And passed away, loving and beloved among mankind.
And passed away loved among mankind
ماnot كانَwas مِثْليmy equal فيin الرَّزيَّةِbereavement والِداًa father
ما كانَ مِثْلي في الرَّزيَّةِ والِداً
ظَفِرَتْhad gained يَداهُhis two hands بِمِثْلِهِone like him مَوْلوداas a child
ظَفِرَتْ يَداهُ بِمِثْلِهِ مَوْلودا
No father was my equal in bereavement
Never was I like a father in affliction
Whose hands had gained a child like him.
His hands were rewarded with the like of him, a child
حَتَّىuntil إذاwhen بَذَّhe outstripped السَّوابِقَthe forerunners فيin العُلاeminence
حَتَّى إذا بَذَّ السَّوابِقَ في العُلا
وَالعِلْمand learning ضُمِّنَwas enclosed شِلْوُهُhis body مَلْحُوداentombed
وَالعِلْم ضُمِّنَ شِلْوُهُ مَلْحُودا
Until, when he outstripped the forerunners in eminence
Until he surpassed in noble deeds
And learning, his body was enclosed in a grave.
And knowledge was lodged safely with him
ياO مَنْyou who يُفَنِّدُrebuke فيfor البُكاءِweeping مُوَلَّهاone distraught with grief
يا مَنْ يُفَنِّدُ في البُكاءِ مُوَلَّها
ماnot كانَwould يَسْمَعُhe heed فيfor البُكاweeping تَفْنيداreproach
ما كانَ يَسْمَعُ في البُكا تَفْنيدا
O you who rebuke a grief-distraught man for weeping,
O you who in weeping makes the bereaved forget their own grief
He would not heed reproach for weeping.
He never used to hear weeping, so he wept
تَأبَىrefuse الْقُلوبُthe hearts المُسْتَكِينَةُbowed down لِلأسىby sorrow
تَأبَى الْقُلوبُ المُسْتَكِينَةُ لِلأسى
مِنْfrom أَنْto تَكُونَbecome حِجارَةًstones وحَديداand iron
مِنْ أَنْ تَكُونَ حِجارَةً وحَديدا
Hearts bowed beneath sorrow refuse
The suffering hearts refuse sorrow
To become stones and iron.
Lest they should become stones and iron
إِنَّindeed الَّذيhe who بادَperished السُّرورُjoy بِمَوتِهِthrough his death
إِنَّ الَّذي بادَ السُّرورُ بِمَوتِهِ
ماnot كانَwas حُزنِيmy grief بَعْدَهُafter him لِيَبيْداever to perish
ما كانَ حُزنِي بَعْدَهُ لِيَبيْدا
Truly, he whose death made joy perish—
Indeed, the one whose death destroyed my happiness
My grief after him will never perish.
After him, my sorrow will never perish
الآنَnow لمَّاwhen أَنْthat حَوَيْتَyou amassed مَآثِراًnoble deeds
الآنَ لمَّا أَنْ حَوَيْتَ مَآثِراً
أَعْيَتْbaffled عَدُوّاًan enemy فيamong الوَرَىhumankind وحَسُودَاand an envier
أَعْيَتْ عَدُوّاً في الوَرَى وحَسُودَا
Now, when you had amassed noble deeds
Now, when you have encompassed glorious deeds
That baffled foe and envier among mankind,
You have exhausted an enemy among mankind and the envious
ورأَيْتُand I saw فِيكَin you مِنَof الصَّلاحِrighteousness شمائِلاًtraits
ورأَيْتُ فِيكَ مِنَ الصَّلاحِ شمائِلاً
ومِنَand of السَّماحِgenerosity دَلائِلاًsigns وَشُهُوداand testimonies
ومِنَ السَّماحِ دَلائِلاً وَشُهُودا
And I saw in you traits of righteousness,
And I have seen in you the traits of righteousness
And signs and testimonies of generosity—
And the proofs of magnanimity and witnesses
أَبْكِيI weep عَلَيْكَfor you إذاwhen الحمامَةُthe dove طَرَّبَتْsang melodiously
أَبْكِي عَلَيْكَ إذا الحمامَةُ طَرَّبَتْ
وَجْهَthe face of الصَّباحِmorning وَغَرَّدَتْand warbled تَغريداa warbling song
وَجْهَ الصَّباحِ وَغَرَّدَتْ تَغريدا
I weep for you when the dove sings melodiously
I weep for you when the dove warbles
At the face of morning, and warbles her song.
The face of the morning and chirps its chirping
لَولاwere it not for الحَيَاءُmodesty وَأَنْand that أُزَنَّI be accused بِبِدْعَةٍof an innovation
لَولا الحَيَاءُ وَأَنْ أُزَنَّ بِبِدْعَةٍ
مِمَّاamong what يُعَدِّدُهُthey enumerate it الوَرَىhumankind تَعْديداone by one
مِمَّا يُعَدِّدُهُ الوَرَى تَعْديدا
But for modesty, and fear of being accused of an innovation
Were it not for shyness and that I be accused of innovation
Among the things people enumerate one by one,
Of that which mankind enumerates as enumerations
لَجَعَلْتُI would have made يَومَكَyour day فيamid المَنائحِlamentations مَأتَماًa mourning assembly
لَجَعَلْتُ يَومَكَ في المَنائحِ مَأتَماً
وَجَعَلْتُand I would have made يَوْمَكَyour day فيamong المَوَالِدِbirthdays عِيداa festival
وَجَعَلْتُ يَوْمَكَ في المَوَالِدِ عِيدا
I would have made your day a gathering for lamentation,
I would have made your day one of mourning in elegies
And made your day a festival among birthdays.
And made your day one of celebration as a feast
Sol 6.1