ماthere is no مِنكَfrom you ياO مَوتُDeath لاno واقٍprotector وَلاnor فاديone who ransoms
ما مِنكَ يا مَوتُ لا واقٍ وَلا فادي
الحُكمُthe decree حُكمُكَyour decree فيamong القاريthe settled وَفيand among الباديthe nomads
الحُكمُ حُكمُكَ في القاري وَفي البادي
From you, O Death, there is no protector and no one to ransom us.
Your decree rules the settled and the nomad alike.
قَدّمbring forward أُناساًpeople وَأَخّرand delay آخَرينَothers فَلاso no
قَدّم أُناساً وَأَخّر آخَرينَ فَلا
عَلَيكَblame on you ياO مَورِدَbringer to water الحاديthe driver عَلىbefore الهاديthe guide
عَلَيكَ يا مَورِدَ الحادي عَلى الهادي
Bring some people forward and hold others back; there is no
blame on you, O one who brings the driver to the watering place before the guide.
ياO نائِمَsleeper الفِكرِof thought فيin لَيلِthe night الشَبابِof youth أَفِقawaken
يا نائِمَ الفِكرِ في لَيلِ الشَبابِ أَفِق
فَصُبحُfor the dawn شَيبِكَof your gray hair فيon أُفُقِthe horizon النّهىof understanding باديis appearing
فَصُبحُ شَيبِكَ في أُفُقِ النّهى بادي
O you whose mind sleeps in the night of youth, awaken:
the dawn of your gray hair is showing on the horizon of understanding.
سَلنيask me عَنِabout الدَهرِtime تَسأَلyou ask غَيرَsomeone other than إِمَّعَةٍan unthinking follower
سَلني عَنِ الدَهرِ تَسأَل غَيرَ إِمَّعَةٍ
فَأَلقِso lend سَمعَكَyour hearing وَاِستَجمِعand gather yourself لِإيراديfor my account
فَأَلقِ سَمعَكَ وَاِستَجمِع لِإيرادي
Ask me about time, and you will ask no unthinking follower;
lend me your ear and gather your attention for what I recount.
نَعَمyes هُوَit is الدَهرُtime ماnothing أَبقَتleft غَوائِلُهُits calamities
نَعَم هُوَ الدَهرُ ما أَبقَت غَوائِلُهُ
عَلىof جديسٍJadis وَلاnor طسمٍTasm وَلاnor عادِʿAd
عَلى جديسٍ وَلا طسمٍ وَلا عادِ
Yes, it is time: its calamities left nothing
of Jadis, nor of Tasm, nor of ʿAd.
أَلقَتit laid down عَصاهاits staff بِناديat the gathering place مَأرِبٍof Maʾrib وَرَمَتand struck
أَلقَت عَصاها بِنادي مَأرِبٍ وَرَمَت
بِآلِthe family of مامَةَMama مِنfrom بَيضاءَBaydaʾ سِندادِSindad
بِآلِ مامَةَ مِن بَيضاءَ سِندادِ
It settled in the gathering place of Maʾrib and struck
the family of Mama from Baydaʾ Sindad.
وَأَسلَمَتand it surrendered لِلمَناياto deaths آلَthe house of مَسلَمَةٍMaslama
وَأَسلَمَت لِلمَنايا آلَ مَسلَمَةٍ
وَعَبَّدَتand it subjected لِلرَزاياto disasters آلَthe house of عَبّادِʿAbbad
وَعَبَّدَت لِلرَزايا آلَ عَبّادِ
And it surrendered the house of Maslama to death
and subjected the house of ʿAbbad to disasters.
ماwhat is wrong لِلَّياليwith the nights أَقالَmay He pardon اللَهُGod عَثرَتَناour misstep
ما لِلَّيالي أَقالَ اللَهُ عَثرَتَنا
مِنهاfrom them تُصَرِّعُthey strike down أَضداداًopposites بِأَضدادِwith opposites
مِنها تُصَرِّعُ أَضداداً بِأَضدادِ
What is wrong with the nights—may God pardon our missteps—
that they strike down opposites with opposites?
فَلَّتthey blunted قَناthe spears سَمهَرٍof Samhar شُلَّتmay they be paralyzed أَنامِلُهاtheir fingers
فَلَّت قَنا سَمهَرٍ شُلَّت أَنامِلُها
بِعودِwith wood طَلحٍof acacia وَأَسيافاًand swords بِأَغمادِwith scabbards
بِعودِ طَلحٍ وَأَسيافاً بِأَغمادِ
They blunted Samhar’s spears—may their fingers be paralyzed—
with acacia wood, and swords with scabbards.
فَعَوَّضتso they exchanged مِنfor حُسَينِHusayn الخَيرِthe Good أَوor حَسَنٍHasan
فَعَوَّضت مِن حُسَينِ الخَيرِ أَو حَسَنٍ
بِالأَرقَطِfor al-Arqat اِبنِson of أَبيهِhis father أَوor بِعَبّادِfor ʿAbbad
بِالأَرقَطِ اِبنِ أَبيهِ أَو بِعَبّادِ
Thus they exchanged Husayn the Good, or Hasan,
for al-Arqat, his father’s son, or for ʿAbbad.
بُعداًaway with لِيَومِكَyour day ياO نورَlight العَلاءِof exalted rank وَلاand no
بُعداً لِيَومِكَ يا نورَ العَلاءِ وَلا
شَجاgrief بِمَوتٍthrough a death وَلاnor سَلّىcomfort بِميلادِthrough a birth
شَجا بِمَوتٍ وَلا سَلّى بِميلادِ
Away with your day, O light of exalted rank! None
has grieved so through a death or found comfort in a birth.
لَهفيmy grief عَلَيكَfor you خَباwent out فيهِin it سَناكَyour radiance وَماyet not
لَهفي عَلَيكَ خَبا فيهِ سَناكَ وَما
خَباdid it go out وَلَكِنَّهاbut it is شَكوىa complaint عَلىagainst العاديthe aggressor
خَبا وَلَكِنَّها شَكوى عَلى العادي
How I grieve for you! Your radiance went out that day—yet it did not
go out; that was a complaint against the aggressor.
لاno شَمسsun قَبلَكَbefore you زادَتincreased بِالغُروبِthrough setting سَناin radiance
لا شَمس قَبلَكَ زادَت بِالغُروبِ سَنا
وَاِستَأنَفَتand began anew نَشرَthe spreading أَنوارٍof lights وَأَورادِand flowers
وَاِستَأنَفَت نَشرَ أَنوارٍ وَأَورادِ
No sun before you grew brighter through setting
and began anew to spread lights and flowers.
أَطلَعتit brought forth ذِكرَكَyour memory لماwhen غِبتَyou vanished وَاِبنكَand your son فيin
أَطلَعت ذِكرَكَ لما غِبتَ وَاِبنكَ في
أُفقِthe horizon العُلاof honor نَيِّرَيtwo lights هَديٍof guidance وَإِرشادِand direction
أُفقِ العُلا نَيِّرَي هَديٍ وَإِرشادِ
When you vanished, it brought forth your memory, and your son
in the horizon of honor: two lights of guidance and direction.
لَمّاwhen مَلَأتَyou filled دلاءَthe buckets المَأثراتِof noble deeds إِلىup to
لَمّا مَلَأتَ دلاءَ المَأثراتِ إِلى
أَكرابِهاtheir rims وَاِحتَبىand settled comfortably فيin حِلمِكَyour forbearance الناديthe assembly
أَكرابِها وَاِحتَبى في حِلمِكَ النادي
For you had filled the buckets of noble deeds up to
their rims, while the assembly rested in your forbearance.
وَطَبَّقَتand they filled بِكَthrough you آفاقَthe horizons العُلاof honor هِمَمٌaspirations
وَطَبَّقَت بِكَ آفاقَ العُلا هِمَمٌ
زانَتthey adorned مَطالِعَthe rising fortunes آباءٍof fathers وَأَجدادِand grandfathers
زانَت مَطالِعَ آباءٍ وَأَجدادِ
Through you, aspirations filled the horizons of honor
and adorned the rising fortunes of fathers and grandfathers.
غَضَّتthey checked عَنانَكَyour reins أَيديthe hands الدَهرof time ناسِخَةًreplacing
غَضَّت عَنانَكَ أَيدي الدَهر ناسِخَةً
عِلماًknowledge بِجَهلٍwith ignorance وَإِصلاحاًand reform بِإِفسادِwith corruption
عِلماً بِجَهلٍ وَإِصلاحاً بِإِفسادِ
The hands of time checked your reins, replacing
knowledge with ignorance and reform with corruption.
لاmay it not yield دَرَّthe yield دَرُّof nights لَيالٍthat took you away غَوَّرَتكَnor may it be watered وَلاtheir thirst
لا دَرَّ دَرُّ لَيالٍ غَوَّرَتكَ وَلا
سَقىmay it water صَداهاtheir thirst غَريضُfresh rain الرائِحِpassing in the evening الغاديpassing in the morning
سَقى صَداها غَريضُ الرائِحِ الغادي
May the nights that took you away yield no bounty, and may no
fresh rain passing morning and evening water their thirst.
فَماfor we have not سَمِعناheard بِبَحرٍof a sea غاضَthat sank فيinto جَدَثٍa grave
فَما سَمِعنا بِبَحرٍ غاضَ في جَدَثٍ
وَكانَand it was مِلءَfilling الرُبىthe hillsides يَرميcasting بِأَزبادِfoam
وَكانَ مِلءَ الرُبى يَرمي بِأَزبادِ
We have never heard of a sea sinking into a grave,
a sea that filled the hillsides and cast up foam;
وَلاnor بِطَودٍof a mountain رَساthat settled تَحتَbeneath الثَرىthe earth وَسَماand rose
وَلا بِطَودٍ رَسا تَحتَ الثَرى وَسَما
عَلىabove السُهاSuha حَمَلوهُthey carried it فَوقَupon أعوادِplanks
عَلى السُها حَمَلوهُ فَوقَ أعوادِ
nor of a mountain, buried beneath the earth, that rose
above Suha, borne upon funeral planks.
أُعجوبَةٌa marvel قَصَّرَتthat shortened منthe stride of خَطوِevery كُلِّmind حجىًmind
أُعجوبَةٌ قَصَّرَت من خَطوِ كُلِّ حجىً
فَلَمso it was not يَكُنthere was فيin قِوىًany powers مِنهاof it وَلاnor آدِstrength
فَلَم يَكُن في قِوىً مِنها وَلا آدِ
A marvel that stopped every mind in its tracks,
leaving it neither power nor strength.
لَقَدindeed هَوَتfell مِنكَfrom you خانَتهاthey failed it قَوادِمُهاits leading feathers
لَقَد هَوَت مِنكَ خانَتها قَوادِمُها
بِكَوكَبwith a star فيin سماءِthe sky المَجدِof glory وَقّادِbrilliant
بِكَوكَب في سماءِ المَجدِ وَقّادِ
From you a star has fallen, its leading feathers failing it:
a brilliant star in the sky of glory.
وَمُقرَمٍand a noble defender كانَwho was يَحميprotecting شَولَthe flocks قُرطُبَةٍof Córdoba
وَمُقرَمٍ كانَ يَحمي شَولَ قُرطُبَةٍ
أَستَغفِرُI ask forgiveness اللَهَof God لاno بَلrather شَولَthe flocks بَغدادِof Baghdad
أَستَغفِرُ اللَهَ لا بَل شَولَ بَغدادِ
And a noble defender who guarded the flocks of Córdoba—
I ask God’s forgiveness: no, the flocks of Baghdad.
مَنwho is there لِلعُلومِfor the sciences إِذاwhen ماindeed ضَلَّloses his way ناشِدُهاtheir seeker
مَن لِلعُلومِ إِذا ما ضَلَّ ناشِدُها
فيin ظُلمَةِthe darkness الشَكِّof doubt بَعدَafter النَيِّرِthe radiant one الهاديthe guide
في ظُلمَةِ الشَكِّ بَعدَ النَيِّرِ الهادي
Who will serve the sciences when their seeker loses his way
in the darkness of doubt, after that guiding light?
مَنwho is there لِلحَديثِfor the prophetic tradition إِذاwhen ماindeed ضاقَis overwhelmed حامِلُهُits bearer
مَن لِلحَديثِ إِذا ما ضاقَ حامِلُهُ
ذَرعاًin capacity بِمَتنby a text وَإيضاحٍand explanation وَإِسنادِand chain of transmission
ذَرعاً بِمَتن وَإيضاحٍ وَإِسنادِ
Who will serve the prophetic tradition when its bearer is overwhelmed
by its text, its explanation, and its chain of transmission?
مَنwho is there لِلتِلاوَةِfor recitation أَوor مَنwho is there لِلرِوايَةِfor narration أَوor
مَن لِلتِلاوَةِ أَو مَن لِلرِوايَةِ أَو
مَنwho is there لِلبَلاغَةِfor eloquence بَعدَafter العادِthe one who came وَالباديand the one who went
مَن لِلبَلاغَةِ بَعدَ العادِ وَالبادي
Who will serve recitation, or who will serve narration, or
who will serve eloquence after the one who came and went?
شَقَّhe opened العُلومَthe sciences نظاماًinto ordered strands وَالعُلاand high honors زَهَراًinto blossoms
شَقَّ العُلومَ نظاماً وَالعُلا زَهَراً
ثَبينin groups ماamong بَينَbetween رُوّادٍseekers وَوُرّادِand those coming to drink
ثَبين ما بَينَ رُوّادٍ وَوُرّادِ
He opened the sciences into ordered strands and high honors into blossoms,
in groups among seekers and those who came to drink.
مَضىhe passed away فَلِلَّهِso to God belongs ماwhat أَبقَتthey left وَماand what أَخَذَتthey took
مَضى فَلِلَّهِ ما أَبقَت وَما أَخَذَت
أَيديthe hands اللَياليof the nights مِنَfrom المَفديِّthe one protected وَالفاديand the one who protected others
أَيدي اللَيالي مِنَ المَفديِّ وَالفادي
He has passed away. To God belong what the hands of the nights left
and what they took from the one who was protected and who protected others.
Sol 6