لَقَدْindeed جاوَزَتْoverstepped فِيكَin your case مِقْدارَهاtheir measure
لَقَدْ جاوَزَتْ فِيكَ مِقْدارَها
خُطُوبٌcalamities قَضَتْfulfilled مِنْكَfrom you أَوْطارَهاtheir desires
خُطُوبٌ قَضَتْ مِنْكَ أَوْطارَها
They have indeed overstepped their bounds in striking you—
You have endured tribulations beyond your limit,
calamities that fulfilled their desires at your expense.
Afflictions that have exhausted your patience.
وَكَيْفَand how تَرَقَّتْrose إِلىto مُهْجَةٍa soul
وَكَيْفَ تَرَقَّتْ إِلى مُهْجَةٍ
يَوَدُّwishes الرَّدىDeath لَوْif غَداbecame جارَهاits neighbor
يَوَدُّ الرَّدى لَوْ غَدا جارَها
And how could they rise to reach a soul
How far did ambition reach,
whose neighbor Death wishes he could become?
Yearning were time to restore it.
سَمَتْsoared هَمَّةُambition الْخَطْبِcalamity حَتّىas far as إِلَيْكَyou
سَمَتْ هَمَّةُ الْخَطْبِ حَتّى إِلَيْكَ
لَقَدْindeed عَظَّمَmagnified الدَّهْرُTime أَخْطارَهاtheir standing
لَقَدْ عَظَّمَ الدَّهْرُ أَخْطارَها
Calamity's ambition soared as high as you;
The resolve of glory aimed straight at you,
Time has indeed exalted their standing.
Time has magnified its perils.
وَمَنْand who ذاis it الَّذِيwho يَأْمَنُfeels safe from النّائِباتِcalamities
وَمَنْ ذا الَّذِي يَأْمَنُ النّائِباتِ
وَقَدْand already أَنْشَبَتْsank فِيكَinto you أَظْفارَهاtheir claws
وَقَدْ أَنْشَبَتْ فِيكَ أَظْفارَها
And who is it who can feel safe from calamities,
Who can feel safe from vicissitudes
when they have sunk their claws into you?
When their claws have sunk into you?
سَماحُكَyour generosity أَثْكَلَهاbereaved them of صَرْفَهاtheir ravages
سَماحُكَ أَثْكَلَها صَرْفَها
فَجاءَتْكَso they came to you طالِبَةًseeking ثارَهاtheir revenge
فَجاءَتْكَ طالِبَةً ثارَها
Your generosity bereaved them of their ravages,
Your generosity burdened it beyond its capacity,
so they came to you seeking their revenge.
It has come seeking vengeance.
سَتَبْكِيكَwill weep for you إِذاif عُمِّرَتْis granted long life دَوْلَةٌa realm
سَتَبْكِيكَ إِذا عُمِّرَتْ دَوْلَةٌ
دَعَتْكَnamed you الْمَكارِمُthe noble virtues مُخْتارَهاher chosen one
دَعَتْكَ الْمَكارِمُ مُخْتارَها
A realm will weep for you if granted long life;
It will make you weep if an empire endures,
the noble virtues named you her chosen one.
The noble traits have chosen you.
فَمَنْso who لِحِماهاfor her domain إِذاwhen ماever الْعَدُthe enemy (word continues)
فَمَنْ لِحِماها إِذا ما الْعَدُ
وُّcompletes ‘the enemy’ أَمَّتْmade for كَتائِبُهُhis battalions دارَهاher home
وُّ أَمَّتْ كَتائِبُهُ دارَها
Who, then, will guard her domain when the enemy's
Who will protect it when legions
battalions make for her home?
Mobilize and besiege its abodes?
وَمَنْand who يَشْهَدُwitnesses الْحَرْبَwar غَيْرُother than الْجَبانِthe coward
وَمَنْ يَشْهَدُ الْحَرْبَ غَيْرُ الْجَبانِ
إِذاwhen الْخَوْفُfear غَيَّبَmade vanish أَنْصارَهاher defenders
إِذا الْخَوْفُ غَيَّبَ أَنْصارَها
And who, other than the coward, will witness war,
Who will witness war but the valiant
when fear has made her defenders vanish?
When fear makes its supporters vanish?
وَمَنْand who يَجْعَلُsets السَّيْفَthe sword مِنْfrom دُونِهاbefore her
وَمَنْ يَجْعَلُ السَّيْفَ مِنْ دُونِها
حِجاباًa barrier يُمِيطُremoves بِهِwith it عارَهاher shame
حِجاباً يُمِيطُ بِهِ عارَها
And who will set the sword before her
Who will make his sword a barrier,
as a barrier with which to dispel her shame?
To veil its disgrace?
وَمَنْand who ذاis it يُكَثِّرُmultiplies حُسّادَهاher enviers
وَمَنْ ذا يُكَثِّرُ حُسّادَها
وَمَنْand who ذاis it يُقَلِّلُdiminishes أَنْظَارَهاher equals
وَمَنْ ذا يُقَلِّلُ أَنْظَارَها
And who is it who will multiply her enviers?
Who will multiply its enviers
And who is it who will diminish her equals?
And diminish its beholders?
وَمَنْand who لِلأُمُورِfor affairs إِذاwhen أُورِدَتْare brought forward
وَمَنْ لِلأُمُورِ إِذا أُورِدَتْ
فَلَمْso did not يَمْلِكِhave the power to الْقَوْمُthe people إِصْدارَهاresolve them
فَلَمْ يَمْلِكِ الْقَوْمُ إِصْدارَها
And who will see to affairs when they are brought forward,
Who can restrain it when matters require
and the people cannot bring them to a close?
The people cannot articulate them?
وَمَنْand who ذاis it يُطِيلُprolongs قِراعَcombat with الْخُطُوcalamities (word continues)
وَمَنْ ذا يُطِيلُ قِراعَ الْخُطُو
بِcompletes ‘calamities’ حَتّىuntil يُقَصِّرَshortens أَعْمارَهاtheir lives
بِ حَتّى يُقَصِّرَ أَعْمارَها
And who is it who will prolong the fight with calamities
Who will prolong the striking of swords
until he cuts their lives short?
Until he shortens their lives?
سَقىmay water اللهُGod فِيon كُلِّevery يَوْمٍday ثَراكَyour soil
سَقى اللهُ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ ثَراكَ
حَياءَrain السَّماءِthe sky وَأَمْطارَهاand its showers
حَياءَ السَّماءِ وَأَمْطارَها
May God water your grave's soil each day
May God water your soil each day
with the sky's rain and its showers.
With the sky's shyness and its rains.
تَوَلّىhe departed كَماjust as أَقْلَعَتْceased دِيمَةٌa steady rain
تَوَلّى كَما أَقْلَعَتْ دِيمَةٌ
وَأَوْدَعَتِand entrusted الأَرْضَthe earth آثارَهاits traces
وَأَوْدَعَتِ الأَرْضَ آثارَها
He departed like a steady rain that ceased
It turned away just as the rain clouds dissipated
and entrusted its traces to the earth.
Entrusting the land with their traces.
مَضَتْit passed وَاقْتَضَتْand exacted شُكْرَthanks for آلائِهاits bounties
مَضَتْ وَاقْتَضَتْ شُكْرَ آلائِها
نَسِيمَbreeze الرِّياضِthe gardens وَنُوّارَهاand their blossoms
نَسِيمَ الرِّياضِ وَنُوّارَها
It passed, exacting thanks for its bounties
It passed, fulfilling thanks for its blessings—
from the gardens' breeze and their blossoms.
The breeze of meadows and their lights.
خَلائِقُvirtues إِنْif بانَdeparted مِنْهاfrom them الْعِيانُvisible presence
خَلائِقُ إِنْ بانَ مِنْها الْعِيانُ
رَوَتْناrecounted to us الصَّنائِعُbenefactions أَخْبارَهاtheir stories
رَوَتْنا الصَّنائِعُ أَخْبارَها
Virtues: though their visible presence has departed,
O people, if the truth becomes clear,
benefactions have recounted their stories to us.
Skills have apprised us of its chronicles.
أَرىI see كُلَّevery يَوْمٍday مِنَamong الْحادِثاتِcalamities
أَرى كُلَّ يَوْمٍ مِنَ الْحادِثاتِ
لَناfor us وَقْعَةًan onslaught نُصْطَلِيwe are scorched by نارَهاits fire
لَنا وَقْعَةً نُصْطَلِي نارَها
Each day I see, among calamities,
Each day I see incidents befall us—
an onslaught upon us, in whose fire we burn.
For which we kindle fires.
فَياso, oh لَيْتَif only شِعْرِيmy knowledge وَماand what نَفْعُuse of لَيْتَ‘if only’
فَيا لَيْتَ شِعْرِي وَما نَفْعُ لَيْتَ
مَتىwhen تَضَعُlays down الْحَرْبُwar أَوْزارَهاits burdens
مَتى تَضَعُ الْحَرْبُ أَوْزارَها
Ah, if only I knew—and what use is 'if only'?—
Oh, how I wish—though wishing is futile—
when war will lay down its burdens.
When will war relieve its burdens?
وَحَتّامَand until when ذِمّةُcovenant هذِيthese الْجُسُوthe bodies (word continues)
وَحَتّامَ ذِمّةُ هذِي الْجُسُو
مِcompletes ‘the bodies’ لاnot يَرْهَبُfears الْمَوْتُDeath إِخْفارَهاviolating it
مِ لا يَرْهَبُ الْمَوْتُ إِخْفارَها
And how long will the covenant of these bodies
The duty of this intrepid hero is inviolable;
be one that Death does not fear to violate?
Death does not intimidate his determination.
تُفِيتُcarry off الْمَقادِيرُfate's decrees أَرْواحَهاtheir souls
تُفِيتُ الْمَقادِيرُ أَرْواحَها
وَتُبْلِيand wear out عَلَىover الدَّهْرِtime أَبْشارَهاtheir skins
وَتُبْلِي عَلَى الدَّهْرِ أَبْشارَها
The decrees of fate carry off their souls,
Fates claim their souls
and wear out their skins over time.
And inform fate of their good news.
هَرَبْناwe fled بِأَنْفُسِناwith our lives وَالْقَضاand Fate (word continues)
هَرَبْنا بِأَنْفُسِنا وَالْقَضا
ءُcompletes ‘Fate’ يَسْبِقُoutstrips بِالْمَشْيby walking إِحْضارَهاtheir sprinting
ءُ يَسْبِقُ بِالْمَشْي إِحْضارَها
We fled for our lives, while Fate
We fled with ourselves while destiny
outstrips their sprinting at a walk.
Precedes in bringing them.
وَماand not اعْتَرَفَتْacknowledged أَنْفُسٌsouls بِالْحِماdeath (word continues)
وَما اعْتَرَفَتْ أَنْفُسٌ بِالْحِما
مِcompletes ‘death’ لَوْif كانَit were يَقْبَلُto accept إِنْكارَهاtheir denial
مِ لَوْ كانَ يَقْبَلُ إِنْكارَها
And no souls would acknowledge death
No selves have recognized protection
if it accepted their denial.
If they could refuse it.
إِذاwhen أَقبَلَتْturned favorably بِالْفَتَىtoward the young man عِيشَةٌa life
إِذا أَقبَلَتْ بِالْفَتَى عِيشَةٌ
تَوَقَّعَhe expected بِالْمَوْتِthrough death إِدْبارَهاits turning away
تَوَقَّعَ بِالْمَوْتِ إِدْبارَها
When life turns favorably toward a young man,
When fortune comes to a youth,
he expects its turning away through death.
He anticipates its retreat with death.
وَكَيْفَand how يُحاوِلُseeks صَفْوَserenity of الْحَياlife (word continues)
وَكَيْفَ يُحاوِلُ صَفْوَ الْحَيا
ةِcompletes ‘life’ مَنْone who لَيْسَis not يُمْنَحُgranted أَكْدَارَهاits troubles
ةِ مَنْ لَيْسَ يُمْنَحُ أَكْدَارَها
And how can one seek the serenity of life—
How can one whose share of life
one who is not granted even its troubles?
Is not rewarded taste its purity?
وَماand not عُمْرُthe lifetime مَنْone whom أَدْرَكَتْهُhas overtaken him الْوَفاdeath (word continues)
وَما عُمْرُ مَنْ أَدْرَكَتْهُ الْوَفا
ةُcompletes ‘death’ إِلاّexcept كَمَرْحَلةٍlike a journey's stage سارَهاhe traveled it
ةُ إِلاّ كَمَرْحَلةٍ سارَها
And the lifetime of one whom death has overtaken
The life of one whom loyalty befriended
is only like a stage of a journey he has traveled.
Lasts but a stage he traveled.
Sol 6.1