ولمَّاAnd when رأَيْتُI saw العَيْشَlife وَلَّىturned away برأسِهِwith its head
ولمَّا رأَيْتُ العَيْشَ وَلَّى برأسِهِ
وأَيقَنْتُand I became certain أَنthat المَوْتَdeath لاno شَكَّdoubt لاحِقِيwill overtake me
وأَيقَنْتُ أَن المَوْتَ لا شَكَّ لاحِقِي
And when I saw life turn its head away,
When I saw that life had turned away
and knew beyond doubt that death would overtake me,
And I knew surely that death would overtake me
تمنَّيْتُI wished أَنِّيthat I ساكِنٌdwelling فيin غَيابةa hidden recess
تمنَّيْتُ أَنِّي ساكِنٌ في غَيابة
بأَعْلَىat the highest point of مَهَبِّthe blowing-place of الرِّيحِthe wind فيon رأَسِthe summit of شاهِقِa lofty peak
بأَعْلَى مَهَبِّ الرِّيحِ في رأَسِ شاهِقِ
I wished I dwelt within a hidden recess,
I wished I dwelt in a far lonely place
at the wind's highest reach, atop a lofty peak,
At the highest ridge, chilled by the winds
أُدَرُّI am supplied with سقيطfallen bits of الحَبِّgrain فيin فَضْلِthe remainder of عِيشةٍa life
أُدَرُّ سقيط الحَبِّ في فَضْلِ عِيشةٍ
وحيداًalone وحِسْيُand the waterhole of الماءِwater ثِنيُa fold in المَفالقِthe cleft rocks
وحيداً وحِسْيُ الماءِ ثِنيُ المَفالقِ
fed on fallen grain for what remains of life,
Casting down acorns to live by their surplus
alone, with a fold of cleft rocks for my waterhole.
Alone, while the waters murmur at the canyon's cleft
خَلِيليَّMy two friends مَنwhoever ذاقَhas tasted المَنِيَّةَdeath مَرَّةًonce
خَلِيليَّ مَن ذاقَ المَنِيَّةَ مَرَّةً
فَقدthen indeed ذُقْتُهاI have tasted it خَمْسِينَfifty times قَوْلةَthe word of صادقa truthful man
فَقد ذُقْتُها خَمْسِينَ قَوْلةَ صادق
My two friends, if anyone has tasted death once,
My friends, whoever has tasted death once
I have tasted it fifty times—I speak truly.
Then I have tasted it fifty honest times
كأَنيAs though I وَقدand already حانَhas arrived ارْتِحالِيَmy departure لمnot أَفُزْI had gained
كأَني وَقد حانَ ارْتِحالِيَ لم أَفُزْ
قَدِيماًin former days مِنfrom الدُّنياthe world بلَمحةِwith a glimpse of بارقِlightning
قَدِيماً مِن الدُّنيا بلَمحةِ بارقِ
It is as though, now my departure is at hand, I had never gained
As my time to depart draws near, from this life
from this world in days gone by so much as a flash of lightning.
I have gained no flashes of lightening
فمَنSo who مُبْلِغٌwill convey عَنيfrom me ابْنَson of حَزْمٍHazm وكانَand he was ليfor me
فمَن مُبْلِغٌ عَني ابْنَ حَزْمٍ وكانَ لي
يَداًa helping hand فيin مُلِمَّاتِيmy calamities وعِنْدَand amid مَضَايقِيmy straits
يَداً في مُلِمَّاتِي وعِنْدَ مَضَايقِي
So who will bear word from me to Ibn Hazm, who was to me
Who can inform the son of Hazm, who offered
a helping hand in my calamities and in my straits?
Me assistance in my disasters and adversities?
عَلَيْكَUpon you سَلامُthe peace of اللَّهِGod إِنيindeed I مُفارِقٌam departing
عَلَيْكَ سَلامُ اللَّهِ إِني مُفارِقٌ
وحَسْبُكَand sufficient for you زاداًas provision مِنfrom حَبيبٍa dear friend مُفَارِقِdeparting
وحَسْبُكَ زاداً مِن حَبيبٍ مُفَارِقِ
God's peace be upon you; I am departing,
Upon you is the peace of God. I take my leave
and let this suffice you as provision from a dear friend taking leave.
And my love for you shall suffice as provisions for one departing
فلاSo do not تَنْسَforget تَأْبِينِيeulogizing me إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle فقدتَنيyou have lost me
فلا تَنْسَ تَأْبِينِي إِذا ما فقدتَني
وتَذْكارَand recalling أَيَّامِيmy days وفَضْلَand the excellence of خلائِقِيmy character traits
وتَذْكارَ أَيَّامِي وفَضْلَ خلائِقِي
So do not forget to eulogize me when you have lost me,
So do not forget to eulogize me when I am gone
and to recall my days and the excellence of my character.
And recall my days and my excellent traits
وحَرِّكْAnd rouse بهwith it باللَّهِby God مِنfrom among أَهْلِthe practitioners of فَنِّناour art
وحَرِّكْ به باللَّهِ مِن أَهْلِ فَنِّنا
إِذاwhen غَيَّبُونيthey have buried me كُلَّevery شَهْمgallant man غُرانِقhandsome youth
إِذا غَيَّبُوني كُلَّ شَهْم غُرانِق
And, by God, rouse with it, among the men of our art,
And for God's sake, from the people of our art
once they have buried me, every gallant, handsome youth.
Stir them to lament me, every stalwart hero
عَسَىPerhaps هامَتيmy head فيin القَبْرِthe grave تَسْمَعُwill hear بَعْضُهsome of it
عَسَى هامَتي في القَبْرِ تَسْمَعُ بَعْضُه
بتَرْجِيعِin the refrain of سارٍa night traveler أَوْor بتَطرْيبِin the melodious singing of طارِقِa night visitor
بتَرْجِيعِ سارٍ أَوْ بتَطرْيبِ طارِقِ
Perhaps my head within the grave will hear some of it,
That my soul in the grave might hear something
in a night traveler's refrain or a night visitor's song.
Of a secret whispered, or a knock tapped
فليFor me فيin ادِّكارِيremembrance of me بَعْدَafter مَوْتيmy death راحةٌcomfort
فلي في ادِّكارِي بَعْدَ مَوْتي راحةٌ
فلاso do not تمنَعُونيهاwithhold it from me عُلالَةa little solace زاهِقِa dying man
فلا تمنَعُونيها عُلالَة زاهِقِ
For I find comfort in being remembered after my death,
For in remembering me after death is a solace
so do not deny me that—a dying man's last solace.
So do not forbid it from me, useless fading wretch
وإِنيAnd indeed I لأَرجُوI surely hope in اللَّهَGod فيماconcerning what تَقَدَّمَتْhave gone before
وإِني لأَرجُو اللَّهَ فيما تَقَدَّمَتْ
ذُنُوبيmy sins بهin it ممّاbecause of what دَرىHe knows مِنof حَقائِقيmy true nature
ذُنُوبي به ممّا دَرى مِن حَقائِقي
And surely I place my hope in God regarding my past
And I hope in God for the sins accrued in the past
sins, because of what He knows of my true nature.
That which He knows of my inner truths
Sol 6.1