خَطْبٌa calamity أَلَمَّstruck فَأَذْهَبَand so took away الأَخَthe brother وَالأَبَاand the father
خَطْبٌ أَلَمَّ فَأَذْهَبَ الأَخَ وَالأَبَا
رَغْمَاًin humiliation لأَنْفٍto a nose شَاءَwilled ذَلِكَthat أَوْor أَبَاrefused
رَغْمَاً لأَنْفٍ شَاءَ ذَلِكَ أَوْ أَبَا
A calamity struck and took away my brother and my father,
Woes struck with grief, taking brother and father away
Humbling the nose, whether it willed this or refused.
Despite one's will, fate would have it thus or nay
قَدَرٌa decree of fate جَرَىran its course فِيamong الخَلْقِcreation لاَnot يَجِدُfinds امْرُؤٌa person
قَدَرٌ جَرَى فِي الخَلْقِ لاَ يَجِدُ امْرُؤٌ
عَمَّاfrom what بِهِthrough it جَرَتِran their course المَقَادِرُthe decrees of fate مَهْرَباan escape
عَمَّا بِهِ جَرَتِ المَقَادِرُ مَهْرَبا
Destiny ran its course among creation; no person finds
A destiny has run its course in creation, no man can find
An escape from what the decrees of fate have brought to pass.
Escape from the decrees of fate once made and designed
أَهْلاًwelcome بِمَقْدَمِكَto your arrival السَّنِيِّsplendid وَمَرْحَبَاand welcome
أَهْلاً بِمَقْدَمِكَ السَّنِيِّ وَمَرْحَبَا
فَلَقَدْfor indeed حَبَانِيgranted me اللهُGod مِنْكَthrough you بِمَاwith what حَبَاHe bestowed
فَلَقَدْ حَبَانِي اللهُ مِنْكَ بِمَا حَبَا
Welcome to your splendid arrival, and welcome!
Greetings upon your aged arrival, welcome and good day
For God has granted me, through you, what He has bestowed.
God has granted me in you what He willed to bestow and pay
وَافَيْتَyou arrived والدُّنْيَاwhile the world عَلَيَّupon me كَأنَّهَاas though it were
وَافَيْتَ والدُّنْيَا عَلَيَّ كَأنَّهَا
سمan eye (opening) الخباطthe needle’s (probable reading) وطرفand the steed of صبؤيmy patience (probable reading) قدalready كباstumbled
سم الخباط وطرف صبؤي قد كبا
You arrived while the world, to me, seemed
You came while the world pressed on me as though
A [needle’s] eye, and the steed of [my patience] had stumbled.
It was fate's fist and time's flood overthrowing
والدهرand time قدalready كشفlifted القناعthe mask فلمand so did not يدعleave
والدهر قد كشف القناع فلم يدع
لِيfor me عُدَّةًa defense لِلْرَوْعِagainst terror ألاَّexcept (probable reading) أَذْهَبَاit swept away
لِي عُدَّةً لِلْرَوْعِ ألاَّ أَذْهَبَا
And time had lifted its mask, leaving
And time has lifted its mask, leaving me no recourse
Me no defense against terror that it had not swept away.
To awe but to let it sweep me away without remorse
صَرَفَturned العِنَانَthe rein إِلَيَّtoward me غَيْرَwithout مُنَكِّبٍswerving
صَرَفَ العِنَانَ إِلَيَّ غَيْرَ مُنَكِّبٍ
عَنِّيaway from me وَأَثْبَتَand fixed دُونَbefore ثُغْرَتِيَmy throat’s hollow الشَّبَاthe blade-points
عَنِّي وَأَثْبَتَ دُونَ ثُغْرَتِيَ الشَّبَا
It turned its rein toward me, never swerving
It turned its reins to me with no hesitation,
Away from me, and fixed its blade-points before my throat.
And planted grey hairs on my face, no longer fleeting
خَطْبٌa calamity تأَوَّبَنِيvisited me by night يَضِيقُconstricts لِهَوْلِهِbecause of its horror
خَطْبٌ تأَوَّبَنِي يَضِيقُ لِهَوْلِهِ
رَحْبُthe breadth of الفَضَاopen space وَتَهِيand give way لِمَوْقِعِهِat its impact الرُّبَاthe hills
رَحْبُ الفَضَا وَتَهِي لِمَوْقِعِهِ الرُّبَا
A calamity visited me by night; its horror constricts
A woe has saddled me, its horror too vast,
The breadth of space, and the hills give way at its impact.
For the open space, as hiding holds no steadfast
لَوْif كَانَthere were بِالْوَرْقِin the gray doves الصَّوَادِحِthe singing ones فِيin الدُّجَىthe darkness
لَوْ كَانَ بِالْوَرْقِ الصَّوَادِحِ فِي الدُّجَى
مَاwhat بِيin me لَعَاقَwould surely prevent الوَرْقَthe gray doves عَنْfrom أَنْthat تَنْدُبَاthey lament
مَا بِي لَعَاقَ الوَرْقَ عَنْ أَنْ تَنْدُبَا
If the gray doves singing in the darkness bore
If but by leaves in the dark I could my cries invest
What I bear, it would keep those doves from lamenting.
I would not refrain to let the leaves my sorrows attest
فَأَنَرْتَso you illuminated مِنْfrom ظَلْمَاءِthe darkness of نَفْسِيmy soul مَاwhat دَجَاhad grown dark
فَأَنَرْتَ مِنْ ظَلْمَاءِ نَفْسِي مَا دَجَا
وَقَدَحْتَand you struck sparks مِنْfrom زَنْدِthe firestick of اصْطِبَارِيmy endurance مَاwhat خَبَاhad died down
وَقَدَحْتَ مِنْ زَنْدِ اصْطِبَارِي مَا خَبَا
So you lit what had darkened in the gloom of my soul,
You have lit up my soul's darkness kept hidden so long
And rekindled from the firestick of my endurance what had died down.
And struck sparks from my patience grown cold and gone
فَكَأَنَّنيso it was as though I لَعِبَtoyed الهَجِيرُthe midday heat بِمُهْجَتِيwith my lifeblood
فَكَأَنَّني لَعِبَ الهَجِيرُ بِمُهْجَتِي
فِيin مَهْمَهٍa trackless desert وَبَعَثْتَand you sent لِيto me نَفَسَthe breath of الصَّبَاthe east wind
فِي مَهْمَهٍ وَبَعَثْتَ لِي نَفَسَ الصَّبَا
So it was as though the midday heat had toyed with my lifeblood
So that I feel the years have toyed with my mind
In a trackless desert, and you sent me the east wind’s breath.
And you have revived for me the spirit of youth to find
لاَmay not كَانَhave been يَوْمُكَyour day يَاO طَرِيْفُTarifa فَطَالَمَاfor how often
لاَ كَانَ يَوْمُكَ يَا طَرِيْفُ فَطَالَمَا
أَطْلَعْتَyou raised لِلآمَالِfor hopes بَرْقاًlightning خُلَّبَاrainless
أَطْلَعْتَ لِلآمَالِ بَرْقاً خُلَّبَا
Would that your day had never been, O Tarifa! How often
Never your day, O gentle one, when you inspired
You raised before our hopes lightning that brought no rain.
Hope's lightning in me, east or west seen and admired
وَرَمَيْتَand you hurled at دِينَthe religion of اللهِGod مِنكَfrom you بِفَادِحٍwith a crushing blow
وَرَمَيْتَ دِينَ اللهِ مِنكَ بِفَادِحٍ
عَمَّengulfed البَسِيطَةَthe earth مِشْرِقَاًeastward أَوْor مَغْرِبَاwestward
عَمَّ البَسِيطَةَ مِشْرِقَاً أَوْ مَغْرِبَا
And you hurled from yourself a crushing blow at God’s religion,
And you cast far God's way, from you a grave betrayal,
Which swept across the earth, eastward or westward.
Spreading over the plain, sunlight or vale
وَخَصَصْتَنِيand you singled me out بالرُّزْءِwith loss وَالثُّكْلِand bereavement الذيwhich
وَخَصَصْتَنِي بالرُّزْءِ وَالثُّكْلِ الذي
أَوْهَىweakened القُوَىthe strength مِنِّيin me وَهَدَّand shattered المَنْكِبَاthe shoulder
أَوْهَى القُوَى مِنِّي وَهَدَّ المَنْكِبَا
And singled me out for loss and bereavement that
And singled me out for sorrow and loss to demolish
Sapped my strength and shattered my shoulder.
My strength, and bent neck that would not replenish
لاَno حُسْنَbeauty لِلدُّنْيَاfor the world لَدَيَّin my eyes وَلاnor أَرَىI see
لاَ حُسْنَ لِلدُّنْيَا لَدَيَّ وَلا أَرَى
فِيin العَيْشِliving بَعْدَafter أَبِيmy father وَصِنْويand my brother مَأْرَبَاa purpose
فِي العَيْشِ بَعْدَ أَبِي وَصِنْوي مَأْرَبَا
The world holds no beauty for me, nor do I see
No goodness in life I see, with father and brother gone
Any purpose in living after my father and my brother.
No living after them I want, no morrow's dawn
لَوْلاَwere it not for التَعَلُّلَtaking solace بِالرَحِيلِin departure وَأَنَّنَاand that we
لَوْلاَ التَعَلُّلَ بِالرَحِيلِ وَأَنَّنَا
نُنْضِيwe wear out مِنَfrom الأَعْمَارِlifespans فِيهَاin it مَرْكَبَاa mount
نُنْضِي مِنَ الأَعْمَارِ فِيهَا مَرْكَبَا
Were it not for solace in departure, and the thought that we
If not for duty to move on, and knowing that
Wear out here a mount fashioned from our years,
We sail life's ship, I would stay motionless like that
فَإِذَاso when رَكَضْنَاwe spur لِلشَّبِيْبَةِfor youth أَدْهَماًa black steed
فَإِذَا رَكَضْنَا لِلشَّبِيْبَةِ أَدْهَماً
جَالَranged المَشِيبُgray hair بِهِthrough it فَأَصْبَحَand so it became أَشْهَبَاa gray steed
جَالَ المَشِيبُ بِهِ فَأَصْبَحَ أَشْهَبَا
So when we spur the black steed of youth,
For when we raced after youth, dusky and bright,
Gray hair sweeps through it, and it becomes a gray steed.
Grey age overtook us, turning locks silver white
وَالْمُلْتَقَىand reunion كَثِبٌnear وَفِيand at وِرْدِthe watering place of الرَّدَىdeath
وَالْمُلْتَقَى كَثِبٌ وَفِي وِرْدِ الرَّدَى
نَهَلَdrank الوَرَىhumankind مَنْwhoever شاءَwilled ذَلِكَthat أَوْor أَبَىrefused
نَهَلَ الوَرَى مَنْ شاءَ ذَلِكَ أَوْ أَبَى
And reunion is near, and at death’s watering place
The meeting place is but steps away, and in the turns of fate
All mortals drink, whether they wish it or refuse.
Souls descend into it, be that their own will or fate
لَجَرَيْتُI would surely have run طَوْعَin obedience to الحُزْنِgrief دُونَwithout نِهَايَةٍan end
لَجَرَيْتُ طَوْعَ الحُزْنِ دُونَ نِهَايَةٍ
وَذَهَبْتُand I would have gone مِنْfrom خَلْعِcasting off التَّصَبُّرِpatient restraint مَذْهَبَاa path
وَذَهَبْتُ مِنْ خَلْعِ التَّصَبُّرِ مَذْهَبَا
I would surely have run at grief’s bidding without end,
I would have let grief drag me boundless lengths
And followed a path of casting off patient restraint.
And cast off the garb of patience at its strongest defense
وَالصَّبْرُand patience أَوْلَىmost fitting مَاwhat اسْتَكَانَsubmitted لَهُto it الفَتَىa young man
وَالصَّبْرُ أَوْلَى مَا اسْتَكَانَ لَهُ الفَتَى
رَغْماًunwillingly وَحَقُّand the duty of العَبْدِthe servant أَنْto يَتَأَدَّبَاshow proper manners
رَغْماً وَحَقُّ العَبْدِ أَنْ يَتَأَدَّبَا
And patience is the worthiest thing a man submits to,
Yet patience most befits the noble youth comport
Despite himself—and a servant’s duty is to show due reverence.
Though duty is to subdue oneself when grief does contort
وَإِذَاand if اعْتَمَدْتَyou rely on اللهَGod يَوْمَاًone day مَفْزَعَاًas a refuge
وَإِذَا اعْتَمَدْتَ اللهَ يَوْمَاً مَفْزَعَاً
لَمْnot تُلْفِyou find مِنْهُfrom Him سِوَىexcept إِلَيْهِto Him المَهْرَبَاthe escape
لَمْ تُلْفِ مِنْهُ سِوَى إِلَيْهِ المَهْرَبَا
And if one day you rely on God as your refuge,
And if you make God your resort in times of need
You will find no escape from Him except to Him.
You will find no escape but to Him your soul shall cede
Sol 6.1