ياO سَبتَةCeuta العَزَفِيِّينof the Azafis الأُلىwho دَرَجواpassed away
يا سَبتَة العَزَفِيِّين الأُلى دَرَجوا
وقدْand indeed تضوَّعَwafted منْfrom أخْبارِهِمْaccounts of them أرَجُa fragrance
وقدْ تضوَّعَ منْ أخْبارِهِمْ أرَجُ
O Ceuta of the Azafis, who have passed away,
O Sebta, home of the most melodious musicians who have passed
And a fragrance has wafted from accounts of them.
Whose tales of renown have perfumed the air
ماwhat بالُthe state of رَبْعِكِyour abode قدalready حطّset down العَفاءُdesolation بهِin it
ما بالُ رَبْعِكِ قد حطّ العَفاءُ بهِ
رَحْلَthe baggage of المُقيمِthe resident وأوْدَىand perished حُسْنُكِyour beauty البَهِجُradiant
رَحْلَ المُقيمِ وأوْدَى حُسْنُكِ البَهِجُ
What ails your abode? Desolation has set down there
Why has time cast its dust over your dwelling
A resident’s baggage, and your radiant beauty has perished.
Causing sojourners to depart and your beauty to fade
أيْنَwhere المَجالِسthe assemblies أمor أيْنَwhere الفَهارِسُthe catalogues أمor
أيْنَ المَجالِس أم أيْنَ الفَهارِسُ أم
أيْنَwhere المَدارسُthe schools لاnot تَنْبوfalter بِهاin them الحُجَجُthe arguments
أيْنَ المَدارسُ لا تَنْبو بِها الحُجَجُ
Where are the assemblies, or where the catalogues, or
Where are the salons, the horsemen, the schools
Where are the schools, where arguments never falter?
No longer do scholars gather in study
أيْنَwhere الأساطيلُthe fleets تُزْجَىare urged onward منfrom سَوابِحِهاtheir swimming steeds
أيْنَ الأساطيلُ تُزْجَى من سَوابِحِها
دُهْماًblack معتّقَةًthoroughbred بَيْداؤهاtheir desert اللُّجَجُthe ocean depths
دُهْماً معتّقَةً بَيْداؤها اللُّجَجُ
Where are the fleets, their swimming steeds urged onward—
Where are the great navies, their wakes flowing
Black, thoroughbred, whose desert is the ocean depths?
Like thunderous waves crashing on the shore
أيْنَwhere الصّدورُthe leaders إذاwhen ما(emphasis) المُعْضِلاتُthe difficult problems دَجَتْgrew dark
أيْنَ الصّدورُ إذا ما المُعْضِلاتُ دَجَتْ
هدَتْguided الىto القَصْدِthe right course منfrom آرائِهِمْtheir judgments حُجَجُarguments
هدَتْ الى القَصْدِ من آرائِهِمْ حُجَجُ
Where are the leaders? When baffling problems grew dark,
Where are the wise men whose thoughts would lead
Arguments drawn from their judgments showed the right course.
To solutions, when problems confound
يُصَرِّفونَthey wield منَof الخَطّيِّspears of al-Khatt عاسِلَةًquivering
يُصَرِّفونَ منَ الخَطّيِّ عاسِلَةً
سُمْراًbrown تَسيلُflows علىdown أعطافِهاtheir sides المُهَجُlifeblood
سُمْراً تَسيلُ على أعطافِها المُهَجُ
They wielded quivering spears of al-Khatt,
Twisting eloquent words into sweet honey
Brown, with lifeblood flowing down their sides.
Flowing smoothly over their lips
تخرّمواthey were carried off by death لمْdid not يكُنْexist فيin الأرضِthe earth منْحَدَرٌa hollow
تخرّموا لمْ يكُنْ في الأرضِ منْحَدَرٌ
يَقيshields from المَنونَdeath ولاnor فيin الجوِّthe air مُنْعَرَجُa winding path
يَقي المَنونَ ولا في الجوِّ مُنْعَرَجُ
They were carried off; there was no hollow in the earth
They have passed on, no slopes in earth remain
To shield them from death, nor any winding path in the air.
To stop fate, no curves in sky to divert its arrow
قالتshe said تخوَّنَنيhas worn me down صَرْفُthe vicissitudes of الزّمانِtime فلَمْso not
قالت تخوَّنَني صَرْفُ الزّمانِ فلَمْ
يدْخُلْenter ليَfor me الأُنْسُsolace قَلْباًa heart منْfrom لَدُنْthe time when خَرَجواthey departed
يدْخُلْ ليَ الأُنْسُ قَلْباً منْ لَدُنْ خَرَجوا
She said: “Time’s vicissitudes have worn me down, so no
You have been betrayed by time, no more does your charm
Solace has entered my heart since they departed.
Fill hearts as it did, for those who dwelt here have gone
وكُلُّand every ذيpossessor of جِدّةٍnewness يَبْلىwears out إذاwhen لعِبَتْtoyed
وكُلُّ ذي جِدّةٍ يَبْلى إذا لعِبَتْ
بهِwith it اللّيالىthe nights وسارَتْand marched دونَهpast it الحُجَجُthe years
بهِ اللّيالى وسارَتْ دونَه الحُجَجُ
And all that is new wears out when
All things decay when nights toy with them
The nights toy with it and the years march past it.
And time marches on leaving naught behind
لعلّperhaps فارِسَFaris تُحْيينِيwill revive me مَكارِمُهُhis noble deeds
لعلّ فارِسَ تُحْيينِي مَكارِمُهُ
إنّindeed الشّدائِدَthe hardships يأتيcomes إثْرَهاin their wake الفَرَجُrelief
إنّ الشّدائِدَ يأتي إثْرَها الفَرَجُ
Perhaps Faris’s noble deeds will bring me back to life;
Perhaps one day a noble knight will revive
Indeed, relief comes in the wake of hardships.”
For after hardship comes the easing
Sol 6.1