أَدارَO abode البَلىdecay أَماhave ... not? عَمَرتِyou were peopled بِمَعشَريwith my companions
أَدارَ البَلى أَما عَمَرتِ بِمَعشَري
فَأَنتِyet you الَّذيthe one تُدعَينَyou are called قَفراًwilderness وَبَلقَعاand wasteland
فَأَنتِ الَّذي تُدعَينَ قَفراً وَبَلقَعا
O abode of decay, have you not been peopled with my companions?
Time has turned against me, though once you lived here,
Yet you are the place they call wilderness and wasteland.
You whom they now call a wasteland, desolate and bare,
عَلىdespite كَثرَةِthe multitude of الأَهلَينَinhabitants أَوyou made (split verb) حَشتِdesolate (split verb) زائِراًa visitor
عَلى كَثرَةِ الأَهلَينَ أَو حَشتِ زائِراً
وَأَلهَبتِand you set aflame أَكباداًlivers وَأَجرَيتِand you made flow مَدمَعاa flow of tears
وَأَلهَبتِ أَكباداً وَأَجرَيتِ مَدمَعا
Despite the multitude of inhabitants, you have made a visitor feel desolate,
Whether thronged with family or lonely and unvisited,
And set livers aflame and made tears flow.
You who inflamed hearts and caused tears to flow.
إِليكِto you مَآبُthe return of الكُلِّeveryone مِنهُمamong them مُلَبِّثٌone who lingers
إِليكِ مَآبُ الكُلِّ مِنهُم مُلَبِّثٌ
قَليلاًa little وَمِنهُمand among them مَنone who تَوَلّىdeparted وَوَدَّعاand bid farewell
قَليلاً وَمِنهُم مَن تَوَلّى وَوَدَّعا
To you everyone returns; some linger
Others to bid farewell and depart.
A little, while some have turned away and bid farewell.
Oh, if only I knew how death could touch it!
أَلاah لَيتَwould that شِعريmy knowledge كَيفَhow مَسَّtouched الثَوىthe sojourn بِهاin it
أَلا لَيتَ شِعري كَيفَ مَسَّ الثَوى بِها
فَإِنّيfor I أَرىsee فيهاin it مِهاداًa bed وَمَضجَعاand a resting place
فَإِنّي أَرى فيها مِهاداً وَمَضجَعا
Ah, would that I knew how the sojourn there has touched them,
For I see in it a resting place, a tomb.
For I see there a bed and a place to lie.
No restful sleep within this tomb,
مَضاجِعُresting places لَيسَis not لَيستَis not (repeated) النَومُsleep فيهاin them بِلِذَّةٍwith delight
مَضاجِعُ لَيسَ لَيستَ النَومُ فيها بِلِذَّةٍ
وَلاnor النَومُsleep فيهاin them أَنthat تَهُبَّyou wake وَتَهجَعاand you slumber
وَلا النَومُ فيها أَن تَهُبَّ وَتَهجَعا
Resting places where sleep is no delight,
No calm repose beneath its cover.
Nor is sleep there a matter of waking and slumbering—
All meet at the Resurrection, true to its name,
إِلىuntil الحَشرِthe Gathering وَاِسمُand the name of الحَشرِthe Gathering وَفقٌa match لِشَكلِهِfor its nature
إِلى الحَشرِ وَاِسمُ الحَشرِ وَفقٌ لِشَكلِهِ
جِماعُa convergence أُمورِof things ماhow أَهَمَّgrievous وَأَشنَعاand dreadful
جِماعُ أُمورِ ما أَهَمَّ وَأَشنَعا
Until the Gathering; the name ‘Gathering’ befits its nature:
A gathering of momentous, dreadful matters,
A convergence of things—how grievous and dreadful!
A standing where humankind and jinn stand in awe,
مَقامٌa station يَعُمُّencompasses الإِنسَhumankind وَالجِنَّand the jinn هَولُهُits terror
مَقامٌ يَعُمُّ الإِنسَ وَالجِنَّ هَولُهُ
وَيُحشَرُand are gathered فيهِtherein الوَحشُwild beasts شِرباًa drinking herd مُفَزَّعاterrified
وَيُحشَرُ فيهِ الوَحشُ شِرباً مُفَزَّعا
A station whose terror encompasses humankind and jinn,
And beasts are driven together, terrified.
And there wild beasts are gathered in a terrified herd.
The earth is changed to other than our earth
تُبَدَّلُis changed فيهِtherein أَرضُهُits earth غَيرَother than أَرضِناour earth
تُبَدَّلُ فيهِ أَرضُهُ غَيرَ أَرضِنا
وَتَطويand fold up السَمَواتُthe heavens العُلىlofty طَيَّةًa single fold مَعاtogether
وَتَطوي السَمَواتُ العُلى طَيَّةً مَعا
There its earth is changed to an earth other than ours,
And heaven folded up and fused together.
And the lofty heavens fold up together in a single fold.
Oh for that day when mankind's striving is little use!
فَيالَكَso, what a ... for you! يَوماًa day قَلَّwas scant سَعيُthe striving of الوَرىhumankind لَهُfor it
فَيالَكَ يَوماً قَلَّ سَعيُ الوَرى لَهُ
وَماand nothing فيهِtherein لِلإِنسانِfor a person إِلّاexcept الَّذيwhat سَعىstrove for
وَما فيهِ لِلإِنسانِ إِلّا الَّذي سَعى
Oh, what a day, for which humankind has striven so little!
Man has only what effort he has made.
And there each person has only what they strove for.
You lust for a world that leaves no dear home
تَغَرُّyou are beguiled بِدُنياby worldly life لَيسَdoes not تَترُكُleave مَنزِلاًa dwelling
تَغَرُّ بِدُنيا لَيسَ تَترُكُ مَنزِلاً
أَنيساًinhabited وَلاnor شَملاًa company لِقَومٍof a people مُجَمَّعاheld together
أَنيساً وَلا شَملاً لِقَومٍ مُجَمَّعا
You are beguiled by a world that leaves no dwelling
Or gathered people you can cling to.
Inhabited, nor any people's company held together.
Fate cast me down, so I set my course
رَمانيshot at me الرُدىdeath قَصداًdeliberately فَأَقصَدُso struck mortally مُهجَتيmy lifeblood
رَماني الرُدى قَصداً فَأَقصَدُ مُهجَتي
وَأَخطَأَand missed جُثمانيmy body فَأَخفىso concealed وَأَوجَعاand caused pain
وَأَخطَأَ جُثماني فَأَخفى وَأَوجَعا
Death shot at me deliberately and struck my lifeblood,
And my body missed its mark and suffered pain.
Yet missed my body, leaving a hidden, painful wound.
I was struck in that which I was once a branch,
أُصِبتُI was stricken بِأَصلٍthrough a root كُنتُI was فَرعاًa branch لِفَرعِهِof its branch
أُصِبتُ بِأَصلٍ كُنتُ فَرعاً لِفَرعِهِ
وَشَأنُand the way of الرَدىdeath أَنto يَهصِرَbreak العودَthe stem أَجمَعاentirely
وَشَأنُ الرَدى أَن يَهصِرَ العودَ أَجمَعا
I was stricken through a root: I was a branch of its branch,
Such is fate, that it destroys the tree entire.
And death's way is to break the whole stem.
My soul, for which I weep, though weeping for it,
فَنَفسيso my soul الَّتيwhich أَبكيI mourn وَإِنand even if كُنتُI was باكِياًweeping
فَنَفسي الَّتي أَبكي وَإِن كُنتُ باكِياً
عَلَيهاfor her فَدَمعيso my tears قَدindeed تَقَسَّمَhave divided أَدمُعاinto tears
عَلَيها فَدَمعي قَد تَقَسَّمَ أَدمُعا
So it is my own soul I mourn, though I am weeping
My tears are parceled out in streams of tears.
For her; my tears have divided into many tears.
Death called it, and it quickly answered death's call,
دَعَتهاcalled her المَناياthe fates of death فَاِستَجابَتso she answered دُعاءَهاtheir call
دَعَتها المَنايا فَاِستَجابَت دُعاءَها
سَريعاًswiftly وَداعيand the summoner of المَوتِdeath أَسرَعُthe swiftest مَنthose who دَعاcalled
سَريعاً وَداعي المَوتِ أَسرَعُ مَن دَعا
The fates called her, and she answered their call
Death's summons are swifter than any call.
Swiftly; and death's summoner is the swiftest of those who call.
The earth deserted me, as if forbidden
فَخَلَّتso became empty عَلَيَّto me الأَرضُthe earth حَتّىuntil كَأَنَّماas though
فَخَلَّت عَلَيَّ الأَرضُ حَتّى كَأَنَّما
حَرامٌforbidden عَلىfor الأَجفانِthe eyelids أَنto تَتَطَلَّعاlook upward
حَرامٌ عَلى الأَجفانِ أَن تَتَطَلَّعا
So the earth became empty to me, until it seemed
For eyelids to look up, compelled to stare down
Forbidden for eyelids to look upward,
At no place, but it becomes desolate at dawn.
وَحَتمٌand decreed عَليهاupon them أَنto تَصوبَpour down فَماso never هَمَتthey rained
وَحَتمٌ عَليها أَن تَصوبَ فَما هَمَت
عَلىupon مُمحِلٍbarren ground إِلّاexcept that أَصبَحَit became مُهرَعاdrenched
عَلى مُمحِلٍ إِلّا أَصبَحَ مُهرَعا
And decreed that they should pour down; never did they rain
The ruins weep in longing for her nearness
On barren ground but it became drenched.
And the earth she left yields lush greenery.
بَكىwept بَعدَهاafter her المِرابُthe prayer niche (uncertain reading) شَوقاًin longing لِقُربِهاfor her nearness
بَكى بَعدَها المِرابُ شَوقاً لِقُربِها
وَرَوَّضَand grew garden-like مِنهاthrough her التُربُthe soil خِصباًin fertility فَأَينَعاand flourished
وَرَوَّضَ مِنها التُربُ خِصباً فَأَينَعا
The [prayer niche] wept after her, yearning for her nearness;
I pray for her with what is fitting for her -
And through her the soil became a fertile garden and flourished.
My praise was fair and heard.
وَصَلّىand prayed عَلَيهاover her بِالَّذيwith what هِيَshe أَهلُهُis worthy of
وَصَلّى عَلَيها بِالَّذي هِيَ أَهلُهُ
فَإِنَّfor indeed ثَنائيmy praise طابَwas sweet قيلاًin utterance وَمَسمَعاand in hearing
فَإِنَّ ثَنائي طابَ قيلاً وَمَسمَعا
And prayed over her as she deserves;
Eulogy and elegy return her not,
For my praise was sweet in utterance and to the ear.
Though they are lamentation and anguish.
وَماand not المَدحُpraise وَالتَأبينُand eulogy مِمّاamong what يَرُدُّهاbrings her back
وَما المَدحُ وَالتَأبينُ مِمّا يَرُدُّها
وَلَكِنَّهُbut it قَدindeed صارَhas become مَبكىًa cause of weeping وَمَجزَعاand a cause of anguish
وَلَكِنَّهُ قَد صارَ مَبكىً وَمَجزَعا
And praise and eulogy cannot bring her back,
Peace be upon you, our meeting brings peace -
Yet it has become a source of weeping and anguish.
The peace of one made desolate by your loss.
عَلَيكَupon you سَلامٌpeace تَلاقيa meeting بَينَناbetween us
عَلَيكَ سَلامٌ تَلاقي بَينَنا
سَلامُthe greeting of اِمرِئٍa man أَمسىbecame بِفَقدِكَthrough losing you موجَعاwounded
سَلامُ اِمرِئٍ أَمسى بِفَقدِكَ موجَعا
Peace be upon you—a meeting between us—
The greeting of a man left wounded by your loss.
Partial English translation: 38 of 40 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1