قِفstand بِرِبعِat the dwelling الأَسىsorrow وُقوفَthe stance of الطَليحِthe exhausted one
قِف بِرِبعِ الأَسى وُقوفَ الطَليحِ
وَشِبِand mingle الدَمعَtears بِالدَمِwith blood المَسفوحِpoured out
وَشِبِ الدَمعَ بِالدَمِ المَسفوحِ
Stand at sorrow's dwelling as one exhausted stands,
Stand with half the sorrow of the afflicted one,
and mingle tears with blood poured out.
And wet your tears with the bloodshed.
وَاِقضِand fulfill مِنsome of واجِبِthe duty of البُكاءِweeping فَعَيناfor the two eyes
وَاِقضِ مِن واجِبِ البُكاءِ فَعَينا
كَyour تَجودانِboth pour forth عَنon behalf of فُؤادِa heart قَريحِwounded
كَ تَجودانِ عَن فُؤادِ قَريحِ
And fulfill some of your duty of weeping, for your two eyes
Fulfill the duty of weeping, O eyes,
pour forth on behalf of a wounded heart.
As you generously pour from a grieving heart.
إِنَّindeed شَدوَthe song of الزَمانِtime نَوحُthe wailing of الثُكالىbereaved mothers
إِنَّ شَدوَ الزَمانِ نَوحُ الثُكالى
وَحُمَيّاهُand its heady wine كُلُّevery دَمعٍtear سَفوحِfreely flowing
وَحُمَيّاهُ كُلُّ دَمعٍ سَفوحِ
Indeed, Time's song is the wailing of bereaved mothers,
The cruelty of time is the wailing of the bereaved,
and its heady wine is every freely flowing tear.
And its heat is every pouring tear.
وَسَيَفنىand it will perish كَماas فَنَيناwe have perished وَيَلقىand it will meet
وَسَيَفنى كَما فَنَينا وَيَلقى
ماwhat لَقيناwe met مِنof فُرقَةٍseparation وَنُزوحِand departure
ما لَقينا مِن فُرقَةٍ وَنُزوحِ
And it will perish as we have perished, and meet
It will pass away as we passed away, and encounter
what we met of separation and departure.
What we encountered of separation and departure.
وَتَغولُand snatches away المَنونُdeath مِنّاfrom among us أُناساًpeople
وَتَغولُ المَنونُ مِنّا أُناساً
ذَهَبواthey went away إِذwhen مَضَواthey departed بِجِسميwith my body وَروحيand my soul
ذَهَبوا إِذ مَضَوا بِجِسمي وَروحي
And death snatches people from among us,
Death takes from us people,
who took my body and soul with them when they departed.
Who left taking my body and soul with them.
وَأَرىand I see الدَهرَtime شامِتاًgloating بِالمَعاليover nobility
وَأَرى الدَهرَ شامِتاً بِالمَعالي
فيin سَليليthe two sons of فَتىَthe young man of بَنيthe descendants of مَطروحِMatruh
في سَليلي فَتىَ بَني مَطروحِ
And I see Time gloating over nobility
And I see time gloating over the noble one,
in the two sons of the noble man of Banu Matruh.
My brave son of the fallen house.
طَلَعاthey both rose طَلعَةَthe rising of الهِلالِthe crescent moon عَلَيناover us
طَلَعا طَلعَةَ الهِلالِ عَلَينا
وَاِستَسَرّاand both vanished سِرارَهُits dark phase فيin الضَريحِthe tomb
وَاِستَسَرّا سِرارَهُ في الضَريحِ
They rose over us as the crescent moon rises,
They rose like the new crescent upon us
and vanished, like it in its dark phase, within the tomb.
And hid their secrets in the tomb.
هَصَرَتbent مِنهُماfrom the two of them المَنونُdeath قَضيبَينِtwo slender branches
هَصَرَت مِنهُما المَنونُ قَضيبَينِ
فَمالاso both inclined مَعاًtogether إِلىtoward التَصريحِburial (uncertain reading)
فَمالا مَعاً إِلى التَصريحِ
Death bent two slender branches in them,
Death broke off from them two rods,
so both inclined together toward [burial].
So they leaned together in telling the truth.
ياO تُراباًdust أَجَنَّconcealed شَخصَيهِماtheir two bodies أَجَنَنتَyou have concealed
يا تُراباً أَجَنَّ شَخصَيهِما أَجَنَنتَ
رُكنَيtwo pillars of عُلىًeminence وَبابَيand two gates of مَديحِpraise
رُكنَي عُلىً وَبابَي مَديحِ
O dust that concealed their two bodies, you have concealed
O soil that covered their forms, you have corrupted
two pillars of eminence and two gates of praise.
The two pillars of glory and doors of praise.
وَصَغيرَينِand two little ones غَيرَexcept أَنَّthat المَعاليlofty honors
وَصَغيرَينِ غَيرَ أَنَّ المَعالي
قَدmay يُمَتَّعنَthey are gladdened بِالصَغيرِby the young child الصَريحِpure of lineage
قَد يُمَتَّعنَ بِالصَغيرِ الصَريحِ
And two little ones—yet lofty honors
Both still young, but the noble one
may be gladdened by a young child of pure lineage.
May be blessed with the honest little one.
أَرِجَتgrew fragrant تِلكُمُthose البِطاحُthe broad plains لِطيبٍbecause of a perfume
أَرِجَت تِلكُمُ البِطاحُ لِطيبٍ
ساطِعٍrising مِنهُماfrom the two of them بِعَرفٍwith a scent نَفوحِfar-spreading
ساطِعٍ مِنهُما بِعَرفٍ نَفوحِ
Those broad plains grew fragrant with a perfume
That soil gave off a good scent wafting from them,
rising from them with a far-spreading scent.
Not musk but the perfume of good remembrance
لَيسَit is not مِسكاًmusk وَإِنَّماbut rather هُوَit طيبُthe fragrance of الذِكرِremembrance
لَيسَ مِسكاً وَإِنَّما هُوَ طيبُ الذِكرِ
تَسريtravels بِعَرفِهِwith its scent كُلُّevery ريحِwind
تَسري بِعَرفِهِ كُلُّ ريحِ
It is not musk, but the fragrance of remembrance;
That flows with its fragrance through every breeze.
every wind travels bearing its scent.
The efforts of the mourners are lost except for Ahmed.
ضَلَّwent astray سَعيُthe effort of البُكاةِthe mourners إِلّاexcept عَلىfor أَحمَدَAhmad
ضَلَّ سَعيُ البُكاةِ إِلّا عَلى أَحمَدَ
ياO نَفسُsoul أَسعِدينيhelp me mourn وَنوحيand my lament
يا نَفسُ أَسعِديني وَنوحي
The mourners' labor is wasted, except for Ahmad.
O soul, make me happy and sigh!
O my soul, help me mourn; my lament
Pass, as there is no living Muhammad left,
مُرَّbitter إِذsince لاnot مُحَمَّدَMuhammad الحَيِّof the clan باقٍremaining
مُرَّ إِذ لا مُحَمَّدَ الحَيِّ باقٍ
فَاِستَشفاso they both drained ثَمادَthe scant water of قَلبيmy heart القَريحِwounded
فَاِستَشفا ثَمادَ قَلبي القَريحِ
is bitter, since the clan's Muhammad is no more;
And heal the wound of my grieving heart.
so they both drained the scant water of my wounded heart.
Make me happy, O you two who rest,
أَسعِدانيboth help me mourn ياO فَرقَدانِthe two Farqad stars وَغوراand both set
أَسعِداني يا فَرقَدانِ وَغورا
فَرقَداthe two Farqad stars of الأَرضِthe earth غَوِّراwere both sunk فيin الصَفيحِthe stone slabs
فَرقَدا الأَرضِ غَوِّرا في الصَفيحِ
Help me mourn, O Farqadan, and set:
Who rest in the ground, buried in the coffin.
the earth's twin Farqad stars have been sunk beneath stone slabs.
How can the stars remain after them, not
كَيفَhow تَبقىremain النُجومُthe stars بَعدَهُماafter the two of them لَمnot
كَيفَ تَبقى النُجومُ بَعدَهُما لَم
تَنكَدِرgrow dim وَالجِبالُwhile the mountains ذاتُpossessing جُنوحِinclination
تَنكَدِر وَالجِبالُ ذاتُ جُنوحِ
How can the stars remain after them, without
Gloomy, and the mountains prone to sadness?
growing dim, while the mountains tilt?
كَيفَhow لَمnot تَلفِظcast out المَقابِرُthe graves مَوتاthe dead
كَيفَ لَم تَلفِظ المَقابِرُ مَوتا
هاtheir وَيَبدُand appear وَالأَديمُand the earth's surface غَيرَnot صَحيحِintact
ها وَيَبدُ وَالأَديمُ غَيرَ صَحيحِ
How have the graves not cast out their dead,
How could the graves not breathe death,
and why has the earth's skin not appeared torn?
Yes, and the land not be corrupt and decayed?
لَيسَnot إِلّاexcept التَصَبُّرِpatient endurance أَجدىmore helpful
لَيسَ إِلّا التَصَبُّرِ أَجدى
مِنthan بُكاءٍweeping يَدومُthat continues غَيرَnot مُريحِrelieving
مِن بُكاءٍ يَدومُ غَيرَ مُريحِ
Only patient endurance is more helpful
There is nothing better than patience
than ceaseless weeping that brings no relief.
Than lasting tears that do not comfort.
وَلَقَدand indeed قُلتُI said لِلوَزيرِto the minister أَبيAbu (father of) الحَجّاجِal-Hajjaj
وَلَقَد قُلتُ لِلوَزيرِ أَبي الحَجّاجِ
صَبراًpatience لِرَيبِwith the calamities of دَهرٍtime مُشيحِrelentless
صَبراً لِرَيبِ دَهرٍ مُشيحِ
And indeed I said to the minister Abu al-Hajjaj:
And I said to the minister, my father al-Hajjaj,
Have patience with the calamities of relentless time.
“Patience for the caprice of a devious time.”
مِثلُone like مَفقودِكَthe one you lost اِتَباحَbreached حِمىthe sanctuary of الصَبرِpatience
مِثلُ مَفقودِكَ اِتَباحَ حِمى الصَبرِ
كَماjust as مِثلَكَone like you اِرعَوىheeded لِلنَصيحِto the sincere adviser
كَما مِثلَكَ اِرعَوى لِلنَصيحِ
One like the one you lost has breached patience's sanctuary,
The like of your absence made halal the sanctuary of patience,
just as one like you has heeded the sincere adviser.
As the like of you quenched the thirst for advice.
فَاِصطَبِرso be patient وَاِرتَقِبand await مُراجَعَةَthe return of الحُسنىfavor
فَاِصطَبِر وَاِرتَقِب مُراجَعَةَ الحُسنى
مِنَfrom اللَهِGod فَهوَfor He غَيرُnot شَحيحِmiserly
مِنَ اللَهِ فَهوَ غَيرُ شَحيحِ
So be patient, and await the return of favor
So be patient and anticipate the return of goodness
from God, for He is not miserly.
From God, for He is not stingy.
Partial English translation: 41 of 42 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1