أَنفَقتُI spent بَعدَafter أَبيAbu العَلاءal-Ala مَدامِعاًtears
أَنفَقتُ بَعدَ أَبي العَلاء مَدامِعاً
حُبسَتwas reserved ذَخيرَتُهاtheir reserve عَلىfor الإِنفاقِspending
حُبسَت ذَخيرَتُها عَلى الإِنفاقِ
After Abu al-Ala's passing, I spent tears
I shed tears for Abu al-Ala after his death
Whose reserve had been set aside for spending.
Their treasure was withheld from spending
وَبَكَيتُهُand I wept for him وَجُفونُهاand their eyelids مَوجودَةstill present
وَبَكَيتُهُ وَجُفونُها مَوجودَة
مِثلَlike الحَمامِthe doves تَنوحُthey lament بِالأَطواقِwith the neck-rings
مِثلَ الحَمامِ تَنوحُ بِالأَطواقِ
And I wept for him, while their eyelids remained,
And I cried for him while my eyelids flowed
Like doves, lamenting with their neck-rings.
Like doves moaning in cages
لاnot تَدَّعيthey claim حُسنَexcellence الوَفاءِfidelity بِعَهدِهِto his covenant
لا تَدَّعي حُسنَ الوَفاءِ بِعَهدِهِ
مِنfrom بَعدِafter ماthat فَنِيَتthey were exhausted وَطَرفيwhile my eye باقيremaining
مِن بَعدِ ما فَنِيَت وَطَرفي باقي
They claim no true fidelity to his covenant
Do not claim the merit of loyalty after
After they were spent, while my eye remained.
What has passed and my eyes remain
وَلَقَدand indeed حَذَرتُI feared عَلَيهِfor him لَوif only دَفَعَrepelled الرَّدىdeath
وَلَقَد حَذَرتُ عَلَيهِ لَو دَفَعَ الرَّدى
حَذَريmy fear وَرَدَّand warded off مَنِيَّهُhis doom إِشفاقيmy concern
حَذَري وَرَدَّ مَنِيَّهُ إِشفاقي
And indeed I feared for him—if only death had been repelled
And I had warned him, had adversity pushed
By my fear, and his doom warded off by my concern.
My warning, and his kindness pushed it back
وَظَنَنتُand I thought فيin فَيضِthe flood الدُّموعِof tears مِنَfrom الجَوىanguish
وَظَنَنتُ في فَيضِ الدُّموعِ مِنَ الجَوى
فَرَجاًrelief فَصارَbut became بِمائِهاthrough their water إِحراقيmy being burned
فَرَجاً فَصارَ بِمائِها إِحراقي
And I thought the flood of tears from anguish
And I thought the outpouring tears would bring
Would bring relief—but their water set me aflame.
Relief, but their water brought burning
لَهَفيmy grief عَلَيكَfor you وَكَيفَand how يَنفَعُbenefits ذاهِباًone departed
لَهَفي عَلَيكَ وَكَيفَ يَنفَعُ ذاهِباً
لَهَفَgrief الحَزينِof the grieving one وَلَوعَةَand burning anguish المُشتاقِof the yearning one
لَهَفَ الحَزينِ وَلَوعَةَ المُشتاقِ
Alas for you! How can one departed be helped
My yearning for you—but how can it profit one departed?
By the mourner's grief and the yearning one's burning anguish?
The sorrowing man’s panic, the longing lover’s ache
Sol 6.1