أناعيَO announcer of the death of ماهرٍMaher لمdid not تَدرِyou know ماذاwhat
أناعيَ ماهرٍ لم تَدرِ ماذا
أَثَرتَyou stirred منof الشُجونِthe sorrows الكامِناتِhidden
أَثَرتَ من الشُجونِ الكامِناتِ
O herald of Maher's death, you did not know what
I lament, O skilled one, you knew not what
Hidden sorrows you stirred.
Sorrows you awakened, latent within me
نَعَيتَyou announced the death of إليّto me أَيّاماًdays تَقَضَّتhad passed
نَعَيتَ إليّ أَيّاماً تَقَضَّت
بِإِسماعيلَwith Ismail غُرّاًradiant صافِياتِunclouded
بِإِسماعيلَ غُرّاً صافِياتِ
You announced to me the death of days gone by,
You summoned back days long past
Radiant and unclouded with Ismail.
With Ismael, pure and joyous
أَلاAh! مَنwho لِلضَّعيفfor the weak إِذاwhen تَقاضىhe seeks judgment
أَلا مَن لِلضَّعيف إِذا تَقاضى
وَلمand did not يَرَhe sees شَخصَهhis person بينamong القُضاةِthe judges
وَلم يَرَ شَخصَه بين القُضاةِ
Ah, who will aid the weak when he seeks judgment,
Alas! Who is there for the weak when contested?
And does not see him among the judges?
Who sees not himself amongst the judges
وَمنand who لِلعَدلِfor justice إنif رَفَعتraised بُناةٌbuilders
وَمن لِلعَدلِ إن رَفَعت بُناةٌ
دعائِمَهُits pillars ولمand not يَكُhe is فيamong البُناةِthe builders
دعائِمَهُ ولم يَكُ في البُناةِ
And who will uphold justice if builders raise
And who is there for justice if its pillars
Its pillars, and he is not among the builders?
Were torn down by the builders who built it?
أَماهرُO Maher إِنَّindeed وعدَthe promise of اللَهِGod حقٌّtrue
أَماهرُ إِنَّ وعدَ اللَهِ حقٌّ
وَماand not جَزعيmy anguish عليكَover you منَof التُقاةِthe devout
وَما جَزعي عليكَ منَ التُقاةِ
O Maher, God's promise is surely true,
O Maher, God’s promise is true
And my anguish over you is not the way of the devout.
Why should I fear for you, so devout?
فَماليso what ails me وَالأَناةُwhile composure ملاكُthe mainstay of نَفسيmy soul
فَمالي وَالأَناةُ ملاكُ نَفسي
هَلِعتُI panicked ولمand did not تُجَمِّلنيadorn me أَناتيmy composure
هَلِعتُ ولم تُجَمِّلني أَناتي
So why, though composure is my soul's mainstay,
What care I for composure, lord of my soul
Have I panicked, with my composure lending me no grace?
I am distraught, my patience adorns me not
وَماليand what ails me إِنif أُمِرتُI was commanded بِبَعضِwith some صبرٍpatience
وَمالي إِن أُمِرتُ بِبَعضِ صبرٍ
رَأَيتُI saw الصَبرَpatience إحدىone of المعجزاتِthe miracles
رَأَيتُ الصَبرَ إحدى المعجزاتِ
And why, when told to show a little patience,
What care I, if I’m ordered to show some patience,
Do I see patience as one of the miracles?
I see patience as one of the miracles
أماهرُO Maher كنتَyou were فيماin what مرَّhas passed أُنسىmy solace
أماهرُ كنتَ فيما مرَّ أُنسى
فمنthen who ليfor me فيin اللَياليthe nights الباقِياتremaining
فمن لي في اللَيالي الباقِيات
O Maher, you were my solace in times gone by;
O Maher, you were, in days gone by, forgetfulness
Who, then, is there for me in the nights that remain?
Who do I have on the remaining nights?
وكنتَand you were إِذاwhen شَكَوتُI complained تبيتُyou spend the night وجداًin anguish
وكنتَ إِذا شَكَوتُ تبيتُ وجداً
تُرَدِّدُyou repeat ماwhat يَريبُكَtroubles you منof شكاتيmy lament
تُرَدِّدُ ما يَريبُكَ من شكاتي
And when I complained, you would spend the night in anguish,
You were, when I complained, sleepless with sadness
Repeating what troubled you in my lament.
Repeating what news of my complaints reached you
وتسَألُand you ask ساريَnight-wandering النسَماتِthe breezes عنّيabout me
وتسَألُ ساريَ النسَماتِ عنّي
حُنُوّاًtenderly والبروقَand the lightning flashes الوامِضاتflashing
حُنُوّاً والبروقَ الوامِضات
And you would ask the night-wandering breezes about me,
Asking the passing breeze about me
Tenderly—and the flashing lightning too.
Yearningly, and the flashing lightning
ومَنand whoever يَفقِدloses شَبيهَكَone like you يَبكِmourns دُنياa world
ومَن يَفقِد شَبيهَكَ يَبكِ دُنيا
تَولَّتhas departed بالمودَّةِwith love وَالمِقاتِand hatred
تَولَّت بالمودَّةِ وَالمِقاتِ
And whoever loses one like you mourns a world
He who loses one like you weeps a lifetime
That has departed, with its love and hatred.
That has turned from affection and fellowship
كذَبتُكI lied to you لوif صَدَقتُكI was true to you بعضَsome of وُدّيmy love
كذَبتُك لو صَدَقتُك بعضَ وُدّي
لهَدَّwould have shattered جوانحيmy ribs صَوتُthe voice of النُعاةِthe death-announcers
لهَدَّ جوانحي صَوتُ النُعاةِ
I lied to you; had I been true to you in even some of my love,
I would be lying if I believed some of your affection
The death-heralds' voice would have shattered my ribs;
My wings would be weighed down by the wailers’ voices
ولاستَقصَتand would have exhausted حيالَbefore النَعشِthe bier عينيmy eye
ولاستَقصَت حيالَ النَعشِ عيني
وَراءَكَbehind you راحلاًdeparting هِمَمَthe resolve of البُكاةِthe mourners
وَراءَكَ راحلاً هِمَمَ البُكاةِ
And before the bier, my eye would have exhausted
My eyes would trace the bier for you
The mourners' utmost powers, following you as you departed.
Behind you, weeping, the lamenters’ ambitions
بِرَغميagainst my will أنthat تَقَلَّصَhas receded منكَfrom you ظِلٌّa shade
بِرَغمي أن تَقَلَّصَ منكَ ظِلٌّ
وَقانيshielded me حِقبَةًfor a time لَفحَthe scorching heat of الحياةِlife
وَقاني حِقبَةً لَفحَ الحياةِ
Against my will, a shade of yours has receded,
Despite my agony, that a shadow has dwindled from you
That shielded me for a time from life's scorching heat;
And a lifetime has tested me with life
وَأنand that نَضَبَتhave run dry خلالٌvirtues كنتُI used to منهاfrom them
وَأن نَضَبَت خلالٌ كنتُ منها
أَعُبُّI drink deeply لَدَيكَbeside you منof عَذبٍsweet فُراتِsweet and fresh
أَعُبُّ لَدَيكَ من عَذبٍ فُراتِ
And virtues have run dry, from which I used
That streams I drew purity from for you
To drink deeply beside you of sweet, fresh water;
More sweet than the flowing Euphrates
وَأنand that صَفِرَتhas become empty يَمينيmy right hand منof ودادٍaffection
وَأن صَفِرَت يَميني من ودادٍ
غَنيتُI grew rich بهthrough it لَياليnights خالِياتِgone by
غَنيتُ به لَيالي خالِياتِ
And my right hand stands empty of a love
That my right hand withered of the affection
That enriched me through nights gone by.
I sang of on empty, vacant nights
أخيmy brother ماحيلَتيwhat recourse have I إِلّاbut سَلامٌa greeting of peace
أخي ماحيلَتي إِلّا سَلامٌ
يَزورُكvisits you فيat المَساءevening وفيand at الغَداةِdawn
يَزورُك في المَساء وفي الغَداةِ
My brother, what recourse have I but a greeting
O brother, only greetings visit you
That visits you at evening and at dawn,
In the evening and at dawn
وَإِلّاand nothing but الدَمعُtears أَنثُرهI scatter them عَقيقاas carnelian
وَإِلّا الدَمعُ أَنثُره عَقيقا
علىupon ذكرىthe memory of حُلاكَyour graces الغائِباتِabsent
على ذكرى حُلاكَ الغائِباتِ
And tears, which I scatter as carnelian gems
Except my tears which I scatter profusely
Upon the memory of your vanished graces?
Upon the memory of your absent shadow
قَضَيتَyou died فكنتَand so you were أَسرَعَناthe swiftest of us مسيراًin journeying
قَضَيتَ فكنتَ أَسرَعَنا مسيراً
إِلىto غُرَفِthe chambers of الجِنانِParadise's gardens العالِياتِlofty
إِلى غُرَفِ الجِنانِ العالِياتِ
You passed away, and were the swiftest of us to journey
You passed away, faster to arrive
To the lofty chambers of the gardens of Paradise.
At the sublime gardens on high
Sol 6.1