ألاbehold ياO تِجارَmerchants العَصرِthe age هلis there فيكُمُamong you امرُؤٌa man
ألا يا تِجارَ العَصرِ هل فيكُمُ امرُؤٌ
يَبيعُsells عَلىto صَرعىthose felled by الهُمومِcares عَزاءِsolace
يَبيعُ عَلى صَرعى الهُمومِ عَزاءِ
Lo, O merchants of the age, is there among you a man
O merchants of the age, is there among you
Who sells solace to those felled by cares?
One who sells solace for my grief?
إذاif دَلَّنيguides me مِنكُمamong you علىto مِثلهِsomeone like him فَتىًa young man
إذا دَلَّني مِنكُم على مِثلهِ فَتىً
خَلَعتُI will bestow عليهupon him ماwhatever يشاءُhe wishes جزاءَas a reward
خَلَعتُ عليه ما يشاءُ جزاءَ
If a young man among you guides me to such a man,
If one of you shows me such a man
I will bestow on him whatever he wishes as a reward.
I will reward him as he wishes
فَفيfor in الحيِّthe community قَومٌpeople عاكِفونَabiding علىbeside لَظىًa blaze
فَفي الحيِّ قَومٌ عاكِفونَ على لَظىً
تُذيبُهمmelts them البَلوىaffliction صباحَmorning مساءَevening
تُذيبُهم البَلوى صباحَ مساءَ
For in the community are people abiding beside a blaze,
For there are people suffering in life
Affliction melts them, morning and evening.
Melted by troubles night and day
يَخالُهُمُthinks them الرائيthe onlooker سُكارىdrunk مِنfrom الأَسىgrief
يَخالُهُمُ الرائي سُكارى مِن الأَسى
فَيَبكيand so he weeps عَليهfor him رحمةًout of compassion وَوَفاءand loyalty
فَيَبكي عَليه رحمةً وَوَفاء
The onlooker thinks them drunk with grief,
Seeing them, one thinks they are drunk with sorrow
And so he weeps for him, in compassion and loyalty.
And weeps for them out of mercy and loyalty
لوif انَّthat قُلوبَhearts الناسِthe people طَوعَobedient to إِرادَتيmy will
لو انَّ قُلوبَ الناسِ طَوعَ إِرادَتي
أَحَلتُI would turn الأَسىgrief فيin بَعضِهِنَّsome of them هناءَjoy
أَحَلتُ الأَسى في بَعضِهِنَّ هناءَ
If people's hearts were obedient to my will,
If people's hearts obeyed my will
I would turn grief in some of them into joy.
I would replace their sorrow with joy
وَلَوand if طاوَعَتنيobeyed me كلُّevery عَينٍeye قَريحةٍsore from weeping
وَلَو طاوَعَتني كلُّ عَينٍ قَريحةٍ
لماwould not ذابَmelt away بعضُsome الثاكِلينthe bereaved بُكاءَfrom weeping
لما ذابَ بعضُ الثاكِلين بُكاءَ
And if every tear-sore eye obeyed me,
If every teary eye obeyed me
Some of the bereaved would not melt away with weeping.
No grieving souls would cry
وَعالَجتُand I would treat إبراهيمَIbrahim مِمّاfor what أَصابَهُhas befallen him
وَعالَجتُ إبراهيمَ مِمّا أَصابَهُ
وَداهَمَهand suddenly assailed him حتّىuntil ينالَhe attains شِفاءَhealing
وَداهَمَه حتّى ينالَ شِفاءَ
And I would treat Ibrahim for what has befallen him
And I would cure Ibrahim of what afflicted him
And suddenly assailed him, until he found healing.
And overwhelmed him until he finds healing
مَصابُكَthe loss of you إسماعيلُIsmail زَعزَعَshook شامِخاًa towering peak
مَصابُكَ إسماعيلُ زَعزَعَ شامِخاً
وَضَعضَعَand undermined طَوداًa mountain راسِياfirmly rooted وَأَساءَand caused pain
وَضَعضَعَ طَوداً راسِيا وَأَساءَ
Losing you, Ismail, shook a towering peak,
Your tragedy, Ismail, shook a towering man
And undermined a firmly rooted mountain, and caused pain.
And made a firm mountain tremble and worsen
وَأَودىand brought ruin بِآمالٍupon hopes كِبارٍgreat تَصَرَّمَتcame to an end
وَأَودى بِآمالٍ كِبارٍ تَصَرَّمَت
بِرَغمِdespite ذويكَyour kin البائِسينَsorrowing هباءَdust
بِرَغمِ ذويكَ البائِسينَ هباءَ
And destroyed great hopes that crumbled
And destroyed great hopes that,
Despite your sorrowing kin, into dust.
Despite your wretched kin, turned to dust
ألاbehold إِنَّماonly الدَنياthe world هَباءٌdust وَأَهلُهاand its people
ألا إِنَّما الدَنيا هَباءٌ وَأَهلُها
هباءٌdust وهلand does يَبكيweep for الهباءُthe dust هباءَdust
هباءٌ وهل يَبكي الهباءُ هباءَ
Lo, the world is only dust, and its people
Alas, the world is but dust, and its people
Are dust—and does dust weep for dust?
Are dust, and does dust cry for dust?
مُصابُكَthe loss of you إسماعيلُIsmail أَودىbrought ruin بِأُسرَةٍupon a family
مُصابُكَ إسماعيلُ أَودى بِأُسرَةٍ
تَكَلَّفَتforced itself to show الصَبرَpatience الجميلَnoble حياءَout of modesty
تَكَلَّفَت الصَبرَ الجميلَ حياءَ
Losing you, Ismail, devastated a family
Your tragedy, Ismail, destroyed a family
That forced itself to show noble patience, out of modesty.
That modesty forced to show noble patience
وَقلَّصَand curtailed آمالاًhopes كباراًgreat كَأنَّهاas though they
وَقلَّصَ آمالاً كباراً كَأنَّها
مدىthroughout الدَهرِall time لمhad not تَعقِدbound عَليكَover you لِواءَa banner
مدى الدَهرِ لم تَعقِد عَليكَ لِواءَ
And curtailed great hopes, as though they
And truncated great hopes that were as if
Had never, throughout time, raised a banner over you.
They would for eternity raise your banner
علىupon قَبرِكَyour grave المَمطورِrain-watered منّيfrom me تحيَّةٌa greeting
على قَبرِكَ المَمطورِ منّي تحيَّةٌ
فقدfor indeed ضمَّembraced غُصناًa bough ناضِراverdant وَفتاءَand youthful vigor
فقد ضمَّ غُصناً ناضِرا وَفتاءَ
Upon your rain-watered grave, a greeting from me,
On your rain-drenched grave, I bid you farewell
For it has embraced a verdant bough and youthful vigor.
For it embraced a blooming, noble youth
Sol 6.1