لاdo not تلحينّreproach (feminine, emphatic) المناياdeath
لا تلحينّ المنايا
فللمناياfor death has مزاياmerits
فللمنايا مزايا
Do not reproach death,
Do not bemoan death,
For death has its merits.
For death has advantages,
الموتdeath فيin غمرةthe depths اليأdespair (continued next line)
الموت في غمرة اليأ
سcompletion of the split word 'despair' منamong أجلّthe greatest العطاياthe gifts
س من أجلّ العطايا
Death in the depths of despair
Dying in the flood of oblivion
Is among the greatest gifts.
Is better than for the gifts.
وفيand in الثرابthe dust غنىfreedom from need عنfor
وفي الثراب غنى عن
رقودناour slumber فيon الحشاياthe mattresses
رقودنا في الحشايا
And in the dust there is no need for
And in dust there is no need
Our slumber upon mattresses.
For our sleeping in the pits.
انيindeed I الىto الموتdeath اهدىI offer
اني الى الموت اهدى
فيon كلevery يومday تحاياgreetings
في كل يوم تحايا
Indeed, to death I offer
I walk towards death
Greetings every day.
With greetings every day.
فيon الارضthe earth ماnot اناI الاbut
في الارض ما انا الا
بقيةa remnant منof بقاياremnants
بقية من بقايا
On earth I am nothing but
On earth I am but
A remnant of remnants,
A remnant of remnants
شظيةa shard منof بناءthe edifice
شظية من بناء
الحياةlife بينamong الشظاياthe shards
الحياة بين الشظايا
A shard of the edifice
A fragment from the building
Of life, among the shards,
Of life among the fragments
مثابةa gathering-place للعواديfor misfortunes
مثابة للعوادي
دريئةa target للرزاياfor calamities
دريئة للرزايا
A gathering-place for misfortunes,
An example for fools
A target for calamities,
And a lesson for the wretched
خليةa cell ذاتpossessing نفسa soul
خلية ذات نفس
صغيرةsmall فيamong الخلاياthe cells
صغيرة في الخلايا
A cell with a soul,
A small soul
Small among the cells.
In the cells
تمضيgoes away بهاwith it عنin قريبa short while
تمضي بها عن قريب
منof الزمانtime المناياdeath
من الزمان المنايا
It will be carried away in a short
Which will soon be taken
Span of time by death.
By death from time.
ماnot الفرقthe difference الاexcept قليلslight
ما الفرق الا قليل
بينbetween الضحىforenoon والعشاياand the evenings
بين الضحى والعشايا
The difference is only slight
What is the difference but little
Between forenoon and evening hours.
Between dawn and nightfall?
احمدpraise رحيلكyour departure انif كاstart of the split verb 'was/were'
احمد رحيلك ان كا
نتcompletion of the split verb 'was/were' المناياdeath مطاياmounts
نت المنايا مطايا
Praise your departure, if
I welcome your death if
Death is your mount.
Death were a mount.
نفسيmy soul لشهوتهاbecause of its craving فيfor
نفسي لشهوتها في
الحياةlife احدىone of الضحاياthe victims
الحياة احدى الضحايا
My soul, through its craving for
My soul is one of the victims
Life, is one of the victims.
Of its lust for life
وددتI wished لوthat ظهرتappeared ليto me
وددت لو ظهرت لي
منof الحياةlife الخفاياthe secrets
من الحياة الخفايا
I wished there might be revealed to me
I wish the secrets
The secrets of life.
Of life would appear to me.
الموتdeath يلحقjoins انif شدcharges
الموت يلحق ان شد
بالعجوزto the old woman الصباياthe young maidens
بالعجوز الصبايا
Death, if it charges, joins
Death catches up if
The young maidens to the old woman.
It takes the elderly and the youth
اماas for الحياةlife فتنسيso it makes forget
اما الحياة فتنسي
المنعمينthose living in ease المناياdeath
المنعمين المنايا
As for life, it makes
While life makes
Those living in ease forget death.
The prosperous forget death.
قضيةthe question الموتdeath تأتيcomes
قضية الموت تأتي
وراءbehind كلall القضاياthe questions
وراء كل القضايا
The question of death lies
The issue of death comes
Behind all other questions.
Behind all issues.
Sol 6.1