لهفيmy anguish علىfor الحرthe free man الموسlaid to rest (first fragment)
لهفي على الحر الموس
سدِcompletion of 'laid to rest' فيin الثرىthe earth عبدAbd (servant) اللطيفal-Latif (the Gentle One)
سدِ في الثرى عبد اللطيف
Alas for the noble free man laid—
My grief for the free man laid
in the earth—Abd al-Latif.
to rest in the earth—Abd al-Latif!
لهفيmy anguish علىfor الأملthe hope الذيthat
لهفي على الأمل الذي
عبثتtoyed بهwith it أيديhands الحتوفdeaths; dooms
عبثت به أيدي الحتوف
Alas for the hope with which
My grief for the hope that
the hands of death have toyed.
the hands of doom toyed with!
لهفيmy anguish علىfor ذاكthat اللسانthe tongue
لهفي على ذاك اللسان
الرطبmoist; supple والقلبand the heart الرؤوفcompassionate
الرطب والقلب الرؤوف
Alas for that eloquent tongue,
My grief for that tongue,
that tender, compassionate heart.
so supple, and that compassionate heart!
ماwhatever شئتyou wished منof صدقtruthfulness ومنand of
ما شئت من صدق ومن
حذقskill ومنand of رأيjudgment حصيفsound; discerning
حذق ومن رأي حصيف
In him was all one could wish of honesty,
All you could wish of truthfulness, and of
of skill, and of sound judgment.
skill, and of sound judgment.
لمdid not ينشرحfeel joy فيin الجيشthe army منfrom
لم ينشرح في الجيش من
قطعcutting off الجماجمthe skulls والأنوفand the noses
قطع الجماجم والأنوف
He found no joy, among the army, in
In the army, he found no joy in
cleaving skulls and noses.
cutting off skulls and noses.
فقضيso it was judged برجحانin favor of superiority اليراعthe reed pen
فقضي برجحان اليراع
علىover البنادقthe rifles والسيوفand the swords
على البنادق والسيوف
He therefore pronounced the pen supreme
So the reed pen was judged superior
over rifles and swords.
to rifles and swords.
ماhow أكبرgreat النفسthe soul التيthat
ما أكبر النفس التي
فيin ذلكthat لجسدthe body (apparently intended) النحيفslender
في ذلك لجسد النحيف
How great the soul
How great the soul that was
within that slender body!
in that slender body!
أستاذmaster; teacher تاريخhistory الشعوبthe peoples
أستاذ تاريخ الشعوب
وجهبذاand a virtuoso الأدبliterature الطريفnovel; delightful
وجهبذا الأدب الطريف
A master of the history of nations,
Master of the history of peoples,
and a savant of elegant literature.
and a virtuoso of delightful literature!
ليسis not الحياةlife بغيرwithout معرفةknowledge
ليس الحياة بغير معرفة
سوىother than; but شيءa thing سخيفpaltry; trivial
سوى شيء سخيف
Life without knowledge is nothing
Life without knowledge is nothing
but a paltry thing.
but a paltry thing.
قدindeed كانwas أكبرgreatest همهhis concern
قد كان أكبر همه
منعkeeping away العسوفthe tyrant عنfrom العسيفthe servant; hireling
منع العسوف عن العسيف
His greatest concern had been
Indeed, his greatest concern was
to restrain the oppressor from his victim.
to keep the tyrant from the lowly servant.
يسعىhe strives ليدرأto ward off جاهداًstriving hard
يسعى ليدرأ جاهداً
حيفinjustice القويthe strong عنfrom الضعيفthe weak
حيف القوي عن الضعيف
He strove with all his might to ward off
He strove earnestly to ward off
the strong man’s injustice from the weak.
the strong man's injustice from the weak.
ماnot كانwas يخدعهdeceives him ظهوappearance (first fragment)
ما كان يخدعه ظهو
رcompletion of 'appearance' الذئبthe wolf فيin جلدskin الخروفthe sheep
ر الذئب في جلد الخروف
He was never taken in by
He was never deceived by the appearance
a wolf appearing in a sheep’s skin.
of the wolf in a sheep's skin.
قالواthey said قضىhe died فمسكتso I clutched قلبيmy heart
قالوا قضى فمسكت قلبي
وهوwhile it يلحفpersists insistently فيin الوجيفrapid throbbing
وهو يلحف في الوجيف
They said, “He is gone,” and I clutched my heart
They said, 'He has died,' so I clutched my heart,
as it hammered on in agitation.
while it pounded insistently.
ماnot رزءloss; calamity منone who يبكيweeps عليهover him
ما رزء من يبكي عليه
الشعبthe people أجمعall; entire بالخفيفat all slight
الشعب أجمع بالخفيف
No loss for which
The loss of one who is mourned
all the people weep can be slight.
by the whole people is no slight loss.
إنindeed الحياةlife وغىbattle وقدand sometimes
إن الحياة وغى وقد
يهويfalls الشجاعthe brave man منfrom الصفوفthe ranks
يهوي الشجاع من الصفوف
Life is a battle, and
Life is indeed a battle, and at times
the brave may fall from the ranks.
the brave man falls from the ranks.
ولربand many a فردsingle individual يومwhen; on the day تدعوcalls; summons
ولرب فرد يوم تدعو
الحربwar أكثرmore منthan ألوفthousands
الحرب أكثر من ألوف
Often one man, when
And many a single man, when summoned
war calls, is worth more than thousands.
by war, is worth more than thousands.
منwhoever كانwas مقداماًbold; intrepid فلاthen does not
من كان مقداماً فلا
يخشىfear مصارعةwrestling with الصروفturns of fate
يخشى مصارعة الصروف
Whoever is valiant does not
Whoever is intrepid does not
fear wrestling with the turns of fate.
fear wrestling with the turns of fate.
والموتand death ليسis not كماas يخاimagines (first fragment)
والموت ليس كما يخا
لcompletion of 'imagines' البعضsome people ذاpossessed of شبحform; apparition مخوفfearsome
ل البعض ذا شبح مخوف
And death is not—as some
And death is not, as imagined
imagine it—a terrifying specter.
by some, of fearsome form.
Sol 6.1