لَعَمريby my life لَقَدindeed أَشجىgrieved تَميماًTamim وَهَدَّهاand shattered it
لَعَمري لَقَد أَشجى تَميماً وَهَدَّها
عَلىon top of نَكَباتِthe calamities of الدَهرِtime مَوتُthe death of الفَرَزدَقِal-Farazdaq
عَلى نَكَباتِ الدَهرِ مَوتُ الفَرَزدَقِ
By my life, Tamim was grieved and shattered
by al-Farazdaq’s death, added to time’s calamities,
عَشِيَّةَthe evening راحواthey went away لِلفِراقِfor farewell بِنَعشِهِwith his bier
عَشِيَّةَ راحوا لِلفِراقِ بِنَعشِهِ
إِلىto جَدَثٍa grave فيin هُوَّةِa hollow of الأَرضِthe earth مُعمَقِdug deep
إِلى جَدَثٍ في هُوَّةِ الأَرضِ مُعمَقِ
the evening they bore his bier away in farewell
to a grave dug deep in a hollow of the earth.
لَقَدindeed غادَرواthey left فيin اللَحدِthe burial niche مَنone who كانَwas يَنتَميtracing his descent
لَقَد غادَروا في اللَحدِ مَن كانَ يَنتَمي
إِلىto كُلِّevery نَجمٍstar فيin السَماءِthe sky مُحَلِّقِsoaring
إِلى كُلِّ نَجمٍ في السَماءِ مُحَلِّقِ
Indeed, they left in the burial niche one who traced his descent
to every soaring star in the sky.
ثَوىlies buried حامِلُthe bearer of الأَثقالِheavy burdens عَنon behalf of كُلِّevery مُغرَمٍdebt-burdened man
ثَوى حامِلُ الأَثقالِ عَن كُلِّ مُغرَمٍ
وَدامِغُand crusher of شَيطانِthe demon of الغَشومِthe cruel tyrant السَمَلَّقِill-tempered
وَدامِغُ شَيطانِ الغَشومِ السَمَلَّقِ
There lies the bearer of burdens for every debtor,
and crusher of the cruel, ill-tempered tyrant’s demon,
عِمادُthe pillar of تَميمٍTamim كُلِّهاall of it وَلِسانُهاand its tongue
عِمادُ تَميمٍ كُلِّها وَلِسانُها
وَناطِقُهاand its spokesman البَذّاخُproudly boasting فيin كُلِّevery مَنطِقِutterance
وَناطِقُها البَذّاخُ في كُلِّ مَنطِقِ
the pillar of all Tamim, and its tongue,
and its proud spokesman in every utterance.
فَمَنwho then لِذَويfor those possessing الأَرحامِkinship بَعدَafter اِبنِIbn غالِبٍGhalib
فَمَن لِذَوي الأَرحامِ بَعدَ اِبنِ غالِبٍ
لِجارٍfor a neighbor وَعانٍand a captive فيin السَلاسِلِchains موثَقِfirmly bound
لِجارٍ وَعانٍ في السَلاسِلِ موثَقِ
Who, then, will care for kinsfolk after Ibn Ghalib,
for a neighbor and a captive bound in chains?
وَمَنand who لِيَتيمٍfor an orphan بَعدَafter مَوتِthe death of اِبنِIbn غالِبٍGhalib
وَمَن لِيَتيمٍ بَعدَ مَوتِ اِبنِ غالِبٍ
وَأُمِّand a mother of عِيالٍdependents ساغِبينَhungry وَدَردَقِand little children
وَأُمِّ عِيالٍ ساغِبينَ وَدَردَقِ
And who will care for an orphan after Ibn Ghalib’s death,
and a mother of hungry dependents, and little children?
وَمَنand who يُطلِقُfrees الأَسرىthe captives وَمَنand who يَحقُنُprevents the shedding of الدِماblood
وَمَن يُطلِقُ الأَسرى وَمَن يَحقُنُ الدِما
يَداهُhis two hands وَيَشفيand heals صَدرَthe breast of حَرّانَone burning with anguish مُحنَقِenraged
يَداهُ وَيَشفي صَدرَ حَرّانَ مُحنَقِ
And who will free the captives, and who will avert bloodshed
with his hands, and soothe the breast of one burning with rage?
وَكَمand how many مِنof دَمٍa blood-debt غالٍcostly تَحَمَّلَhe bore ثِقلَهُits burden
وَكَم مِن دَمٍ غالٍ تَحَمَّلَ ثِقلَهُ
وَكانَand he was حَمولاًa tireless burden-bearer فيin وَفاءٍfaithfulness وَمَصدَقِand truthfulness
وَكانَ حَمولاً في وَفاءٍ وَمَصدَقِ
And many a costly blood-debt’s burden he bore,
and was a tireless burden-bearer, faithful and true.
وَكَمand how many حِصنِa fortress of جَبّارٍa mighty ruler هُمامٍnoble وَسوقَةٍand common folk
وَكَم حِصنِ جَبّارٍ هُمامٍ وَسوقَةٍ
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle أَتىhe came to أَبوابَهُits gates لَمdid not تُغَلَّقِbe shut
إِذا ما أَتى أَبوابَهُ لَم تُغَلَّقِ
And many a fortress of a mighty, noble ruler or common folk
left its gates unshut whenever he came.
تَفَتَّحُopen wide أَبوابُthe gates of المُلوكِkings لِوَجهِهِbefore his face
تَفَتَّحُ أَبوابُ المُلوكِ لِوَجهِهِ
بِغَيرِwithout حِجابٍa barrier دونَهُbefore him أَوor تَمَلُّقِflattery
بِغَيرِ حِجابٍ دونَهُ أَو تَمَلُّقِ
Kings’ gates opened wide before his face,
with no barrier before him, nor any need for flattery.
لِتَبكِlet them weep عَلَيهِfor him الإِنسُhumankind وَالجِنُّand the jinn إِذnow that ثَوىhe lies buried
لِتَبكِ عَلَيهِ الإِنسُ وَالجِنُّ إِذ ثَوى
فَتىthe noble man of مُضَرٍMudar فيin كُلِّevery غَربٍwest وَمَشرِقِand east
فَتى مُضَرٍ في كُلِّ غَربٍ وَمَشرِقِ
Let humans and jinn weep for him, now that he lies buried—
Mudar’s noble son—in every west and east.
فَتىًa noble man عاشَhe lived يَبنيbuilding المَجدَglory تِسعينَninety حِجَّةًyears
فَتىً عاشَ يَبني المَجدَ تِسعينَ حِجَّةً
وَكانَand he was إِلىtoward الخَيراتِgood deeds وَالمَجدِand glory يَرتَقيascending
وَكانَ إِلى الخَيراتِ وَالمَجدِ يَرتَقي
A noble man who lived building glory for ninety years,
and kept ascending toward good deeds and glory.
فَماso he did not ماتَdie حَتّىuntil لَمdid not يُخَلِّفleave وَرائَهُbehind him
فَما ماتَ حَتّى لَم يُخَلِّف وَرائَهُ
بِحَيَّةِby a serpent وادٍof a valley صَولَةٍfierce in attack غَيرَnot مُصعَقِstruck down
بِحَيَّةِ وادٍ صَولَةٍ غَيرَ مُصعَقِ
So he did not die until he had left no one behind him
unstruck by a fierce serpent of the valley.
Sol 6.1