أَلَمَّstruck خَطْبٌa calamity فَادِحُgrievous الإِلْمَامِthe onset
أَلَمَّ خَطْبٌ فَادِحُ الإِلْمَامِ
مِنَamong الخُطُوبِthe calamities الْجِلَّةِgrave العِظَامِtremendous
مِنَ الخُطُوبِ الْجِلَّةِ العِظَامِ
A calamity has struck, grievous in its coming,
A grave disaster, overwhelming in affliction,
One of the grave, tremendous calamities.
Among the momentous, tremendous calamities,
فَالْعَيْنُso the eye تَذْرِيsheds الدَّمْعَtears بِانْسِجَامِin a steady stream
فَالْعَيْنُ تَذْرِي الدَّمْعَ بِانْسِجَامِ
مَقْرُوحَةٌsore-stricken أَجْفَانُهَاits eyelids دَوَامِيbleeding
مَقْرُوحَةٌ أَجْفَانُهَا دَوَامِي
So the eye sheds tears in a steady stream,
The eye sheds tears incessantly,
Sore-stricken, its eyelids bleeding,
Its eyelids wounded, unceasingly,
مَفْجُوعَةٌgrief-stricken بِأَنَّةِby a moan المَنَامِof sleep
مَفْجُوعَةٌ بِأَنَّةِ المَنَامِ
وَالوَجْدُand grief فِيin الأَحشَاءِthe entrails ذُوpossessed of اضْطِرَامِblazing
وَالوَجْدُ فِي الأَحشَاءِ ذُو اضْطِرَامِ
Grief-stricken by the moan of sleep,
Grieving at the loss of its dreams,
And grief within the entrails blazes,
And anguish burns in its depths,
لَمَّاwhen خَبَاdimmed نَجْمُthe star بَهِيradiant بَسْطَامِBastam
لَمَّا خَبَا نَجْمُ بَهِي بَسْطَامِ
عَلِيُّAli العَالِيthe exalted عَلَىabove الأَنَامِhumankind
عَلِيُّ العَالِي عَلَى الأَنَامِ
When the radiant star of Bastam dimmed:
Since the star of the radiant Bahiyy dimmed,
Ali, exalted above humankind,
Ali the Sublime over all people,
والعَلَمُand the peak المُوفِيtowering عَلَىabove الأَعْلاَمِthe peaks
والعَلَمُ المُوفِي عَلَى الأَعْلاَمِ
والسَّيِّدُand the lord ابْنُson of السَّيِّدِthe lord القَمْقَامِillustrious
والسَّيِّدُ ابْنُ السَّيِّدِ القَمْقَامِ
And the peak towering above all peaks,
The fulfilling flag over all flags,
And the lord, son of the illustrious lord,
The Master son of the eminent Master,
وَجَامِعُand the collector of الفَيْءِtribute عَلَىupon الأَنَامِhumankind
وَجَامِعُ الفَيْءِ عَلَى الأَنَامِ
وَمُعْمِلُand the wielder of السُّيُوفِswords وَالأَقْلاَمِand pens
وَمُعْمِلُ السُّيُوفِ وَالأَقْلاَمِ
And the collector of tribute levied on humankind,
Uniter of spoils over mankind,
And the wielder of swords and pens.
Maker of swords and pens,
فَالحَلُّso loosening والعّقْدُand binding بِلاَwithout تَمَامِcompletion
فَالحَلُّ والعّقْدُ بِلاَ تَمَامِ
وَالأَمْرُand command وَالنَّهْيُand prohibition بِلاَwithout نِظَامِorder
وَالأَمْرُ وَالنَّهْيُ بِلاَ نِظَامِ
So loosening and binding lack completion,
Authority and prohibition in disarray,
And command and prohibition lack order,
Order and law without system,
والنُّورُand light فِيon الآفَاقِthe horizons كَالظَّلاَمِlike darkness
والنُّورُ فِي الآفَاقِ كَالظَّلاَمِ
وَالثَّغْرُand the frontier مَثْغُورٌbreached بِغَيْرِwithout حَامِa defender
وَالثَّغْرُ مَثْغُورٌ بِغَيْرِ حَامِ
And light on the horizons is like darkness,
The light in horizons like darkness,
And the frontier is breached, without a defender.
The threshold vulnerable without a protector,
يَشْكُوcomplains إِلَىto السِّنَانِthe spearpoint وَالصَّمْصَامِand the keen sword
يَشْكُو إِلَى السِّنَانِ وَالصَّمْصَامِ
فَقَدْloss (contextual reading) أَبَىAbu (father of; contextual reading) قَاسِمَةَQasim (name; reading uncertain) القَسَّامِthe distributor
فَقَدْ أَبَى قَاسِمَةَ القَسَّامِ
It complains to the spearpoint and the keen sword
Complaining to the swords and arms,
Of losing Abu Qasim, the distributor [reading uncertain],
For the dispenser of justice has refused,
لِلْمَالِof wealth فِيamong العَافِيْنَthose seeking aid والأَيْتَامِand the orphans
لِلْمَالِ فِي العَافِيْنَ والأَيْتَامِ
لِلَّهِby God! مَاwhat غُيِّبَwas hidden فِيin الأَرْجَامِthe burial cairns
لِلَّهِ مَا غُيِّبَ فِي الأَرْجَامِ
Of wealth among those seeking aid and the orphans.
To wealth, for the prosperous and orphans,
By God, what has been hidden beneath the burial stones,
What was concealed in the coffins,
وَضُمِّنَand was made to contain التَّابُوتُthe coffin مِنْof حُسَامِa sharp sword
وَضُمِّنَ التَّابُوتُ مِنْ حُسَامِ
عَضْبٍsharp-edged وَجَيْشٍand an army جَحْفَلٍvast لُهَامِall-devouring
عَضْبٍ وَجَيْشٍ جَحْفَلٍ لُهَامِ
And what the coffin was made to hold: a sword,
That included swords and a ferocious army,
Sharp-edged, and a vast, all-devouring army,
And a moon on the night of perfection,
وَقَمَرٍand a moon لِلَيْلَةِon the night of التَّمَامِfullness
وَقَمَرٍ لِلَيْلَةِ التَّمَامِ
وَبَحْرِand a sea of جُودٍgenerosity بِالنَّوَالِwith bounty طَامِيoverflowing
وَبَحْرِ جُودٍ بِالنَّوَالِ طَامِي
And a moon on the night of its fullness,
And a sea of generosity, overflowing,
And a sea of generosity, overflowing with bounty.
Who can match the noble script and speech,
مَنْwho لِشَرِيْفِfor noble الخَطِّwriting وَالكَلاَمِand speech
مَنْ لِشَرِيْفِ الخَطِّ وَالكَلاَمِ
وَالنَّقْضِand undoing لِلتَّدْبِيْرِof planning وَالإِبْرَامِand confirming
وَالنَّقْضِ لِلتَّدْبِيْرِ وَالإِبْرَامِ
Who remains for noble writing and speech,
And the annulment of strategy and composition,
And for undoing and confirming plans,
And the authority’s arguments and judgments,
وَحُجَجِand legal instruments الدِّيْوَانِthe chancery وَالأَحْكَامِand judgments
وَحُجَجِ الدِّيْوَانِ وَالأَحْكَامِ
وَفَارِسٍand a horseman فِيin مِصْرَEgypt وَالشَّامِand the Levant
وَفَارِسٍ فِي مِصْرَ وَالشَّامِ
And the chancery's legal instruments and judgments,
A knight in Egypt and Syria,
And as a horseman in Egypt and the Levant?
Or who would silence opponents resoundingly,
أَمْor مَنْwho يَرُدُّrebuffs الخَصْمَthe adversary بِالإِفْحَامِby silencing
أَمْ مَنْ يَرُدُّ الخَصْمَ بِالإِفْحَامِ
بِفَاصِلٍwith a decisive answer يَشْفِيcures مِنَof السَّقَامِsickness
بِفَاصِلٍ يَشْفِي مِنَ السَّقَامِ
Or who will rebuff the adversary by silencing him,
With a conclusive decision that heals all pain?
With a decisive answer that cures the sickness?
The death of nobility has burdened Islam,
غَالَassailed الرَّدَىdeath كِنَانَةَthe quiver of الإِسْلاَمِIslam
غَالَ الرَّدَى كِنَانَةَ الإِسْلاَمِ
وَبَارَهَاand tested it بِالغَمْزِby pressing وَالإِعْجَامِand bite-testing
وَبَارَهَا بِالغَمْزِ وَالإِعْجَامِ
Death assailed the quiver of Islam,
And the days have criticized it with frowns and signs,
And tested it by pressing and bite-testing,
So it chose from it the finest arrows,
فَاخْتَارَthen chose مِنْهَاfrom it أَنْفَسَthe most precious السِّهَامِthe arrows
فَاخْتَارَ مِنْهَا أَنْفَسَ السِّهَامِ
وَأَقْدَمَand dared المَوْتُdeath عَلَىagainst الإِقْدَامِdaring
وَأَقْدَمَ المَوْتُ عَلَى الإِقْدَامِ
Then chose from it the most precious of arrows.
And death hastened to advance,
And death dared to assail daring itself,
While the doves took over the dovecote,
وَاسْتَأْثَرَand took sole possession الحِمَامُdoom بِالْحِمَامِof the noble lord (contextual reading)
وَاسْتَأْثَرَ الحِمَامُ بِالْحِمَامِ
وَالدَّهْرُand time لِللأَخْيَارِfor the virtuous ذُوpossessed of اخْتِرَامِcutting lives short
وَالدَّهْرُ لِللأَخْيَارِ ذُو اخْتِرَامِ
And doom took the noble lord for itself,
And time is mighty and overwhelming,
And time cuts short the lives of the virtuous:
Starting with the brave and eminent,
يَبْدَأُbegins بالكَاهِلِwith the withers وَالسَّنَامِand the hump
يَبْدَأُ بالكَاهِلِ وَالسَّنَامِ
فَاسْلَمْso remain safe أَبَاAbu (father of) عِيْسَىIsa عَلَىthroughout الأَيَّامِthe days
فَاسْلَمْ أَبَا عِيْسَى عَلَى الأَيَّامِ
It begins with the withers and the hump.
So surrender, Abu Issa, to the days,
So remain safe, Abu Isa, throughout the days,
For you are the best of people,
فَأَنْتَfor you نِعْمَexcellent خَلَفُa successor to الأَقْوَامِthe men
فَأَنْتَ نِعْمَ خَلَفُ الأَقْوَامِ
مِنَamong الخُؤُولِmaternal uncles الغُرِّillustrious وَالأَعْمَامِand paternal uncles
مِنَ الخُؤُولِ الغُرِّ وَالأَعْمَامِ
For you are an excellent successor to those men,
Of valor and pillars of glory,
From among illustrious maternal and paternal uncles.
You suffice for us among the generous.
وَحَسْبُنَاand sufficient for us أَنْتَyou مِنَamong الكِرَامِthe noble
وَحَسْبُنَا أَنْتَ مِنَ الكِرَامِ
And you suffice us among the noble.
Partial English translation: 40 of 41 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1