أَخلِقhow fitting بجسمِكfor your body أَنthat يَبيتَspend the night كَليلاexhausted
أَخلِق بجسمِك أَن يَبيتَ كَليلا
عَنfrom جُهدexertion نفسِكyour soul أَوor يَموتَdie عليلاailing
عَن جُهد نفسِك أَو يَموتَ عليلا
How fitting that your body should pass the night exhausted,
Nurture your body that it may sleep soundly,
From your soul's exertion, or die ailing.
Spare your soul exhaustion lest it perish frailly,
نَهَكَتهُwore it out نفسُكyour soul فيin المَطالِبpursuits وَالعُلىand lofty heights
نَهَكَتهُ نفسُك في المَطالِب وَالعُلى
حتىّuntil تمنىّlonged للفراقfor separation سَبيلاa way
حتىّ تمنىّ للفراق سَبيلا
Your soul wore it out in pursuing its aims and heights,
Your own soul has tired seeking heights and quests,
Until it longed for a way to part.
Till it wished the path of parting finally,
ياO راحِلاًdeparted one ابكىmade weep عليهِfor him مَحابِراًinkwells
يا راحِلاً ابكى عليهِ مَحابِراً
وَمَنابِراًand pulpits وَمحاجِراًand eye sockets وطلولاand ruined dwellings
وَمَنابِراً وَمحاجِراً وطلولا
O departed one, who made inkwells weep for him,
O traveller, weep for it copiously,
And pulpits, eye sockets, and ruined dwellings.
On pulpits, platforms and stony hills,
ترثيكelegize you اقلامٌpens يَكونbecomes صَريرُهاtheir scratching
ترثيك اقلامٌ يَكون صَريرُها
نوحاًlamentation عليكfor you منfrom الاسىsorrow وعويلاand wailing
نوحاً عليك من الاسى وعويلا
Pens elegize you, their scratching becoming
Pens will mourn its loss, their scratching
Lamentation for you in sorrow, and wailing.
Wails of sorrow and pitiful keenings,
تَتَذكَّرthey remember الكفَّthe hand الَّتيwhich كانَتwere بِهاthrough it
تَتَذكَّر الكفَّ الَّتي كانَت بِها
اصواتُهاtheir voices التَغريدَbirdsong وَالتَرسيلاand prose composition
اصواتُها التَغريدَ وَالتَرسيلا
They remember the hand through which
Recalling hands which trilled and warbled joyfully,
Their voices were birdsong and flowing prose.
Cages they were, and ringing was their tinkling,
وَهيand it الَّتيthe one which قدalready كُنَّthey were بينbetween بَنانهاits fingertips
وَهي الَّتي قد كُنَّ بين بَنانها
قُضُباblades وكانand was صريرهُنَّtheir scratching صَليلاclanging
قُضُبا وكان صريرهُنَّ صَليلا
And that was the hand between whose fingers they had been
Inked with blood when aspiring was forbidden
Blades, and their scratching was the ring of steel.
And seeking freedom met a fatal ending,
وَمدادُهُنَّand their ink دماًblood لكلِّof every مُمَنَّعٍunassailable challenge
وَمدادُهُنَّ دماً لكلِّ مُمَنَّعٍ
منamong مُصعَبthe difficulties of الانشاءِcomposition راحَended up قَتيلاslain
من مُصعَب الانشاءِ راحَ قَتيلا
And their ink was the blood of every unassailable challenge
Hands your eloquent tongue as swordsman mimicking,
Among composition's difficulties, left slain.
Who to cold steel was as equal unflinching,
كَفٌّa hand يُضاهيهاrivals it لسانُكyour tongue خاطِباًwhen orating
كَفٌّ يُضاهيها لسانُك خاطِباً
وهوand it الَّذيwhich للسيفto the sword كانwas مثيلاan equal
وهو الَّذي للسيف كان مثيلا
A hand rivaled by your tongue in oratory,
Over pulpits undimmed its flare subsisting
And it too was a match for the sword.
Though fading slowly into twilight dimming,
فوقَupon المَنابرthe pulpits لاnot يُفَلُّis blunted غِرارُهُits cutting edge
فوقَ المَنابر لا يُفَلُّ غِرارُهُ
لكنyet يَكونbecomes لَهُfor it المضآءُkeenness فُلولاnotches
لكن يَكون لَهُ المضآءُ فُلولا
Upon the pulpits its edge is never blunted,
Needing from you an impassioned orator,
Yet its very keenness leaves it notched.
To recite a fine threnody, your praises singing,
تَحتاجُyou need منكfrom yourself الىfor خَطيبٍan orator مِصقَعٍhighly eloquent
تَحتاجُ منك الى خَطيبٍ مِصقَعٍ
يَتلوrecites ثناًpraise لكof you فيamong الانامmankind جميلاbeautiful
يَتلو ثناً لك في الانام جميلا
You need an eloquent orator drawn from yourself,
One like you we scarcely can be finding,
To recite beautiful praise of you among mankind.
To see in your stead, no fitting replacing,
ولعلَّand perhaps مثلَكone like you ليسnot يوجدُis found عندَناamong us
ولعلَّ مثلَك ليس يوجدُ عندَنا
حتىّso that نرىwe may find لكَfor you منكَfrom you عنكَon your behalf بديلاa substitute
حتىّ نرى لكَ منكَ عنكَ بديلا
And perhaps no one like you is found among us,
Tell your exploits in verse no limit binding,
So we might find a substitute for you, from you, on your behalf.
Eloquence abbreviates, your glory prolonging,
يَرويrecounts مآثَرachievements عنكَabout you يقصُرُfalls short دونهاof them
يَروي مآثَر عنكَ يقصُرُ دونها
صوغُfashioning القَوافيrhymes فيin ثناكyour praise طَويلاby far
صوغُ القَوافي في ثناك طَويلا
Who recounts your achievements, before which
If short your lifespan in our eyes esteeming,
Rhymes fashioned in your praise fall far short.
Yet the little of the likes of you — no brief remaining,
وَيَعُدُّand counts ماwhat أَحصَيتَهُyou tallied it فيin مُدَّةٍa span of time
وَيَعُدُّ ما أَحصَيتَهُ في مُدَّةٍ
قَصُرتwas short ففاتso surpassed العرضُthe breadth منهاof it الطولاthe length
قَصُرت ففات العرضُ منها الطولا
And counts all you had tallied in a span
You filled our hearing with papers and odes,
So brief that its breadth surpassed its length.
Missives and chapters, remarkably wide-reaching,
انif كانَwas قلَّwas short مدىthe span of حياتِكَyour life عندَناamong us
ان كانَ قلَّ مدى حياتِكَ عندَنا
فَقَليلُthen a little مِثلكfrom one like you لاnot يُعَدُّis counted قَليلاlittle
فَقَليلُ مِثلك لا يُعَدُّ قَليلا
If the span of your life among us was short,
From East to West unfettered and unimpeded,
Then a little from one like you is no little thing.
Never tiring of traveling and wayfaring,
فَلَقَدfor indeed ملأَتَyou filled بِهِwith it السَماعَhearing جَرائِداًnewspapers
فَلَقَد ملأَتَ بِهِ السَماعَ جَرائِداً
وَقصائداًand poems وَرسائِلاًand letters وَفُصولاand essays
وَقصائداً وَرسائِلاً وَفُصولا
For with it you filled people's ears with newspapers,
With you a piercing vigor and determination,
And poems, letters, and essays.
Like the polished sword, sharp past declaring,
ماwhat lies بَينَbetween شرقٍthe east فيin البلادthe lands وَمغربٍand the west
ما بَينَ شرقٍ في البلاد وَمغربٍ
لَمdid not تألٌhold back فيهِtherein تَغَرُّباًsojourning abroad وَرَحيلاand journeying
لَم تألٌ فيهِ تَغَرُّباً وَرَحيلا
Across the lands, between east and west,
And creativity, leadership and intuition,
You spared no effort in wandering abroad and journeying.
Keen and probing all that is uncertain,
مسَصحِباًtaking along لكَfor yourself همَّةًambition نَفّاذَةًpenetrating
مسَصحِباً لكَ همَّةً نَفّاذَةً
وَعَزيمةًand resolve مثلَlike الحُسامa sharp sword صَقيلاpolished
وَعَزيمةً مثلَ الحُسام صَقيلا
Taking with you a penetrating ambition,
May Allah not distance you from bygone days,
And a resolve like a polished sword,
Their hearts no returning or backsliding craving,
وَقَريحةًand a creative gift وَقّادةًblazing وَبَصيرةًand insight
وَقَريحةً وَقّادةً وَبَصيرةً
نَقَّادةًkeenly discerning تَستَوضحُseeks to clarify المَجهولاthe unknown
نَقَّادةً تَستَوضحُ المَجهولا
And a blazing creative gift, and insight
If you left Beirut in isolation stark,
Keenly discerning, seeking to clarify the unknown.
Then you left Paris in woeful convulsing,
لاmay not يُبعِدَنكbanish you اللَهGod منas a نآءٍdistant one مضتwent away
لا يُبعِدَنك اللَه من نآءٍ مضت
معَهُwith him قُلوبٌhearts لاnot تَرومseek قُفولاa return home
معَهُ قُلوبٌ لا تَروم قُفولا
May God not banish you, distant one—there went
On Nile's bank your exploits still hold their spark,
With you hearts that seek no return.
Poured forth till the shores overflowed with pulsing,
انif كنتَyou have قدindeed اوحشتَyou left desolate بيروتاًBeirut فقدthen indeed
ان كنتَ قد اوحشتَ بيروتاً فقد
اوحشتَyou left desolate باريساًParis وَشُقتَand made yearn النيلاthe Nile
اوحشتَ باريساً وَشُقتَ النيلا
If you have left Beirut desolate, you have also
You are the writer, so aptly named, proof undoubting,
Left Paris desolate and made the Nile yearn.
A title we see affirmed, all certainty clinching,
فَعَلىfor on ضِفافthe banks of النيلthe Nile منكfrom you مآثِرٌachievements
فَعَلى ضِفاف النيل منك مآثِرٌ
سالتflowed فَكانَتso became ضِفَّتاهُits two banks مَسيلاa watercourse
سالت فَكانَت ضِفَّتاهُ مَسيلا
For on the Nile's banks, achievements of yours
For you here a memory blows, scent dispersing,
Flowed, and its two banks became their watercourse.
In hearts pouring out torrents of tears gushing,
انتالأَديبُyou are Adib (a man of letters) كَماas سُميتَyou were named وحبذاand how fine
انتالأَديبُ كَما سُميتَ وحبذا
إِسمٌa name نَراهُwe see it عليكconcerning you قامstood دَليلاas testimony
إِسمٌ نَراهُ عليك قام دَليلا
You are Adib—a man of letters—as you were named; how fine
Recalling your faded youth we mourn its withering,
A name we see standing as testimony to you!
As blooms and branches remember their fading,
لكfor you عندَناamong us ذكرٌremembrance يهبُّblows نسيمُهُits breeze
لك عندَنا ذكرٌ يهبُّ نسيمُهُ
فَيُسيلٌso makes flow مِنfrom سُحُبِthe clouds of الدموعtears سُيولاtorrents
فَيُسيلٌ مِن سُحُبِ الدموع سُيولا
Your memory is with us, its breeze blowing,
Remembering your gentle soul that was soothing,
And sending torrents flowing from the clouds of tears.
We recall the soft breeze at dusk gently rustling,
فاذاso when تذكرَّناwe remember شبابَكyour youth ذاوياًwithering
فاذا تذكرَّنا شبابَك ذاوياً
رَطباًfresh ذكَرناwe recall للغصونِof the boughs ذُبولاwilting
رَطباً ذكَرنا للغصونِ ذُبولا
So when we remember your youth, withering
Remembering your conversation, night beguiling,
While still fresh, we recall the boughs' wilting.
Stealing hearts and minds in its sweet bewitching,
واذاand when تذكَّرناwe remember خلائقَكyour character traits الَّتيwhich
واذا تذكَّرنا خلائقَك الَّتي
لَطُفَتwere gentle تذكرناwe recall النَسيمَthe breeze بَليلاcool and moist
لَطُفَت تذكرنا النَسيمَ بَليلا
And when we remember your character traits, which
Remembering your beauties that went exiled,
Were gentle, we recall the cool, moist breeze.
We recall the roses their setting and finishing,
واذand when تذكَّرناwe recall حديثَكyour speech فالطِلاthen wine
واذ تذكَّرنا حديثَك فالطِلا
تَسبيcaptivates قُلوباًhearts للملاof the multitude وَعقولاand minds
تَسبي قُلوباً للملا وَعقولا
And when we recall your speech, then wine
Upon your grave from the All-Merciful, mercy raining,
Captivates the multitude's hearts and minds.
Morning and night your tombstone bathing and nourishing.
واذاand when تذكَّرناwe remember محاسنَكyour graces الَّتيwhich
واذا تذكَّرنا محاسنَك الَّتي
غرَبَتhave set ذكرناwe recall للبدورof full moons أُفولاsetting
غرَبَت ذكرنا للبدور أُفولا
And when we remember your graces, which
Have set, we recall the setting of full moons.
فَعَليكَso upon you منfrom لَدُنِthe presence of المُهَيمِنthe Guardian رحمَةٌmercy
فَعَليكَ من لَدُنِ المُهَيمِن رحمَةٌ
تَسقيwaters ضريحَكyour tomb بكرةًin the morning وأَصيلاand in the evening
تَسقي ضريحَك بكرةً وأَصيلا
So upon you be mercy from the Guardian,
Watering your tomb morning and evening.
Partial English translation: 52 of 56 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1