لاdo not تَبِنْdepart أَيُّهَاO المُحَيَّاthe face الْوَسِيمُhandsome
لا تَبِنْ أَيُّهَا المُحَيَّا الْوَسِيمُ
لاdo not تَهُنْweaken أَيُّهَاO الْفُؤَادُthe heart الكَرِيمُgenerous
لا تَهُنْ أَيُّهَا الْفُؤَادُ الكَرِيمُ
Do not depart, O handsome face.
Do not weaken, O generous heart.
لاdo not تَمْحُfade أَيُّهَاO الصَّدِيقُthe friend المُفَدَّىcherished enough to sacrifice for
لا تَمْحُ أَيُّهَا الصَّدِيقُ المُفَدَّى
لاdo not تَزُلْvanish أَيُّهَاO الفَقِيدُthe departed one المُقِيمُthe abiding one
لا تَزُلْ أَيُّهَا الفَقِيدُ المُقِيمُ
Do not fade, O dearly cherished friend.
Do not vanish, O departed one who abides.
أَبَداًforever فِيin ضَمِيرِنَاour consciousness طِيبُsweetness ذِكْرَاremembrance
أَبَداً فِي ضَمِيرِنَا طِيبُ ذِكْرَا
كَof you وَفِيand in الْفِكْرِthought وَجْهُكَyour face المَرْسُومُdepicted
كَ وَفِي الْفِكْرِ وَجْهُكَ المَرْسُومُ
Forever in our hearts is the sweetness of remembrance
of you, and in our thoughts your pictured face.
لَهْفَanguish نَفْسِيmy soul عَلَيْكَfor you هَلْdoes? ذَاكَthat مُغْنٍsufficient
لَهْفَ نَفْسِي عَلَيْكَ هَلْ ذَاكَ مُغْنٍ
مِنْin place of بَقَاءٍcontinued life إِنَّindeed الرَّدَىdeath لَذَمِيمُtruly hateful
مِنْ بَقَاءٍ إِنَّ الرَّدَى لَذَمِيمُ
My soul aches for you—can that stand
in place of life? Death is indeed hateful.
لاno لَعمْرِيby my life لاlet us not نَجْحَدَنَّwe shall surely deny المَنَايَاdeath
لا لَعمْرِي لا نَجْحَدَنَّ المَنَايَا
مِنَّةًa boon تَنْتَهِيcome to an end لَدَيْهَاwith it الْهُمُومُcares
مِنَّةً تَنْتَهِي لَدَيْهَا الْهُمُومُ
No, by my life! Let us never deny death
its boon: with it, cares come to an end.
إِنَّindeed هَذِيthis الْحَيَاةَlife سُخْرِيَةٌa jest تُقis spent (first part)
إِنَّ هَذِي الْحَيَاةَ سُخْرِيَةٌ تُق
ضَىcompletion of 'is spent' بِجِدٍّبِئْسَin earnest—how wretched الطِّبَاقِthe contrast الأَلِيمُpainful
ضَى بِجِدٍّبِئْسَ الطِّبَاقِ الأَلِيمُ
This life is indeed a jest, lived
in earnest—what a wretched, painful contrast!
آهِAh! لَوْىbut for (reading uncertain) الْبَنُونَthe children مَاhow (exclamatory) كَانَwould have been أَرْضَاmade content (verb stem)
آهِ لَوْى الْبَنُونَ مَا كَانَ أَرْضَا
كَyou (object suffix) بِنَأْيٍwith distance عَنْهَاfrom it وَأَنْتَwhile you حَكِيمُare wise
كَ بِنَأْيٍ عَنْهَا وَأَنْتَ حَكِيمُ
Ah, but for the children, how content you would have been
to be far from it, wise as you are!
أَقَوِيٌّstrong? (interrogative) وَبَعْدَand after آنٍa moment ضَعِيفٌweak
أَقَوِيٌّ وَبَعْدَ آنٍ ضَعِيفٌ
أَصَحِيحٌhealthy? (interrogative) وَفِيand in ثَوَانٍseconds سَقِيمٌill
أَصَحِيحٌ وَفِي ثَوَانٍ سَقِيمٌ
Strong, then weak a moment later?
Healthy, then sick within seconds?
أَنَهُوضٌrising vigorously? (interrogative) كَاللَّيْثِlike a lion ثُمَّthen لَقىًa discarded body
أَنَهُوضٌ كَاللَّيْثِ ثُمَّ لَقىً
يُبْضَعُis cut up بَضْعاًinto pieces فَجُثَّةٌthen a corpse فَرَمِيمُthen decayed bones
يُبْضَعُ بَضْعاً فَجُثَّةٌ فَرَمِيمُ
Rising like a lion, then a discarded body,
cut into pieces—then a corpse, then decayed bones?
صِرْgo إِلَىto اللهِGod ثَمَّةَthere الرَّاحَةِrest الكُبْsupreme (first part)
صِرْ إِلَى اللهِ ثَمَّةَ الرَّاحَةِ الكُبْ
رَىcompletion of 'supreme' وَثَمَّand there الْخُلُودُimmortality يَاO نَعُّومُNaoum
رَى وَثَمَّ الْخُلُودُ يَا نَعُّومُ
Go to God: there is the supreme rest,
and there is immortality, O Naoum.
تِلْكَthat بَعْدَafter الشَّقَاءِmisery وَالدَّاءِand illness دَارٌa home
تِلْكَ بَعْدَ الشَّقَاءِ وَالدَّاءِ دَارٌ
لَكَfor you فِيهَاin it نَضَارَةٌfreshness وَنَعِيمُand bliss
لَكَ فِيهَا نَضَارَةٌ وَنَعِيمُ
That is a home after misery and illness,
where freshness and bliss await you.
إِنَّindeed أَمْراًa calamity دَهَىbefell بِمَوْتِكَthrough your death أَحْيَاthe most vigorous
إِنَّ أَمْراً دَهَى بِمَوْتِكَ أَحْيَا
عَامِلٍworker بَيْنَamong قَوْمِهِhis people لَجَسِيمُindeed immense
عَامِلٍ بَيْنَ قَوْمِهِ لَجَسِيمُ
Indeed, the calamity that befell, in your death, the most vigorous
worker among his people is immense.
كضمْhow many (reading uncertain) فُؤَادٍa heart كَسَرْتَهُyou have broken it أَيُّهَاO الْجَاthe healer (first part)
كضمْ فُؤَادٍ كَسَرْتَهُ أَيُّهَا الْجَا
بِرُcompletion of 'healer' مُنْذُsince ارْتَحَلْتَyou departed فَهْوَso it is كَلِيمُwounded
بِرُ مُنْذُ ارْتَحَلْتَ فَهْوَ كَلِيمُ
How many a heart you have broken, O healer,
since you departed—it lies wounded!
يَاO لَقَوْمِيto my people إِنَّاindeed we إِذَاwhen مَاemphatic particle تَوَاصَيْcounseled one another (verb stem)
يَا لَقَوْمِي إِنَّا إِذَا مَا تَوَاصَيْ
نَاwe (verb suffix) بِصَبْرٍto patience فَالخَطْبُthen the calamity خَطْبٌa calamity عَمِيمُuniversal
نَا بِصَبْرٍ فَالخَطْبُ خَطْبٌ عَمِيمُ
O my people! Indeed, when we counsel one another
to patience, the calamity is a calamity shared by all.
قَدْindeed رُزِئْنَاwe have been bereaved فَتَىa youth عُلًىeminence وَعُلُومٍand learning
قَدْ رُزِئْنَا فَتَى عُلًى وَعُلُومٍ
أَكْبَرَتْdeemed immense رُزْءهُhis loss العُلَىeminence وَالْعُلُومُand learning
أَكْبَرَتْ رُزْءهُ العُلَى وَالْعُلُومُ
We have indeed been bereaved of a youth of eminence and learning;
eminence and learning deemed his loss immense.
شَاعِرٌa poet نَاثِرٌa prose writer يُطَاوِعُهُobeys him المَنْثُوprose (first part)
شَاعِرٌ نَاثِرٌ يُطَاوِعُهُ المَنْثُو
رُcompletion of 'prose' أَعْصَىmost unruly مَاever كَانَit was وَالمَنْظُومُand verse
رُ أَعْصَى مَا كَانَ وَالمَنْظُومُ
A poet, a prose writer: prose obeys him,
even at its most unruly—and so does verse.
أَرَّخَchronicled النُّوبَvicissitudes لَمْnot يَفُتْهُescape him حَدِيثٌa new account
أَرَّخَ النُّوبَ لَمْ يَفُتْهُ حَدِيثٌ
مُسْتَفَادٌnewly learned وَلَمْand not يَفُتْهُescape him قَدِيمُan ancient account
مُسْتَفَادٌ وَلَمْ يَفُتْهُ قَدِيمُ
He chronicled vicissitudes; no new account escaped him,
newly learned, nor did any ancient one.
كَلَّمَتْهُspoke to him فِيon الطورِthe Mount آثَارُvestiges مَجْدٍglory
كَلَّمَتْهُ فِي الطورِ آثَارُ مَجْدٍ
خَرِسَتْfell silent بَعْدَafter أَنْthat تَوَلَّىdeparted الكَلِيمُthe interlocutor
خَرِسَتْ بَعْدَ أَنْ تَوَلَّى الكَلِيمُ
Vestiges of glory spoke to him on the Mount;
they fell silent after their interlocutor departed.
يَاO لَقَوْمِيto my people مَاتَhas died الشُّجَاعُthe brave man الَّذِيwho كَاwas (first part)
يَا لَقَوْمِي مَاتَ الشُّجَاعُ الَّذِي كَا
نَcompletion of 'was' يُفَدَىis defended by sacrifice حِمَاهُhis sanctuary وَهْوَwhile he مَضِيمُwronged
نَ يُفَدَى حِمَاهُ وَهْوَ مَضِيمُ
O my people! The brave man has died, whose
sanctuary was defended by sacrifice, though he was wronged.
صَانِعُdoer of الخَيْرِgood دَافِعُrepeller of الضَّيْرِharm كَشَّdispeller (first part)
صَانِعُ الخَيْرِ دَافِعُ الضَّيْرِ كَشَّ
افُcompletion of 'dispeller' الظُّلامَاتِwrongs إِنْif دَعَاcalled out المَظْلُومُthe oppressed one
افُ الظُّلامَاتِ إِنْ دَعَا المَظْلُومُ
A doer of good, a repeller of harm, a dispeller
of wrongs whenever the oppressed called.
أَلقَرِينُthe husband الأَبَرُّmost devoted بِالأَهْلِto his family وَالخِand the friend (first part)
أَلقَرِينُ الأَبَرُّ بِالأَهْلِ وَالخِ
لُّcompletion of 'friend' الَّذِيwho عِنْدَهُwith him الوَفَاءُloyalty الصَّمِيمُwholehearted
لُّ الَّذِي عِنْدَهُ الوَفَاءُ الصَّمِيمُ
The husband most devoted to his family, and the friend
whose loyalty was true to the core.
أَلأَبُthe father الرَّاشِدُwise الَّذِيwho فِيin بَنِيهِhis children
أَلأَبُ الرَّاشِدُ الَّذِي فِي بَنِيهِ
خُلْقُهُhis character السَّمْحُgenerous وَالضَّمِيرُand the conscience القَوِيمُupright
خُلْقُهُ السَّمْحُ وَالضَّمِيرُ القَوِيمُ
The wise father, in whose children dwell
his generous character and upright conscience.
فَعَزَاءًso take solace يَاO آلَهُhis family مَاas much as اسْتَطَعْتُمْyou can
فَعَزَاءً يَا آلَهُ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ
يَهِنُfalters العَزْمresolve وَالمُصَابُand the loss عِظَيمُimmense
يَهِنُ العَزْم وَالمُصَابُ عِظَيمُ
So take solace, O his family, as best you can;
resolve falters, and the loss is immense.
سَقَتِmay water الأَدْمُعُtears الغِزَارُcopious ثَرَاهُhis grave's soil
سَقَتِ الأَدْمُعُ الغِزَارُ ثَرَاهُ
وَتَلَقَّاهُand may receive him فِيin رِضَاهُHis favor الرَّحِيمِthe Merciful
وَتَلَقَّاهُ فِي رِضَاهُ الرَّحِيمِ
May copious tears water his grave's soil,
and may the Merciful receive him in His favor.
Sol 6.1