لَمْdid not تَقُمِarise الْعِبْرةُthe lesson فِيin حادِثٍan event
لَمْ تَقُمِ الْعِبْرةُ فِي حادِثٍ
قيَامَهاits arising فِيin موْتِكَyour death الْفَاجِعِthe tragic
قيَامَها فِي موْتِكَ الْفَاجِعِ
Never has a lesson stood out in an event
Tears did not flow for a misfortune
As it has in your tragic death,
As they flowed for your tragic death
بَعْدَafter عِثَارٍa stumble مِنfrom ذُرَىthe heights حَالِقٍa towering peak
بَعْدَ عِثَارٍ مِن ذُرَى حَالِقٍ
يَقِلُّfalls short أَنْto يُوصَفَbe described بِالرَّافِعِas lofty
يَقِلُّ أَنْ يُوصَفَ بِالرَّافِعِ
After a fall from the heights of a soaring peak
After stumbling due to the schemes of a sly person
For which 'lofty' is too modest a name.
It is rare to describe it as lifting up
عَثَرْتَyou stumbled إِذْwhen نَجْمُكَyour star عَالٍhigh وَإِذْand when
عَثَرْتَ إِذْ نَجْمُكَ عَالٍ وَإِذْ
يَخْطُوwalks مُجَارِيكَyour rival خطىthe steps الظَّالِعِthe limping man
يَخْطُو مُجَارِيكَ خطى الظَّالِعِ
You stumbled while your star was high, and while
You stumbled when your star was high and
Your rival walked with a limper's steps,
When the steps of your equals were steps of the rising
وَإِذْand when يَرَىhe sees أَبْعَدَthe farthest مَجْدٍglory عَلَىat
وَإِذْ يَرَى أَبْعَدَ مَجْدٍ عَلَى
أَدْنَىthe nearest مَدىًreach مِنْof فِكْرِكَyour thought الوَاسِعِthe expansive
أَدْنَى مَدىً مِنْ فِكْرِكَ الوَاسِعِ
And while he saw the farthest glory within
And when the farthest glory was seen on
The nearest reach of your expansive thought.
The nearest range of your vast thoughts
فَنَالَكَso it overtook you الْغَدْرُtreachery بِأُلْعُوبَةٍwith a ruse
فَنَالَكَ الْغَدْرُ بِأُلْعُوبَةٍ
لَمْnot يَكُwas مِنْهَاagainst it الحَذْرُcaution بِالْمَانعِa protection
لَمْ يَكُ مِنْهَا الحَذْرُ بِالْمَانعِ
So treachery overtook you with a ruse
So betrayal got you with a game
Against which caution offered no protection.
Against which precaution was not preventive
وَزَارِعُand the sower الآمَالِof hopes فِيin دَهْرِهِhis lifetime
وَزَارِعُ الآمَالِ فِي دَهْرِهِ
قَدْmay يَحْصِدُreap الخَيْبَةdisappointment كَالزَّارعِlike the farmer
قَدْ يَحْصِدُ الخَيْبَة كَالزَّارعِ
And one who sows hopes throughout his life
And the cultivator of hopes in his lifetime
May reap disappointment, like a farmer.
Can harvest disappointment like the farmer
لَشَدَّhow intensely مَاthat يُصْدَمُis shocked وَهْمُthe illusion الفَتَىthe young man
لَشَدَّ مَا يُصْدَمُ وَهْمُ الفَتَى
بِنُكْرِby the horror مَاwhat يَلْقَاهُhe encounters it فِيin الوَاقِعِreality
بِنُكْرِ مَا يَلْقَاهُ فِي الوَاقِعِ
How hard a young man's illusion is struck
The most shocking is the young man’s illusion
By the horror of what he meets in reality!
When facing the denial of reality
قَدِرْتَyou were valued إِذْwhen ضِعْتَyou were lost وَمَاand not يَقْدِرُappraises
قَدِرْتَ إِذْ ضِعْتَ وَمَا يَقْدِرُ
المُنْفِسُthe precious one بِالْحَقِّrightly سِوَىexcept الضَّالِعِthe discerning expert
المُنْفِسُ بِالْحَقِّ سِوَى الضَّالِعِ
You were valued when you were lost; none appraises
You were destined when you fell and none
The precious aright save the discerning.
Can truly appreciate it except the expert
يَاO لَصَرِيعٍfor one felled بِيَدٍby a hand خَالَهَاhe thought it
يَا لَصَرِيعٍ بِيَدٍ خَالَهَا
مُقِيلَةًone lifting up وَهْيَyet it يَدُthe hand الصَّارِعِthe one who fells
مُقِيلَةً وَهْيَ يَدُ الصَّارِعِ
Alas for one felled by a hand he thought
O the victim, by a hand that missed him
Would lift him up, yet it was the hand that felled him.
Leaning while it was the hand of the wrestling champion
مَهَّدَpaved the way طُولَthe length السِّجْنِof imprisonment فِيin جِسْمِهِhis body
مَهَّدَ طُولَ السِّجْنِ فِي جِسْمِهِ
لِلدَّاءِfor disease فَاسْتَعْصَىso it resisted عَلَىagainst النَّاجِعِeffective treatment
لِلدَّاءِ فَاسْتَعْصَى عَلَى النَّاجِعِ
Long imprisonment paved the way in his body
The length of imprisonment had paved in his body
For disease, which then defied the cure.
The way for disease which treatment could not alleviate
فبَانَso he departed عَنْfrom رَبْعٍa home شَجٍgrief-stricken مُوحِشٍdesolate
فبَانَ عَنْ رَبْعٍ شَجٍ مُوحِشٍ
قَدْindeed كَانَwas أُنْساًa solace لِرِثَاءِfor the lament الرَّاقِعِthe patcher
قَدْ كَانَ أُنْساً لِرِثَاءِ الرَّاقِعِ
So he departed from a grieving, desolate home
So he left behind a desolate dreary quarter
That had been solace to the patcher's lament,
That was once comfort for the sobbing mourner
وَعَيْلَةٍand a family أَضْحَتُbecame مِثَالاًan example لِمَاof what
وَعَيْلَةٍ أَضْحَتُ مِثَالاً لِمَا
يُغْضَىthe gaze is lowered إِلَيْهtoward it نَكَدُill luck الطَّالِعِthe ascendant star
يُغْضَى إِلَيْه نَكَدُ الطَّالِعِ
And a family now become an image of what
And a family that became an example of
Ill-starred fortune regards with lowered eyes:
What the frown of fate is directed against
مِنْof غَادَةٍa graceful woman سَالتْflowed غِوَاشُveils الدُّجَىthe darkness
مِنْ غَادَةٍ سَالتْ غِوَاشُ الدُّجَى
بَيْنَbetween حَوَاشِيthe fringes صُبْحِهَاher dawn السَّاطِعِthe radiant
بَيْنَ حَوَاشِي صُبْحِهَا السَّاطِعِ
Of a lovely woman: the veils of darkness flowed
Of a bloom, the darkness of night has oozed
Among the fringes of her radiant dawn,
Among the margins of its shining morning
وَحَذَّرَand warned الحُزْنُgrief أَخَادِيدَهِits furrows
وَحَذَّرَ الحُزْنُ أَخَادِيدَهِ
سَفْعاًas dark streaks بِذَاكَupon that الوَضحِwhiteness النَّاصِعِthe brilliant
سَفْعاً بِذَاكَ الوَضحِ النَّاصِعِ
And grief warned with its furrows,
And grief warned with its wrinkles
Dark streaks upon that brilliant whiteness;
Rubbing that bright clear complexion
وَمِنْand of بَناتٍdaughters نَائِحَاتٍwailing بِمَاwith what
وَمِنْ بَناتٍ نَائِحَاتٍ بِمَا
يُذيبُmelts شَجْوَاًwith sorrow مُهْجَةَthe heart السَّامِعِthe listener
يُذيبُ شَجْوَاً مُهْجَةَ السَّامِعِ
And of daughters, wailing with what
And of daughters, crying for what
Melts the listener's heart with grief.
Melts the innermost feelings of the listener
أَصْبَحْنَthey have become لاَnot يَنْظُرْنَthey look مِنْfrom حَسْرَةٍanguish
أَصْبَحْنَ لاَ يَنْظُرْنَ مِنْ حَسْرَةٍ
شَيْئاًanything بِغَيْرِwith other than المَحْجِرِthe eye socket الدْامِعِthe tearful
شَيْئاً بِغَيْرِ المَحْجِرِ الدْامِعِ
They now, from anguish, do not look
They woke up in the morning looking at nothing
At anything except through tear-filled eyes;
With eyes other than the tearful ones
وَمِنْand of وَحِيدٍan only son ناعِمٍtender ظِفْرُهُhis nail
وَمِنْ وَحِيدٍ ناعِمٍ ظِفْرُهُ
لَيْسَthere is not لِبُؤسٍagainst misery عَنْهُfrom him مِنْany دَافِعِdefender
لَيْسَ لِبُؤسٍ عَنْهُ مِنْ دَافِعِ
And of an only son, whose nails are tender,
And of a gentle only child whose luxury
With no one to ward misery away from him.
Cannot be prevented from misery
مَاwhat ضرَّharm would it do لوْif بَلَّغَهُbrought him الدَّهْرُtime فِيin
مَا ضرَّ لوْ بَلَّغَهُ الدَّهْرُ فِي
ظِلِّthe shade أَبِيهِhis father زمَنَthe age اليَافِعِthe adolescent
ظِلِّ أَبِيهِ زمَنَ اليَافِعِ
What harm if time had brought him, in
What would have harmed if fate had let him
His father's shade, to adolescence?
Spend the days of youth in his father’s shade
فَيَاso, O فقِيداًdeparted one سَيَلِيwill follow ثَأْرُهُhis vengeance
فَيَا فقِيداً سَيَلِي ثَأْرُهُ
مُلْحَقَةَa joining sequel المَتْبُوعِthe one followed بِالتَّابِعِto the follower
مُلْحَقَةَ المَتْبُوعِ بِالتَّابِعِ
So, O departed one, whose vengeance will follow
So farewell to a victim whose revenge
The sequel joining the leader to the follower:
Will join the followed with the follower
جَرَعْتَyou swallowed فِيin كأْسٍa cup مُرَارَاتَهَاits bitter draughts
جَرَعْتَ فِي كأْسٍ مُرَارَاتَهَا
أَمَرَّthe bitterest مَاwhat فِيin الكَأْسِthe cup لِلجَّارِعِfor the drinker
أَمَرَّ مَا فِي الكَأْسِ لِلجَّارِعِ
You drank from a cup whose bitter draughts
You tasted in a cup bitterness
Were the bitterest a cup holds for its drinker.
More bitter than what is in the cup for the taster
وَرُحْتَand you departed مَظْلُوماًwronged وَمَاand not كُنْتَyou were إِذْwhen
وَرُحْتَ مَظْلُوماً وَمَا كُنْتَ إِذْ
حَكَمْتَyou ruled بِالبَاغِيan oppressor وَلاَnor الطَّامِعِthe covetous one
حَكَمْتَ بِالبَاغِي وَلاَ الطَّامِعِ
And you departed wronged; you were not, when
And you left oppressed whereas you were not,
You ruled, oppressive or covetous.
When you judged, unjust or greedy
قَدْindeed أَنْجَعَbenefited الضَّيْمُoppression مُلُوكاًkings وَمَاbut not
قَدْ أَنْجَعَ الضَّيْمُ مُلُوكاً وَمَا
كُنْتَyou were لِغَيْرِfor anything other than الحَقِّjustice بِالْبَاضِعِa trader
كُنْتَ لِغَيْرِ الحَقِّ بِالْبَاضِعِ
Oppression has profited kings, but you
Injustice cured kings while you
Would bargain for nothing except what was right.
Were not to anyone but fair
وَلِّdepart وَكِلْناand leave us لأَسىًto grief لَيْسَis not
وَلِّ وَكِلْنا لأَسىً لَيْسَ
بِالْمُغْنِيof any avail وَنوْحand lamentation لَيْسَis not بِالنَّافِعِbeneficial
بِالْمُغْنِي وَنوْح لَيْسَ بِالنَّافِعِ
Depart, and leave us to a grief that is not
Turn around and we are assigned to sorrow
Of any avail, and lamentation that does no good.
That cannot console and wailing that is useless
أُعْذِرُI excuse مَنْwhoever يَبْكِيweeps for حبِيباًa loved one مَضَىhas gone
أُعْذِرُ مَنْ يَبْكِي حبِيباً مَضَى
وَلَيْسَand is not بَعْدَafter اليَوْمِtoday بِالراجِعِreturning
وَلَيْسَ بَعْدَ اليَوْمِ بِالراجِعِ
I excuse whoever weeps for a loved one gone,
I excuse those who cry for a beloved one departed
Never to return after this day.
With no day after today coming back
Sol 6.1