مَاذَاwhat أَصَابَbefell أَبَاكَyour father الشَّيخَthe aged man وَاحَرَبَاalas!
مَاذَا أَصَابَ أَبَاكَ الشَّيخَ وَاحَرَبَا
وَكُنْتَand you were بَهْجَتَهُhis joy فِيin العَيْشِlife والأَرَبَاand the desire
وَكُنْتَ بَهْجَتَهُ فِي العَيْشِ والأَرَبَا
What has befallen your aged father—alas!
And you were his joy in life and his heart's desire.
وَكَانَand was فِيin آجَرِlast الأَيَّامِthe days مَطْمَعُهُhis hope
وَكَانَ فِي آجَرِ الأَيَّامِ مَطْمَعُهُ
أنْthat تَسْتَدِيمَyou perpetuate لَهُfor him فِيamong قَوْمِهِhis people عَقَبَاposterity
أنْ تَسْتَدِيمَ لَهُ فِي قَوْمِهِ عَقَبَا
And in his later days his hope was
That you would perpetuate his line among his people.
تَرَكْتَهُyou left him وَالِهاًdistraught قَدْalready أُرْعِشَتْwas made to tremble يَدُهُhis hand
تَرَكْتَهُ وَالِهاً قَدْ أُرْعِشَتْ يَدُهُ
والقَلْبُand the heart مُحْتَرَقٌburning والْدَّمْعُand the tears قَدْalready نَضَبَاhave run dry
والقَلْبُ مُحْتَرَقٌ والْدَّمْعُ قَدْ نَضَبَا
You left him distraught, his hand set trembling,
And his heart is burning, and his tears have run dry.
يَنوءُhe staggers ثُكْلاًbereavement وَقَبْلَand before الثُّكلِthe bereavement لاَno نَصَبَاweariness
يَنوءُ ثُكْلاً وَقَبْلَ الثُّكلِ لاَ نَصَبَا
شَكَاhe complained وَإِنْand even if جُلَّwas grave مَاwhat يَلْقَىhe encounters َلاَnor وَصَبَاpain
شَكَا وَإِنْ جُلَّ مَا يَلْقَى َلاَ وَصَبَا
He staggers beneath bereavement; before it, no weariness
Had he complained of, however grave his trials, nor any pain.
هَذَاthis جَزَاؤُكَyour repayment يَاO أَوْفَىmost faithful
هَذَا جَزَاؤُكَ يَا أَوْفَى
البَنِينَthe sons لِمَنْto him who كَانَwas الأَبَرُّthe kindest أَبَاas a father
البَنِينَ لِمَنْ كَانَ الأَبَرُّ أَبَا
Is this your repayment, O most faithful
Of sons, to him who was the kindest father?
كَلاَّno وَلَكِنَّand yet حُكْماًa decree لاَno مَرَدَّreversal لَهُfor it
كَلاَّ وَلَكِنَّ حُكْماً لاَ مَرَدَّ لَهُ
شَجَاgrieved بَنِيthe sons of الشَّرْقِthe East فيover النَّجْمِthe star الَّذِيthat غَرَبَاset
شَجَا بَنِي الشَّرْقِ في النَّجْمِ الَّذِي غَرَبَا
No—but a decree that cannot be turned back
Has grieved the sons of the East over the star that set.
وَلَيْسَand it is not ذَنْبُكَyour fault أَنَّthat المَوْتَdeath مِنْsince قِدَمٍancient times
وَلَيْسَ ذَنْبُكَ أَنَّ المَوْتَ مِنْ قِدَمٍ
يُعَاجِلُswiftly overtakes النُّخبَthe chosen الأَخْيَارَthe good وَالنُّجبَاand the noble
يُعَاجِلُ النُّخبَ الأَخْيَارَ وَالنُّجبَا
And it is not your fault that death, since ancient times,
Has swiftly overtaken the chosen, the good, and the noble.
أَنْطُونُAntoun عُوجِلَwas taken prematurely فِيin شَرْخِthe prime of الشَّبابِyouth فَهَلْso is there
أَنْطُونُ عُوجِلَ فِي شَرْخِ الشَّبابِ فَهَلْ
فِيin الرُّبْعِthe dwelling أُنْسٌjoy وَأُنْسُand the joy of الرَّبْعِthe dwelling قَدْalready ذَهَبَاhas gone
فِي الرُّبْعِ أُنْسٌ وَأُنْسُ الرَّبْعِ قَدْ ذَهَبَا
Antoun was taken in the prime of youth; so is there
Any joy in the dwelling, when its joy has gone?
قَدْindeed كَانَhe was مِنْamong خَيْرِthe best فُتْيَانِyouths of الحِمَىthe homeland خُلُقاًin character
قَدْ كَانَ مِنْ خَيْرِ فُتْيَانِ الحِمَى خُلُقاً
وَكَانَand he was مِنْamong خَيْرِthe best فُتْيَانِyouths of الحِمَىthe homeland أَدَبَاin refinement
وَكَانَ مِنْ خَيْرِ فُتْيَانِ الحِمَى أَدَبَا
He was among the finest youths of the homeland in character,
And among the finest youths of the homeland in refinement.
وَكَانَand he was فِيamong أَوْلِيَاءِchampions of العَدْلِjustice مَفْخَرةًa source of pride
وَكَانَ فِي أَوْلِيَاءِ العَدْلِ مَفْخَرةً
لاnot يَلْتَوِيhe swerves رُغْباًout of desire أَوْor يَنْثَنِيhe yields رَهَبَاout of fear
لا يَلْتَوِي رُغْباً أَوْ يَنْثَنِي رَهَبَا
And he was a source of pride among the champions of justice,
Neither swerving out of desire nor yielding out of fear.
وَكَانَand he was نَجْدَةًaid دَاعيَةٍa summons بِلاَwithout مَهَلٍdelay
وَكَانَ نَجْدَةً دَاعيَةٍ بِلاَ مَهَلٍ
فِيin نُصْرَةِsupport of الحَقِّthe truth هَانَwas easy الأَمْرُthe task أَوْor صَعُبَاwas hard
فِي نُصْرَةِ الحَقِّ هَانَ الأَمْرُ أَوْ صَعُبَا
And he brought aid at a summons, without delay,
In defense of truth, whether the task was easy or hard.
وَكَانَand he was أَيْمَنَmost blessed مَنْone who يَرْعَىkeeps لأُمَّتهِfor his nation
وَكَانَ أَيْمَنَ مَنْ يَرْعَى لأُمَّتهِ
عَهْداًa covenant إِذَاwhen انْتَدَبَتْهُit called upon him أَوْor إِذَاwhen انْتَدَبَاhe volunteered
عَهْداً إِذَا انْتَدَبَتْهُ أَوْ إِذَا انْتَدَبَا
And he was the most blessed guardian of his nation's
Covenant, whether it called upon him or he volunteered.
وَكَانَand he was فِيin مَوْقِفِthe station of الفَخْرِpride الجَدِيرِworthy بِهِof him
وَكَانَ فِي مَوْقِفِ الفَخْرِ الجَدِيرِ بِهِ
مَاnot يَدَّعِيhe claims حَسَباًancestral distinction أَوْor يَدَّعِيhe claims نَسَبَاlineage
مَا يَدَّعِي حَسَباً أَوْ يَدَّعِي نَسَبَا
And in the station of pride that befitted him,
He claimed neither ancestral distinction nor noble lineage.
أَلَيْسَis not? مُنْجِبُهُhis father ذَاكَthat الكَفِيلَthe guarantor بِمَاof what
أَلَيْسَ مُنْجِبُهُ ذَاكَ الكَفِيلَ بِمَا
يَكْفِيsuffices العُفَاةَthe needy وَذَاكَand that الْحَازِمُthe resolute الأَرَبَاthe resourceful
يَكْفِي العُفَاةَ وَذَاكَ الْحَازِمُ الأَرَبَا
Is not his father that guarantor of what
Suffices the needy, and that resolute, resourceful man?
مَعَاهِدُinstitutions of الْخَيْرِcharity لَنْwill not تَنْسَىforget لِجِرْجِسِهَاfor their Jirjis
مَعَاهِدُ الْخَيْرِ لَنْ تَنْسَى لِجِرْجِسِهَا
مَاwhat اسْتَوْهَبَhe solicited gifts from النَّاسَthe people لِلْحُسْنَىfor good وَمَاand what وَهَبَاhe gave
مَا اسْتَوْهَبَ النَّاسَ لِلْحُسْنَى وَمَا وَهَبَا
Charitable institutions will never forget their Jirjis—
What he sought as gifts from people for good, and what he gave.
بَنَىhe built لَهُمْfor them بِمَسَاعِيهِthrough his efforts وَهِمَّتهِand his resolve
بَنَى لَهُمْ بِمَسَاعِيهِ وَهِمَّتهِ
مِنَof المَآثِرِnoble achievements مَاwhat يَقْضِيcommands لَهُfor him عَجَبَاadmiration
مِنَ المَآثِرِ مَا يَقْضِي لَهُ عَجَبَا
He built for them, through his efforts and resolve,
Such noble achievements as command admiration for him.
يَسُومُهُimposes on him البِرُّcharity أَلْوَانَkinds of الْعَنَاءِtoil فَمَاyet he does not
يَسُومُهُ البِرُّ أَلْوَانَ الْعَنَاءِ فَمَا
يَبْهَىfalter وَيَسْتَأنِفُand he resumes المَجْهُودَthe exertion مَاwhenever وَجَبَاit is required
يَبْهَى وَيَسْتَأنِفُ المَجْهُودَ مَا وَجَبَا
Charity exacts from him every kind of toil, yet he does not
Falter, and he resumes his efforts whenever they are required.
انْظُرْlook إِلَىat عُظَمَاءِthe great men of الْقَوْمِthe people فِيin جَزَعٍanguish
انْظُرْ إِلَى عُظَمَاءِ الْقَوْمِ فِي جَزَعٍ
كَأَنَّهمْas though they سُلِبُواthey were robbed of الذُّخْرَthe treasure الَّذِيthat سُلِبَاwas taken
كَأَنَّهمْ سُلِبُوا الذُّخْرَ الَّذِي سُلِبَا
Look at the great men of the people in anguish,
As though they had been robbed of the treasure that was taken.
تَوَافَدُواthey came in throngs لِيُواسُوهُto console him بِأَحْسَنِwith the finest of مَاwhat
تَوَافَدُوا لِيُواسُوهُ بِأَحْسَنِ مَا
أَوْحَتْinspired مَحَامِدُهُhis virtues الأَشْعَارَthe poems وَالخُطُبَاand the speeches
أَوْحَتْ مَحَامِدُهُ الأَشْعَارَ وَالخُطُبَا
They came in throngs to console him with the finest
Poems and speeches his virtues had inspired.
يَاO مَنْthe one whom نُعَزِّيهِwe console him عَنْfor فَقْدِthe loss of الْحَبِيبِthe beloved وَمَاand not
يَا مَنْ نُعَزِّيهِ عَنْ فَقْدِ الْحَبِيبِ وَمَا
نَأىhas gone far الحَبيبُthe beloved الذيwho مِنْto رَبِّهhis Lord قَرُباhas drawn near
نَأى الحَبيبُ الذي مِنْ رَبِّه قَرُبا
O you whom we console for the loss of the beloved—yet he has not
Gone far, the beloved who has drawn near his Lord.
أَيْنَwhere النَّعيمُbliss بِجَنَّاتٍin gardens مُخَلَّدَةٍeverlasting
أَيْنَ النَّعيمُ بِجَنَّاتٍ مُخَلَّدَةٍ
مِنْfrom بُؤْسِthe misery of دُنْيَاa world يُعَانِيendure أَهْلُهَاits people الكَرَبَاanguish
مِنْ بُؤْسِ دُنْيَا يُعَانِي أَهْلُهَا الكَرَبَا
How far is bliss in everlasting gardens
From the misery of a world whose people endure anguish!
سُبْحَانَglory be to مَنْHim who فِيin مَدَارِthe course of الْكَونِthe cosmos يَشْهَدُنَاmakes us witness
سُبْحَانَ مَنْ فِي مَدَارِ الْكَونِ يَشْهَدُنَا
فِيمَاin what يُصَرِّفُهُHe directs it الأَنْوارَthe lights وَالسُّحبَاand the clouds
فِيمَا يُصَرِّفُهُ الأَنْوارَ وَالسُّحبَا
Glory to Him who, in the cosmos's course, shows us
The lights and clouds among the things He governs.
يَجْلُوHe unveils الشُّموسَthe suns وَيَطْوِيهَاand folds them away بِقُدْرَتِهِby His power
يَجْلُو الشُّموسَ وَيَطْوِيهَا بِقُدْرَتِهِ
وَفِيand in رِحَابِthe expanses of عُلاهُHis heights يَنْقُلHe moves الشُّهبَاthe shooting stars
وَفِي رِحَابِ عُلاهُ يَنْقُل الشُّهبَا
He unveils the suns and folds them away by His power,
And in the expanses of His heights He moves the shooting stars.
Sol 6.1