لَقَدَindeed فَدَحَweighed heavily الْخَطْبُthe calamity فِيin قَاسِمِQasim
لَقَدَ فَدَحَ الْخَطْبُ فِي قَاسِمِ
فَيَاand oh لَكَfor you مِنْof (exclamatory) زَمَنٍan age غاشِمِruthless
فَيَا لَكَ مِنْ زَمَنٍ غاشِمِ
Grievous indeed is the calamity of Qasim's loss.
And oh, what a ruthless age!
أَمَاdoes ... not? يَشْفَعُintercede الفَضْلُvirtue فِيfor فَاضِلٍa virtuous man
أَمَا يَشْفَعُ الفَضْلُ فِي فَاضِلٍ
أَمَاdoes ... not? يَشْفَعُintercede الْعِلْمُlearning فِيfor عَالِمِa learned man
أَمَا يَشْفَعُ الْعِلْمُ فِي عَالِمِ
Does virtue not intercede for a virtuous man?
Does learning not intercede for a learned man?
عَزِيزٌhard to bear عَلَىfor مِصْرَEgypt هَذَاthis المُصَابُcalamity
عَزِيزٌ عَلَى مِصْرَ هَذَا المُصَابُ
بِمِقْدَامِهَاin her bold champion المُصْلِحِthe reformer الْحَازِمِthe resolute
بِمِقْدَامِهَا المُصْلِحِ الْحَازِمِ
This calamity is hard for Egypt to bear,
Befalling her bold, resolute reformer.
لَكَfor you اللهُGod مِنْwhat a شَائِدٍbuilder لِلْعُلاof lofty glory
لَكَ اللهُ مِنْ شَائِدٍ لِلْعُلا
وَفِيand in يَدِهِhis hand مِعْوَلُa pickaxe الْهَادِمِthe demolisher
وَفِي يَدِهِ مِعْوَلُ الْهَادِمِ
God bless you—what a builder of glory,
With the demolisher's pickaxe in his hand!
يدُكُّhe demolishes الْقَبِيحَthe ugly وَيَبْنِيand he builds المَلِيحَthe beautiful
يدُكُّ الْقَبِيحَ وَيَبْنِي المَلِيحَ
رُجُوعاًreturning إِلَىto سُنَّةِthe way of الرَّاسِمِthe Designer
رُجُوعاً إِلَى سُنَّةِ الرَّاسِمِ
He razes the ugly and builds the beautiful,
Returning to the Designer's way.
مَضَيْتَyou departed فَأَيُّand what a فَتًىyoung man بَاسِلٍvaliant
مَضَيْتَ فَأَيُّ فَتًى بَاسِلٍ
فَقَدْنَاهُwe lost him فِيin أَسَدٍa lion بَاسِمِsmiling
فَقَدْنَاهُ فِي أَسَدٍ بَاسِمِ
You have gone—what a valiant young man
We have lost in a smiling lion!
وَلِيتَyou held الْقَضَاءَthe judgeship فَكُنْتَand so you became الْقَضَاءَdoom
وَلِيتَ الْقَضَاءَ فَكُنْتَ الْقَضَاءَ
عَلَىagainst المُعْتَدِيthe aggressor وَعَلَىand against الآثِمِthe sinner
عَلَى المُعْتَدِي وَعَلَى الآثِمِ
You held the judgeship and became doom
To the aggressor and the sinner.
تُزِيلُyou dispel دُجَىthe darkness of الرِّيَبِdoubts المُسْدَلاتِdrawn like veils
تُزِيلُ دُجَى الرِّيَبِ المُسْدَلاتِ
بِأَمْضَىwith something keener وَأَلْمَعَand brighter مِنْthan صَارِمِa sharp sword
بِأَمْضَى وَأَلْمَعَ مِنْ صَارِمِ
You dispelled the enveloping darkness of doubts
With something keener and brighter than a sword.
سلامpeace عَلَيْكَupon you نَمَاhas grown مَاwhat غَرَسْتَyou planted
سلام عَلَيْكَ نَمَا مَا غَرَسْتَ
وَذَكَّىand intensified شَذَاthe fragrance of الأَملِhope النَّاسِمِgently wafting
وَذَكَّى شَذَا الأَملِ النَّاسِمِ
Peace be upon you! What you planted has grown
And heightened the fragrance of wafting hope.
فَنَمْso sleep آمِناًsecure إِنَّindeed فِيin الْغَرْسِthe planting مَاthat which
فَنَمْ آمِناً إِنَّ فِي الْغَرْسِ مَا
يُعِيدُكَbrings you back فِيin خَلَفٍsuccessors دَائِمِenduring
يُعِيدُكَ فِي خَلَفٍ دَائِمِ
So sleep secure: your planting holds what
Brings you back in generations that endure.
أَسَفاًalas عَلَيْكَfor you وَنَحْنُyet we أَوْلَىmore entitled بِالأَسَىto grief
أَسَفاً عَلَيْكَ وَنَحْنُ أَوْلَى بِالأَسَى
أَيْنَwhere الَّذِيthe one who يَشْقَىsuffers وَأَيْنَand where النَّاعِمُthe one at ease
أَيْنَ الَّذِي يَشْقَى وَأَيْنَ النَّاعِمُ
Alas for you—yet we have greater cause for grief.
Where is the sufferer, and where the one at ease?
كَانَتْwas لَكَyours الدُّنْيَاthe world وَكَانَand was لَكَyours الْغِنَىwealth
كَانَتْ لَكَ الدُّنْيَا وَكَانَ لَكَ الْغِنَى
وَالْجَاهُand rank وَالْجِسْمُand the body الصَّحِيحُhealthy السَّالِمُsound
وَالْجَاهُ وَالْجِسْمُ الصَّحِيحُ السَّالِمُ
The world was yours, and wealth was yours,
And rank, and a body healthy and sound.
وَلَكَand yours الصِّبَاyouth وَالزَّعْوُand exuberance (uncertain reading) وَالزَّمَنْand time الرِّضىfavorable
وَلَكَ الصِّبَا وَالزَّعْوُ وَالزَّمَنْ الرِّضى
وَاللَّهْوُand pleasure وَالسَّعْدُand good fortune المُطِيعُobedient الْخَادِمُserving
وَاللَّهْوُ وَالسَّعْدُ المُطِيعُ الْخَادِمُ
And yours were youth, exuberance, and kindly days,
And pleasure, and good fortune, your obedient servant,
مِنْamong كلall مَاthat which يُعْتَدُّis reckoned غُنْماًa gain لِلْفَتَىfor a young man
مِنْ كل مَا يُعْتَدُّ غُنْماً لِلْفَتَى
لَوْif فِيin الحَيَاةِlife مَغَارِمٌlosses وَمَغَانِمُand gains
لَوْ فِي الحَيَاةِ مَغَارِمٌ وَمَغَانِمُ
Among all that counts as gain for a young man,
If there are losses and gains in life.
فَمَضَيْتَso you departed لاnot مَنْwhoever عَاشَlived بَعْدَكَafter you غَانِمٌa gainer
فَمَضَيْتَ لا مَنْ عَاشَ بَعْدَكَ غَانِمٌ
رَهْنَheld hostage to الْعَذَابِtorment وَلاnor شَبَابَكَyour youth غَارِمُa loser
رَهْنَ الْعَذَابِ وَلا شَبَابَكَ غَارِمُ
So you departed: none living after you has gained,
Held hostage to torment; nor has your youth suffered loss.
يَتَكَافَأُbalances out الحِدْثَانِthe turns of fate فِيin الدُّنْيَاthis world سِوَىexcept
يَتَكَافَأُ الحِدْثَانِ فِي الدُّنْيَا سِوَى
أَنْthat نِمْتَyou slept عَنْهُunaware of it وَمَنْand whoever تَخَلَّفَremained behind قَائِمُawake
أَنْ نِمْتَ عَنْهُ وَمَنْ تَخَلَّفَ قَائِمُ
The turns of fate balance out in this world, except
That you sleep through them, while those left behind are awake.
وَمَصِيرُنَاand our destiny وَالدَّهْرُand time وَالدُّنْيَاand the world مَعاًtogether
وَمَصِيرُنَا وَالدَّهْرُ وَالدُّنْيَا مَعاً
فَقْدٌloss عَمِيمٌall-encompassing وَانْحِلالٌand dissolution خَاتِمُfinal
فَقْدٌ عَمِيمٌ وَانْحِلالٌ خَاتِمُ
And the fate we share with time and the world
Is universal loss and final dissolution.
لاno بَحْرَsea نَاجٍsafe مِنْهُfrom it يَومَئِذٍon that day وَلاnor
لا بَحْرَ نَاجٍ مِنْهُ يَومَئِذٍ وَلا
أُفُقٌa horizon وَلاnor حَدَثٌanything new وَلاnor مُتَقَادِمُanything ancient
أُفُقٌ وَلا حَدَثٌ وَلا مُتَقَادِمُ
No sea will escape it on that day, nor
Any horizon, nor anything new, nor anything ancient.
Sol 6.1