أَيَبْكِيdoes ... make weep? أبْنَاءَكَyour children اليُتْمُorphanhood
أَيَبْكِي أبْنَاءَكَ اليُتْمُ
وَكَمْand how often سَرَرْتَyou gladdened الأَيْتَامَthe orphans قَبْلَهُمُbefore them
وَكَمْ سَرَرْتَ الأَيْتَامَ قَبْلَهُمُ
Does orphanhood make your children weep,
when so often you gladdened orphans before them?
مَاتَhas died وَلِيُّthe guardian الضِّعَافِof the weak تَحْسَبُهُمْcounts them
مَاتَ وَلِيُّ الضِّعَافِ تَحْسَبُهُمْ
مِنْamong أَهْلِهِhis family رَحَمَةٌcompassion وَلاand not رَحَمُkinship
مِنْ أَهْلِهِ رَحَمَةٌ وَلا رَحَمُ
The guardian of the weak has died; they are counted
among his family through compassion, not kinship.
يَاO وَيْحَalas لِلنُّبْلِfor nobility وَالشَّمَائِلِand character وَالآدَابِand good manners
يَا وَيْحَ لِلنُّبْلِ وَالشَّمَائِلِ وَالآدَابِ
إِنْif دُكَّis laid low ذَلِكَthat العَلَمُthe lofty mountain
إِنْ دُكَّ ذَلِكَ العَلَمُ
Alas for nobility, fine character, and good manners,
if that lofty mountain is laid low!
أَيْنَwhere الوَجَاهَاتُforms of eminence فِيin حَقَائِقِهَاtheir true essence
أَيْنَ الوَجَاهَاتُ فِي حَقَائِقِهَا
أَيْنَwhere الخِلالُthe qualities الحِسَانُthe fine وَالشِّيَمُand the noble traits
أَيْنَ الخِلالُ الحِسَانُ وَالشِّيَمُ
Where is eminence in its true essence?
Where are fine qualities and noble traits?
شَجَاعَةٌcourage تَغْلُبُovercomes الخُطُوبَthe calamities وَمَاand not
شَجَاعَةٌ تَغْلُبُ الخُطُوبَ وَمَا
تَغْلَبُهَاovercomes it أَنْthat تَوَالَتْfollowed in succession الأُزَمُthe crises
تَغْلَبُهَا أَنْ تَوَالَتْ الأُزَمُ
A courage that overcomes calamities, and is not
overcome by the succession of crises.
مَهْمَاwhatever يَصِبْhe encounters فِيin النِّحُوسِill-starred times مِنْof نقَمٍafflictions
مَهْمَا يَصِبْ فِي النِّحُوسِ مِنْ نقَمٍ
مَاnot أَخْرَجَتْهُdrove him out عَنْbeyond حَدِّهِhis bounds النَّقَمُthe afflictions
مَا أَخْرَجَتْهُ عَنْ حَدِّهِ النَّقَمُ
Whatever afflictions he met in ill-starred times,
afflictions never drove him beyond his bounds.
Sol 6.1