عَادُواthey returned وُقُوفاًstanding حَوْلَaround قَبْرِكْyour grave
عَادُوا وُقُوفاً حَوْلَ قَبْرِكْ
يَتَنَاشَدُونَthey recite to one another جَمِيلَbeautiful ذِكْرِكْyour memory
يَتَنَاشَدُونَ جَمِيلَ ذِكْرِكْ
They have returned to stand around your grave,
recalling to one another your noble memory.
يَصِفُونَthey describe أَمْرَكَyour conduct فِيin حَيَاlife (first part)
يَصِفُونَ أَمْرَكَ فِي حَيَا
تِكَyour life (completion) وَالفَضَائِلُand the virtues كُلُّall of أَمْرِكْyour conduct
تِكَ وَالفَضَائِلُ كُلُّ أَمْرِكْ
They describe your conduct throughout
your life, when all your conduct was virtue.
يَشْكُونَthey complain of دَهْرَكَyour age أَنْthat تُسَاyou be wronged (first part)
يَشْكُونَ دَهْرَكَ أَنْ تُسَا
ءَbe wronged (completion) وَكُنْتَand you were مِنْamong حَسَنَاتِthe blessings of دَهْرِكْyour age
ءَ وَكُنْتَ مِنْ حَسَنَاتِ دَهْرِكْ
They reproach your age for treating you
ill, though you were among your age's blessings.
مَاذَاwhat دَهىbefell فِيكَthrough your loss الَّذِينَthose whom
مَاذَا دَهى فِيكَ الَّذِينَ
فَكَكْتَyou freed مِنfrom عُسْرٍhardship بُيُسْرِكْthrough your prosperity
فَكَكْتَ مِن عُسْرٍ بُيُسْرِكْ
What has befallen, in losing you, those
you freed from hardship through your prosperity?
هَلْdid قَصَّرَfall short المُتَشَفِّعوthe intercessors (first part)
هَلْ قَصَّرَ المُتَشَفِّعو
نَintercessors (completion) مِنَamong الضِّعافِthe weak بِطُولِfor the length of عُمْرِكْyour life
نَ مِنَ الضِّعافِ بِطُولِ عُمْرِكْ
Did the intercessors fall short—
the weak, in praying for your long life?
لِلهِto God دَرُّكَyour excellence مِنْas فَتىًa young man
لِلهِ دَرُّكَ مِنْ فَتىً
روْضُthe garden of الكَمَالِperfection زَهَاshone بِدَرَّكْwith your pearls
روْضُ الكَمَالِ زَهَا بِدَرَّكْ
God bless you—what a fine young man!
The garden of perfection shone with your pearls.
لاnot مُشْرِكٌan idolater فِيregarding اللهِGod لَكِنْbut فِيin
لا مُشْرِكٌ فِي اللهِ لَكِنْ فِي
حُسَامِكَyour sword جِدُّutterly مُشْرِكْan idolater
حُسَامِكَ جِدُّ مُشْرِكْ
No idolater where God is concerned, yet toward
your sword, a fervent idolater.
يَقِظٌvigilant لِنَفْعِfor the benefit of الْخَلْقِhumankind عَاforgiving (first part)
يَقِظٌ لِنَفْعِ الْخَلْقِ عَا
فِيforgiving (completion) الخلْقِdisposition عَنْtoward رُوَّامِseekers of ضُرِّكْharm to you
فِي الخلْقِ عَنْ رُوَّامِ ضُرِّكْ
Alert to the good of humankind, forgiving
by nature toward those who sought to harm you.
ثَبْتُsteadfast of الفُؤَادِheart لأَبْعَدِtoward the farthest
ثَبْتُ الفُؤَادِ لأَبْعَدِ
الْغَايَاتِthe goals طَلاَّبٌan ardent seeker فَمُدْرِكْthen an achiever
الْغَايَاتِ طَلاَّبٌ فَمُدْرِكْ
Steadfast of heart, toward the farthest
goals a seeker, then an achiever.
إِنْif لَمْdid not تَنَلْهَاyou attain them بِالْبَدَاby swift action (first part)
إِنْ لَمْ تَنَلْهَا بِالْبَدَا
رِswift action (completion) بَلَغْتَهَاyou reached them بِجَمِيلِthrough the beauty of صَبْرِكْyour patience
رِ بَلَغْتَهَا بِجَمِيلِ صَبْرِكْ
If you did not attain them by swift
action, you reached them through your noble patience.
حُرُّfree in الضَّميرِconscience وَلَيْسَand not
حُرُّ الضَّميرِ وَلَيْسَ
غَيْرُكَanyone other than you حُرَّهُfree in it أَعْظِمْhow great بِوِزْرِكْyour sin
غَيْرُكَ حُرَّهُ أَعْظِمْ بِوِزْرِكْ
Free in conscience—and none
but you has a free conscience. How great your sin!
كَادَتْalmost تَضِيقُgrew narrow بِكَfor you الصُّدُوthe breasts (first part)
كَادَتْ تَضِيقُ بِكَ الصُّدُو
رُbreasts (completion) لِذَاكَfor that لَوْلاَwere it not for رَحْبُthe breadth of صَدْرِكُyour breast
رُ لِذَاكَ لَوْلاَ رَحْبُ صَدْرِكُ
Breasts nearly grew too narrow for you
for that, but for the breadth of your own breast,
ومُرُوءَةٌand nobility فِيin وَجْهِthe face of كُلevery
ومُرُوءَةٌ فِي وَجْهِ كُل
مُصَانِعٍa sycophant قَامَتْstood بِعُذْرِكْin your defense
مُصَانِعٍ قَامَتْ بِعُذْرِكْ
and a nobility that, in the face of every
sycophant, stood in your defense,
وَسَمَاحَةٌand magnanimity غَفَرَتْforgave ذُنُوsins (first part)
وَسَمَاحَةٌ غَفَرَتْ ذُنُو
باًsins (completion) لَمْnot تَكُنwere لَكyours بَلْrather لِعَصْرِكْyour age's
باً لَمْ تَكُن لَك بَلْ لِعَصْرِكْ
and a magnanimity that forgave sins
not yours, but those of your age.
أَعْلَىthe highest of الذُّرَىthe summits بُوِّئْتَهُyou were placed upon it
أَعْلَى الذُّرَى بُوِّئْتَهُ
بِكَبِيرِthrough the greatness of عَزْمِكَyour resolve لاnot بِكِبْرِكْthrough your pride
بِكَبِيرِ عَزْمِكَ لا بِكِبْرِكْ
You were set upon the highest peak
by the greatness of your resolve, not your pride.
مَاwhatever كُنْتَyou were مِنْof شَيْءٍanything
مَا كُنْتَ مِنْ شَيْءٍ
بِجَهْرِكَin your public life كُنْتَهُyou were it حَقاًtruly بِسرِّكْin your private life
بِجَهْرِكَ كُنْتَهُ حَقاً بِسرِّكْ
Whatever you were
in public, you truly were in private.
تُولِيyou bestow قُوَاكَyour strength وَيَجْتَدِيand seek alms
تُولِي قُوَاكَ وَيَجْتَدِي
مُثْرُونَwealthy people مِنْfrom صَدَقَاتِthe alms of فَقْرِكْyour poverty
مُثْرُونَ مِنْ صَدَقَاتِ فَقْرِكْ
You give your strength, and alms are begged
by rich men from the charity of your poverty.
لُبَّاسُwearers of فَخْرٍglory يَزْدَهُوtake pride (first part)
لُبَّاسُ فَخْرٍ يَزْدَهُو
نَtake pride (completion) بِقِطْعَةٍin a piece مِنْof ثَوْبِthe robe of فَخْرِكْyour glory
نَ بِقِطْعَةٍ مِنْ ثَوْبِ فَخْرِكْ
Those clothed in glory take pride
in a scrap of the robe of your glory.
هَذِيthis الجَمَاعَةُthe society مِنْamong جَمَاsocieties (first part)
هَذِي الجَمَاعَةُ مِنْ جَمَا
عَاتِsocieties (completion) المَبَرَّةِcharity بِنْتُthe daughter of بِرِّكْyour benevolence
عَاتِ المَبَرَّةِ بِنْتُ بِرِّكْ
This society, among the societies
of charity, is the daughter of your benevolence.
هَذِيthese المَشَاغِلُworkshops لَمْnot تَكُنْwere
هَذِي المَشَاغِلُ لَمْ تَكُنْ
فُدِّيتَmay you be ransomed إِلاَّexcept شُغْلَthe work of فِكْرِكْyour mind
فُدِّيتَ إِلاَّ شُغْلَ فِكْرِكْ
These workshops were nothing—
may I be your ransom—but the work of your mind.
هَذِيthese المَدَارِسُschools أُوِتمتْhave been orphaned
هَذِي المَدَارِسُ أُوِتمتْ
مَنْwho عَادَhas returned يَنصُرُهَاsupports them كَنَصْرِكْlike your support
مَنْ عَادَ يَنصُرُهَا كَنَصْرِكْ
These schools have been orphaned;
who now supports them as you did?
نَعُّومُNaoum يَاO نِعْمَexcellent is المُوَجِّهُthe guide
نَعُّومُ يَا نِعْمَ المُوَجِّهُ
لِلْعَزَائِمِfor firm resolves واَلمُحَرِّكand the mover
لِلْعَزَائِمِ واَلمُحَرِّك
Naoum, what an excellent guide
for firm resolves, and their driving force!
أَلنُّجحُsuccess مُرْتَهِنٌis dependent بِنَهيِكَon your prohibitions
أَلنُّجحُ مُرْتَهِنٌ بِنَهيِكَ
حِينَduring تَدْبِيرٍplanning وَأَمْرِكْand your commands
حِينَ تَدْبِيرٍ وَأَمْرِكْ
Success depended on your prohibitions
in planning, and on your commands.
تَدْعُوyou call upon البِلاَدَthe country فَلاَso it does not تَنِيfalter
تَدْعُو البِلاَدَ فَلاَ تَنِي
فِيin مَوْقِفٍa situation عَنْfrom شَدِّstrengthening أَزْرِكyour back
فِي مَوْقِفٍ عَنْ شَدِّ أَزْرِك
You call the country, and it never tires
of strengthening your back in any situation.
أَبْدِعْhow splendid بِمَاwhat خَلَّفْتَyou left behind بَيْنَamong
أَبْدِعْ بِمَا خَلَّفْتَ بَيْنَ
القَوْمِthe people مِنَof مَحْمُودِthe praiseworthy إِثْرِكْyour legacy
القَوْمِ مِنَ مَحْمُودِ إِثْرِكْ
How splendid what you left among
the people as your praiseworthy legacy!
نَسَمَاتُbreezes of رُوحِكَyour spirit فِيin حَوَاmargins (first part)
نَسَمَاتُ رُوحِكَ فِي حَوَا
شِيmargins (completion) نَثْرِكَyour prose الشَّافِيhealing وَشعْرِكْand your poetry
شِي نَثْرِكَ الشَّافِي وَشعْرِكْ
The breezes of your spirit are in the margins
of your healing prose and your poetry.
أَنْوَارُthe lights of وَحْيِكَyour inspiration تَخْلبُenchant الأthe minds (first part)
أَنْوَارُ وَحْيِكَ تَخْلبُ الأ
لْبابَminds (completion) فِيin قَسَمَاتِthe facets of دُرِّكْyour pearls
لْبابَ فِي قَسَمَاتِ دُرِّكْ
The lights of your inspiration enchant
minds through the facets of your pearls.
هَذَاthis رِثَاؤُكَyour elegy مِنْfrom مُحِبٍّa loving admirer
هَذَا رِثَاؤُكَ مِنْ مُحِبٍّ
قَادِرٍappreciating لَكَyou حَقَّthe full measure of قَدْرِكَّyour worth
قَادِرٍ لَكَ حَقَّ قَدْرِكَّ
This is your elegy, from one who loves you
and values you at your true worth,
يَأْسَىhe grieves لِهَجْرِكَfor your departure عَارِفاًknowing
يَأْسَى لِهَجْرِكَ عَارِفاً
خَطْبَthe calamity of المَنَاقِبِthe virtues مُنْذُsince هَجْرِكْyour departure
خَطْبَ المَنَاقِبِ مُنْذُ هَجْرِكْ
grieving at your departure, knowing
the plight of the virtues since you left.
فَعَلَيْكَso upon you مِنْfrom رَحَمَاتِthe mercies of رَبِّكَyour Lord
فَعَلَيْكَ مِنْ رَحَمَاتِ رَبِّكَ
مَاthat which يَقُومُfulfills بِحَقِّthe obligation of شُكْرِكْthanking you
مَا يَقُومُ بِحَقِّ شُكْرِكْ
So may your Lord's mercies be upon you,
in a measure befitting the thanks you deserve.
وَرَعَتْكَand may it watch over you عَيْنٌan eye لِلْعِنَاof providence (first part)
وَرَعَتْكَ عَيْنٌ لِلْعِنَا
يَاتِprovidence (completion) الْعُلَىsublime فِيin مُسْتَقَرِّكْyour resting place
يَاتِ الْعُلَى فِي مُسْتَقَرِّكْ
And may an eye watch over you with care
from on high, in your resting place.
Sol 6.1