لاَdo not تَسَلْنِيask me وَقَدْand already نَأُواthey have gone far away كَيْفhow حَالِيmy condition
لاَ تَسَلْنِي وَقَدْ نَأُوا كَيْف حَالِي
كَيْفَhow حَالُcondition الْباكِيthe one weeping صَفَاءَserenity الليَالِيthe nights
كَيْفَ حَالُ الْباكِي صَفَاءَ الليَالِي
Do not ask how I fare, now that they have gone far away.
Do not ask me, now that they have gone far away, how I fare.
How fares one who mourns the serene nights?
How fares one who mourns the serenity of the nights?
أَيْنَwhere ذَاكَthat القَلْبُthe heart الخَلِيُّcarefree وَساعَاand hours (partial word)
أَيْنَ ذَاكَ القَلْبُ الخَلِيُّ وَساعَا
تٌcompletion of 'hours' مِنَof الأُنْسِcompanionship صِرنَthey became جِدَّvery خَوَالِيlong past
تٌ مِنَ الأُنْسِ صِرنَ جِدَّ خَوَالِي
Where is that carefree heart? And my hours—
Where is that carefree heart, and the hours
of fellowship have become utterly empty.
of companionship, now so long past?
أَيْنَwhere آمَالِيَmy hopes الكِبَارُgreat وَمَاand what
أَيْنَ آمَالِيَ الكِبَارُ وَمَا
أَعْقَبَهَاfollowed them مِنْof حَقَائِقِrealities الآمالِhopes
أَعْقَبَهَا مِنْ حَقَائِقِ الآمالِ
Where are my towering hopes, and all that
Where are my great hopes, and the
followed them in hopes fulfilled?
realities of hope that followed them?
أَيْنَwhere ذَاكَthat الخَيَالُthe imagination كَانَwas بِلاَwithout قَيْدٍa fetter
أَيْنَ ذَاكَ الخَيَالُ كَانَ بِلاَ قَيْدٍ
فَأضْحىthen it became نَظْماًverse بِغَيرِwithout خَيالِimagination
فَأضْحى نَظْماً بِغَيرِ خَيالِ
Where is that imagination which knew no fetter,
Where is that imagination, once unfettered,
but has become an order stripped of imagination?
then turned to verse devoid of imagination?
يَاO صدِيقِيmy friend وَيَاand O إِمَامِيmy guide وَيَاand O
يَا صدِيقِي وَيَا إِمَامِي وَيَا
مُنْشِيءَshaper جِيلٍa generation يَعْتَزُّstands proud فِيamong الأجْيالِgenerations
مُنْشِيءَ جِيلٍ يَعْتَزُّ فِي الأجْيالِ
O my friend, my exemplar, and O
O my friend, O my guide, O
my mentor—a generation takes pride in you among generations!
shaper of a generation that stands proud among generations,
لَسْتُI do not أَنْسىforget ذَاكَthat المُحَيَّاthe countenance وَمَاand what
لَسْتُ أَنْسى ذَاكَ المُحَيَّا وَمَا
نَمَّhinted بِهِat it مِنْof نَهّىًintellect وحُسْنِand goodness of خِصَالِcharacter traits
نَمَّ بِهِ مِنْ نَهّىً وحُسْنِ خِصَالِ
I shall not forget that countenance, nor what
I do not forget that countenance, and what
it revealed of wisdom and noble traits.
it revealed of intellect and fine character.
لَستُI do not أَنْسىforget تِلْكَthose الشَّمَائِلَtraits
لَستُ أَنْسى تِلْكَ الشَّمَائِلَ
مُثِّلْنthey were embodied لَنَاfor us مِنْكَfrom you فِيin أَحَبِّmost beloved مِثَالِexample
مُثِّلْن لَنَا مِنْكَ فِي أَحَبِّ مِثَالِ
I shall not forget those qualities
I do not forget those traits,
that embodied you for us in the most beloved image.
embodied for us in you, the dearest exemplar.
لَسْتُI do not أَنْسَىforget تِلْكَthat الطَّلاَقَةَfluency فِيin
لَسْتُ أَنْسَى تِلْكَ الطَّلاَقَةَ فِي
النُّطْقِspeech كَأَنَّas though الأَلْفَاظَthe words عدُّa counting لآلِيpearls
النُّطْقِ كَأَنَّ الأَلْفَاظَ عدُّ لآلِي
I shall not forget that fluency of
I do not forget that fluency in
speech, whose words seemed a necklace of pearls.
speech, as though the words were pearls counted out.
لَسْتُI do not أَنْسىforget تِلْكَthose الدُّرُوسَlessons وَمَاand what
لَسْتُ أَنْسى تِلْكَ الدُّرُوسَ وَمَا
ضُمِّنَwas included مِنْof حِكْمَةٍwisdom ورَأْيٍand judgment عَالِيlofty
ضُمِّنَ مِنْ حِكْمَةٍ ورَأْيٍ عَالِي
I shall not forget those lessons, nor what
I do not forget those lessons, and what
they held of wisdom and lofty judgment.
they held of wisdom and lofty judgment.
كُلُّall مَاthat which مَرَّpassed مِنْof صِبايَmy youth أَرَاهُI see it
كُلُّ مَا مَرَّ مِنْ صِبايَ أَرَاهُ
بُعِثَwas revived الْيَوْمَtoday خَاطِراًas a thought فِيin بَالِيmy mind
بُعِثَ الْيَوْمَ خَاطِراً فِي بَالِي
All that has passed from my youth I see
All that passed in my youth I see
revived today as a thought within my mind.
revived today as a thought in my mind.
أَسَفاًalas أَنْthat تَبِينَyou depart يَاO فخْرَpride عصْرٍan age
أَسَفاً أَنْ تَبِينَ يَا فخْرَ عصْرٍ
طَوْقَتْهُgarlanded it يدَاكَyour two hands بِالأَفْضَالِwith benefactions
طَوْقَتْهُ يدَاكَ بِالأَفْضَالِ
Alas that you should depart, O glory of my age,
Alas that you should depart, O pride of an age
which your hands adorned with favors.
which your hands garlanded with benefactions.
أَنْتyou فِيهِin it أَنرْتَyou illumined شُماlofty مِنْamong الْهَاthe heads (partial word)
أَنْت فِيهِ أَنرْتَ شُما مِنْ الْهَا
مِcompletion of 'heads' فَكَانَتand they became هُدىًguidance لَهُfor it مِنْfrom ضَلاَلِerror
مِ فَكَانَت هُدىً لَهُ مِنْ ضَلاَلِ
Within it you kindled the sun of inspiration,
Within it, you illumined lofty heads,
and it became its guide out of error.
and they became its guidance out of error.
وَبِتَهْذِيبِكand through your cultivation الرجالmen إِلَىto قَوْpeople (partial word)
وَبِتَهْذِيبِك الرجال إِلَى قَوْ
مِكَyour (completes 'people') أَهْدَيْتَyou gave نُخبةًa choice group فِيamong الرِّجالِmen
مِكَ أَهْدَيْتَ نُخبةً فِي الرِّجالِ
By refining men, you bestowed upon your people
And through your cultivation of men, to your
a chosen company among men.
people you gave a choice company of men.
وبنَيتَand you built الأَبطَالَheroes عقلاًin intellect ونُبْلاًand in nobility
وبنَيتَ الأَبطَالَ عقلاً ونُبْلاً
ولعَمْرِيand by my life هُمthey خِيرةُthe best of الأبْطَالِheroes
ولعَمْرِي هُم خِيرةُ الأبْطَالِ
You fashioned heroes in intellect and nobility,
And you built heroes in intellect and nobility;
and, by my life, they are the choicest heroes.
by my life, they are the finest of heroes.
زَادincreased شِجْوِيmy grief أَنِthat انْتَأَيِتyou went far away وقَدْand perhaps
زَاد شِجْوِي أَنِ انْتَأَيِت وقَدْ
تحْسبُنِيyou think me سَالِياًconsoled وَلَسْتُand I am not بِسالِيat all consoled
تحْسبُنِي سَالِياً وَلَسْتُ بِسالِي
My grief increased when you went far away, though
My grief grew because you went far away, though
you may think me consoled; I am not consoled.
you may think me consoled, but I am not.
مِنamong مُنَىwishes النفْسِthe soul كَانwas مرآكَseeing you عِنْدِيto me
مِن مُنَى النفْسِ كَان مرآكَ عِنْدِي
ومِنَand among السؤلِdesire أَنْthat تجِيبَyou answer سُؤَالِيmy question
ومِنَ السؤلِ أَنْ تجِيبَ سُؤَالِي
Among my soul’s desires was the sight of you,
To me, seeing you was among the soul's wishes,
and among my wishes, that you answer my question.
and among my desires was that you answer my question.
غَيْرhowever أَنِّيthat I لَمْdid not يَدْعُنِيcall me الشوْقَlonging إِلاَّexcept
غَيْر أَنِّي لَمْ يَدْعُنِي الشوْقَ إِلاَّ
حالstood دُونَin the way of اللَّقَاءِmeeting فَرْطُexcess of اشْتِغَالِbusyness
حال دُونَ اللَّقَاءِ فَرْطُ اشْتِغَالِ
Yet longing would give me no rest; only
Yet longing never called me without
an excess of duties stood between me and our meeting.
excessive busyness barring our meeting.
أَيهاO المُسْتَرِيحُyou who rest راحةَthe ease of ذِيone possessing ديْنٍa debt
أَيها المُسْتَرِيحُ راحةَ ذِي ديْنٍ
تَأَدَّاهُcollected it بعْدَafter طُولَa long period of مَطَالِdelayed payment
تَأَدَّاهُ بعْدَ طُولَ مَطَالِ
O you now resting with the relief of a debtor
O you who rest with a creditor's ease,
who has paid his debt after long delay.
having recovered his debt after long delay.
مَاwhat حَياةُa life عُمرانُهَاits construction مِنْfrom بَقَاياremnants
مَا حَياةُ عُمرانُهَا مِنْ بَقَايا
هدْمِهَاits demolition وَالْجَدِيدْand the new نَسْجُweaving الْبالِيthe worn-out
هدْمِهَا وَالْجَدِيدْ نَسْجُ الْبالِي
What is life, whose edifice rises from remnants
What is life, whose building comes from the remnants
of its own ruin, while the new is woven from the worn?
of its ruin, and whose new fabric is woven from the worn-out,
وسِنُوهاand its years قَصُرْنَwere short أَوْor طُلْنwere long همُّa sorrow
وسِنُوها قَصُرْنَ أَوْ طُلْن همُّ
وَأحِدٌone and the same فِيin الْقِصارِthe short ones أَوْor فِيin الطوالِthe long ones
وَأحِدٌ فِي الْقِصارِ أَوْ فِي الطوالِ
And its years, whether shortened or prolonged—the burden
and whose years, short or long, are a sorrow
is one and the same in the short and in the long.
one and the same, in the short years or the long?
إِنَّماonly اللحْدُthe grave عِنْدَهُat it الْحدthe limit لِلتَّنْكِيدِto misery
إِنَّما اللحْدُ عِنْدَهُ الْحد لِلتَّنْكِيدِ
وَالسُّهدِand sleeplessness وَالْكُروبِand sorrows الثِّقَالِheavy
وَالسُّهدِ وَالْكُروبِ الثِّقَالِ
Only the grave, for man, marks the end of affliction,
Only at the grave is there an end to misery,
sleeplessness, and crushing cares.
to sleeplessness and heavy sorrows.
وَبِهِand through it ينتَهِيends التَّفَاوُتُinequality بَيْنamong الخلْقِhumankind
وَبِهِ ينتَهِي التَّفَاوُتُ بَيْن الخلْقِ
وَالتَّفْرِقَاتُand disparities فِيin الآجالِlifespans
وَالتَّفْرِقَاتُ فِي الآجالِ
Through it, disparities among humankind come to an end,
And there, inequality among people ends,
as do the differences in their allotted spans.
as do disparities in lifespans.
فَألْقَso receive خَيرَthe best الجَزاءِreward عنْfor كُلِّall ماthat which
فَألْقَ خَيرَ الجَزاءِ عنْ كُلِّ ما
أَسْلَفْتَهُyou sent it ahead مِنْof جَلاَئِلِgreat الأعمَالِdeeds
أَسْلَفْتَهُ مِنْ جَلاَئِلِ الأعمَالِ
So receive the finest recompense for all that
So may you receive the best reward for all
you rendered beforehand in magnificent deeds.
the noble deeds you have sent ahead.
وَسلاَمٌand peace علَيكَupon you فِيin روْضَةٍa garden تُرis watered (partial word)
وَسلاَمٌ علَيكَ فِي روْضَةٍ تُر
وىcompletion of 'is watered' بِعفوٍby pardon مِنْfrom رَبِّكyour Lord المُتَعالِيthe Exalted
وى بِعفوٍ مِنْ رَبِّك المُتَعالِي
And peace be upon you in a garden watered
And peace upon you in a garden
by forgiveness from your Lord Most High.
watered by pardon from your Lord, the Exalted.
Sol 6.1