فَدَاحَةُthe enormity of الخَطْبِthe calamity أَبْكَتْنِيmade me weep عَلَيْكَfor you دَماًblood
فَدَاحَةُ الخَطْبِ أَبْكَتْنِي عَلَيْكَ دَماً
أَلَيْسَdoes not يَنْصُبُruns dry (probable reading) دَمْعُthe tears of المَرْءِa man إِنْwhen هَرِمَاhe grows old
أَلَيْسَ يَنْصُبُ دَمْعُ المَرْءِ إِنْ هَرِمَا
The grievous enormity of this calamity has made me weep blood over you.
The enormity of the calamity made me weep blood for you.
Do a man’s tears not stream forth when he grows old?
Do a man's tears not run dry when he grows old?
إِليَاسُElias لَيْسَis not بِسَهْلٍeasy مَاwhat أَلَمَّbefell بِنَاus
إِليَاسُ لَيْسَ بِسَهْلٍ مَا أَلَمَّ بِنَا
لَمَّاwhen هَوَيْتَyou fell وَكُنْتَand you were المُفْرَدthe peerless one العَلَماthe beacon
لَمَّا هَوَيْتَ وَكُنْتَ المُفْرَد العَلَما
Elias, what has befallen us is no easy thing,
Elias, what has befallen us is no light matter,
when you fell—you who were the peerless standard.
When you fell, you who were the peerless beacon.
أَيُّwhich of الرجَالِmen فَقَدْنَاwe have lost يَاO بَنِيsons of وَطَنِيmy homeland
أَيُّ الرجَالِ فَقَدْنَا يَا بَنِي وَطَنِي
بِفَقْدِنَاthrough our losing الأَرِيحيِّthe noble-hearted الصَّادِقِthe truthful الفَهَماthe discerning
بِفَقْدِنَا الأَرِيحيِّ الصَّادِقِ الفَهَما
What a man we have lost, O sons of my homeland,
What a man we have lost, O sons of my homeland,
in losing one so generous-spirited, truthful, and discerning—
In losing that noble-hearted, truthful, discerning man,
الكَاسِبِthe earner of الرِّزْقِa livelihood مَشْغُولاًoccupied بِقِسْمَتِهِwith sharing it
الكَاسِبِ الرِّزْقِ مَشْغُولاً بِقِسْمَتِهِ
كَأَنَّهُas though he لِذَوِيfor those with الحَاجَاتِneeds قَدْalready قَسَمَاhad apportioned
كَأَنَّهُ لِذَوِي الحَاجَاتِ قَدْ قَسَمَا
one who earned his livelihood while intent on sharing it,
Who earned his livelihood intent on sharing it,
as though it had already been allotted to those in need.
As though he had already allotted it to those in need!
سَلْask كلَّevery مَنْقَبَةٍvirtue عَنْهُabout him وَمَحْمَدَةٍand praiseworthy deed
سَلْ كلَّ مَنْقَبَةٍ عَنْهُ وَمَحْمَدَةٍ
سَلِask الهُدَىguidance وَالنَّدَىand bounty وَالصَّفْحَand forgiveness وَالكَرَمَاand generosity
سَلِ الهُدَى وَالنَّدَى وَالصَّفْحَ وَالكَرَمَا
Ask every virtue about him, and every praiseworthy deed;
Ask every virtue and praiseworthy deed about him;
ask right guidance, openhandedness, forgiveness, and magnanimity.
Ask guidance, bounty, forgiveness, and generosity.
جَلَّتْwere exalted مَرامِيهِhis aims عَنْbeyond فَخْرٍglory يُقَلِّدُهُthat adorns him
جَلَّتْ مَرامِيهِ عَنْ فَخْرٍ يُقَلِّدُهُ
وَقَصْدُهُand his purpose عَنْabove أبَاطِيلِthe vanities of الحَيَاةِlife سَمَاrose
وَقَصْدُهُ عَنْ أبَاطِيلِ الحَيَاةِ سَمَا
His aspirations rose above any glory he might wear,
His aims transcended any glory that might adorn him,
and his purpose soared above the vanities of life.
And his purpose rose above life's vanities.
فِيin كُلevery حَالٍcircumstance تَرَاهُyou see him رَاضِياًcontent لَبِقَاtactful
فِي كُل حَالٍ تَرَاهُ رَاضِياً لَبِقَا
وَلاand not تَرَاهُyou see him بِحَالٍin any state مُمْنِقاًunclear in the supplied text بَرِمَاvexed
وَلا تَرَاهُ بِحَالٍ مُمْنِقاً بَرِمَا
In every circumstance you found him content and gracious,
In every circumstance you see him content and tactful,
and never, in any circumstance, resentful or weary.
And never do you see him, in any state, [unclear] or vexed.
وَقَدْand sometimes يُبَادِيءُtakes the initiative with بِالحُسْنَىwith kindness مُنَاوِئَهُhis adversary
وَقَدْ يُبَادِيءُ بِالحُسْنَى مُنَاوِئَهُ
وَلَمْand not يَكُنْwas مِنْagainst مُسِيءٍa wrongdoer قَطever مُنْتَقِمَاtaking revenge
وَلَمْ يَكُنْ مِنْ مُسِيءٍ قَط مُنْتَقِمَا
He would be the first to meet even his adversary with kindness,
And he would sometimes be first to show his adversary kindness,
and was never vindictive toward anyone who wronged him.
And never took revenge on a wrongdoer.
وَمَاand not يُكَافِحُhe fights إِلاَّexcept البُؤْسَmisery حَيْثُwherever بَدَاit appeared
وَمَا يُكَافِحُ إِلاَّ البُؤْسَ حَيْثُ بَدَا
وَمَاand not يُنَافِحُhe battles إِلاَّexcept الشَّكْلَbereavement (probable reading) وَاليُتُمَاand orphanhood
وَمَا يُنَافِحُ إِلاَّ الشَّكْلَ وَاليُتُمَا
He fought nothing but misery, wherever it appeared,
And he fought nothing but misery, wherever it appeared,
and struggled against nothing but oppression and orphanhood.
And battled nothing but bereavement and orphanhood.
تُجِيبُanswer سَائِلَهُhis questioner عَنْهُabout him فَغَائِلُهُhis deeds (probable reading)
تُجِيبُ سَائِلَهُ عَنْهُ فَغَائِلُهُ
وَمَاand not يَعُدُّcounts عَلَيْهِagainst him السَّامِعthe listener الكَلِمَاthe words
وَمَا يَعُدُّ عَلَيْهِ السَّامِع الكَلِمَا
His virtues answer anyone who asks about him,
His deeds answer anyone who asks about him,
and no listener can recount a word against him.
And no listener counts words against him.
وَقَدْand perhaps يَكُونُis كَبِيرُthe great man of القَوْمِthe people مُحْتَشِمَاmodest
وَقَدْ يَكُونُ كَبِيرُ القَوْمِ مُحْتَشِمَا
وَلاand not يَكُونُis صَغِيرُthe lesser man of القَوْمِthe people مُحْتَشِمَاmodest
وَلا يَكُونُ صَغِيرُ القَوْمِ مُحْتَشِمَا
Even the chief of a people might stand in reverent awe before him,
A great man among his people may be modest,
yet the lowliest among them would never feel intimidated.
While a lesser man among them is not modest.
بَنِيsons of حَبِيبٍHabib أُعَزيكُمْI console you وَلِيand I have كَبَدٌa liver
بَنِي حَبِيبٍ أُعَزيكُمْ وَلِي كَبَدٌ
مَقْرُوحَةٌwounded وَفُؤَادٍand a heart يَشْتَكِيcomplains of السِّقَمَاsickness
مَقْرُوحَةٌ وَفُؤَادٍ يَشْتَكِي السِّقَمَا
O sons of my beloved, I console you, though my very liver is
O sons of Habib, I console you, though my own liver is
sorely wounded, and my heart complains of sickness.
Wounded, and my heart complains of sickness.
حُزْنِيmy grief كَحُزْنِكُمُlike your grief لَكِنَّbut لِيI have أَمَلاًa hope
حُزْنِي كَحُزْنِكُمُ لَكِنَّ لِي أَمَلاً
فِيكُمُin you يُلَطِّفُsoftens حُزْنَthe sorrow of النَّفْسِthe soul وَالأَلَمَاand pain
فِيكُمُ يُلَطِّفُ حُزْنَ النَّفْسِ وَالأَلَمَا
My grief is like your grief; yet I have a hope
My grief is like yours, yet I have a hope
in you that softens the soul’s grief and pain.
In you that softens the soul's sorrow and pain.
أَنْتُمْyou لَنَاfor us قُدْوَةٌan example فِيin كُلevery تَبْصِرَةٍmatter of discernment
أَنْتُمْ لَنَا قُدْوَةٌ فِي كُل تَبْصِرَةٍ
وَفِيand in الطَّلِيعَةِthe vanguard مِنَّاamong us إِنْif نُسِرْwe march قَدَمَاforward
وَفِي الطَّلِيعَةِ مِنَّا إِنْ نُسِرْ قَدَمَا
You are an example to us in every clear-sighted judgment,
You are our model in every matter of discernment,
and stand at our forefront whenever we advance.
And at our vanguard if we march ahead.
إِليَاسُElias مَاas long as دُمْتُمْyou live وَاللهand God يَحْفَظُكُمْpreserves you
إِليَاسُ مَا دُمْتُمْ وَالله يَحْفَظُكُمْ
بَاقٍlives on بِأَعْقَابِهِthrough his descendants فَالعِقْدُfor the necklace مَاnot انْفَصَمَاhas snapped
بَاقٍ بِأَعْقَابِهِ فَالعِقْدُ مَا انْفَصَمَا
Elias—so long as you remain, and may God preserve you—
Elias—as long as you live, and may God preserve you—
lives on in his descendants; the bond has not been broken.
Lives on through his descendants, for the necklace has not snapped.
وَلاand no انْفِصَامٌbreak إِذَاif أَبْنَاؤُهُhis sons وَرَثُواinherit
وَلا انْفِصَامٌ إِذَا أَبْنَاؤُهُ وَرَثُوا
تِلْكَthose الشَّمَائِلِdispositions والآدَابَand manners وَالشِّيَمَاand virtues
تِلْكَ الشَّمَائِلِ والآدَابَ وَالشِّيَمَا
Nor can there be a rupture when his sons inherit
Nor is there any break if his sons inherit
those noble qualities, manners, and fine traits.
Those dispositions, manners, and virtues.
رُدُّواturn back إِلَىto حِكْمَةِthe wisdom of المَولىthe Lord ضَمَائِرِكُمْyour inmost thoughts
رُدُّوا إِلَى حِكْمَةِ المَولى ضَمَائِرِكُمْ
وَهَلْand is there مُرَدٌّany reversal لِحِكْمِof the decree of اللهِGod إِنْif حَكَمَاHe decrees
وَهَلْ مُرَدٌّ لِحِكْمِ اللهِ إِنْ حَكَمَا
Refer your consciences to the Lord’s wisdom;
Turn your inmost thoughts back to the wisdom of the Lord;
can God’s judgment be averted once He has judged?
And can God's decree be reversed when He decrees?
فَاللهُfor God أَكْرَمُmost generous إَنْif يَعْجِلْHe hastens بِثَوْبَتِهِwith his reward (probable reading)
فَاللهُ أَكْرَمُ إَنْ يَعْجِلْ بِثَوْبَتِهِ
وَاللهُand God أَرْحَمُmost merciful لِلْعَبْدِto the servant الَّذِيwho رَحِمَاshowed mercy
وَاللهُ أَرْحَمُ لِلْعَبْدِ الَّذِي رَحِمَا
For God is more generous when He hastens His reward,
For God is most generous if He hastens his reward,
and God is more merciful to the servant who showed mercy.
And God is most merciful to the servant who showed mercy.
Sol 6.1