فِيكَin you خَطْبُthe calamity of الْعُلَىgreatness فَدَحْwas grievous
فِيكَ خَطْبُ الْعُلَى فَدَحْ
إِذْwhen تَوَلَّيْتَyou departed يَاO فَرَحْFarah
إِذْ تَوَلَّيْتَ يَا فَرَحْ
Greatness suffered a grievous loss in you,
In you is the lofty discourse appealed
when you departed, O Farah.
When you turned away, O joy.
عَثْرَةٌa fall دُونَless than; beneath رَوْعِهَاits terror
عَثْرَةٌ دُونَ رَوْعِهَا
عَثْرَةُthe fall of النَّسرِthe eagle إِذْwhen جَنَحْit veered
عَثْرَةُ النَّسرِ إِذْ جَنَحْ
A fall whose terror eclipsed
A stumble before its pasture
the eagle's fall when it veered.
Is the eagle's stumble when it flew.
إنَّindeed فَأْلاًa good omen بِهِby it دَعَوْthey named (beginning of دعوك)
إنَّ فَأْلاً بِهِ دَعَوْ
كَyou (ending of دعوك) تَنَاهِىended إِلىin; toward تَرَحْgrief
كَ تَنَاهِى إِلى تَرَحْ
Indeed, the good omen by which they named
For in it is a portent called
you ended in grief.
As perishing to consolation.
بُحَّwas made hoarse صَوْتٌa voice لأُمَّةٍfor a nation
بُحَّ صَوْتٌ لأُمَّةٍ
أَسِفَgrieved الْفَضْلُexcellence أَنْthat يُبَحُّit should be made hoarse
أَسِفَ الْفَضْلُ أَنْ يُبَحُّ
A nation's voice grew hoarse;
The voice of a nation roared
excellence grieved that it should grow hoarse.
Nobleness was saddened to roar.
يَاalas لَهُfor him كَوْكَباًa star خَبَاgrew dim
يَا لَهُ كَوْكَباً خَبَا
يَاalas لَهُfor him مُتْعَباًweary رَزَحْhe sank under his burden
يَا لَهُ مُتْعَباً رَزَحْ
Alas for him—a star gone dim!
Oh what a fading star it was!
Alas for him—weary and weighed down!
Oh what a burdened soul it bore!
مَاتَdied نَدْبٌa noble man بِمِثْلِهِwith one like him
مَاتَ نَدْبٌ بِمِثْلِهِ
قَلَّمَاrarely عَصْرُهُhis age سَمَحْbestowed
قَلَّمَا عَصْرُهُ سَمَحْ
A noble man has died, whose like
None can mourn the like of him
his age had rarely bestowed.
Rarely did his time allow.
كَانَhe was بِالْحَزْمِwith firmness ضَابِطاًrestraining
كَانَ بِالْحَزْمِ ضَابِطاً
نَازِعَthe impulse of النَّفسِthe soul إِنْif جَمَحْit ran wild
نَازِعَ النَّفسِ إِنْ جَمَحْ
With firmness he held in check
He was composed with wisdom
the soul's impulse whenever it ran wild.
Wrestled the soul if it raged.
يُدْرِكُattains المَطْلَبَthe goal الأَشَـthe most arduous (beginning)
يُدْرِكُ المَطْلَبَ الأَشَـ
ـقَّmost arduous (ending) وَفِيand in عَزْمِهِhis resolve مَرَحْjoy
ـقَّ وَفِي عَزْمِهِ مَرَحْ
He attained the most arduous goal,
He attains the most sincere desire
with joy in his resolve.
And in his resolve is ease.
لَيْسَnot تَثْنِيهِturns him aside عِلَّةٌan ailment
لَيْسَ تَثْنِيهِ عِلَّةٌ
فَرْطَowing to the degree مَاto which الرُّوحُthe spirit فِيهِwithin him صحَّwas sound
فَرْطَ مَا الرُّوحُ فِيهِ صحَّ
No illness could turn him aside,
His duplication is no defect
so sound was the spirit within him.
However much the soul in him verified.
مَنْwhoever يَعِشْlives عَْشa life (apparently عيش) مَاa noble man (beginning of ماجد) جِدٍa noble man (ending of ماجد)
مَنْ يَعِشْ عَْش مَا جِدٍ
نَهْدُهُhis striving (reading uncertain) بَعْدَهُafter him وَضَحْbecame clear
نَهْدُهُ بَعْدَهُ وَضَحْ
Whoever lives a noble life—
Whoever lives the life of seriousness
his striving stands clear after him.
Its guide after him shone.
إِمْضِgo on فِيin الْجِدِّearnest effort وَانْتَهِزْand seize
إِمْضِ فِي الْجِدِّ وَانْتَهِزْ
فُرَصَopportunities for المَجدْدِglory (apparently المجد) مَاwhenever تُتَحْthey are offered
فُرَصَ المَجدْدِ مَا تُتَحْ
Press on in earnest effort, and seize
Go on in seriousness and seize
opportunities for glory whenever they arise.
The opportunities of renewal that unfold.
أَيُّwhat مَعْنىًmeaning لِعِيشَةٍfor a life
أَيُّ مَعْنىً لِعِيشَةٍ
فِيin اغْتِبَاقٍevening drinking وَمُصْطَبَحْand a morning draught
فِي اغْتِبَاقٍ وَمُصْطَبَحْ
What meaning has a life
What meaning is there to a life
spent in evening draughts and morning cups?
Of indulgence and self-seeking!
يُعَمرُis made enduring الْعُمْرُlife بِالعُلَىthrough greatness
يُعَمرُ الْعُمْرُ بِالعُلَى
ذَلِكَthat المَذْهَبُthe way الأَصَحُّthe soundest
ذَلِكَ المَذْهَبُ الأَصَحُّ
Life is made enduring through greatness;
Life is built with the sublime
that is the soundest way.
That is the most proper way.
أَسَفاًalas أَنْthat يَبِينَhe should depart مَنْone who
أَسَفاً أَنْ يَبِينَ مَنْ
دُونَshort of أَوصَافِهِhis qualities المِدَحْpraises
دُونَ أَوصَافِهِ المِدَحْ
Alas, that one should depart
Alas, he who makes clear
whose qualities surpass all praise!
Other than his traits of praise.
كَانَwas أَنْطُونُAntun كَاتِباًa writer
كَانَ أَنْطُونُ كَاتِباً
بِالهُدَىwith guidance صَدْرُهُhis breast انْشَرَحْopened wide
بِالهُدَى صَدْرُهُ انْشَرَحْ
Antun was a writer;
Anton was a scribe
his breast opened wide with guidance.
With guidance, his chest expanded.
زينَwas adorned خُلْقاًin character وَخِلْقَةًand in physical form
زينَ خُلْقاً وَخِلْقَةً
بِالغَوَالِيwith precious things مِنَamong المِنَحْgifts
بِالغَوَالِي مِنَ المِنَحْ
He was adorned in character and form
Adorned with manners and character
with precious gifts.
With the most noble of gifts.
وَعَلَىand upon ذِهْنِهِhis mind الْخُلُوpurity (beginning of الخلوص)
وَعَلَى ذِهْنِهِ الْخُلُو
صُpurity (ending of الخلوص) بِمَاwith whatever شَاءَهُhe desired it فَتَحْopened
صُ بِمَا شَاءَهُ فَتَحْ
And purity, for his mind,
And his exclusive mind
unlocked whatever he desired.
Opened to what it desired.
وَلَهُand he had مِنْamong بِدَائِعِwonders of الْفِكْـthought (beginning of الفكر)
وَلَهُ مِنْ بِدَائِعِ الْفِكْـ
ـرِthought (ending of الفكر) مَاthat which قَلمَاrarely سَنَحْarose
ـرِ مَا قَلمَا سَنَحْ
And he possessed wonders of thought
And he had of the wonders of thought
such as seldom arise.
What rarely presented itself.
يَجِدُfinds الطَّرْفُthe eye بَيْنَهَاamong them
يَجِدُ الطَّرْفُ بَيْنَهَا
طُرَفاًmarvels كُلَّمَاwhenever سَرَحْit roamed
طُرَفاً كُلَّمَا سَرَحْ
The eye finds among them
The eye finds between them
marvels whenever it roams.
An eye each time it wandered.
عَشِقَloved الْحَقَّنthe truth (apparently الحق) وَالَّذِيand whoever
عَشِقَ الْحَقَّن وَالَّذِي
يَعْشِقُloves الْحَقَّthe truth مُفْتَضَحْdisgraced
يَعْشِقُ الْحَقَّ مُفْتَضَحْ
He loved truth; and whoever
He loved the truthful, and whoever
loves truth is disgraced
Loves the truth is exposed.
بَيْنَamong جِيلٍa generation عَدُوِّhostile to مَنْwhoever
بَيْنَ جِيلٍ عَدُوِّ مَنْ
قَالَspoke صِدْقَاًtruthfully وَمَنْand whoever نَصَحgave sincere counsel
قَالَ صِدْقَاً وَمَنْ نَصَح
among a generation hostile to whoever
Between a generation enemy to whoever
speaks honestly, and whoever gives sincere counsel.
Spoke truthfully and advised.
أَلْمَحَبَّاتُaffections وَالْكَرَامَاand honors (beginning of الكرامات)
أَلْمَحَبَّاتُ وَالْكَرَامَا
تُhonors (ending of الكرامات) فِيهِمْamong them لِمَنْfor whoever نَجَحْsucceeded
تُ فِيهِمْ لِمَنْ نَجَحْ
Affection and honors
The beloved and the generous among them
among them belong to whoever succeeds.
Only for whoever succeeded.
رَسَبَsank الطَّبعُnatural character بَيْنَهُمْamong them
رَسَبَ الطَّبعُ بَيْنَهُمْ
وَعَلاand rose كُلَّevery مُصْطَلَحْconvention
وَعَلا كُلَّ مُصْطَلَحْ
Natural character sank among them,
Nature corrupted between them
and every convention rose.
And every terminology elevated.
فَتَوَطَّنso make your home in الأَوْجِthe zenith يَاO
فَتَوَطَّن الأَوْجِ يَا
مَنْyou who شَدَاsang to الأَرْضَthe earth إِذْwhen نَزَحْhe departed
مَنْ شَدَا الأَرْضَ إِذْ نَزَحْ
So dwell at the zenith, O
So anguish settled, O you
you who sang to the earth when you departed.
Who traversed the earth when it shook.
وَتَبَدَّلْand exchange مِنْin place of بُؤْسِthe misery of أَيَّاdays (beginning of أيامك)
وَتَبَدَّلْ مِنْ بُؤْسِ أَيَّا
مِكَyour (ending of أيامك) الخُلْدَeternity فِيin فَرَحْjoy
مِكَ الخُلْدَ فِي فَرَحْ
And exchange the misery of your days
And your eternal abode changed
for eternity in joy.
From the misery of your days to joy.
Sol 6.1