يَاO فَاقِدَyou who have lost الوَلَدِthe son الوَحِيدِthe only one عَجَبْتُI marveled مِنْat
يَا فَاقِدَ الوَلَدِ الوَحِيدِ عَجَبْتُ مِنْ
دَاءٍan illness عَصَاكَdefied you وَطَالَمَاand so often أَخْضَعْتَهُyou subdued it
دَاءٍ عَصَاكَ وَطَالَمَا أَخْضَعْتَهُ
O you who have lost your only son, I marvel at
O you who lost your only son, I wondered at
an illness that defied you, though so often you subdued it.
An illness that defied you, though you oft subdued it,
لَوْif كَانَhad been طِبٌّmedicine شَافِياًhealing لَشَفَيْتَهُyou would have healed him
لَوْ كَانَ طِبٌّ شَافِياً لَشَفَيْتَهُ
أَوْor كَانَhad been حُبٌّlove نَافِعاًbeneficial لَنَفَعْتَهُyou would have helped him
أَوْ كَانَ حُبٌّ نَافِعاً لَنَفَعْتَهُ
Had medicine been able to heal, you would have healed him;
Had it been a healing medicine, you would have healed him,
or had love been of use, you would have helped him.
Or a beneficial love, you would have benefited him.
أَوْشَكْتَyou came close مِنْthrough عِلْمٍknowledge وَمِنْand through بِرٍّkindness بِهِtoward him
أَوْشَكْتَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ وَمِنْ بِرٍّ بِهِ
أَنْto تَمْطُلَdelay repaying الأَقْدَارَthe Fates مَاwhat اسْتَوْدَعْتَهُyou entrusted to safekeeping
أَنْ تَمْطُلَ الأَقْدَارَ مَا اسْتَوْدَعْتَهُ
Through knowledge and kindness toward him, you almost managed
You almost compelled fate with your knowledge and piety
to withhold from the Fates what you had entrusted to them.
To prolong what it had entrusted.
لَكِنْbut أَطَلْتَyou prolonged بِالاِبْتِدَاعِthrough invention بَقَاءهُhis survival
لَكِنْ أَطَلْتَ بِالاِبْتِدَاعِ بَقَاءهُ
فَأَطَالَso prolonged فِيهِin him السُّقْمَthe sickness مَاwhat أَبْدَعْتَهُyou devised it
فَأَطَالَ فِيهِ السُّقْمَ مَا أَبْدَعْتَهُ
Yet through invention you prolonged his life,
But you petitioned fate to prolong his life,
so what you devised prolonged his sickness.
So sickness lingered in what you had created.
وَلَقَدْand indeed سَمَاhe rose high خُلُقاًin character وَعَزَّand was noble نَقِيبةًin nature
وَلَقَدْ سَمَا خُلُقاً وَعَزَّ نَقِيبةً
وَغَلاand was precious حُلىًin adornments فلأَجْلِso because of ذَاكَthat أَضَعْتَهُyou lost him
وَغَلا حُلىً فلأَجْلِ ذَاكَ أَضَعْتَهُ
Indeed, he was lofty in character and noble in nature,
He had a noble character and was a lofty chief,
and precious in his adornments; for that reason you lost him.
He wore precious jewelry, and so you cherished him.
وَفَرَتْabounded بِهِin him غُرًُّshining الخِلالِthe virtues فَقَصَّرَتْso fell short
وَفَرَتْ بِهِ غُرًُّ الخِلالِ فَقَصَّرَتْ
كَلِمُthe words المُؤْبِّنِof the eulogist أَنْto تُوَفِيfully convey نَعْتَهُhis description
كَلِمُ المُؤْبِّنِ أَنْ تُوَفِي نَعْتَهُ
Shining virtues abounded in him, beyond the power of
The best of traits were delighted with him, cutting short
the eulogist's words to describe him fully.
The words of the elegist to eulogize him.
وَاليَوْمَand today آمَالُthe hopes الفَضَائِلِof the virtues وَالعُلَىand glory
وَاليَوْمَ آمَالُ الفَضَائِلِ وَالعُلَى
يَحْفُلْنَthey throng فِيat تَشْيِيعِthe funeral procession of مَنْthe one whom شَيَّعْتَهُyou escorted him to his grave
يَحْفُلْنَ فِي تَشْيِيعِ مَنْ شَيَّعْتَهُ
And today the hopes of virtue and glory
Today hopes for virtues and loftiness
throng the funeral procession of the one you escorted to his grave.
Throng at the funeral of him you buried.
يَاO أَيُّهَاyou المُتَغَرِّبُthe one far from home الفَطِنُthe discerning الَّذِيwho
يَا أَيُّهَا المُتَغَرِّبُ الفَطِنُ الَّذِي
بِكَfor you ضَاقَhad no room دَهْرُكَyour age ظَالِماًunjustly وَوَسِعْتَهُand you encompassed it
بِكَ ضَاقَ دَهْرُكَ ظَالِماً وَوَسِعْتَهُ
O discerning one far from home, for whom
O wise expatriate whom
your age unjustly had no room, though you had room for it.
Hardship has straitened, though you have eased it.
أَكْبَرْتُI admired مِنْكَin you نُهىًwisdom وَعَاجِلَand early خِبْرَةٍexperience
أَكْبَرْتُ مِنْكَ نُهىً وَعَاجِلَ خِبْرَةٍ
أَنْto تُزْمِعَyou resolve upon السَّفَرَthe journey الَّذِيthat أَزْمَعْتَهُyou resolved upon it
أَنْ تُزْمِعَ السَّفَرَ الَّذِي أَزْمَعْتَهُ
I admired your wisdom and early insight
I forbid you to meditate upon the journey you contemplate,
in resolving upon the journey you resolved upon.
For I have great maturity and immediate experience.
وَحَقِيقَةٌand a truth فِيabout العُمْرِlife أَنَّكَthat you مُخْسِرٌincur a loss
وَحَقِيقَةٌ فِي العُمْرِ أَنَّكَ مُخْسِرٌ
بِشِرَائِهِby buying it وَمُوَفَّقٌand fortunate إِنْif بِعْتَهُyou sell it
بِشِرَائِهِ وَمُوَفَّقٌ إِنْ بِعْتَهُ
And the truth about life is that you lose
It is true in life that you lose
by buying it, and are fortunate if you sell it.
By buying it, and prosper if you sell it.
لَكِنَّنِيbut I أَبْكِيweep لأُمٍّfor a mother ثَاكِلٍbereaved
لَكِنَّنِي أَبْكِي لأُمٍّ ثَاكِلٍ
فَجَّعْتَهَاyou bereaved her وَلِوَالِدٍand for a father فَجَّعْنَهُthey bereaved him
فَجَّعْتَهَا وَلِوَالِدٍ فَجَّعْنَهُ
But I weep for a bereaved mother
But I weep for a bereaved mother,
whom you bereaved, and for a father whom they bereaved.
You have aggrieved her, and a father you have aggrieved.
وَلَسَوْفَand surely will أَنْظُرُI look at كُلَّevery غُصْنٍbranch زَاهِرٍblossoming
وَلَسَوْفَ أَنْظُرُ كُلَّ غُصْنٍ زَاهِرٍ
فَأَرَاكَso I see you عُدْتَyou returned بِهِin it وَقَدْand already نَوَّعْتَهُyou gave it varied forms
فَأَرَاكَ عُدْتَ بِهِ وَقَدْ نَوَّعْتَهُ
And I shall surely look at every blossoming branch
I will look upon every flowering branch,
and see you returned in it, having given it varied forms.
And see you brought it, having diversified it.
Sol 6.1