خَطْبَانِtwo calamities قَدْindeed تَتَابَعَاfollowed one another وَأحْرَبَاand brought ruin
خَطْبَانِ قَدْ تَتَابَعَا وَأحْرَبَا
لِمَاbecause of what أَصَابَbefell الثَّاكِلَthe bereaved parent المُنْتَحِبَاthe sobbing one
لِمَا أَصَابَ الثَّاكِلَ المُنْتَحِبَا
Two calamities followed one another and brought ruin
Two sermons followed one another while the bereaved mother grieved
through what befell the bereaved, sobbing man.
For what befell her who lost her babies
أَنْضَبَran dry مَاءُthe water عَيْنِهِof his eye مِمَّاfrom how much بِكَىhe wept
أَنْضَبَ مَاءُ عَيْنِهِ مِمَّا بِكَى
نَجْلَيْهِhis two children حَتَّىuntil قَلْبُهُhis heart تَصَبَّباpoured forth
نَجْلَيْهِ حَتَّى قَلْبُهُ تَصَبَّبا
The water of his eye ran dry from weeping
Her eyes dried up from all her crying for her two boys until her heart was saturated
for his two children, until his very heart poured forth.
Joseph, grief is indeed severely overwhelming
يُوسُفُYusuf أَنَّindeed الرُّزْءَthe bereavement جِدُّvery فَادِحٌgrievous
يُوسُفُ أَنَّ الرُّزْءَ جِدُّ فَادِحٌ
فَارْجَعْso turn back إِلَىto العَقْلِreason إِذاwhen الطَّبْعُnatural disposition أَبَىresists
فَارْجَعْ إِلَى العَقْلِ إِذا الطَّبْعُ أَبَى
Yusuf, the bereavement is truly grievous;
So return to reason even if your innate disposition refuses
so turn to reason when your nature resists.
Were you not in everything you experienced
أَلَمْdid ... not? تَكُنْyou were فِيin كُلِّall مَاthat مَارَسْتَهُyou experienced it
أَلَمْ تَكُنْ فِي كُلِّ مَا مَارَسْتَهُ
مَنْone who عَرَكَwrestled with الدَّهْرَTime وَرَاضَand tamed المَصْعَبَاthe unruly
مَنْ عَرَكَ الدَّهْرَ وَرَاضَ المَصْعَبَا
Have you not been, in all you have experienced,
One who contends with fate and is pleased with tribulation?
one who wrestled with Time and tamed the unruly?
A decree from God has occurred so be patient with it
حِكْمٌa decree مِنَfrom اللهِGod جَرَىcame to pass فَاصْبِرْso be patient لَهُwith it
حِكْمٌ مِنَ اللهِ جَرَى فَاصْبِرْ لَهُ
وَعَلَّand perhaps صَبْراًpatience يَدْرَأُwards off المَغْيَبَاthe unseen
وَعَلَّ صَبْراً يَدْرَأُ المَغْيَبَا
A decree from God has come to pass; bear it patiently,
And equip yourself with patience that wards off the unseen
and perhaps patience will ward off what lies unseen.
Your two remaining children intercede for you
شَفْعٌaccept as intercessors بِطِفْلَيْكَfor your two children اللَّذَيْنِwho both بَقَيَاremained
شَفْعٌ بِطِفْلَيْكَ اللَّذَيْنِ بَقَيَا
لَكَto you المَلاَكَيْنِthe two angels اللَّذَيْنِwho both ذَهَبَاdeparted
لَكَ المَلاَكَيْنِ اللَّذَيْنِ ذَهَبَا
Accept as intercessors, for your two children who remain
Two angels in place of the two who are gone
to you, the two angels who have gone.
Strengthen your soul and carry their burden strenuously
وَاشْدُدْand strengthen قِوَىthe powers of رُوحَكَyour spirit وَاحْمِلْand bear جَاهِداًstriving
وَاشْدُدْ قِوَى رُوحَكَ وَاحْمِلْ جَاهِداً
عِبْئَيْهِمَاtheir two burdens أَلَسْتَare you not لِلْكُلِّto all أَبَa father
عِبْئَيْهِمَا أَلَسْتَ لِلْكُلِّ أَبَ
And strengthen your spirit's powers, and strive to bear
Are you not capable of it all?
both their burdens—are you not a father to them all?
When the shade stretches, what is their state?
إِذَاif ضَحَاrecedes ظِلُّكَyour shade مَاwhat حَالُهُمَاtheir condition
إِذَا ضَحَا ظِلُّكَ مَا حَالُهُمَا
مُعَاقَبَينِboth punished وَهُمَاthough they both مَاnot أَذْنَبَاhave sinned
مُعَاقَبَينِ وَهُمَا مَا أَذْنَبَا
If your shade recedes, what will become of them,
Chastised when they are innocent
punished though neither has done wrong?
O you whose kindness and opening his palms
يَاO مَنْyou who بِعَطْفِهِthrough his compassion وَبَسْطِand the outstretching of كَفِّهِhis hand
يَا مَنْ بِعَطْفِهِ وَبَسْطِ كَفِّهِ
كَفَىshielded الضِّعافَthe weak المُعْدَمِينَthe destitute النُّوَباmisfortunes
كَفَى الضِّعافَ المُعْدَمِينَ النُّوَبا
O you who, through your kindness and outstretched hand,
Sufficed the weak and needy
shielded the weak and destitute from misfortunes,
And eased life for those who found it constricted
وَوَسَّعand made ample العَيْشَlivelihood لَمَنْfor those who ضَاقَwas straitened بِهِمْfor them
وَوَسَّع العَيْشَ لَمَنْ ضَاقَ بِهِمْ
فَجَعَلَso made العَيْشَlife لَهُمْfor them مُحَبَّباdear
فَجَعَلَ العَيْشَ لَهُمْ مُحَبَّبا
and made life ample for those in straits,
Making life beloved to them
and so made life dear to them,
How can their misery be when they are deprived of
كَيْفَhow يَكُونُwill be بُؤْسُهُمْtheir misery إِنْif حُرِمُواthey are deprived of
كَيْفَ يَكُونُ بُؤْسُهُمْ إِنْ حُرِمُوا
ذَاكَthat النَّصيرَprotector الأَرْيحيَّthe generous الحَدَبَاthe compassionate
ذَاكَ النَّصيرَ الأَرْيحيَّ الحَدَبَا
what will their misery be if they are denied
That sympathetic crippled one
that generous, compassionate protector?
And the elect—most of them are desolate
وَالأَصْفِياءُand the true friends الكُثْرُthe many مَاwhat وَحْشَتُهُمْtheir loneliness
وَالأَصْفِياءُ الكُثْرُ مَا وَحْشَتُهُمْ
إِنْif فَقَدواthey lose أُنْسَthe companionship of الصَّفيِّthe close friend المُجْتَبَىthe chosen one
إِنْ فَقَدوا أُنْسَ الصَّفيِّ المُجْتَبَى
And your many true friends—how lonely will they be
If they lose the company of the chosen beloved
if they lose the companionship of their chosen, cherished friend?
You are a nation whose youth is the desired
وَأُمَّةand a nation أَنْتَyou فَتَاهَاits young man المُرْتَجَىthe hoped-for one
وَأُمَّة أَنْتَ فَتَاهَا المُرْتَجَى
فِيin كُلِّall مَاthat which تَبْغِيit seeks وََيَنْأَىand lies far off مَطْلَبَاas a goal
فِي كُلِّ مَا تَبْغِي وََيَنْأَى مَطْلَبَا
And a nation whose hoped-for champion you are
In all that you seek and every pursuit
in all it seeks that remains a distant goal—
Do not sever a tie that gave you power
لاَdo not تَقْطَعَنَّever sever سَبَباًa bond عَزَّتْit gained honor بِهِthrough it
لاَ تَقْطَعَنَّ سَبَباً عَزَّتْ بِهِ
وَلَمْand not يَكُنْwas إِلاّكَexcept you ذَاكَthat السَّببَاbond
وَلَمْ يَكُنْ إِلاّكَ ذَاكَ السَّببَا
do not sever a bond through which it gained honor,
And none but you were that tie
and that bond was none other than you.
Duruys was a flower in her splendor
دُرويسُDurwis كَانَتْwas فِيin حَلاَهَاher loveliness زَهْرَةًa flower
دُرويسُ كَانَتْ فِي حَلاَهَا زَهْرَةً
والْيَومَand today أْسَتْhas become فِيin عَلاَهاher heights كَوكَبَاa star
والْيَومَ أْسَتْ فِي عَلاَها كَوكَبَا
Durwis was a flower in her loveliness,
And today she is a star in her loftiness
and today she has become a star on high.
The most beautiful of girls, most chaste of manners
أَبْهَىthe loveliest of البَنَاتِgirls صُورَةًin form أَنْقَىthe purest of
أَبْهَى البَنَاتِ صُورَةً أَنْقَى
اللَّدَاتِfemale peers سِيرَةًin conduct أَعَفَّهنَّthe chastest of them مَشْرَباin disposition
اللَّدَاتِ سِيرَةً أَعَفَّهنَّ مَشْرَبا
The loveliest of girls in form, the purest
The gentlest of them in nature
of her peers in conduct, the chastest of them in disposition.
She passed through her life without attachment
مَرَّتْshe passed بِدُنْيَاهَاthrough her world فَلَمْbut did not تَأْتَلِفَاthe two harmonize
مَرَّتْ بِدُنْيَاهَا فَلَمْ تَأْتَلِفَا
وَلَيسَand it is not لِلْضِّدَيْنِfor the two opposites أَنْto يَصْطَحِبَاkeep company together
وَلَيسَ لِلْضِّدَيْنِ أَنْ يَصْطَحِبَا
She passed through her world, but the two never harmonized,
For opposites cannot accompany one another
and two opposites cannot keep company.
She knew nothing of it or from it except
فَمَاso not دَرَتْshe knew مِنْهَاfrom it وَلاَnor عَنْهَاabout it سِوَىexcept
فَمَا دَرَتْ مِنْهَا وَلاَ عَنْهَا سِوَى
ماwhat كَانَwas مَلْهَىa place of amusement طَاهِراًpure ومَلْعَباand a playground
ما كَانَ مَلْهَى طَاهِراً ومَلْعَبا
Thus she knew nothing from it or about it except
What was pure amusement and play
what was a pure place of amusement and play.
O mother, and you are the best example
يَاO أُمَّهاher mother وَأَنْتََِand you أَهْدَىthe best guiding قِدْوَةًexample
يَا أُمَّها وَأَنْتََِ أَهْدَى قِدْوَةً
للأُمَّهاتِfor mothers خُلُقاًin character وَأَدَبَاand good manners
للأُمَّهاتِ خُلُقاً وَأَدَبَا
O her mother, you are the best guiding example
To mothers in manners and morals
for mothers, in character and good manners.
Your living faith—and this is its time—
إِيمَانُكِyour faith الحَيِّliving وَهّذَاand this وَقْتُهُits time
إِيمَانُكِ الحَيِّ وَهّذَا وَقْتُهُ
يُهِّنeases الْبَلْوَىaffliction وَيَأْتِيand brings about العَجَبَاwonders
يُهِّن الْبَلْوَى وَيَأْتِي العَجَبَا
Your living faith—and this is its time—
Makes tribulation effortless and brings wonders
will ease affliction and work wonders.
Live, my Lord, for your two children for they
عِيشِيlive on وَرَبِّيand raise وَلَدَيْكِyour two children فَهُمَاfor they both
عِيشِي وَرَبِّي وَلَدَيْكِ فَهُمَا
يُعَزِّيَانِboth console الفَاقِدَthe bereaved المُحْتَسَباtrusting in God's reward
يُعَزِّيَانِ الفَاقِدَ المُحْتَسَبا
Live on, and raise your two children, for they
Will comfort the bereaved patient one
will console the bereaved who trusts in God's reward.
And tend to their father for how much
وَارْعَيْand care for أَبَاهُمَاtheir father فَمَاfor how أَحْوَجَهُgreatly he needs
وَارْعَيْ أَبَاهُمَا فَمَا أَحْوَجَهُ
إلىfor الَّتيthe woman who رَعَتْهُshe cared for him مِنْsince عَهْدِthe days of الصِّباyouth
إلى الَّتي رَعَتْهُ مِنْ عَهْدِ الصِّبا
And care for their father—how greatly he needs
He needs the one who tended him since childhood
the woman who has tended him since the days of youth!
In the Garden of God and in His Bliss
فِيin جَنَّةthe Paradise of اللهِGod وَفِيand in نَعِيمِهِHis bliss
فِي جَنَّة اللهِ وَفِي نَعِيمِهِ
مُغْتَرِبَانِtwo exiles عِنْدَهُwith Him مَاnot اغْتَرَباthey both became exiles
مُغْتَرِبَانِ عِنْدَهُ مَا اغْتَرَبا
In God's Paradise and in His bliss
They are lodged with Him, not expatriated
are two exiles who, with Him, are not exiles.
They were absent from eyes one morning
تَغَيَّباthey both vanished عَنِfrom العُيوُنِthe eyes غَدْوَةًone morning
تَغَيَّبا عَنِ العُيوُنِ غَدْوَةً
لَكِنْbut عَنِfrom الْقُلُوبِthe hearts مَاnot تَغَيَّباthey both vanished
لَكِنْ عَنِ الْقُلُوبِ مَا تَغَيَّبا
They vanished from sight one morning,
But from hearts they never went absent
but from hearts they have not vanished.
Partial English translation: 47 of 48 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1