حَسْرَةٌsorrow أيُّwhat a أنْthat تَبِينِيyou depart
حَسْرَةٌ أيُّ أنْ تَبِينِي
وَأَرَانِيand I find myself فِيin مَوْقِفِa position التَّأْبِينِeulogy
وَأَرَانِي فِي مَوْقِفِ التَّأْبِينِ
What sorrow, that you should depart,
What sorrow that you are gone
and I find myself standing to eulogize you.
And I am left lamenting alone
آهِAh! مِنْfor هَذِهِthis الْحَيَاةِlife وَمِنْand for سُخْرِيَةِmockery
آهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْحَيَاةِ وَمِنْ سُخْرِيَةِ
النُّبْلِnobility وَالصِّفَاتِand qualities الْعُيُونِchoice
النُّبْلِ وَالصِّفَاتِ الْعُيُونِ
Ah, for this life, and for its mockery of
Alas, this life and its cruel jest
nobility and choice qualities!
That mocks all noble traits possessed
رَبَّةَmistress of الْقَصْرِthe palace بِتِّyou spent the night فِيin ظُلْمَةِthe darkness of الْقَبْرِthe grave
رَبَّةَ الْقَصْرِ بِتِّ فِي ظُلْمَةِ الْقَبْرِ
رَهِيناًa captive بِهِwithin it وَأيُّand what a رَهِينِcaptive
رَهِيناً بِهِ وَأيُّ رَهِينِ
Mistress of the palace, you passed the night in the grave's darkness,
The palace's lady now lies in the grave
a captive within it—and what a captive!
Imprisoned there, what prisoner could that enslave
لاَnot تُجِيبِينَyou answer أَدْمُعِيmy tears سَائِلاتٍquestioning
لاَ تُجِيبِينَ أَدْمُعِي سَائِلاتٍ
وَعَزِيزٌand painful عَلَىَّto me ألاَّthat ... not تُبِيِنيyou speak
وَعَزِيزٌ عَلَىَّ ألاَّ تُبِيِني
You do not answer my questioning tears,
My weeping eyes implore in vain
and it pains me that you do not speak.
I can hardly bear your lack of reply
أفَمَاthen, do ... not? تَسْمَعِينَyou hear إِنْشَادِيَmy recitation الشِّعْرَpoetry
أفَمَا تَسْمَعِينَ إِنْشَادِيَ الشِّعْرَ
وَكُنْتِand you were الطَّرُوبَenraptured إنْwhenever تَسْمَعينيyou hear me
وَكُنْتِ الطَّرُوبَ إنْ تَسْمَعيني
Do you not hear my recitation of verse,
Do you not hear my poetry and song?
when you once rejoiced to hear me?
You were happiest when hearing me sing along
يَاO مِثَالَmodel of الْكَمَالِperfection فِيin حْرَّةِnoble الطَّبْnature (first part)
يَا مِثَالَ الْكَمَالِ فِي حْرَّةِ الطَّبْ
عِcompletion of 'nature' وَفِيand in دُرَّةِa pearl of الْجَمَالِbeauty المَصُونِguarded
عِ وَفِي دُرَّةِ الْجَمَالِ المَصُونِ
O model of perfection in noble nature,
Perfection's epitome in all beauty and grace
and in the pearl of guarded beauty!
And chastity's model that none can replace
يَجْتَلِيbeholds مَنْwhoever يَرَاكِsees you لُطْفَthe grace of ابتِسامٍa smile
يَجْتَلِي مَنْ يَرَاكِ لُطْفَ ابتِسامٍ
صَانَهُguarded it الثَّغْرُthe mouth صَوْنَguarding مَالِthe wealth of الضَّسِينِthe miser (likely intended)
صَانَهُ الثَّغْرُ صَوْنَ مَالِ الضَّسِينِ
Whoever sees you beholds the grace of a smile,
Your smile illumines all who see your face
which your lips guarded as a miser guards his wealth.
Guarded by lips that modesty does trace
مَاnot ابْتِسَامُthe smile of الْهِلاَلِthe crescent فِيamid الشَّكِّdoubt أجْلَىclearer
مَا ابْتِسَامُ الْهِلاَلِ فِي الشَّكِّ أجْلَى
مِنْهُthan it نُوراًin radiance بِأعْيُنِin the eyes of المُسْتَبِينِthe discerning observer
مِنْهُ نُوراً بِأعْيُنِ المُسْتَبِينِ
The crescent's smile amid doubt is no clearer
The crescent's smile cannot compare in delight
in radiance than that smile to a discerning observer's eyes.
To your gleaming radiance shining bright
فِعْلُهُits effect فِيon الْجُفُونِthe eyelids كَالمِرْوَدِlike a kohl-stick الشَّاhealing (first part)
فِعْلُهُ فِي الْجُفُونِ كَالمِرْوَدِ الشَّا
فِيcompletion of 'healing' وَقَدْand already مَرَّit passed نَاعِماًgently فِيover الْجُفُونِthe eyelids
فِي وَقَدْ مَرَّ نَاعِماً فِي الْجُفُونِ
Its effect on the eyelids is like a healing kohl-stick,
Its touch on eyelids is like balsam sweet
when it has passed gently over the eyelids.
Caressing gently those brows it does meet
أيُّwhat زَوْجٍwife وَفَتْwas faithful وَفَاءَكَyour fidelity أيَّاdays (first part)
أيُّ زَوْجٍ وَفَتْ وَفَاءَكَ أيَّا
مَcompletion of 'days' التَّلاَقِيcompanionship وَبَعْدَهَاand after them لِلْقَرِينِto the spouse
مَ التَّلاَقِي وَبَعْدَهَا لِلْقَرِينِ
What wife matched your fidelity, in the days
What husband ever matched your troth?
of companionship and afterward, toward her spouse,
Those days of union and then sorrow both
وَأعَزَّبْand honored (likely intended) ذِكْرَاهُhis memory مَيْتاًwhen dead بِمَاin a way that لَمْnot (past negation)
وَأعَزَّبْ ذِكْرَاهُ مَيْتاً بِمَا لَمْ
يُرْوَwas recounted عَنْabout أيِّمٍa widow وَلاَnor عنْabout خَدِينِan intimate friend
يُرْوَ عَنْ أيِّمٍ وَلاَ عنْ خَدِينِ
and honored his memory after death in a way never
Left him immortalized though dead
recounted of a widow or an intimate friend?
By the tears of no wife or cheek instead
أيُّwho بَرَّتْshowed kindness كَبِرِّكِlike your kindness كَبِرِّكِlike your kindness بِابْنُto a son
أيُّ بَرَّتْ كَبِرِّكِ كَبِرِّكِ بِابْنُ
جَعَلَتْهُshe made him المِثَالَthe model بَيْنَamong الْبنِينِsons
جَعَلَتْهُ المِثَالَ بَيْنَ الْبنِينِ
What woman was as kind as you—as kind as you—to a son
What mother ever showed a nobler sense
whom she made a model among sons,
Of raising children with such excellence
وَرَعَتْهُand she nurtured him فَحَلso he settled مِنْfrom ذُرْوَةِthe summit of العَلْيَاءِglory
وَرَعَتْهُ فَحَل مِنْ ذُرْوَةِ العَلْيَاءِ
فِيin ذلِكَthat المَحَلِّthe station الأمِينِsecure
فِي ذلِكَ المَحَلِّ الأمِينِ
and nurtured him till he settled on the summit of glory,
She reared him to utmost heights attained
in that secure station,
To that trustworthy, exalted position ordained
وَجَلَتْand she revealed فِيin بَنَاتِهَاher daughters منof حِلاَهَاher graces
وَجَلَتْ فِي بَنَاتِهَا من حِلاَهَا
خَيْرَthe finest مَاwhat رَاعَdazzled فِيin النُّهَىminds وَالْعُيُونِand eyes
خَيْرَ مَا رَاعَ فِي النُّهَى وَالْعُيُونِ
and revealed in her daughters, of her own graces,
And instilled in her daughters, from her own repute
the finest things that dazzled minds and eyes?
The finest virtues, chastely astute
وَأَرَيْتِand you showed المُرْتَابَthe doubter فِيabout كُلِّevery أُنْثَىwoman
وَأَرَيْتِ المُرْتَابَ فِي كُلِّ أُنْثَى
أَيْنَwhere مَهْوَىthe place of falling الْشُّكُوكِdoubts دُونَbelow الْيقِينِcertainty
أَيْنَ مَهْوَى الْشُّكُوكِ دُونَ الْيقِينِ
And you showed the one suspicious of every woman
She showed the skeptic, suspicious of all the race
where doubts plunge below certainty.
Where doubt loses place to certainty's grace
إنَّindeed مِنْهُنَّamong them كَالمَلائِكِlike the angels أَطْهَاpure (first part)
إنَّ مِنْهُنَّ كَالمَلائِكِ أَطْهَا
راًcompletion of 'pure' نَقَايَاspotless بِرَغْمِdespite كُلِّevery ظَنُوِنِdoubter
راً نَقَايَا بِرَغْمِ كُلِّ ظَنُوِنِ
Indeed, among them are women pure as angels,
Some women are pure as any angel's heart
spotless, despite every doubter,
Despite the slanders against them from the start
نَابِهَاتِdistinguished النُفُوسِsouls إنْif هُذِّبْwere refined (verb fragment)
نَابِهَاتِ النُفُوسِ إنْ هُذِّبْ
نَthey (feminine plural ending) يُحِطْنَthey safeguard الْحجَىreason بِخُلْقٍwith moral character حَصِينِimpregnable
نَ يُحِطْنَ الْحجَى بِخُلْقٍ حَصِينِ
distinguished in spirit; if they are refined,
With cultivation, souls aspire to greatness
they guard reason with impregnable character,
And overcome those casting stones of hatefulness
قَادِرَاتٍcapable عَلَىof مُكَافَحَةِcontending with الدَّهْtime (first part)
قَادِرَاتٍ عَلَى مُكَافَحَةِ الدَّهْ
رِcompletion of 'time' بِعَزْمٍwith resolve ثَبْتٍsteadfast وَحِلْمٍand forbearance رَصِينِsober
رِ بِعَزْمٍ ثَبْتٍ وَحِلْمٍ رَصِينِ
capable of contending with time,
Able to battle vice with steadfast belief
with steadfast resolve and sober forbearance.
In patient wisdom that brings relief
أيُّwhat قَوْمٍpeople هَانَwere insignificant النِّسَاءُwomen عَلَيْهِمْto them
أيُّ قَوْمٍ هَانَ النِّسَاءُ عَلَيْهِمْ
وَنَجَوْاand they escaped فِيin بِلاَدِهِمْtheir land منfrom هُونِhumiliation
وَنَجَوْا فِي بِلاَدِهِمْ من هُونِ
What people have held women in contempt
What people scorned women and yet prevailed
and escaped humiliation in their own land?
In their nations, from such dishonor unveiled?
فُجِعَتْwas bereaved مِصْرَEgypt فِيof فَرِيدَةِa matchless pearl عِقْدٍa necklace
فُجِعَتْ مِصْرَ فِي فَرِيدَةِ عِقْدٍ
أيْنَwhere مِنهَاcompared with her الْفَرِيدُthe rare jewel فِيin التَّثْمِينِvaluation
أيْنَ مِنهَا الْفَرِيدُ فِي التَّثْمِينِ
Egypt is bereaved of a necklace's matchless pearl;
Egypt laments her unmatched, peerless treasure
what rare jewel could equal her in value?
What jewel compared in worth or measure?
كُلُّall أفْعَالِهَاher deeds صَرِيحٌopenly known سِوَىexcept
كُلُّ أفْعَالِهَا صَرِيحٌ سِوَى
إعْطَائِهَاher giving لِلْيَتِيمِto the orphan وَالمِسْكِينِand the needy
إعْطَائِهَا لِلْيَتِيمِ وَالمِسْكِينِ
All her deeds were plain to see, except
All her deeds were charity except for
her giving to the orphan and the needy.
Giving to orphan, poor, and needy evermore
كُلُّall أفكَارِهَاher thoughts بَدِيعٌwondrous وَلاَand not يُصْطَادُis caught
كُلُّ أفكَارِهَا بَدِيعٌ وَلاَ يُصْطَادُ
إلاَّexcept كَاللُّؤْلُؤِlike pearls المَكْنُونِhidden
إلاَّ كَاللُّؤْلُؤِ المَكْنُونِ
All her thoughts were wondrous, and none could be caught
Every thought she had was brilliant creation
except like a hidden pearl.
Beyond capture, like pearls under the ocean
فَلْتَفُزْso may she win بِالرِّضَىwith favor منfrom اللهGod وَلْتَغْنَمْand may she gain بِهِاthrough it (irregular spelling)
فَلْتَفُزْ بِالرِّضَى من الله وَلْتَغْنَمْ بِهِا
الخُلْدَeternal life فِيin قَرَارٍan abode مَكِينِsecure
الخُلْدَ فِي قَرَارٍ مَكِينِ
So may she win favor from God, and through it gain
Rejoice for God's blessing, eternally earned
eternal life in a secure abode.
In enduring, peaceful rest well-discerned
وَلْيَكُنْand may there be فِيin الأَسَىsorrow العَمِيمِall-encompassing عَلَيْهَاfor her
وَلْيَكُنْ فِي الأَسَى العَمِيمِ عَلَيْهَا
هَيْرُbest (likely intended) سَلْوَىsolace لِكُلِّfor every قَلْبٍheart حَزِينِsorrowful
هَيْرُ سَلْوَى لِكُلِّ قَلْبٍ حَزِينِ
And may there be, in the universal sorrow for her,
Let solace for her reside in each aggrieved heart
the best solace for every grieving heart.
And her memory comfort every soul, apart
Sol 6.1