أَقْسَمْتُI swore أَرْثيI lament بَعْدَafter تَوْبَةَTawba هالكاًa dead man
أَقْسَمْتُ أَرْثي بَعْدَ تَوْبَةَ هالكاً
وأَحْفِلُand I care about مَنْwhoever دارَتْturned عَلَيْهِupon him الدَّوائِرُthe reversals of fortune
وأَحْفِلُ مَنْ دارَتْ عَلَيْهِ الدَّوائِرُ
I swore to lament no dead man after Tawba,
I swear I will mourn you after your repentance, o perished one,
Nor to heed anyone upon whom fortune's reversals turn.
And I disregard those upon whom fortunes have turned.
لَعَمْرُكَby your life ماnot بالمَوْتِin death عارٌshame علىupon الفَتىthe young man
لَعَمْرُكَ ما بالمَوْتِ عارٌ على الفَتى
إذاif لَمْdid not تُصِبْهُbefall him فيin الحياةِlife المَعايرُdisgraces
إذا لَمْ تُصِبْهُ في الحياةِ المَعايرُ
By your life, there is no shame in death for a young man,
By your life! Death is no disgrace upon the youth,
If no disgrace has touched him in life.
If he is not afflicted in life by misfortunes.
ومَاand not أَحَدٌanyone حيٌّalive وإنْand even if عاشَhe lived سالِماًunharmed
ومَا أَحَدٌ حيٌّ وإنْ عاشَ سالِماً
بأخْلَدَany more enduring ممَّنْthan those whom غَيَّبتْهُhid him away المقابِرُthe graves
بأخْلَدَ ممَّنْ غَيَّبتْهُ المقابِرُ
And no one alive, though he has lived unharmed,
No one alive, even if he lives safely,
Is any more enduring than those the graves have hidden.
Is more immortal than one whom the graves have hidden.
ومَنْand whoever كانwas مِمّاat what يُحْدِثُbrings about الدَّهْرُTime جازِعاًdistraught
ومَنْ كان مِمّا يُحْدِثُ الدَّهْرُ جازِعاً
فلاso there is no بُدَّescape يَوْماًone day أنْthat يُرىhe be seen وهوwhile he is صابِرُpatient
فلا بُدَّ يَوْماً أنْ يُرى وهو صابِرُ
And whoever is distraught at what Time brings,
And whoever the days make anxious,
Must one day be seen enduring patiently.
Must one day be seen, and he is patient.
ولَيْسَand there is no لذِيfor one possessed of عَيشٍlife عنِfrom المَوْتِdeath مَقْصَرٌrefuge
ولَيْسَ لذِي عَيشٍ عنِ المَوْتِ مَقْصَرٌ
ولَيْسَand there is no عَلىin the face of الأيّامِthe days والدهرُand Time غابِرُsurvivor
ولَيْسَ عَلى الأيّامِ والدهرُ غابِرُ
And no living person has a refuge from death,
And he who lives has no escape from death,
And none outlasts the days and Time.
Nor can the days and time pass it by.
ولاnor الحيُّthe living ممّاfor what يُحْدِثُbrings about الدَّهْرُTime مُعتَبٌgranted redress
ولا الحيُّ ممّا يُحْدِثُ الدَّهْرُ مُعتَبٌ
ولاnor المَيْتُthe dead إنْif لَمْnot يَصْبِرِis patient الحيُّthe living ناشِرُrising again
ولا المَيْتُ إنْ لَمْ يَصْبِرِ الحيُّ ناشِرُ
Nor are the living granted redress for what Time brings,
Neither can the living blame the turns of fate,
Nor will the dead rise again if the living are not patient.
Nor the dead, unless the living show acceptance.
وكلُّand every شبابٍyouth أوor جَدِيدٍnew thing إلىtoward بِلىًdecay
وكلُّ شبابٍ أو جَدِيدٍ إلى بِلىً
وكُلُّand every امرِىءٍperson يَوْماًone day إلىto اللّهِGod صائِرُbound
وكُلُّ امرِىءٍ يَوْماً إلى اللّهِ صائِرُ
And all youth, or anything new, is bound for decay,
Every youth and freshness leads to decay,
And every person will one day go to God.
And every person one day goes to God.
وكُلُّand every قَرينَيْpair of companions إِلفَةٍaffection لِتَفَرُّقٍfor separation
وكُلُّ قَرينَيْ إِلفَةٍ لِتَفَرُّقٍ
شَتاتاًscattered apart وإنْand even if ضَنَّاboth begrudged parting وطالَand grew long التَّعاشُرُcompanionship
شَتاتاً وإنْ ضَنَّا وطالَ التَّعاشُرُ
And every pair joined in affection is destined to part,
Every pair of companions parts,
Scattered apart, though both resist parting and their companionship has been long.
Scattered, even if intimate and long together.
فلاso may not يُبْعِدَنْكَever cast you away اللّهُGod حيّاًalive ومَيِّتاًand dead
فلا يُبْعِدَنْكَ اللّهُ حيّاً ومَيِّتاً
أَخاO brother of الحَربِwar إِنْif دارَتْturned عَلَيْكَagainst you الدَّوائِرُthe reversals of fortune
أَخا الحَربِ إِنْ دارَتْ عَلَيْكَ الدَّوائِرُ
So may God not cast you away, alive or dead,
May God not distance you alive or dead,
O brother of war, if fortune's reversals turn against you.
O brother of war, if fortunes turn against you.
فآليْتُso I swore لاnot أَنْفَكُّI cease أَبْكِيكَI weep for you ماas long as دَعَتْcalled
فآليْتُ لا أَنْفَكُّ أَبْكِيكَ ما دَعَتْ
علىupon فَنَنٍa bough وَرْقاءُa gray dove أَوْor طارflew طائِرُa bird
على فَنَنٍ وَرْقاءُ أَوْ طار طائِرُ
So I swore never to cease weeping for you, as long as there coos
I have resolved never to cease weeping for you
Upon a bough a gray dove, or a bird takes flight.
As long as a bier or a bird stirs grief.
قَتِيلُslain بَنِيthe sons of عَوْفٍʿAwf فياso, oh لَهْفَتاmy anguish لَهُfor him
قَتِيلُ بَنِي عَوْفٍ فيا لَهْفَتا لَهُ
وماand not كُنْتُI was إِيَّاهُمْthem عَلَيْهِfor him أُحاذِرُI am wary of
وما كُنْتُ إِيَّاهُمْ عَلَيْهِ أُحاذِرُ
Slain by Banu ʿAwf—oh, my anguish for him!
Slain among the Bani Auf! Oh how I grieve for him!
Yet they were not the ones I feared for him.
I was not on guard against them taking his life.
ولكِنَّماbut rather أَخْشىI fear عَلَيْهِfor him قَبِيلَةًa tribe
ولكِنَّما أَخْشى عَلَيْهِ قَبِيلَةً
لَهاit has بدُرُوبِin the passes of الرُّومِthe Romans بَادٍnomads وحاضِرُand settled folk
لَها بدُرُوبِ الرُّومِ بَادٍ وحاضِرُ
Rather, what I feared for him was a tribe
Rather I fear for him a tribe,
With nomads and settled folk in the passes of the Romans.
Mighty and present in the lands of Rome.
Sol 6.1