سألتُI asked النَّاسَthe people، والموتىand the dead أجابواthey answered:
سألتُ النَّاسَ، والموتى أجابوا:
مُحالٌimpossible ماno لمِنْfor those who ذَهبواhave gone إيابُreturn
مُحالٌ ما لمِنْ ذَهبوا إيابُ
I questioned the people; the dead replied:
I asked the people, and the dead replied:
Return is impossible for those who have gone.
Impossible—there is no return for those who have gone.
كمَاlike نَبْلٍarrows رمَتْهاshot them القوسُthe bow غَدْرًاtreacherously
كمَا نَبْلٍ رمَتْها القوسُ غَدْرًا
فماso not آبتْthey returned، وماand not فاءَreturned المصابُthe stricken one!
فما آبتْ، وما فاءَ المصابُ!
Like an arrow treacherously loosed by the bow,
Like arrows treacherously loosed by the bow,
it never came back, nor did its stricken victim!
So they did not return, nor did the stricken one!
نُعاقرُwe drink deeply فيin رِوَىًquenched thirst كأسَcup المناياdeaths
نُعاقرُ في رِوَىً كأسَ المنايا
ويقتلُناand kills us علىin ظمأٍthirst سَرابُa mirage
ويقتلُنا على ظمأٍ سَرابُ
We drink our fill from the cup of death,
With thirst quenched, we quaff the cup of death,
yet a mirage kills us in our thirst.
And a mirage kills us in our thirst.
أبيmy father فيin قبضةgrip الدنياthe world تداعىcollapsed
أبي في قبضة الدنيا تداعى
نَحيلَthin الجسمِthe body تُثقِلهُweigh him down الثِّيابُthe clothes
نَحيلَ الجسمِ تُثقِلهُ الثِّيابُ
My father, in the grip of this world, gave way,
My father collapsed in the world's grip,
so slight of body that his clothes weighed him down.
Thin of body, weighed down by his clothes.
وجاؤواand they came يَحْمِلونَcarrying النَّعشَthe bier فَرْدًاalone
وجاؤوا يَحْمِلونَ النَّعشَ فَرْدًا
تُشيِّعـهُescorts him to burial المـآذنُthe minarets والقِبـابُand the domes
تُشيِّعـهُ المـآذنُ والقِبـابُ
They came carrying the solitary bier,
And they came bearing the solitary bier,
escorted by the minarets and domes.
The minarets and domes escorting him to burial.
توارَىhe vanished فيin الثَّرىthe soil وأدارَand turned ظَهْرًاback
توارَى في الثَّرى وأدارَ ظَهْرًا
إلىon دُنياa world بهاin it القُرْبُcloseness اغترابُestrangement
إلى دُنيا بها القُرْبُ اغترابُ
He vanished into the earth and turned his back
He vanished into the soil and turned his back
on a world where nearness itself is estrangement.
On a world where closeness is estrangement.
مَضىhe departed، لاno شيءَthing فيin يُسراهُhis left hand يُرجىis hoped for
مَضى، لا شيءَ في يُسراهُ يُرجى
وفيand in يمناهُhis right hand يبتسمُsmiles الكتابُthe book
وفي يمناهُ يبتسمُ الكتابُ
He passed on: nothing in his left hand to hope for,
He departed, with nothing in his left hand to hope for,
while in his right hand the Book smiled.
And in his right hand the book smiles.
وقفتُI stood بقبرهِat his grave أنْعيI lament وأبكيand I weep
وقفتُ بقبرهِ أنْعي وأبكي
علىfor وجهٍa face تغمَّدهُshrouded it الترابُthe dust
على وجهٍ تغمَّدهُ الترابُ
At his grave I stood, lamenting and weeping
I stood at his grave, lamenting and weeping
over a face the earth had shrouded.
For a face the dust had shrouded.
ولولاand were it not for أنَّthat دمْعًاtears فاضَoverflowed منِّيfrom me
ولولا أنَّ دمْعًا فاضَ منِّي
لصاحَwould have cried out القبرُthe grave: أمْطَرنيrained on me السَّحابُthe clouds
لصاحَ القبرُ: أمْطَرني السَّحابُ
Had no tears overflowed from me,
And had tears not overflowed from me,
the grave would have cried: “Let the clouds rain on me!”
The grave would have cried: “The clouds have rained on me!”
فَقلتُso I said: الآنَnow تعذِرُنيyou forgive me وننْسىand we forget
فَقلتُ: الآنَ تعذِرُني وننْسى
بأنَّthat الموتَdeath يكملهُcompletes it الغيابُabsence
بأنَّ الموتَ يكملهُ الغيابُ
So I said: “Now you will excuse me, and we shall forget
So I said: “Now you forgive me, and we forget
that absence is what completes death.”
That absence completes death.”
Sol 6.1