الناسُpeople ماas long as لَمnot يَرَوكَsee you أَشباهُalike
الناسُ ما لَم يَرَوكَ أَشباهُ
وَالدَهرُand time لَفظٌa word وَأَنتَand you مَعناهُits meaning
وَالدَهرُ لَفظٌ وَأَنتَ مَعناهُ
People are alike until they see you.
People are mere phantoms until they look upon you,
And time is a word, and you are its meaning.
And Time is but a word, while you are its meaning.
وَالجودُand generosity عَينٌan eye وَأَنتَand you ناظِرُهاits pupil
وَالجودُ عَينٌ وَأَنتَ ناظِرُها
وَالبَأسُand valor باعٌan arm-span وَأَنتَand you يُمناهُits right hand
وَالبَأسُ باعٌ وَأَنتَ يُمناهُ
And generosity is an eye, and you are its pupil.
Generosity is an eye, and you are its vision,
And valor is an arm-span, and you are its right hand.
And Might is an outstretched arm, with you as its right hand.
أَفديI would ransom الَّذيthe one whom كُلُّevery مَأزِقٍa battlefield strait حَرِجٍcramped
أَفدي الَّذي كُلُّ مَأزِقٍ حَرِجٍ
أَغبَرَdust-gray فُرسانُهُits horsemen تَحاماهُshunned him
أَغبَرَ فُرسانُهُ تَحاماهُ
I would ransom him whom every cramped battlefield—
I ransom him whom every tight, critical strait—
Its horsemen gray with dust—shuns.
Dusty from battle, and shunned by other knights—he dares to face.
أَعلىthe highest part قَناةِspear الحُسَينِal-Husayn أَوسَطُهاits middle
أَعلى قَناةِ الحُسَينِ أَوسَطُها
فيهِin it وَأَعلىand the highest part الكَمِيَّthe armored warrior رِجلاهُhis two feet
فيهِ وَأَعلى الكَمِيَّ رِجلاهُ
The highest part of al-Husayn’s spear is its middle
The highest point of al-Husayn's spear becomes its middle,
There, and the armored warrior’s highest part is his feet.
Buried in the foe, whose feet become his highest point.
تُنشِدُrecite أَثوابُناour garments مَدائِحُهُhis praises
تُنشِدُ أَثوابُنا مَدائِحُهُ
بِأَلسُنٍwith tongues مالَهُنَّthey have no أَفواهُmouths
بِأَلسُنٍ مالَهُنَّ أَفواهُ
Our garments recite his praises
Our very garments recite his eulogies,
With tongues that have no mouths.
With tongues that possess no mouths.
إِذاwhen مَرَرناwe pass عَلىby الأَصَمِّthe deaf man بِهاin them
إِذا مَرَرنا عَلى الأَصَمِّ بِها
أَغنَتهُspared him the need عَنfor مِسمَعَيهِhis two ears عَيناهُhis two eyes
أَغنَتهُ عَن مِسمَعَيهِ عَيناهُ
When, wearing them, we pass a deaf man,
If we passed by a deaf man wearing them,
His eyes spare him the need for his ears.
His eyes would suffice him in place of his ears.
سُبحانَglory be to مَنthe One who خارَchose what was best لِلكَواكِبِfor the stars بِالـwith the
سُبحانَ مَن خارَ لِلكَواكِبِ بِالـ
ـبُعدِremoteness وَلَوand if نِلنَthey were reached كُنَّthey would be جَدواهُhis gifts
ـبُعدِ وَلَو نِلنَ كُنَّ جَدواهُ
Glory to Him who favored the stars with
Glory to Him who chose distance for the stars,
Remoteness; and were they within reach, they would be his gifts.
For had they been reachable, they would be his gift.
لَوif كانَwere ضَوءُthe light الشُموسِthe suns فيin يَدِهِhis hand
لَو كانَ ضَوءُ الشُموسِ في يَدِهِ
لَصاعَهُwould scatter it جودُهُhis generosity وَأَفناهُand exhaust it
لَصاعَهُ جودُهُ وَأَفناهُ
If the light of the suns were in his hand,
If the light of the suns were held within his hand,
His generosity would scatter it and exhaust it.
His generosity would scatter it until it was gone.
ياO راحِلاًdeparting one كُلُّeveryone مَنwho يُوَدِّعُهُbids him farewell
يا راحِلاً كُلُّ مَن يُوَدِّعُهُ
مُوَدِّعٌbidding farewell to دينَهُhis faith وَدُنياهُand his worldly life
مُوَدِّعٌ دينَهُ وَدُنياهُ
O departing one, whoever bids him farewell
O departing one, anyone who bids him farewell,
Bids farewell to his faith and his worldly life.
Is bidding farewell to his religion and his world.
إِنif كانَthere is فيماin what نَراهُwe see it مِنof كَرَمٍgenerosity
إِن كانَ فيما نَراهُ مِن كَرَمٍ
فيكَin you مَزيدٌfurther increase فَزادَكَthen may He increase you اللَهُGod
فيكَ مَزيدٌ فَزادَكَ اللَهُ
If the generosity we see
If there is, in the nobility we witness in you,
In you can grow still greater, may God grant you more.
Room for increase, then may God increase you.
Sol 6.1