ويلاهُwoe is me! منfor عُرسٍa wedding تحوَّلَturned into مأتَماa funeral
ويلاهُ من عُرسٍ تحوَّلَ مأتَما
ولذيذِand sweet عيشٍlife قدindeed تحوَّلَhas turned علقَماbitter colocynth
ولذيذِ عيشٍ قد تحوَّلَ علقَما
Alas for a wedding turned into a funeral,
Woe to a wedding turned into mourning,
And for a sweet life turned to bitter colocynth.
And a sweet life turned bitter.
لمnot يضحَكِlaugh المسرورُthe joyful man يومَon the day سرورهِof his joy
لم يضحَكِ المسرورُ يومَ سرورهِ
حتَّىuntil بكَىhe wept منfrom بعدهِafter it وتألَّماand suffered
حتَّى بكَى من بعدهِ وتألَّما
The joyful man had scarcely laughed on his day of joy
The joyous did not smile on his day of joy
Before he wept afterward and suffered.
Before he wept and felt pain afterwards.
ياO أيُّهاyou اللاهيthe heedless one بغفلتهِin his heedlessness انتَبِهْawaken
يا أيُّها اللاهي بغفلتهِ انتَبِهْ
إنindeed الحِمامَdeath يحومُhovers حولكَaround you فيin الحِمَىthe sanctuary
إن الحِمامَ يحومُ حولكَ في الحِمَى
O you lost in your heedlessness, awaken!
O you heedless in your neglect, be alert!
Indeed, death hovers around you within the sanctuary.
The pigeons hover around you cooing.
كمhow many باتَspent the night يندُبُlamenting نائحاًwailing فيin ليلهِhis night
كم باتَ يندُبُ نائحاً في ليلهِ
مَنthose who كانhad been يطرَبُrejoicing فيin الضُّحىmidmorning مُتَرَنِّماsinging
مَن كان يطرَبُ في الضُّحى مُتَرَنِّما
How many have spent their night lamenting and wailing,
How many a night did he moan weeping
Who had rejoiced at midmorning, singing!
Who at dawn was humming delighted.
عَرِّجْturn aside علىto غَرْبِthe west of البِلادthe land وسَلْand ask بهِin it
عَرِّجْ على غَرْبِ البِلاد وسَلْ بهِ
عَمَّاabout what أصابَbefell أميرَthe emir of قيسٍQays مُلحِماMulhim
عَمَّا أصابَ أميرَ قيسٍ مُلحِما
Turn aside to the west of the land, and ask there
Ask the west side where Qays stayed
About what befell Mulhim, emir of Qays.
About what befell the intrepid prince.
خَطِفَتْsnatched away كريمتَهُhis daughter المنيَّةُdeath ليلةًone night
خَطِفَتْ كريمتَهُ المنيَّةُ ليلةً
بسوادِهاwith its blackness وجهُthe face الصَّباحِof morning تَلثَّماwas veiled
بسوادِها وجهُ الصَّباحِ تَلثَّما
Death snatched away his daughter on a night
Death snatched his beloved one night
Whose blackness veiled the face of morning.
With its darkness, and dawn wore mourning.
قدindeed غابتِhas vanished الشَّمسُthe sun المنيرةُradiant فيin الدُّجَىthe darkness
قد غابتِ الشَّمسُ المنيرةُ في الدُّجَى
فبكىso it wept لفُرقَتِهاat her parting الشِّهابُthe shooting star وأظلَماand grew dark
فبكى لفُرقَتِها الشِّهابُ وأظلَما
The radiant sun has vanished into the darkness,
The shining sun set in the gloom,
So the shooting star wept at her parting and grew dark.
So the shooting star wept and darkened.
هَبَطَتshe descended إلىinto جوفِthe depths of الثَّرَىthe earth مِنfrom بُرْجهاher tower
هَبَطَت إلى جوفِ الثَّرَى مِن بُرْجها
فعلاso rose صُراخُthe cries of النَّادباتِthe mourning women إلىto السَّماthe sky
فعلا صُراخُ النَّادباتِ إلى السَّما
She descended from her tower into the depths of the earth,
It descended into the belly of the earth from its tower,
And the cries of the mourning women rose to the sky.
And the wailing of grieving women rose to the sky.
غابتshe vanished ولمand not يَنصلْfade خِضابُthe dye of زِفافهاher wedding
غابت ولم يَنصلْ خِضابُ زِفافها
عنfrom أعينٍeyes خَضَبَتstained مَحاجِرهاtheir sockets دَماwith blood
عن أعينٍ خَضَبَت مَحاجِرها دَما
She vanished before her bridal dye had faded
She passed away before the henna of her wedding faded
From eyes that stained their sockets with blood.
From eyes whose lids were dyed with blood.
وتَسربَلَتand she robed herself ثوبَa robe of البياضِwhite فالبَسَتso she clothed
وتَسربَلَت ثوبَ البياضِ فالبَسَت
مَنthose حولهاaround her ثوبَa robe of السَّوادِblack الأدهماjet-black
مَن حولها ثوبَ السَّوادِ الأدهما
And she donned a robe of white, thereby clothing
She took off her white dress and put on
Those around her in a robe of deepest black.
The deep mourning clothes of those around her.
خانَbetrayed الزَّمانُtime بهاthrough her أباهاher father ظالماًunjustly
خانَ الزَّمانُ بها أباها ظالماً
مَنone whom لمnot يكنْwas أحدٌanyone بهِagainst him مُتظلِّماcomplaining of injustice
مَن لم يكنْ أحدٌ بهِ مُتظلِّما
Time unjustly betrayed her father through her—
Time betrayed her father unjustly—
One against whom no one had a grievance.
For none had complained against him.
والٍa governor تغيَّرَتِhave changed الوُلاةُthe governors بأسرهاall of them
والٍ تغيَّرَتِ الوُلاةُ بأسرها
وأقامَand remained ثابتَsteadfast in دولةٍrule متقدِّماforemost
وأقامَ ثابتَ دولةٍ متقدِّما
A governor: governors have changed, one and all,
Rulers have changed altogether,
Yet he remained, steadfast in rule and foremost.
While you remained, advancing your state steadily.
ولكلِّand for every والٍgovernor كارِهٌa detractor منfrom دونهِother than him
ولكلِّ والٍ كارِهٌ من دونهِ
فلهُso for him الوِدادُaffection مُخصَّصاًparticularly bestowed ومُعمَّماand universally bestowed
فلهُ الوِدادُ مُخصَّصاً ومُعمَّما
And every governor but him has a detractor;
Each ruler has a hater other than him,
But he has affection, from each and all alike.
So you have a special, generalized love.
جبلٌa mountain علىupon جبلٍa mountain أقامَsettled وشأنُهُand his stature
جبلٌ على جبلٍ أقامَ وشأنُهُ
ماnot زالَceased أعلىhigher منthan ذِراهُits peaks وأعظَماand greater
ما زالَ أعلى من ذِراهُ وأعظَما
A mountain has settled upon a mountain, and his stature
Mountain upon mountain you established your glory,
Has ever been higher than its peaks and greater.
Remaining higher than its height and greater.
يُوميit gestures إليهِtoward him لوif أصابَit found لهُfor itself يداًa hand
يُومي إليهِ لو أصابَ لهُ يداً
ويفوهُand speaks حمداًpraise لوif أصابَit found لهُfor itself فَماa mouth
ويفوهُ حمداً لو أصابَ لهُ فَما
It would gesture toward him, could it find itself a hand,
If only a hand could reach you, it would petition you,
And voice praise, could it find itself a mouth.
And if only a mouth could, it would praise you.
ياO فَرْعَbranch of رَسلانَRaslan الذيwho منfrom بعدهِafter him
يا فَرْعَ رَسلانَ الذي من بعدهِ
قدindeed صارhas become أصلاًa root فيamong الكرامِthe noble مكرَّماhonored
قد صار أصلاً في الكرامِ مكرَّما
O branch of Raslan, who, after him,
O branch of the honorable roots, after which
Has become an honored root among the noble.
You became a firmly rooted origin of honor.
ماnot زالتِceased الدُّنياthe world تَقولُsaying لأهلِهاto its people
ما زالتِ الدُّنيا تَقولُ لأهلِها
ليسَis not الكريمُthe noble man علىto القَناةِthe spear مُحرَّماinviolable
ليسَ الكريمُ على القَناةِ مُحرَّما
The world has never ceased saying to its people:
The world keeps telling its people,
'The noble man is not immune to the spear.'
“The generous person is not forbidden from bounty.”
ظَلَمَacted unjustly الزَّمانُtime وقدand indeed عَدَلتَyou acted justly أمامَهُbefore it
ظَلَمَ الزَّمانُ وقد عَدَلتَ أمامَهُ
لوif كانthere were فيهِin it نَباهةٌdiscernment لتعَلَّماit would have learned
لو كان فيهِ نَباهةٌ لتعَلَّما
Time acted unjustly, though you dealt justly before it;
Time was unjust, but you judged rightly before it.
Had it possessed discernment, it would have learned.
If only it had insight, it would have learned.
طُبِعَwas fashioned الخبيثُthe vile one علىfor العِنادِobstinacy مُعوِّجاًwarping
طُبِعَ الخبيثُ على العِنادِ مُعوِّجاً
أحكامَهُits judgments مَعَtoward مَنone whom يراهُit sees him مُقوَّماupright
أحكامَهُ مَعَ مَن يراهُ مُقوَّما
The vile one was fashioned for obstinacy, warping
The wicked are bent on stubbornness,
Its judgments against one it sees as upright.
Deeming crooked whoever straightens them.
لمnot يستَطِعْit could ضَرَراًharm لشخصكَto your person فانثَنىso it turned aside
لم يستَطِعْ ضَرَراً لشخصكَ فانثَنى
كيداًin malice ومدَّand stretched إلىtoward فَتاتِكَyour daughter مِعصَماa wrist
كيداً ومدَّ إلى فَتاتِكَ مِعصَما
It could not harm your person, so it turned aside,
Unable to harm you, he recoiled
Scheming, and stretched a wrist toward your daughter.
And sinisterly stretched his hand to your crumbs.
وكأنَّهُand as though it يجنيcommits wrongs علىagainst فُضَلائهِits noble people
وكأنَّهُ يجني على فُضَلائهِ
حَسَداًout of envy لهمof them فيَرُدُّso it takes back ماwhat قدalready أنعَماit bestowed
حَسَداً لهم فيَرُدُّ ما قد أنعَما
And it is as though it wrongs its own noble people,
It is as if he envies your nobles,
Out of envy of them, taking back what it once bestowed.
Out of jealousy for their gifts from you.
أللهُGod يأخُذُtakes مَنwhomever يَشَاءُHe wills مُؤَخَّراًlater
أللهُ يأخُذُ مَن يَشَاءُ مُؤَخَّراً
ولقدand indeed يُعاجِلُHe hastens to take منwhomever أحبَّHe loves مُقدَّماearlier
ولقد يُعاجِلُ من أحبَّ مُقدَّما
God takes whom He wills at a later time,
God will take whoever He wants belatedly,
And indeed hastens to take those He loves sooner.
And He may hasten whomever He loved earlier.
سيسلِّمُwill concede الدَّعوىthe claim إليهِto Him كارهاًunwillingly
سيسلِّمُ الدَّعوى إليهِ كارهاً
مَنwhoever لمnot يكنwas طَوْعاًwillingly إليهِto Him مُسَلِّماsubmitting
مَن لم يكن طَوْعاً إليهِ مُسَلِّما
The claim will be surrendered to Him unwillingly
He will reluctantly hand over the case to Him
By whoever did not willingly submit to Him.
Who was not voluntarily submissive to Him before.
ياO رحمةَmercy of اللهِGod العظيمِthe Great تغمَّديenfold
يا رحمةَ اللهِ العظيمِ تغمَّدي
شمساًa sun لقدindeed أبكتْshe made weep عليهاover her الأَنجُماthe stars
شمساً لقد أبكتْ عليها الأَنجُما
O mercy of God the Great, enfold
O God’s great mercy, shroud
A sun that has made the stars weep over her.
A sun whose loss made the stars weep.
تسقيwater المدامعُthe tearful eyes بالدِّماءِwith blood ضريحَهاher tomb
تسقي المدامعُ بالدِّماءِ ضريحَها
سَحَراًbefore dawn ويغسِلُهُand wash it السَّحابُthe clouds إذاwhen هَمىthey pour rain
سَحَراً ويغسِلُهُ السَّحابُ إذا هَمى
Tearful eyes water her tomb with blood
Tears water its tomb with blood
Before dawn, and clouds wash it when they pour.
As clouds wash it when they gather.
قدindeed شَرَّفتْshe honored أرضاًa tract of earth ثَوَتshe lay فيin طيِّهاits folds
قد شَرَّفتْ أرضاً ثَوَت في طيِّها
لوif صادَفَتit had found ثغراًa mouth لهاfor itself لتَبَسَّماit would have smiled
لو صادَفَت ثغراً لها لتَبَسَّما
She has honored the ground in whose folds she rests;
It honored a land it lay in.
Had it found a mouth of its own, it would have smiled.
If it met a cheek, it would have smiled.
وسقَىand may give drink التيher who فيهاis in it شرابُa draught of كرامةٍhonor
وسقَى التي فيها شرابُ كرامةٍ
ممَّاfrom that which يُؤَرَّخُis chronogrammed كأْسُهُits cup يُرِويquenches الظَّماthirst
ممَّا يُؤَرَّخُ كأْسُهُ يُرِوي الظَّما
And may a draught of honor refresh her who lies therein,
It quenched with the drink of honor
From that whose chronogram reads: 'Its cup quenches thirst.'
Whose cup chronicles and slakes thirst.
Sol 6.1