ماتَdied الحبيبُthe beloved كأنَّهُas though he لمnot يُولَدِhad been born
ماتَ الحبيبُ كأنَّهُ لم يُولَدِ
وسلاand found solace المُحِبُّthe lover كأنهُas though he لمnot يُفقَدِhad been lost
وسلا المُحِبُّ كأنهُ لم يُفقَدِ
The beloved died as though he had never been born;
The beloved died, as though he had never been born.
and the lover found solace as though no one had been lost.
And the lover found solace, as though the beloved had never been lost.
والُحزنُand grief يُنشِئُهُbrings it into being الحبيبُthe beloved كماjust as نَشاhe came into being
والُحزنُ يُنشِئُهُ الحبيبُ كما نَشا
فإذاso when بَلِيit wears away كبَلآئهِlike his decay لمnot يَعْتَدِhas transgressed
فإذا بَلِي كبَلآئهِ لم يَعْتَدِ
Grief is brought into being by the beloved, just as he himself arose;
And grief is brought into being by the beloved, just as he came to be;
then, when it wears away as he did, it does not outlast him.
So when it wears away as he does, it has not transgressed.
ياO مَنone whom نَراهُwe see him اليومَtoday يَغلبُهُovercomes him البُكاweeping
يا مَن نَراهُ اليومَ يَغلبُهُ البُكا
سَنَراكَwe shall see you يَعصِيكdefies you التَباكيfeigned weeping فيin غَدِtomorrow
سَنَراكَ يَعصِيك التَباكي في غَدِ
O you whom we see today overcome by weeping,
O you whom we see today overcome by weeping,
tomorrow we shall see even feigned tears fail you.
Tomorrow we shall see you unable even to feign tears.
هَبْsuppose فيin فُؤَادِكَyour heart منfrom شُجُونِكَyour sorrows جمرةًan ember
هَبْ في فُؤَادِكَ من شُجُونِكَ جمرةً
أَرأَيتَhave you seen وَيَحْكَalas for you جَمرةًan ember لمnot تَخمَدِhas gone out
أَرأَيتَ وَيَحْكَ جَمرةً لم تَخمَدِ
Suppose an ember of your sorrows lies within your heart—
Suppose there is in your heart an ember from your sorrows;
have you ever seen—woe to you—an ember that did not die out?
Have you seen—alas for you—an ember that did not die out?
كمhow much يجَهدُstrives الباكيthe weeper المعَدِّدُrepeating نَوحَهُhis lament
كم يجَهدُ الباكي المعَدِّدُ نَوحَهُ
والمَيْتُand the dead man لاnot يَدرِيknows بنَوْحِof the lament مُعَدِّدِof a lamenter
والمَيْتُ لا يَدرِي بنَوْحِ مُعَدِّدِ
How the weeping eulogist labors over his lament,
How hard the weeper strives, repeating his lament!
while the dead man knows nothing of a eulogist’s wail.
And the dead man knows nothing of a mourner's lament.
المَيْتُthe dead man لاnot يَدريknows بحالةِof the state قائمٍof one standing
المَيْتُ لا يَدري بحالةِ قائمٍ
والحَيُّand the living man لاnot يَدرِيknows بحالِof the state مُوَسَّدِof one laid on a pillow
والحَيُّ لا يَدرِي بحالِ مُوَسَّدِ
The dead man knows nothing of the state of one standing;
The dead man knows nothing of the state of one standing,
nor does the living know the state of one laid to rest.
And the living man knows nothing of the state of one pillowed in death.
لوif دامlasted هذاthis الحُزنُgrief ألقىwould cast رَبَّهُits master
لو دام هذا الحُزنُ ألقى رَبَّهُ
فيinto اللحدthe grave قبلَbefore بِلَىthe decay الحبيبِof the beloved المُلحَدِthe buried one
في اللحد قبلَ بِلَى الحبيبِ المُلحَدِ
If this grief endured, the mourner would meet his Lord
If this grief endured, it would cast its master
in the grave before the interred beloved had decayed.
Into the grave before the buried beloved had decayed.
منwhoever غابَvanishes عنfrom عينٍan eye فسَوفَthen will يغيِبُvanish عنfrom
من غابَ عن عينٍ فسَوفَ يغيِبُ عن
قَلبٍa heart فتِلكَfor that وِثاقُهُhis tether فيin المَشهَدِpresence
قَلبٍ فتِلكَ وِثاقُهُ في المَشهَدِ
Whoever vanishes from the eye will soon vanish from
Whoever vanishes from sight will vanish from
the heart: such is his bond in the world of sight.
The heart, for the eye is his tether while he is in view.
لوif أنصَفَdealt justly with الباكُونَthe weepers أنفُسَهمthemselves بكَوْاthey would weep
لو أنصَفَ الباكُونَ أنفُسَهم بكَوْا
حُزناًin sorrow عليهاfor themselves فيin انتِظارexpectation of المَوعِدِthe appointed time
حُزناً عليها في انتِظار المَوعِدِ
If mourners did justice to themselves, they would weep
If the weepers were fair to themselves, they would weep
in sorrow for themselves, awaiting the appointed hour.
In sorrow for themselves, awaiting the appointed time.
هلdoes يأمنُfeel safe from الباكيthe weeper هُجومَthe onslaught حِمامِهِof his death
هل يأمنُ الباكي هُجومَ حِمامِهِ
ماthe interval بينَbetween مسحِwiping دُمُوعِهِhis tears المُتَرَدِّدِrepeated
ما بينَ مسحِ دُمُوعِهِ المُتَرَدِّدِ
Can the mourner feel safe from the onslaught of his own death
Is the weeper safe from the onslaught of his death
in the interval between one repeated wiping of his tears and the next?
Between the repeated wipings of his tears?
ماwhat ليfor me تَكلَّفتُI burdened myself with النَّصيحةَcounsel مُرِشداًas a guide
ما لي تَكلَّفتُ النَّصيحةَ مُرِشداً
فيin ماthat which أعوزُI need بهِin it نَصيحةَcounsel مُرشِدِof a guide
في ما أعوزُ بهِ نَصيحةَ مُرشِدِ
Why have I burdened myself with counsel, posing as a guide,
Why have I burdened myself with counsel, acting as a guide,
in a matter where a guide’s own counsel was lacking?
In matters where I need a guide's counsel myself?
جُمَلٌsentences أتيتُI came بهاwith them اعتِراضاًparenthetically حيثُwhere لاno
جُمَلٌ أتيتُ بها اعتِراضاً حيثُ لا
عمَلٌaction فماso not قامتthey stood مَقامَin the place المُفرَدِof a single word
عمَلٌ فما قامت مَقامَ المُفرَدِ
Clauses I have brought in parenthetically, where they have no
Sentences I offered parenthetically, where there is no
syntactic force; thus they have not taken the place of a single word.
Action; so they have not taken the place of a single word.
قدindeed كنتُI was أرغَبُI desire أنthat أرىI see قلبيmy heart كماas
قد كنتُ أرغَبُ أن أرى قلبي كما
أهوَىI desire ولكنbut ليسَis not قلبيmy heart فيin يَديmy hand
أهوَى ولكن ليسَ قلبي في يَدي
I had longed to see my heart become as
I had wished to see my heart as
I wished; but my heart is not in my hand.
I desire it, but my heart is not in my hand.
والقلبُand the heart مثلlike العِهنِdyed wool إنْif جارَيتَهُyou humor it
والقلبُ مثل العِهنِ إنْ جارَيتَهُ
لكنbut إذاif عاصَيتهُyou defy it كالجَلمَدِlike solid rock
لكن إذا عاصَيتهُ كالجَلمَدِ
The heart is like the eye if you indulge it;
And the heart is like dyed wool if you humor it,
but if you resist it, it is like solid rock.
But if you defy it, it is like solid rock.
آهاًah لهذاfor this الموتِdeath لاnot يَرثيfeels pity لِمَنfor one who
آهاً لهذا الموتِ لا يَرثي لِمَن
يبكيweeps ولاnor يحنوshows tenderness علىto المُتَنهِّدِthe sighing one
يبكي ولا يحنو على المُتَنهِّدِ
Ah, this death has no pity for one
Ah, this death! It has no pity for one who
who weeps, nor bends tenderly toward one under threat.
Weeps, and no compassion for the one who sighs.
كمhow many شَقَّit tore أكباداًlivers وأبكىand made weep أعيُناًeyes
كم شَقَّ أكباداً وأبكى أعيُناً
ولكمand how many يَشُقُّit tears علىover المَدَىtime منof أكبُدِlivers
ولكم يَشُقُّ على المَدَى من أكبُدِ
How many hearts it has split, how many eyes made weep;
How many livers it has torn, how many eyes it has made weep!
and how many hearts it will split throughout the ages!
And how many livers it will tear as time goes on!
والموتُand death ليسis not بجيِّدٍgood لكنّماbut nevertheless
والموتُ ليس بجيِّدٍ لكنّما
لولاهُwithout it كانwould be الحالُthe state of things ليسَnot بجيِّدِgood
لولاهُ كان الحالُ ليسَ بجيِّدِ
Death is not good; however,
And death is not good, but
were it not for death, the state of things would not be good.
Without it, the state of things would not be good.
لولاwere it not for قديمُage-old الموتِdeath لاصطَنَعَwould have devised الوَرَىhumankind
لولا قديمُ الموتِ لاصطَنَعَ الوَرَى
مَوتاًa death فماتَso would have died النَّاسُpeople بالمُتَجدِّدِby the newly invented one
مَوتاً فماتَ النَّاسُ بالمُتَجدِّدِ
Had death not existed from of old, humankind would have devised
Had there been no age-old death, humankind would have devised
a death—and people would have died by that new invention.
A death, and people would have died by the newly invented one.
لوif قامَrose منone whom قَتَلتْهُkilled him سَطوةُthe violence مِثلِهِof his own kind
لو قامَ من قَتَلتْهُ سَطوةُ مِثلِهِ
ضاقتwould be cramped بكثرتِهمْby their numbers رِحابُthe wide expanses الفدْفَدِof the open plain
ضاقت بكثرتِهمْ رِحابُ الفدْفَدِ
If those slain by the might of their fellow man arose,
Were those slain by the violence of their own kind to rise,
the broad expanses of the wilderness would narrow beneath their multitude.
The broad expanses of the open plain would be cramped by their numbers.
والقتلُand killing قبلَbefore الموتِdeath كانhad قَدِalready ابتداbegun
والقتلُ قبلَ الموتِ كان قَدِ ابتدا
إذwhen كانwas حَتفُdeath الأنفِthe nose لمَّاnot yet يَبتديbeginning
إذ كان حَتفُ الأنفِ لمَّا يَبتدي
Killing had already begun before death itself,
And killing had already begun before death,
when death by natural causes had not yet begun.
When natural death had not yet begun.
ولقدand indeed رأيتُI have found الأُسْدَlions أحسَنَbetter خَلّةًin character
ولقد رأيتُ الأُسْدَ أحسَنَ خَلّةً
منthan جِنسِthe kind هذاthis الناطقِthe speaking creature المُتَمرِّدِthe rebellious one
من جِنسِ هذا الناطقِ المُتَمرِّدِ
Indeed, I have found the lion better in disposition
And indeed, I have found lions better in character
than this species—the rebellious, speaking creature.
Than this race of rebellious speaking creatures.
الناسُpeople تَقتُلُkill كلَّevery يومٍday بعضَهاone another
الناسُ تَقتُلُ كلَّ يومٍ بعضَها
والأُسدُand lions تَقتُلُkill غيرَهاothers than themselves إذwhen تَعتدِيthey attack
والأُسدُ تَقتُلُ غيرَها إذ تَعتدِي
One day, some of humankind will kill all of it,
People kill one another every day,
while lions kill creatures unlike themselves when they attack.
While lions kill other creatures when they attack.
كلٌّeveryone يخافُfears منof المَنُونِdeath لوَقتهِat his appointed hour
كلٌّ يخافُ من المَنُونِ لوَقتهِ
ونَراهُand we see him يَجهَدُhe strives فيfor الغِنىwealth كمخُلَّدِlike one made immortal
ونَراهُ يَجهَدُ في الغِنى كمخُلَّدِ
Everyone fears death when its appointed hour comes,
Everyone fears death at his appointed hour,
yet we see him toil for wealth as though immortal.
Yet we see him striving for wealth as though immortal.
هذاthis علىunder حُكمthe rule الجُنونِof madness وإنَّماbut only
هذا على حُكم الجُنونِ وإنَّما
قدindeed أصبحَhas become المجنونُthe madman غيرَnot مُقيَّدshackled
قد أصبحَ المجنونُ غيرَ مُقيَّد
This follows the rule of madness; but only
This falls under the rule of madness; only
the madman has now become unshackled.
The madman has now become unshackled.
ياO صاحِfriend ذَرْleave عنكaway from you التَغَفُّلَwillful heedlessness وانتَبِهْand wake up
يا صاحِ ذَرْ عنك التَغَفُّلَ وانتَبِهْ
لاdo not تَنظُرِlook at الدُنياthe world بطَرْفٍwith an eye أرمَدِinflamed
لا تَنظُرِ الدُنيا بطَرْفٍ أرمَدِ
Friend, cast off heedlessness and awake!
O friend, put willful heedlessness aside and wake up!
Do not gaze upon this world with a diseased eye.
Do not look upon the world with an inflamed eye.
سَفَرٌa journey بعيدٌlong فيthrough مفَاوِزِwastelands قَفْرةٍbarren
سَفَرٌ بعيدٌ في مفَاوِزِ قَفْرةٍ
فالوَيلُso woe إنْif سافَرتَyou travel غيرَnot مُزوَّدِprovisioned
فالوَيلُ إنْ سافَرتَ غيرَ مُزوَّدِ
A long journey lies through barren, perilous wastes;
A long journey through barren wastelands—
woe, then, if you travel without provisions.
So woe to you if you travel without provisions!
Sol 6.1