لاdo not تَبكِweep إنif جَدَّpressed on بعضُsome of القومِthe company فيon السَفَرِthe journey
لا تَبكِ إن جَدَّ بعضُ القومِ في السَفَرِ
إذاwhen تَيقَّنتَyou are certain أنَّthat الكلَّeveryone فيin الأثَرِthe trail
إذا تَيقَّنتَ أنَّ الكلَّ في الأثَرِ
Do not weep if some of the company press on with the journey,
Do not weep if some of the people hurry on a journey,
When you know for certain that all follow in their wake.
When you are certain that all will follow in their tracks.
واعجَلْand hurry إذاif قُمتَyou rise للتوديعِto bid farewell فيin غَلَسٍpredawn darkness
واعجَلْ إذا قُمتَ للتوديعِ في غَلَسٍ
فرُبماfor perhaps فاتَكَeludes you التوديعُthe farewell فيin السَحَرِthe predawn hours
فرُبما فاتَكَ التوديعُ في السَحَرِ
And hurry if you rise to bid farewell in the predawn darkness,
And make haste when you rise to bid farewell slyly,
For you may miss the farewell in the hours before dawn.
Lest you miss the chance for farewell in the morning light.
تَعدوُُrush المناياdeaths علىupon الأرواحِsouls خاطفةًsnatching away
تَعدوُُ المنايا على الأرواحِ خاطفةً
منَfrom الأجِنَّةِthe unborn حتىto الشيخِthe elder فيin الكِبَرِold age
منَ الأجِنَّةِ حتى الشيخِ في الكِبَرِ
Death rushes upon souls, snatching them away,
Death snatches souls as they fly,
From the unborn to the elder in old age.
From embryos to elders bent with age.
تُرَىone wonders أيَذهبُdoes ... pass? يَومٌa day لاnot يُقالُit is said بهِin it
تُرَى أيَذهبُ يَومٌ لا يُقالُ بهِ
قدindeed ماتَhas died زيدٌZayd وماتتْand has died هِنْدُHind فيin الخَبَرِthe news
قد ماتَ زيدٌ وماتتْ هِنْدُ في الخَبَرِ
I wonder: can a day pass without it being said,
Days go by when it is not said,
'Zayd has died, and Hind has died,' in the news?
“Zaid died, Hind died”, in the news.
ياO يومَday of يوسُفَYusuf فيamong الأيامِthe days نَحسَبهُwe deem it
يا يومَ يوسُفَ في الأيامِ نَحسَبهُ
نَظيرَthe equal of صاحِبهِits master المشهورِrenowned فيamong البَشَرِhumankind
نَظيرَ صاحِبهِ المشهورِ في البَشَرِ
O day of Yusuf! Among days we deem it
O day of Joseph among days we deem it,
The equal of its master, renowned among humankind.
The peer of its renowned owner among mortals!
يومٌa day بهِon it الناسُthe people قدindeed شَحَّتْgrew miserly قُلوبُهمُtheir hearts
يومٌ بهِ الناسُ قد شَحَّتْ قُلوبُهمُ
بالصَبرِwith patience إذْwhile جادتِgave generously الأجفانُthe eyelids بالدُرَرِwith pearls
بالصَبرِ إذْ جادتِ الأجفانُ بالدُرَرِ
A day when people's hearts grew miserly
A day when people's hearts were straitened
With patience, while their eyelids lavished pearls.
With patience though their eyes overflowed with tears,
يومٌa day تزَعزَعَwas shaken رُكنُthe pillar of المَكرُماتِnoble deeds بهِon it
يومٌ تزَعزَعَ رُكنُ المَكرُماتِ بهِ
واكمَدَّتِand grew dim الشمسُthe sun منfrom حُزنٍgrief علىfor القَمرِthe moon
واكمَدَّتِ الشمسُ من حُزنٍ على القَمرِ
A day when the pillar of noble deeds was shaken,
A day when the pillar of glorious deeds was shaken,
And the sun grew dim with grief for the moon.
And the sun darkened in grief for the moon.
يومٌa day بهِon it العُجْمُthe non-Arabs قبلَbefore العُرْبِthe Arabs نادِبةٌlamenting
يومٌ بهِ العُجْمُ قبلَ العُرْبِ نادِبةٌ
تقولُsaying أينَwhere كريمُthe generous one of البَدْوِthe nomads والحَضَرِand townsfolk
تقولُ أينَ كريمُ البَدْوِ والحَضَرِ
A day when non-Arabs, before the Arabs, lament,
A day when the non-Arabs before the Arabs were mourning,
Saying, 'Where is the generous one of desert and town?'
Saying, “Where is the generous one of the desert and the towns?”
أينَwhere الذيthe one who كانَused to يُستَسقَىis asked for rain الغمامُthe clouds بهِthrough him
أينَ الذي كانَ يُستَسقَى الغمامُ بهِ
يوماًon a day إذاwhen ضَنَّتِwere miserly الأنواءُthe rain-bringing stars بالمَطَرِwith the rain
يوماً إذا ضَنَّتِ الأنواءُ بالمَطَرِ
Where is he through whom rain was sought from the clouds
Where is he for whom the clouds were summoned,
On a day when the rain-bringing stars withheld the rain?
Whenever the skies were niggardly with rain?
أينَwhere الذيthe one who كانَused to يَقضِيfulfill حَقَّthe due of خالقِهِhis Creator
أينَ الذي كانَ يَقضِي حَقَّ خالقِهِ
فيin حالةِa state of الصفوِserenity أوor فيin حالةِa state of الكَدَرِtrouble
في حالةِ الصفوِ أو في حالةِ الكَدَرِ
Where is he who fulfilled his duty to his Creator,
Where is he who fulfilled his Creator's right,
In times of serenity or in times of trouble?
In ease or adversity, vigour or distress?
أينَwhere الذيthe one who كانَwas غَوْثَsuccor to العائِذينَthose seeking refuge بهِin him
أينَ الذي كانَ غَوْثَ العائِذينَ بهِ
وعِصمةَand protection for الجارِthe neighbor عِندَin times of الضَنْكِhardship والضَرَرِand harm
وعِصمةَ الجارِ عِندَ الضَنْكِ والضَرَرِ
Where is he who was succor to those seeking refuge in him,
Where is he who was the refuge of those seeking refuge,
And his neighbor's safeguard in hardship and harm?
And the protection of a neighbour against want and harm?
أمسىhas become وليسَand there is no لهُfor him سَمْعٌhearing ولاnor بَصَرٌsight
أمسى وليسَ لهُ سَمْعٌ ولا بَصَرٌ
مَنْhe who كانَwas فيamong الناسِthe people ملءَfilling السَمْعِhearing والبَصَرِand sight
مَنْ كانَ في الناسِ ملءَ السَمْعِ والبَصَرِ
He now has neither hearing nor sight—
He has fallen silent, hearing and seeing nothing.
He who once filled the people's ears and eyes.
He whose hearing and sight filled the people!
مَنْhe whom لمdid not تَسَعْهُcontain him القُصورُthe palaces الشُمُّlofty باذخةًtowering
مَنْ لم تَسَعْهُ القُصورُ الشُمُّ باذخةً
قدindeed باتَhas come to lie منحصِراًconfined فيin أضيقِthe narrowest of الحُفَرِthe pits
قد باتَ منحصِراً في أضيقِ الحُفَرِ
He whom the lofty, towering palaces could not contain
He whom the lofty, splendid palaces could not contain,
Now lies confined in the narrowest of pits.
Is now enclosed in the narrowest tomb!
قدindeed كانَused to يَصدَعُmake ache ريحُthe scent of الطِّيبِperfume مَفرِقهُhis crown
قد كانَ يَصدَعُ ريحُ الطِّيبِ مَفرِقهُ
وكانَand used to يُؤْذيhurt يديهِhis hands ناعمُthe softness of الحِبَرِstriped fabrics
وكانَ يُؤْذي يديهِ ناعمُ الحِبَرِ
Once the scent of perfume would make his crown ache,
The scent of musk used to spread from his perfumes,
And soft striped cloth would hurt his hands.
And his soft skin was hurt by the ink of letters.
مُبارَكُblessed الوَجهِthe face محمودُpraiseworthy الخِصالِthe traits لهُhe has
مُبارَكُ الوَجهِ محمودُ الخِصالِ لهُ
قلبٌa heart سليمٌunblemished منby الأدرانِstains والوَضرِand grime
قلبٌ سليمٌ من الأدرانِ والوَضرِ
Blessed in countenance, praised in character, he had
Blessed of face, of praiseworthy traits,
A heart free of stains and grime.
His heart pure of rancour and spite.
قدindeed عاشَlived فيناamong us سعيداًhappy بالغاًattaining وَطراًa desire
قد عاشَ فينا سعيداً بالغاً وَطراً
وماتَand died عنَّاaway from us سعيداًhappy بالغَhaving attained الوَطَرِthe desire
وماتَ عنَّا سعيداً بالغَ الوَطَرِ
He lived among us happy, attaining his desire,
He lived among us happily attaining his wish,
And died, leaving us, happy, his desire fulfilled.
And died leaving us at the height of contentment.
سارَتْproceeded لَدَىbeside نَعشِهِhis bier الأشرَافُthe nobles ماشيةًon foot
سارَتْ لَدَى نَعشِهِ الأشرَافُ ماشيةً
تحتَbeneath السَناجقِthe banners ذاتَbearing الوَشْيِembroidery والصُوَرِand images
تحتَ السَناجقِ ذاتَ الوَشْيِ والصُوَرِ
The nobles walked beside his bier on foot,
The nobility walked by his bier,
Beneath banners bearing embroidery and images.
Beneath canopies with rods and images.
يبكيweeps عليهِfor him بدَمعٍwith tears فاضَoverflowed مُنسجماًflowing steadily
يبكي عليهِ بدَمعٍ فاضَ مُنسجماً
منhe who ليسَdoes not يبكيweep لوَقْعِat the stroke of الصارِمthe keen sword الذَكرِhard-steeled
من ليسَ يبكي لوَقْعِ الصارِم الذَكرِ
He weeps for him with tears pouring in a steady stream—
All wept for him with tears that flowed together,
He who does not weep at the stroke of the keen, hard-steeled sword.
Even those who do not weep at the fall of a noble soul.
ويلاهُalas منat فَتْكِthe deadly assault of دُنياناour world الغَرُورِdeceitful بناon us
ويلاهُ من فَتْكِ دُنيانا الغَرُورِ بنا
وَهيَyet she is الحبيبةُthe beloved نَهواهاwe love her منsince الصِغَرِchildhood
وَهيَ الحبيبةُ نَهواها من الصِغَرِ
Alas for our deceitful world's deadly assault on us,
Woe for the deceitful glamour of our life beguiling us!
Yet she is the beloved we have loved since childhood.
We were warned against it since we were small.
شِبْناwe grew gray وشابَتْand she grew gray وماbut not شابَتْgrew gray صبَابَتُناour passion
شِبْنا وشابَتْ وما شابَتْ صبَابَتُنا
بِهاfor her ولاnor انتَبهَتْawoke عينٌan eye إلىto السَهرِwakefulness
بِها ولا انتَبهَتْ عينٌ إلى السَهرِ
We have grown gray, and she has grown gray, but our passion has not grown gray
We grew old but our youthfulness was not renewed
For her, nor has an eye awakened to keep vigil.
By it, nor did an eye awake to vigilance.
هذاthis الطَريقُthe road إلىto دارِthe abode of البَقاءِeternity لناfor us
هذا الطَريقُ إلى دارِ البَقاءِ لنا
فلاso no تَفاوُتَdifference بينَbetween الطُولِlength والقِصَرِand shortness
فلا تَفاوُتَ بينَ الطُولِ والقِصَرِ
This is our road to the abode of eternity,
This is the path to the abode of eternity for us.
So it makes no difference whether it is long or short.
No difference between long and short here.
وهوand it is السَقامُthe sickness الذيwhich عزَّis hard to obtain الدَواءُthe cure لهُfor it
وهو السَقامُ الذي عزَّ الدَواءُ لهُ
وليسَand does not تَنفَعُavail منهُagainst it شِدَّةُthe intensity of الحَذَرِcaution
وليسَ تَنفَعُ منهُ شِدَّةُ الحَذَرِ
And it is the sickness for which a cure is hard to find,
It is the sickness which medicine was powerless to cure,
And intense caution is of no use against it.
And against which stern caution is of no avail.
ياO غافلينَheedless ones استفيقواawaken اليومَtoday واعتَبِرواand take warning
يا غافلينَ استفيقوا اليومَ واعتَبِروا
بماfrom what تلاقونَyou encounter فيin الدُنياthe world منَof العِبَرِlessons
بما تلاقونَ في الدُنيا منَ العِبَرِ
O heedless ones, awaken today and take warning
O heedless ones, awake today and take heed
From the lessons you encounter in the world.
Of the lessons you encounter in life!
الموتُdeath أعظَمُthe greatest شيءٍthing عندَناin our eyes خَطَراًin danger
الموتُ أعظَمُ شيءٍ عندَنا خَطَراً
والموتُand death أيسرُless severe منthan عُقباهُits aftermath فيin الخَطَرِdanger
والموتُ أيسرُ من عُقباهُ في الخَطَرِ
Death is, to us, the most perilous thing,
Death is the greatest matter confronting us,
Yet death is less perilous than its aftermath.
Yet death is easier than its aftermath of perils.
Sol 6.1