علىupon الدُنياthe world ومَنand whoever فيهاin it السَلامُfarewell
على الدُنيا ومَن فيها السَلامُ
إذاwhen ذَهَبَتْhave departed أحبَّتُناour loved ones الكرامُthe noble
إذا ذَهَبَتْ أحبَّتُنا الكرامُ
Farewell to the world and all within it,
Peace upon this world and all who dwell within,
When our noble loved ones have departed.
Though our beloved nobles depart and are gone.
وماand not الدُنياthe world سوَىexcept أهلٍpeople عَلَيهاupon it
وما الدُنيا سوَى أهلٍ عَلَيها
إذاwhen رَحَلَdeparts المُقِيمُthe dweller فماthen what المُقامُstaying
إذا رَحَلَ المُقِيمُ فما المُقامُ
And the world is nothing but the people upon it;
For what is this life but a people who pass,
When the dweller departs, what is there in staying?
When one who dwelt here leaves, what remains of his home?
رُوَيدَكَtake it slowly أيُّهاO you الناعيbearer of death's tidings صَباحاًin the morning
رُوَيدَكَ أيُّها الناعي صَباحاً
كَلامُكyour words فيin القُلوبِthe hearts لهُit has كلامُwounds
كَلامُك في القُلوبِ لهُ كلامُ
Gently, you who bring death's tidings in the morning:
Gently, O mourner, though morn finds you woeful,
Your words leave wounds within the hearts.
Your words in our hearts are as mournful as moan.
أَراكَI see you نَعَيتَyou announced the death of ليto me قَمَرَthe moon of الدَياجيthe dark nights
أَراكَ نَعَيتَ لي قَمَرَ الدَياجي
تُرَىone wonders هلwhether يُدرِكُovertakes القَمَرَthe moon الحِمامُdeath
تُرَى هل يُدرِكُ القَمَرَ الحِمامُ
I see you have announced to me the death of the moon of dark nights;
You mourn the Moon's setting, his radian light vanished,
I wonder: can death overtake the moon?
Can the Moon overtake where the pigeons have flown?
لميخائيلَfor Mikhail تبكيweeps كُلُّevery عينٍeye
لميخائيلَ تبكي كُلُّ عينٍ
وإنand even if يكُthere is فيin الجِنانِthe gardens of Paradise لهfor him اْبتِسامُa smile
وإن يكُ في الجِنانِ له اْبتِسامُ
Every eye weeps for Mikhail,
For Michael all eyes now with tears are flowing,
Even if a smile is his in the gardens of Paradise.
Though in Heaven for him there may still be a smile.
نُسآءُwe are grieved بماby what يَسُرُّbrings joy وكلُّand every نفسٍsoul
نُسآءُ بما يَسُرُّ وكلُّ نفسٍ
لهاit has وَطَرٌa desire سِواهُother than it لاnot يُرَامُis sought
لها وَطَرٌ سِواهُ لا يُرَامُ
We grieve at what brings joy, and every soul
The women mourn genuinely, each soul is bereaved,
Has a desire and seeks nothing besides it.
To each a desire, save for him, they disown.
أَقامَmade stand علىat المنازلِthe dwellings كلَّevery خَودٍyoung maiden
أَقامَ على المنازلِ كلَّ خَودٍ
تنوحُwailing ولاbut not كماas ناحwailed الحَمامُthe doves
تنوحُ ولا كما ناح الحَمامُ
Every young maiden is left standing at the dwellings,
At home he was joy, though away caused them grieving,
Wailing, but not as the doves have wailed.
Not even the pigeons evoked such a groan.
وماand no مِثلُlike البكآءِweeping علىover حبيبٍa loved one
وما مِثلُ البكآءِ على حبيبٍ
لطائعهِfor one who yields to it وعاصيهِand one who resists it سَقامُsickness
لطائعهِ وعاصيهِ سَقامُ
And weeping for a loved one has no equal
No eulogy matches the one loved so dearly,
As a sickness, whether one yields to it or resists it.
His health failed, he sickened, obedient and prone.
سوافرُunveiled women لاnot تنالُcan glimpse العينُthe eye منهاof them
سوافرُ لا تنالُ العينُ منها
عليهاover them منof غدائِرهاtheir tresses لِثامُa veil
عليها من غدائِرها لِثامُ
Unveiled, yet the eye can glimpse nothing of them;
Noble ladies lament him, their veils drawn before them,
Their tresses lie over them as a veil.
Dark wrapped in their cloaks, their brightness has flown.
لئنْif indeed كانتthey were بُدوراًfull moons فيin ظَلامٍdarkness
لئنْ كانت بُدوراً في ظَلامٍ
فقدthen indeed صارتthey have become بذاكthrough that هيَthey themselves الظَلامُthe darkness
فقد صارت بذاك هيَ الظَلامُ
If indeed they were full moons in darkness,
Once shining, now bloodied in shade and misfortune,
Then through that they have become the darkness itself.
Young men and old weep, in his blood they are soaked.
مخضَّبةُstained الطُلَىthe necks بدِمآءِwith the blood of دمعٍtears
مخضَّبةُ الطُلَى بدِمآءِ دمعٍ
بِهِنَّwith them الشيخُthe old man خُضِّبَwas stained والغُلامُand the boy
بِهِنَّ الشيخُ خُضِّبَ والغُلامُ
Their necks are stained with the blood of tears;
Tears flowing on tears, they fall fast in succession,
With these, old man and boy alike are stained.
The crush and the crowd causes crying conjoined.
يَحُولُblocks الدَمعُthe tears دُونin the way of الدَمعِthe tears جرياًin their flowing
يَحُولُ الدَمعُ دُون الدَمعِ جرياً
فيُوشكُso it nearly أَنto يُكفكِفَهُstems it الزِّحامُthe crowding
فيُوشكُ أَن يُكفكِفَهُ الزِّحامُ
Tears block other tears as they flow,
What riches you gathered, what bearing was yours!
So their crowding almost stems their flow.
Yet only bare bones in the end you have owned.
ألاah ياO لابسَwearer of الدِيباجِbrocade ماذاwhat
ألا يا لابسَ الدِيباجِ ماذا
لبِستَyou have donned وماand what اكتَستْbecame clothed تلكَthose العظامُbones
لبِستَ وما اكتَستْ تلكَ العظامُ
Ah, wearer of brocade, what
You spurned silk and cashmere, their comforts you scorned,
Have you put on, and what are those bones clothed in?
No rug then was laid out, no cushion was strown.
عَهِدتُI knew الخَزَّsilk fabric لاnot يُرضيكَsatisfies you مَهْداًas a bed
عَهِدتُ الخَزَّ لا يُرضيكَ مَهْداً
فماthen what افترشَتْspread as bedding لِجَنْبيَكَfor your two sides الرِّجامُthe stones
فما افترشَتْ لِجَنْبيَكَ الرِّجامُ
I knew that silk did not satisfy you as a bed;
You left with no word, no farewell was uttered,
What bedding, then, have the stones spread for your sides?
When travelers leave can goodbyes still be intoned?
رَحلتَyou departed عَنِfrom الدِّيارِthe dwellings بلاwithout وَداعٍa farewell
رَحلتَ عَنِ الدِّيارِ بلا وَداعٍ
وهلand is there بعدَafter الرحيلِdeparture لهاfor them سَلامُa greeting
وهل بعدَ الرحيلِ لها سَلامُ
You left the dwellings without a farewell;
You guarded your distance from guests you hosted,
And after departure, is there any greeting for them?
As though fellow sojourners somehow profane.
تُحاذرُthey are wary بعدَafter بَينِكَyour parting منof نَزيلٍa lodger
تُحاذرُ بعدَ بَينِكَ من نَزيلٍ
كأنَّas though النازلينَthe lodgers دَمٌblood حرامُforbidden
كأنَّ النازلينَ دَمٌ حرامُ
After your parting, they are wary of any lodger,
The bier does not know whose frame it is holding,
As though the lodgers were forbidden blood.
The grave cannot tell who in its clutches is sewn.
أيَدريdoes it know? النعشُthe bier أيُّwhich فتىًyoung man عليهِupon it
أيَدري النعشُ أيُّ فتىً عليهِ
ويدريand does it know? اللّحدُthe grave منwho فيهِin it ينامُsleeps
ويدري اللّحدُ من فيهِ ينامُ
Does the bier know which youth lies upon it,
If known who you were, the earth would have trembled,
And does the grave know who sleeps within it?
The beasts would descend and tear at your bones.
ولوand if عُرِفتwere known لهُhis فيin التُربِthe soil ذاتٌperson
ولو عُرِفت لهُ في التُربِ ذاتٌ
ومَنزلةٌand rank لَهابَتْهُwould fear him الهَوامُthe vermin
ومَنزلةٌ لَهابَتْهُ الهَوامُ
And were his person known within the soil,
You were mourned by the pages and pens deeply grieving,
And his rank, the vermin would stand in awe of him.
Eloquence wept you as poetry moaned.
بَكَتهُwept for him الصُحْفُthe pages والأَقلامُand the pens حُزناًin sorrow
بَكَتهُ الصُحْفُ والأَقلامُ حُزناً
كماjust as بَكَتِwept البَلاغةُeloquence والكَلامُand speech
كما بَكَتِ البَلاغةُ والكَلامُ
The pages and the pens wept for him in sorrow,
You are mourned by the wise and the foolish together,
Just as eloquence and speech wept.
None blame those who weep what his charity sown.
وتبكيهِand weep for him العُفاةthe supplicants وكُلُّand every عافٍsupplicant
وتبكيهِ العُفاة وكُلُّ عافٍ
علىover الصَدقاتِthe alms يبكيweeps لاnot يُلاَمُis blamed
على الصَدقاتِ يبكي لا يُلاَمُ
And supplicants weep for him, and every supplicant
The hand of fate has struck each loving heart,
Who weeps over alms is not to be blamed.
With arrow of sorrow have arrows been strown.
رَمَتْshot at أيديthe hands of المناياdeaths كُلَّevery قلبٍheart
رَمَتْ أيدي المنايا كُلَّ قلبٍ
بسهمِwith an arrow of أسىًgrief بهِby it تُصمىare slain outright السهامُthe arrows
بسهمِ أسىً بهِ تُصمى السهامُ
The hands of death shot at every heart
So green was the sapling of Bano in life,
With an arrow of grief by which even arrows are slain.
How then can we utter that hardened its bones?
قَصَفْنَthey snapped قضيبَa bough of بانٍthe bān tree فيin صِباهُhis youth
قَصَفْنَ قضيبَ بانٍ في صِباهُ
وكيفَand how القصفُthe snapping إذwhen لانَwas supple القَوامُthe frame
وكيفَ القصفُ إذ لانَ القَوامُ
They snapped a bough of the bān tree in his youth;
Such is this life though long it may tarry,
And how could it break when his frame was supple?
For all that begins will also be gone.
كذاsuch is الدُنياthe world وإنand even if طالتit lasts long عليناfor us
كذا الدُنيا وإن طالت علينا
لكُلِّfor every بِداءةٍbeginning فيهاin it خِتامُan end
لكُلِّ بِداءةٍ فيها خِتامُ
Such is the world, however long it lasts for us:
To each soul is wanting and each life imperfect,
Every beginning within it has an end.
Only in death can completion be known.
ولمand has not تَزَلِceased الحَياةُlife لكلِّfor every نفسٍsoul
ولم تَزَلِ الحَياةُ لكلِّ نفسٍ
بهاin it نقصٌa lack وفيand in الموتِdeath التَّمامُcompleteness
بها نقصٌ وفي الموتِ التَّمامُ
And life has always, for every soul,
We build and destroy, no permanence in it,
Held a lack; in death lies completeness.
Of the two, neither endures nor calls any home.
بَنيناهاwe built it وتَهدِمُناand it tears us down وكُلٌّand each
بَنيناها وتَهدِمُنا وكُلٌّ
منof الأمرينِthe two things ليسَthere is no لهُfor it دَوامُpermanence
من الأمرينِ ليسَ لهُ دَوامُ
We built it, and it tears us down; each
Of these two things has no permanence.
Partial English translation: 48 of 50 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1