تلكَthose أيّامناour days عليهاupon them السَلامُpeace
تلكَ أيّامنا عليها السَلامُ
أجفَلتْrecoiled in fright منat زَوالِهاtheir passing الأيامُthe days
أجفَلتْ من زَوالِها الأيامُ
Those were our days—peace be upon them.
Those are our days, peace be upon them,
The days recoiled in fright at their passing.
Their days have faded into the past,
أوهَمَتْناmade us imagine طُولَthe length of الحياةlife عليناfor us
أوهَمَتْنا طُولَ الحياة علينا
بَعْدَهاafter them إنَّindeed ساعةَan hour of الصبرِpatience عامُa year
بَعْدَها إنَّ ساعةَ الصبرِ عامُ
They made life seem long to us
They deluded us with the long life ahead,
after them: indeed, an hour of patience is a year.
Afterwards, the hour of patience lasted a year,
ياO خليليَّmy two friends لاdo not تَلُوماyou two reproach فمنfor whoever لاreproached (first part of لام)
يا خليليَّ لا تَلُوما فمن لا
مَcompletes لام (‘reproached’) بماfor what لاno مَلامَreproach فيهin it يُلامُis reproached
مَ بما لا مَلامَ فيه يُلامُ
O my two friends, do not reproach me; whoever reproaches
Oh my friend, do not blame me, for who can be blamed
where no reproach is due is himself reproached.
For what is blameless, yet still blamed,
طالَhas lasted long شوقٌlonging علىupon فُؤادٍa heart ضعيفٍweak
طالَ شوقٌ على فُؤادٍ ضعيفٍ
قبلَbefore شوقٍlonging ممَّاbecause of what بَراهُwore it down السَقامُsickness
قبلَ شوقٍ ممَّا بَراهُ السَقامُ
Longing has long weighed upon a heart already weak,
Yearning has lasted long for a weak heart,
even before longing, because sickness had worn it down.
Before the yearning from what illness has shown,
أَسَهرُI stay awake الليلَthe night والعُيونُand the eyes نيامٌasleep
أَسَهرُ الليلَ والعُيونُ نيامٌ
كرقيبٍlike a watchman فيin حَيِّthe camp of قومٍa tribe يُقَامُis stationed
كرقيبٍ في حَيِّ قومٍ يُقَامُ
I keep vigil through the night while eyes sleep,
I stay up at night while eyes are sleeping,
like a watchman stationed in a tribe’s camp.
Like a guard in the neighborhood staying awake,
إنّindeed عينيmy eye بِلُجَّةٍin a deep sea منof دُموعيmy tears
إنّ عيني بِلُجَّةٍ من دُموعي
غَرِقتْhas drowned والغريقُand the drowning man كيفَhow يَنامُsleeps
غَرِقتْ والغريقُ كيفَ يَنامُ
Indeed, my eye, in an ocean of my tears,
My eyes are certainly drowned in my tears,
has drowned—and how can a drowning man sleep?
And the one drowning, how can he sleep?
ياO بُرَيقَlittle lightning-flash of الحِمىthe protected grounds نَعِمتَmay you fare well صَباحاًin the morning
يا بُرَيقَ الحِمى نَعِمتَ صَباحاً
أينَwhere أهلُthe people of الحِمَىthe protected grounds وأينَand where الخِيامُthe tents
أينَ أهلُ الحِمَى وأينَ الخِيامُ
O little lightning-flash over the protected grounds, a happy morning to you!
O mirage of the camp, good morning,
Where are the people of the protected grounds, and where are the tents?
Where are the people of the camp and where are the tents?
هلhas...? أصابَreached الحياthe rain رُبوعَthe dwelling grounds of المُصلَّىal-Musalla
هل أصابَ الحيا رُبوعَ المُصلَّى
وهَلِand have...? اخضَرَّgrown green بعدَafter ذاكَthat البَشامُthe balsam trees
وهَلِ اخضَرَّ بعدَ ذاكَ البَشامُ
Has rain reached the dwelling grounds of al-Musalla,
Did the ruins reach the praying place,
and have the balsam trees grown green since then?
And did the low plants turn green after that?
طالمَاmany a time راعstartled قَبلكَbefore you الدَهرُTime ثغراًa mouth
طالمَا راع قَبلكَ الدَهرُ ثغراً
بِدَهاءٍwith cunning فلاحَand then shone منهُfrom it ابتِسامُa smile
بِدَهاءٍ فلاحَ منهُ ابتِسامُ
Often, before you, Time has startled a mouth
Long has the time deceived before you with a smile,
with cunning, and from it a smile shone forth.
Cunningly gaining from it a smile,
ولَكَمand how often شَبَّflared up فيin الزَمانِtime ضِرامٌa blaze
ولَكَم شَبَّ في الزَمانِ ضِرامٌ
ولَكَمand how often شابَgrew gray فيin الزمانِtime غُلامُa youth
ولَكَم شابَ في الزمانِ غُلامُ
And how often has a blaze flared up in time,
And how often has a young man matured in time,
and how often has a youth grown gray in time!
And how often has a young man matured in time?
كلُّevery حالٍstate سينقضيwill pass ليسَthere is no للدهْfor Time (first part of للدهر)
كلُّ حالٍ سينقضي ليسَ للدهْ
رِcompletes للدهر (‘Time’) دَوامٌpermanence وليسَand there is no فيهِwithin it دَوامُpermanence
رِ دَوامٌ وليسَ فيهِ دَوامُ
Every state will pass; Time has no
Every state will end, time has no
permanence, nor is there permanence within it.
permanence and no permanence within it,
رُبَّماperhaps عاهَدَmade a pact with الفَتَىthe young man اليومَtoday لكنْbut
رُبَّما عاهَدَ الفَتَى اليومَ لكنْ
لمdid not يُعاهِدْmake a pact غَداًfor tomorrow فأينَso where الذِمامُthe pledged protection
لم يُعاهِدْ غَداً فأينَ الذِمامُ
It may have made a pact with a youth today, but
Perhaps the young man promised today but
it has made none for tomorrow—where, then, is any assurance?
did not promise tomorrow, so where is the oath?
حالَchanged عهديmy days ولمand has not يَحُلْchanged عهدُthe pledge of وُدّيmy love
حالَ عهدي ولم يَحُلْ عهدُ وُدّي
بكِرامٍfor noble people وهمand they عليّto me كِرامُdear
بكِرامٍ وهم عليّ كِرامُ
My days have changed, but my pledge of love has not,
My state has changed and my love has not changed
for noble people who are dear to me.
With generosity, and they are generous to me,
ذاكَthat عِقدٌa necklace تناثَرَscattered الدُرُّthe pearls منهُfrom it
ذاكَ عِقدٌ تناثَرَ الدُرُّ منهُ
وعلىand upon اللهِGod بعدَafter ذاكَthat النِظامُthe restringing
وعلى اللهِ بعدَ ذاكَ النِظامُ
That is a necklace whose pearls have scattered,
That is a knot whose pearls have scattered,
and after that, their restringing rests with God.
And after that, the system is up to God,
أيهاO الجيرةُneighbors الذينَwho تَوَلَّواdeparted
أيها الجيرةُ الذينَ تَوَلَّوا
هلhave...? لكمyou have جِيرةٌneighbors سِواناbesides us تُرامُto be sought
هل لكم جِيرةٌ سِوانا تُرامُ
O neighbors who have departed,
O neighbors who have turned away,
have you any neighbors besides us to seek?
Do you have neighbors like us you can count on?
حَملَتْcarried منsome of سَلامِناour greetings لكُمُto you الرِّيthe wind (first part of الريح)
حَملَتْ من سَلامِنا لكُمُ الرِّي
حُcompletes الريح (‘wind’) ولكنْand yet ضاعَتْwas lost وضاعَand was lost السَلامُthe greetings
حُ ولكنْ ضاعَتْ وضاعَ السَلامُ
The wind carried some of our greetings to you,
It carried our greetings to you, but
but it was lost, and the greetings were lost.
the greetings were lost and the greetings vanished,
مَشهَدٌa scene يَقصُرُfalls short القَناthe lances دُونَshort of أدناthe least part of
مَشهَدٌ يَقصُرُ القَنا دُونَ أدنا
هُit (ending of أدناه) فماذاso what تَنالُهُreach it الأقلامُthe pens
هُ فماذا تَنالُهُ الأقلامُ
A scene whose least part even lances cannot reach—
A scene too great for elegy to reach
what, then, can pens attain of it?
So what can the pens attain?
Sol 6.1