إذاwhen طَلَعَrises النَّهارُdaylight أرَىI see الرِّجالاthe men
إذا طَلَعَ النَّهارُ أرَى الرِّجالا
كماjust as أبصَرْتُI saw فيin اللَيلِthe night الخَيالاthe phantom
كما أبصَرْتُ في اللَيلِ الخَيالا
When daylight rises, I see men
As I saw phantoms in the night.
وأعجَبُand I marvel كيفَhow تَطوِيenfolds الأرضُthe earth ناساًpeople
وأعجَبُ كيفَ تَطوِي الأرضُ ناساً
لوِif اجتَمَعواthey gathered بهاupon it كانواthey would be جِبالاmountains
لوِ اجتَمَعوا بها كانوا جِبالا
And I marvel how the earth enfolds people
Who, had they gathered upon it, would have been mountains.
كُرُورُrecurring cycles الدَّهرِof time يَنسَخُerases كلَّevery حيٍّliving being
كُرُورُ الدَّهرِ يَنسَخُ كلَّ حيٍّ
كُنورِlike the light of الشَّمسِthe sun إذwhen نَسَخَit erased الظِّلالاthe shadows
كُنورِ الشَّمسِ إذ نَسَخَ الظِّلالا
Time's recurring cycles erase every living being,
Like the sun's light when it erased the shadows.
تَمُرُّpass الناسُpeople شخصاًone person بعدَafter شَخصٍanother person
تَمُرُّ الناسُ شخصاً بعدَ شَخصٍ
كماjust as تَرمِيyou shoot عنِfrom القَوسِthe bow النِّبالاthe arrows
كما تَرمِي عنِ القَوسِ النِّبالا
People pass, one person after another,
As you shoot arrows from a bow.
إذاif أغلَقتَyou close دُونَagainst المَوتِdeath باباًa door
إذا أغلَقتَ دُونَ المَوتِ باباً
تَناوَلَit reaches ألفَa thousand بابٍdoors كيفَhowever جالاit roams
تَناوَلَ ألفَ بابٍ كيفَ جالا
If you close a door against death,
It reaches a thousand doors wherever it roams.
ومَنand whoever حَذِرَguards against المَنيَّةَdeath عنon يَمينٍthe right
ومَن حَذِرَ المَنيَّةَ عن يَمينٍ
تَدُورُit circles بهِaround him فتأخُذُهُand so seizes him شِمالاfrom the left
تَدُورُ بهِ فتأخُذُهُ شِمالا
And whoever guards against death on his right,
It circles him and seizes him from the left.
منَfrom اللهِGod السَّلامُpeace علىupon أميرٍan emir
منَ اللهِ السَّلامُ على أميرٍ
دَفَنَّاwe buried المجدَglory مَعْهُwith him والجَلالاand grandeur
دَفَنَّا المجدَ مَعْهُ والجَلالا
Peace from God upon an emir
With whom we buried glory and grandeur.
كأنَّas though المَوتَdeath لمdid not يجسُرْdare عليهِagainst him
كأنَّ المَوتَ لم يجسُرْ عليهِ
مُجاهَرةًopenly ففاجأهُand so surprised him اغتِيالاby stealth
مُجاهَرةً ففاجأهُ اغتِيالا
As though death did not dare confront him
Openly, and so surprised him by stealth.
فَتىًa young man كالسَّيفِlike a sword إرهاباًin inspiring terror وقَطْعاًand cutting power
فَتىً كالسَّيفِ إرهاباً وقَطْعاً
ومِثْلُand like الرُّمحِthe spear قَدّاًin stature واعتِدالاand straightness
ومِثْلُ الرُّمحِ قَدّاً واعتِدالا
A young man, like a sword in terror and cutting power,
And like a spear in stature and straightness;
ومثلُand like البَدرِthe full moon إشراقاًin radiance وحُسناًand beauty
ومثلُ البَدرِ إشراقاً وحُسناً
ومِثلُand like الغَيثِthe rain جوداًin generosity وابتِذالاand unstinting giving
ومِثلُ الغَيثِ جوداً وابتِذالا
And like the full moon in radiance and beauty,
And like rain in generosity and unstinting giving.
أجَلُّthe most exalted of بنيthe sons of الكِرامnoble men أبّاًin father وجدَاًand grandfather
أجَلُّ بني الكِرام أبّاً وجدَاً
وأكرَمُand the noblest of رَهْطِهمtheir clan عَمَّاًin paternal uncle وخالاand maternal uncle
وأكرَمُ رَهْطِهم عَمَّاً وخالا
The most exalted of noble men's sons by father and grandfather,
And noblest of their clan by paternal and maternal uncle;
وأحسنَهُمand the best of them وأجمَلهُمand the fairest of them فَعالاًin deeds
وأحسنَهُم وأجمَلهُم فَعالاً
وأوثَقُهمand the most trustworthy of them وأصدَقُهمand the most truthful of them مَقالاin speech
وأوثَقُهم وأصدَقُهم مَقالا
And the best and fairest of them in deeds,
And the most trustworthy and truthful of them in speech.
كريمٌa noble man منfrom كريمٍa noble man منfrom كِرامٍnoble men
كريمٌ من كريمٍ من كِرامٍ
بَنَوْاthey built فيin المجدِglory أعمِدةًpillars طِوالاtall
بَنَوْا في المجدِ أعمِدةً طِوالا
A noble man, son of a noble man, descended from noble men
Who built tall pillars in glory.
إذاif عَدَّcounts النَّقيبُthe chief لَهُمْfor them سَرَاةًleading men
إذا عَدَّ النَّقيبُ لَهُمْ سَرَاةً
بَبيِتُhe spends the night (probable reading) بجَهْدِهِfrom his exertion يشكوcomplaining of الكَلالاweariness
بَبيِتُ بجَهْدِهِ يشكو الكَلالا
If the chief counts their leading men,
He spends the night complaining of weariness from his exertion.
سَليلُa scion أميرِof the emir of لُبنانَLebanon المُناديwho proclaimed
سَليلُ أميرِ لُبنانَ المُنادي
أناI am لُبنانُLebanon لَمَّاwhen مِلتُI leaned مالاit leaned
أنا لُبنانُ لَمَّا مِلتُ مالا
A scion of the emir of Lebanon, who proclaimed:
"I am Lebanon: when I leaned, it leaned."
إذاif قُلتَyou say الأميرُthe emir ولمand do not تُسمِّيgive a name
إذا قُلتَ الأميرُ ولم تُسمِّي
فلاthen does not يَحتاجُneed سامعُكَyour listener السُؤَالاa question
فلا يَحتاجُ سامعُكَ السُؤَالا
If you say "the emir" without naming him,
Your listener has no need to ask.
دَعَوناهُwe called him الأميرَthe emir فماand yet not وَفَيناwe did justice
دَعَوناهُ الأميرَ فما وَفَينا
ولوand even if قُلناwe said الوَزيرُthe vizier لَماit would not استحَالاhave been inconceivable
ولو قُلنا الوَزيرُ لَما استحَالا
We called him "the emir," yet did not do him justice;
And had we said "the vizier," it would not have been inconceivable.
سألْناwe asked تَخْتَthe throne of مَعْنٍMaʿn عنabout نَظيرٍan equal
سألْنا تَخْتَ مَعْنٍ عن نَظيرٍ
لهُto him هلwhether قامَhad stood فيهِin it فقالَand it said لاno لاno
لهُ هل قامَ فيهِ فقالَ لا لا
We asked Maʿn's throne about an equal
To him: had one occupied it? It answered, "No, no."
ستَندبُهُwill mourn him البِلادُthe land ومَنْand those who عَلَيهاare upon it
ستَندبُهُ البِلادُ ومَنْ عَلَيها
إلىuntil أنْthat تَستَعِيضَit finds a replacement لهُfor him مِثالاan equal
إلى أنْ تَستَعِيضَ لهُ مِثالا
The land and all upon it will mourn him
Until it finds an equal to replace him.
وتُحصِيand will count النَّاسُpeople ماwhat فَعَلَتْhave done يَداهُhis two hands
وتُحصِي النَّاسُ ما فَعَلَتْ يَداهُ
ولكنْbut بعدَafter أنْthat تُحصِيthey count الرِّمالاthe sands
ولكنْ بعدَ أنْ تُحصِي الرِّمالا
And people will count what his hands have done,
But only after they have counted the sands.
رَضيناwe were content بالذينwith those who تَخَلَّفُوهُsucceeded him
رَضينا بالذين تَخَلَّفُوهُ
فماbut not رَضِيَwas content الزَمانُtime ولاnor أقالاrelented
فما رَضِيَ الزَمانُ ولا أقالا
We were content with those who succeeded him,
But time was not content, nor did it relent.
ولاnor تَرَكَleft الخليلَKhalil لناfor us شِهاباًa shooting star
ولا تَرَكَ الخليلَ لنا شِهاباً
ولاnor تَرَكَleft السَّعيدَSaʿid لناfor us هِلالاa crescent moon
ولا تَرَكَ السَّعيدَ لنا هِلالا
Nor did it leave us Khalil as a shooting star,
Nor did it leave us Saʿid as a crescent moon.
لِعَينِكَfor your sake ياO سعيدُSaʿid عُيُونُthe eyes of قومٍa people
لِعَينِكَ يا سعيدُ عُيُونُ قومٍ
سَفَكنَthey shed منَfrom الجُفُونِthe eyelids دَماًblood حَلالاlawful
سَفَكنَ منَ الجُفُونِ دَماً حَلالا
For your sake, O Saʿid, a people's eyes
Shed lawful blood from their eyelids.
لَبِستَyou donned اليومَtoday ثوباًa garment منof بَياضٍwhiteness
لَبِستَ اليومَ ثوباً من بَياضٍ
فزادَand so it added جَمالَكَyour beauty الباهيradiant جَمالاbeauty
فزادَ جَمالَكَ الباهي جَمالا
Today you donned a garment of white,
And it added beauty to your radiant beauty.
إلىto دارِthe abode of السَّعادةِbliss سِرتَyou went فَوْراًat once
إلى دارِ السَّعادةِ سِرتَ فَوْراً
كأنّكَas though you were عاشقٌa lover يَبغِيseeking الوِصالاunion
كأنّكَ عاشقٌ يَبغِي الوِصالا
You went at once to the abode of bliss,
As though you were a lover seeking union.
رأيتَyou saw العيشَlife فيin الدُّنياthis world طريقاًa path
رأيتَ العيشَ في الدُّنيا طريقاً
لَهاto it فاخَترْتَand so you chose أقرَبَهُits shortest مَجالاcourse
لَها فاخَترْتَ أقرَبَهُ مَجالا
You saw life in this world as a path
To it, and so chose its shortest course.
Sol 6.1