ألاLo! لِلّهto God عاقبةthe outcome of الأَمورِall affairs
ألا لِلّه عاقبة الأَمورِ
وَعاقِبَةُand the outcome of الرضىcontentment فَوزthe triumph of الصَبورِthe patient one
وَعاقِبَةُ الرضى فَوز الصَبورِ
Lo, to God belongs the outcome of all affairs,
Lo! God's will govern things alway,
And contentment ends in the patient one's triumph.
And patience wins the patient's day,
إِذاif ضيقdistress ألمَّbefalls بِصَدرupon the breast of حرٍّa free man
إِذا ضيق ألمَّ بِصَدر حرٍّ
عَلَيهِupon him بِالزِيارَةwith a visit لِلقُبورِto the graves
عَلَيهِ بِالزِيارَة لِلقُبورِ
If distress weighs upon a free man's breast,
When grief's dark cloud oppresseth sore
Let him pay a visit to the graves.
The bosoms of the brave and free,
عَلَيهِupon him أنto يَزورvisit هُناكthere لَحداًa grave
عَلَيهِ أن يَزور هُناك لَحداً
عَلَيهِabove it تَرفّflutter أَجنِحَةُthe wings of النُسورِvultures
عَلَيهِ تَرفّ أَجنِحَةُ النُسورِ
He should visit there a grave
Let mourners all to churchyards fare
Above which the wings of vultures flutter.
Where vultures' wings are hovering o'er;
ثَوىlay فيهin it كديشa common-bred horse عَزيزdear to قَومٍa people
ثَوى فيه كديش عَزيز قَومٍ
رَفيعlofty in المَجدglory كَالعلمlike a banner الشَهيرِrenowned
رَفيع المَجد كَالعلم الشَهيرِ
There lay a common-bred horse, dear to his people,
Where sleeps a corpse 'neath coffin lid
Lofty in glory, like a renowned banner.
Of noble name and lineage high,
كديشthe common-bred horse كانwas ذاpossessed of صَبرٍpatience إِذاwhen ماever (emphatic)
كديش كان ذا صَبرٍ إِذا ما
رَماهُassailed him الجوعhunger بِالأَمرwith a plight العَسيرِgrievous
رَماهُ الجوع بِالأَمر العَسيرِ
The common-bred horse was patient whenever
A corpse that whilom suffered pangs
Hunger assailed him with a grievous plight.
Of bitter need's extremity;
وَكانَand he was عَلىunder مَشَقّةthe hardship of كُلّevery أينٍweariness
وَكانَ عَلى مَشَقّة كُلّ أينٍ
صَبوراًpatient عِندَduring مُشتدِّthe fiercest part of الهَجيرِthe midday heat
صَبوراً عِندَ مُشتدِّ الهَجيرِ
And through every hardship of weariness,
And like to flint his heart had been
He was patient in the fiercest midday heat.
In face of stern adversity
عَزيزproud in النَفسspirit كانَhe was طَليقfree in عَيشlife
عَزيز النَفس كانَ طَليق عَيش
فَأَصبَحso he became بِالإِهانَةِthrough humiliation كَالأَسيرِlike a captive
فَأَصبَح بِالإِهانَةِ كَالأَسيرِ
Proud of spirit, he once lived free,
Then through humiliation became like a captive.
وَكانَand he was إِذاwhen أَلَمَّbefell بِهِupon him اِضطِرارٌnecessity
وَكانَ إِذا أَلَمَّ بِهِ اِضطِرارٌ
لِأَجلfor the sake of التبنstraw يقنعhe was content بِاليسيرِwith little
لِأَجل التبن يقنع بِاليسيرِ
And when necessity beset him,
For the sake of straw, he would settle for little.
وَكانَand he was يَودّwishing لَوif only فيin العُمرlife يَوماًone day
وَكانَ يَودّ لَو في العُمر يَوماً
رَأىhe saw فيin نَومِهِhis sleep طَيفthe phantom of الشَعيرِbarley
رَأى في نَومِهِ طَيف الشَعيرِ
And he wished that, once in his lifetime,
He might see barley's phantom in his sleep.
وَكانَand he was إِذاwhen بِهِin him ظمأthirst تَناهىreached its utmost
وَكانَ إِذا بِهِ ظمأ تَناهى
يَخوضhe waded مِنof التَجلُّدendurance فيin بُحورِseas
يَخوض مِن التَجلُّد في بُحورِ
And when his thirst reached its utmost,
He waded through seas of endurance.
تَوفّىhe died وَهوَwhile he فيin ضنكhardship يُناديcalled out
تَوفّى وَهوَ في ضنك يُنادي
أَلَيسَis there not لِمُستَجيرfor a refuge-seeker مِنany مُجيرِprotector
أَلَيسَ لِمُستَجير مِن مُجيرِ
He died in hardship, crying:
"Is there no protector for one who seeks refuge?
أَلَيسَis not مَنthe one whom اِستَغاثَsought help بِهِfrom him طَنيبa supplicant
أَلَيسَ مَن اِستَغاثَ بِهِ طَنيب
وَلبّاهand answered him سَيظفرhe will win بِالأُجورِwith rewards
وَلبّاه سَيظفر بِالأُجورِ
Will not the one whom a supplicant calls upon
And who answers him gain rewards?"
رَمَتهُstruck him يَدthe hand of الخطوبcalamities فَصيّرتهso it made him
رَمَتهُ يَد الخطوب فَصيّرته
طَعاماًfood لِلوُحوشfor beasts وَلِلطُيورِand for birds
طَعاماً لِلوُحوش وَلِلطُيورِ
The hand of calamities struck him and made him
Food for beasts and birds.
وَلَمّاand when أَنthat قَضىhe died هَرَعَتrushed إِلَيهِto him
وَلَمّا أَن قَضى هَرَعَت إِلَيهِ
بَنوthe sons of جسّاسJassas بالجمّin a multitude الغَفيرِvast
بَنو جسّاس بالجمّ الغَفيرِ
And when he died, there rushed toward him
The sons of Jassas, in a vast throng.
كَأَنَّas though لَهُمto them دَعَتcalled أَفراحthe festivities of عُرسa wedding
كَأَنَّ لَهُم دَعَت أَفراح عُرس
فَجاؤواso they came بِالطُبولwith drums وَبِالزُمورِand with pipes
فَجاؤوا بِالطُبول وَبِالزُمورِ
As though wedding festivities had called to them,
They came with drums and pipes.
فَمنهمso among them مُسرِعونhurrying لَهُto him مشاةon foot
فَمنهم مُسرِعون لَهُ مشاة
وَبَعضهُمand some of them عَلىon عرجthe lame ones among الحَميرِdonkeys
وَبَعضهُم عَلى عرج الحَميرِ
Some of them hurried to him on foot,
And some of them upon lame donkeys.
يُنادونcalling البدارhaste فَلوso if only تَراهُمyou saw them
يُنادون البدار فَلو تَراهُم
إِذwhen اِنقَضّواthey swooped عَلَيهِupon him كَالصُقورِlike falcons
إِذ اِنقَضّوا عَلَيهِ كَالصُقورِ
Crying, "Make haste!"—if only you had seen them
As they swooped upon him like falcons!
وَقَدand indeed سَلّواthey pulled out الحَوافرthe hooves مِنfrom نِعالٍhorseshoes
وَقَد سَلّوا الحَوافر مِن نِعالٍ
كَماjust as سَلَخواthey flayed الجُلودthe hides مِنfrom الشُعورِthe hair
كَما سَلَخوا الجُلود مِن الشُعورِ
And they had drawn the hooves out of their horseshoes,
Just as they stripped the hides from the hair.
فَواso alas! أسفيmy sorrow وَياand oh كدريmy distress وَحُزنيand my grief
فَوا أسفي وَيا كدري وَحُزني
عَلىfor عُنقa neck حَكىresembled عُنقthe neck of البَعيرِa camel
عَلى عُنق حَكى عُنق البَعيرِ
Oh, my sorrow, my distress, and my grief
For a neck that resembled a camel's neck!
وَياand oh أَسَفيmy sorrow عَلىfor ذَنبٍa tail طَويلlong
وَيا أَسَفي عَلى ذَنبٍ طَويل
رَخيمsoft in اللَمسtouch أَنعَمsofter مِنthan حَريرِsilk
رَخيم اللَمس أَنعَم مِن حَريرِ
And alas for a long tail,
Soft to the touch, softer than silk!
وَياand oh أَسَفيmy sorrow عَلىfor جسدٍa body نَحيفthin
وَيا أَسَفي عَلى جسدٍ نَحيف
وَياand oh أَسَفيmy sorrow عَلىfor طَرفan eye حَسيرِweary
وَيا أَسَفي عَلى طَرف حَسيرِ
And alas for a thin body,
And alas for a weary eye!
وَياand oh لَهفthe yearning of القرادthe ticks عَلَيهِfor him حُزناًin sorrow
وَيا لَهف القراد عَلَيهِ حُزناً
وَياand oh لهفthe yearning of الذبابthe flies المُستَطيرِflying about
وَيا لهف الذباب المُستَطيرِ
And oh, the ticks' sorrowful longing for him,
And oh, the longing of the fluttering flies!
فَكَمso how often قَدindeed كانَhe was ذاpossessed of كَدٍّtoil وَجدٍّand diligence
فَكَم قَد كانَ ذا كَدٍّ وَجدٍّ
وَنَفعand benefit للكَبيرfor the great وَلِلصَغيرِand for the small
وَنَفع للكَبير وَلِلصَغيرِ
How much toil and diligence had been his,
And service to the great and the small!
وَكَمand how many سَوطa whip لَهُit had صَوتa sound عَليهupon him
وَكَم سَوط لَهُ صَوت عَليه
وَندبand a welt فيin الأَصائلlate afternoons وَالبُكورِand early mornings
وَندب في الأَصائل وَالبُكورِ
And how many a whip had cracked upon him,
And many a welt, in late afternoon and early morning!
وَأَقلامand the pens of العصيِّthe sticks لَهاthey had صَريرa squeak
وَأَقلام العصيِّ لَها صَرير
بطرسon the parchment of أَديمهhis hide فَوقَabove السُطورِthe lines
بطرس أَديمه فَوقَ السُطورِ
And the pens of the sticks would squeak
On the parchment of his hide, over the lines.
إِذاwhen ضربتthey multiplied خماساًfive فيby سُداسsix
إِذا ضربت خماساً في سُداس
عَلىupon أَعضاهhis limbs تَرجعthey returned بِالكُسورِwith fractures
عَلى أَعضاه تَرجع بِالكُسورِ
When they multiplied five by six
Upon his limbs, they came back with fractures.
لَقَدindeed نَشَبَتhad sunk in مَخالبهاits claws المَناياdeath
لَقَد نَشَبَت مَخالبها المَنايا
بِهِinto him فَرأىso he saw الحَياةlife مِنas part of الغُرورِdelusion
بِهِ فَرأى الحَياة مِن الغُرورِ
Death had indeed sunk its claws
Into him, and he saw life as a delusion.
وَقَدand indeed أَوصىbequeathed لِصاحبهto his owner برحلwith a saddle
وَقَد أَوصى لِصاحبه برحل
وَجُلٍّand a saddlecloth أَخلقتهwore it out يَدthe hand of الدُهورِthe ages
وَجُلٍّ أَخلقته يَد الدُهورِ
And he bequeathed his owner a saddle,
And a saddlecloth worn out by the hand of the ages.
وَأَوصىand he bequeathed بِالحزامwith the girth لَهُto him وَلَكنand yet
وَأَوصى بِالحزام لَهُ وَلَكن
لِيلبسto be worn كَالوشاحlike a sash عَلىupon الخُصورِthe waists
لِيلبس كَالوشاح عَلى الخُصورِ
And he bequeathed him the girth, but
To be worn like a sash around waists.
وَأَوصىand he bequeathed بِاللجامwith the bridle وَكانand he was مِمَّنamong those who
وَأَوصى بِاللجام وَكان مِمَّن
يَرىheld حفظthe keeping of الزمامthe reins إِلىto العَشيرِthe companion
يَرى حفظ الزمام إِلى العَشيرِ
And he bequeathed the bridle, being one
Who held that the reins should be entrusted to a companion.
Partial English translation: 12 of 60 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1