نُحlament ياO حمامdoves وَصوّحand wither أَيُّهاO you البانُthe ban-tree
نُح يا حمام وَصوّح أَيُّها البانُ
فَإِنّfor indeed أَحبابbeloved ones قَلبيmy heart فيin الثَرىthe dust بانواthey departed
فَإِنّ أَحباب قَلبي في الثَرى بانوا
Mourn, O doves, and wither, O ban-tree.
For my heart's beloved have departed into the dust.
وَيلاهalas for me مِنat بَينهمtheir parting ماhow كانَwas أَعظَمَهُimmense it was
وَيلاه مِن بَينهم ما كانَ أَعظَمَهُ
هَولاًa terror تَشيبturn gray لَهُat it فيin المَهدthe cradle ولدانُinfants
هَولاً تَشيب لَهُ في المَهد ولدانُ
Alas for their parting—how immense it was,
a terror at which infants turn gray in their cradles!
بانواthey departed فَبانَso departed اِصطِباريmy endurance عِندَat بَينِهمtheir parting
بانوا فَبانَ اِصطِباري عِندَ بَينِهم
بَيناًa parting بِهِthrough it تفجعafflict with grief الأَحزابَthe multitudes أَحزانُsorrows
بَيناً بِهِ تفجع الأَحزابَ أَحزانُ
They departed, and my patience departed at their parting,
a parting whose sorrows afflict the multitudes.
خَطبa calamity دَهاassailed الصَبرpatience فَاِنهدّتso collapsed شَوامخهits lofty peaks
خَطب دَها الصَبر فَاِنهدّت شَوامخه
وَزلزلَتand were shaken مِنof حُصونfortresses الصَبرpatience أَركانُpillars
وَزلزلَت مِن حُصون الصَبر أَركانُ
A calamity assailed patience, and its lofty peaks collapsed,
and the pillars of patience's fortresses were shaken.
لاdo not تُنكرنَّever reproach عَلىagainst الأَيّامthe days حادِثةa calamity
لا تُنكرنَّ عَلى الأَيّام حادِثة
إِنّindeed التَقاديرfate's decrees لِلأَيّامfor the days أَعوانُhelpers
إِنّ التَقادير لِلأَيّام أَعوانُ
Never reproach the days for a calamity;
indeed, fate's decrees are the days' allies.
تَجريproceed الأُمورaffairs عَلىaccording to حُكمthe ruling القَضاءfate فَلاso not
تَجري الأُمور عَلى حُكم القَضاء فَلا
يَكادnearly يَمنَعهاprevent them إِنسٌhumans وَلاnor جانُjinn
يَكاد يَمنَعها إِنسٌ وَلا جانُ
Affairs unfold by fate's decree, and scarcely
can humans or jinn prevent them.
بَينَاwhile نَرىwe see المَرءa man يَزهوstruts فيin مَلابسهhis clothes
بَينَا نَرى المَرء يَزهو في مَلابسه
نَراهwe see him وَهوَwhile he is كَئيبwan اللَونthe complexion عريانُnaked
نَراه وَهوَ كَئيب اللَون عريانُ
One moment we see a man strutting in his clothes;
the next we see him wan-faced and naked.
ماhow أَحرصavid المَرءman فيin الدُنياthe world عَلىfor نَشبwealth
ما أَحرص المَرء في الدُنيا عَلى نَشب
نصيبهُhis share أَسَفsorrow مِنهُfrom it وَحِرمانُand deprivation
نصيبهُ أَسَف مِنهُ وَحِرمانُ
How avid man is in this world for wealth,
yet his share of it is sorrow and deprivation.
أَينَwhere الأُلىthose who مَلَكواruled الدُنياthe world بِأَجمَعِهاin its entirety
أَينَ الأُلى مَلَكوا الدُنيا بِأَجمَعِها
وَأَينَand where ماwhat عَمرواthey built مِنهاof it وَماand what زانواthey adorned
وَأَينَ ما عَمروا مِنها وَما زانوا
Where are those who ruled the whole world,
and where is what they built in it and what they adorned?
وَأَينَand where ماwhat نالَgained مِنهاfrom it بُختُBukht (name element) نصَّرهاits Nassar (completing Nebuchadnezzar)
وَأَينَ ما نالَ مِنها بُختُ نصَّرها
وَأَينَand where فرعونهاits Pharaoh الطاغيthe tyrannical وَهامانُand Haman
وَأَينَ فرعونها الطاغي وَهامانُ
And where is what its Nebuchadnezzar gained from it?
And where are its tyrannical Pharaoh and Haman?
وَأَينَand where إِسكَندرAlexander البانيthe builder بِهاin it شَرَفاًglory
وَأَينَ إِسكَندر الباني بِها شَرَفاً
وَأَينَand where ياO عُصبةcompany الهاديthe Guide سُلَيمانُSolomon
وَأَينَ يا عُصبة الهادي سُلَيمانُ
And where is Alexander, who built glory there?
And where, O company of the Guide, is Solomon?
وَأَينَand where قارونهاits Qarun الزاهيthe proud one بِزينتهin his finery
وَأَينَ قارونها الزاهي بِزينته
وَأَينَand where مَنthose who هُمthey لَهُto him فيamong الناسthe people أَقرانُpeers
وَأَينَ مَن هُم لَهُ في الناس أَقرانُ
And where is its Qarun, proud in his finery?
And where are those among men who are his peers?
وَأَينَand where ساداتlords أَحفالassemblies العِراقIraq مَضَتhave passed away
وَأَينَ سادات أَحفال العِراق مَضَت
وَأَينَand where كِسرىKisra وَسابورٌand Shapur وَساسانُand Sasan
وَأَينَ كِسرى وَسابورٌ وَساسانُ
And where are the lords of Iraq's assemblies, now gone?
And where are Kisra, Shapur, and Sasan?
وَأَينَand where منthose whose زيّنadorned اليونانGreece حكمتهمtheir wisdom
وَأَينَ من زيّن اليونان حكمتهم
وَطبُّهمand their medicine وَبِهمand through them قَدindeed فاقَexcelled لُقمانُLuqman
وَطبُّهم وَبِهم قَد فاقَ لُقمانُ
And where are those who graced Greece with their wisdom
and their medicine, and through whom Luqman excelled?
وَأَينَand where صَديقthe friend طَهَTaha المُصطَفىthe Chosen One وَوَصيand the legatee (continued)
وَأَينَ صَديق طَهَ المُصطَفى وَوَصي
يهhis (word ending) وَأَينَand where أَبوfather of حَفصHafs وَعُثمانُand Uthman
يه وَأَينَ أَبو حَفص وَعُثمانُ
And where are Taha the Chosen One's friend and his legatee,
and where are Abu Hafs and Uthman?
وَأَينَand where مَنthose who مِنof بَنيthe sons of قَحطانQahtan قَدindeed مَلَكواruled
وَأَينَ مَن مِن بَني قَحطان قَد مَلَكوا
وَمَنand those who لَهُمfor them أُسُسfoundations العَلياءof glory عَدنانُAdnan
وَمَن لَهُم أُسُس العَلياء عَدنانُ
And where are those of Qahtan's sons who ruled,
and those whose glory had its foundations in Adnan?
وَأَينَand where مَنthose who مَلَكواruled مِنof حِميرHimyar يَمناًYemen
وَأَينَ مَن مَلَكوا مِن حِمير يَمناً
وَمَنand he who بِهِin him اِفتَخَرَتtook pride فيin القَصرthe palace غُمدانُGhumdan
وَمَن بِهِ اِفتَخَرَت في القَصر غُمدانُ
And where are those of Himyar who ruled Yemen,
and he in whom Ghumdan took pride within the palace?
وَأَينَand where مَنthose who شَيَّدواbuilt up فيamong الناسthe people مَجدهمُtheir glory
وَأَينَ مَن شَيَّدوا في الناس مَجدهمُ
مِنfrom آلthe house of جفنةJafnah وَالمَنسوبand those affiliated with غَسّانُGhassan
مِن آل جفنة وَالمَنسوب غَسّانُ
And where are those who built their glory among men,
from the house of Jafnah and those affiliated with Ghassan?
Sol 6.1