لا تئلُ العُصمُ في الهِضابِ وَلا

شَغواءُ تَغذو فَرخَينِ في لُجُفِ

The pastures do not remain green in the hills,

The white-legged ibexes on the high peaks are not spared, nor

Nor does a singing bird nourish its chicks in a barren valley,

The crook-beaked eagle feeding two chicks in the hollows.

يُكِنُّها الجَوُّ في النَهارِ وَيُؤ

وِيها سَوادُ الدُجى إِلى شَرَفِ

The air hides it in daytime and the darkness of night shelters it to the highest peak.

The sky conceals her by day, and she is sheltered

It crouches with its fledglings on the ground

By the blackness of night upon a towering summit.

تَحنو بِجُؤشوشِها عَلى ضَرَمٍ

كَقَعدَةِ المُنحَني مِنَ الخَزَفِ

Like a hunched over pottery vessel.

She bends her breast compassionately over the hungry young,

Neither is there a youth kept awake by

Postured like a potter curving over his clay.

وَلا شُبوبٌ باتَت تُؤَرِّقُهُ ال

نَثرَةُ مِنها بِوابِلٍ قَصِفِ

Its scattered downpour with heavy rain.

Nor is the young wild bull safe, kept awake all night

It took refuge in its land and found support in

By the star of Leo bringing thunderous, pouring rain.

دانٍ عَلى أَرضِهِ وَأُسنِدَ في

بَهوِ أَمينِ الإِيادِ ذي هَدَفِ

The faithful bosom of the generous one with purpose.

Staying low to his ground, he takes shelter in

That was its habit the entire night

The hollow of a sturdy, high-ridged dune.

دَيدَنُهُ ذاكَ طولَ لَيلَتِهِ

حَتّى إِذا اِنجابَ حاجِبُ السَدَفِ

Until the eyebrows of dawn moved into action.

That remains his state throughout the long night,

It rose like the halting of a resolution and the

Until the brow of the darkness is lifted away.

غَدا كَوَقفِ الهَلوكِ يَنهَفِتُ ال

قِطقِطُ عَن مَنبِتَيهِ وَالكَتِفِ

Chirping bird sheds its coat above its shoulders and chest.

He goes forth shaking like a woman's ivory bangle, shedding

As if its plumage was ruffled between its prayers and the

The sleet from the roots of his horns and his shoulders.

كَأَنَّ شَذراً وَهَت مَعاقِدُهُ

بَينَ صَلاهُ فَمَلعَبِ الشَنَفِ

Playing field of feathers.

As if they were gold beads whose knots had snapped,

And like the firm pillar, the brown Syrian, faithful guard of treasures and supplies,

Scattering between his haunches and his neck.

وَأَخدَرِيٍّ صُلبِ النَواهِقِ صَل

صالٍ أَمينِ الفُصوصِ وَالوُظُفِ

Alone in the wilderness, with ample pasture

Nor the wild ass, hard of cheek, with resonant bray,

And whatever grass it grazes.

Strong of joint and sturdy of hoof.

مُنفَرِدٌ في الفَلاةِ توسِعُهُ

رَيّاً وَما يَختَليهِ مِن عَلَفِ

Death left no ruins behind

Solitary in the wasteland, which grants him

Among the barren hills and clefts.

Abundant drink and whatever fodder he gathers.

ما تَرَكَ المَوتُ بَعدَهُ شَبَحاً

بادٍ بِتَلِّ القِلالِ وَالشَعَفِ

When I saw death taking

Death has left no living figure behind him

Every strong and every weak one,

Visible upon the hill of peaks and summits.

لَمّا رَأَيتُ المَنونَ آخِذَةٌ

كُلَّ شَديدٍ وَكُلَّ ذي ضَعَفِ

I spent the night consoling my heart about those who passed

When I saw that Death was seizing

And my tears flowed abundantly if they did not suffice.

Every strong one and every weak one alike,

بِتُّ أُعَزّي الفُؤادَ عَن خَلَفٍ

وَباتَ دَمعي إِن لا يَفِض يَكِفِ

I forgot my misfortunes - mourning for one who died

I spent the night consoling my heart over Khalaf,

And spent the evening buried in dust inside the coffin.

And my tears, if not flooding, were unceasing.

أَنسى الرَزايا مَيتٌ فُجِعتُ بِهِ

أَمسى رَهينَ التُرابِ في جَدَفِ

He used to make me happy with his gentle company

A dead man I mourn has made me forget all other sorrows;

Without any harm or violence from him.

He has become a hostage of the dust within a grave.

كانَ يُسَنّي بِرِفقَةٍ عَلَقاً

في غَيرِ عِيٍّ مِنهُ وَلا عُنُفِ

He would answer on your behalf she whom you spent time with

He used to unravel difficulties with gentle grace,

Affectionately until he pleased you with kindness.

With neither incompetence nor harshness in his way.

يَجوبُ عَنكَ الَّتي عَشيتَ بِها

مِن قَبلُ حَتّى يَشفيكَ في لُطُفِ

The “haa” in pronunciation does not pronounce the

Clearing away for you what had dimmed your sight

“haa”, nor the “laam” with the “alif”.

Before, until he cured your ignorance with kindness.

لا يَهِمُ الحاءَ في القِراءَةِ بِال

حاءِ وَلا لامَها مَعَ الأَلِفِ

Nor does it blind the meaning of speech

He does not mistake the 'Ha' in reading for the 'Kha',

Nor would its recitation be from the scripture.

Nor confuse the 'Lam' entwined with the 'Alif'.

وَلا يُعَمّي مَعنى الكَلامِ وَلا

يَكونُ إِنشادُهُ عَنِ الصُحُفِ

And he was of those who passed away before us

He does not obscure the meaning of speech, nor

So he is no longer there when he passed away after us.

Does his recitation rely solely on the scroll.

وَكانَ مِمَّن مَضى لَنا خَلَفاً

فَلَيسَ مِنهُ إِذ بانَ مِن خَلَفِ

He was a successor to those who passed before us,

But now that he is gone, he leaves no successor behind.