هَجَرَتforsook بَعدَكَafter you القُلوبُthe hearts الجُسوماthe bodies
هَجَرَت بَعدَكَ القُلوبُ الجُسوما
حينَwhen أَمسَتbecame مِنكَbereft of you الرُبوعُthe dwellings رُسوماtraces
حينَ أَمسَت مِنكَ الرُبوعُ رُسوما
After you were gone, hearts forsook their bodies,
when the dwellings, bereft of you, became mere traces.
وَخَلَتand were emptied مِنof سَناكَyour radiance زُهرُbright المَغانيthe abodes
وَخَلَت مِن سَناكَ زُهرُ المَغاني
فَاِستَحالَso turned النَهارُthe day لَيلاًnight بَهيماpitch-dark
فَاِستَحالَ النَهارُ لَيلاً بَهيما
And the bright abodes were emptied of your radiance,
so day turned into pitch-black night.
ياO هِلالاًcrescent أَودىbrought destruction بِهِupon him الخَسفُthe eclipse لَمّاjust as
يا هِلالاً أَودى بِهِ الخَسفُ لَمّا
صارَbecame عِندَat الكَمالِperfection بَدراًa full moon وَسيماhandsome
صارَ عِندَ الكَمالِ بَدراً وَسيما
O crescent, struck down by eclipse just as
you reached perfection, a handsome full moon;
وَقَضيباًand a tender shoot رُمناwe sought لَذيذَsweet جَناهُits fruit
وَقَضيباً رُمنا لَذيذَ جَناهُ
فَذَوىso withered حينَwhen صارَbecame غُصناًa bough قَويماupright
فَذَوى حينَ صارَ غُصناً قَويما
and tender shoot whose sweet fruit we sought,
you withered when you became an upright bough.
ماnot ظَنَنّاwe thought المَنونَdeath تَرقىascends إِلىto البَدthe full moon (first part)
ما ظَنَنّا المَنونَ تَرقى إِلى البَد
رِthe full moon (completion) وَأَنَّand that الحِمامَdeath يَغشىenvelops النُجوماthe stars
رِ وَأَنَّ الحِمامَ يَغشى النُجوما
We never thought death could ascend to the full
moon, or that doom could envelop the stars.
هَدَّshattered قَلبيmy heart مَنthe one who كانَused to يُؤنِسُcomfort قَلبيmy heart
هَدَّ قَلبي مَن كانَ يُؤنِسُ قَلبي
إِذwhen نَبَذناهُwe cast him بِالعَراءِupon the bare ground سَقيماailing
إِذ نَبَذناهُ بِالعَراءِ سَقيما
He who comforted my heart has shattered my heart,
when we cast him, ailing, upon the bare ground.
وَنَأىand went far away يوسُفيmy Joseph فَقَدso indeed ذَهَبَتhave gone عَيmy two eyes (first part)
وَنَأى يوسُفي فَقَد ذَهَبَت عَي
نايَmy two eyes (completion) مِنfrom حُزنِهِgrief for him وَكُنتُand I was كَظيماsuppressing sorrow
نايَ مِن حُزنِهِ وَكُنتُ كَظيما
And my Joseph has gone far away; my
eyes have gone blind with grief for him, and I choked back sorrow.
ياO صَغيراًlittle one حَوىpossessed عَظيمَgreat صِفاتٍqualities
يا صَغيراً حَوى عَظيمَ صِفاتٍ
أَوجَبَتdemanded فيin قُلوبِناour hearts التَعظيماreverence
أَوجَبَت في قُلوبِنا التَعظيما
O little one who possessed great qualities
that demanded reverence in our hearts:
خُلُقاًa character طاهِراًpure وَكَفّاًand a hand صَناعاًskillful
خُلُقاً طاهِراً وَكَفّاً صَناعاً
وَلِساناًand a tongue طَلقاًfluent وَطَبعاًand a disposition سَليماsound
وَلِساناً طَلقاً وَطَبعاً سَليما
a pure character and a skillful hand,
and a fluent tongue and a sound disposition.
كُنتَyou were رَقّيmy slave فَصِرتَthen you became مالِكَmaster of رِقّيmy bondage
كُنتَ رَقّي فَصِرتَ مالِكَ رِقّي
بِحِجىًthrough intellect مِنكَof yours يَستَخِفُّmakes light of الحُلوماintellects
بِحِجىً مِنكَ يَستَخِفُّ الحُلوما
You were my bondsman, then became the master of my bondage,
with an intellect of yours that made other minds seem slight,
وَيَدَينِand two hands ثَنَتturned عِنانَthe reins of يَراعٍa reed pen
وَيَدَينِ ثَنَت عِنانَ يَراعٍ
أَنبَتَتmade sprout فيupon الطُروسِthe pages دُرّاًpearls نَظيماstrung together
أَنبَتَت في الطُروسِ دُرّاً نَظيما
and two hands that turned the reins of a reed pen,
making strung pearls sprout upon the pages;
وَمَقالٍand speech إِذاwhen دَعاهُcalled it forth لَبيبٌa discerning man
وَمَقالٍ إِذا دَعاهُ لَبيبٌ
ظَنَّhe thought أَنّيthat I مِنكَfrom you اِستَفَدتُI learned العُلوماthe sciences
ظَنَّ أَنّي مِنكَ اِستَفَدتُ العُلوما
and speech that, when a discerning man called it forth,
made him think I had learned the sciences from you.
وَإِذاand when ما(emphatic particle) تَلَوتُI recited نَظميmy verse وَنَثريand my prose
وَإِذا ما تَلَوتُ نَظمي وَنَثري
خالَنيhe imagined me مِنكَfrom you أَطلُبُI seek التَعليماinstruction
خالَني مِنكَ أَطلُبُ التَعليما
And when I recited my verse and my prose,
he imagined I was seeking instruction from you.
ياO خَليلَاًfriend مازالَwas always خَصماًan adversary لِخَصميto my adversary
يا خَليلَاً مازالَ خَصماً لِخَصمي
كَيفَhow صَيَّرتَyou made ليfor me الغَرامَardent longing غَريماa creditor
كَيفَ صَيَّرتَ لي الغَرامَ غَريما
O friend, ever a foe to my foe,
how did you make longing my creditor?
كَيفَhow جَرَّعتَنيyou made me swallow الحَميمَthe boiling water مِنَof الحُزsorrow (first part)
كَيفَ جَرَّعتَني الحَميمَ مِنَ الحُز
نِsorrow (completion) وَقَدand indeed كُنتَyou were ليto me صَديقاًa friend حَميماclose
نِ وَقَد كُنتَ لي صَديقاً حَميما
How did you make me swallow the boiling water of
grief, when you had been my close friend?
نِمتَyou slept عَنheedless of حاجَتيmy need فَأَحدَثتَso you brought about عِنديfor me
نِمتَ عَن حاجَتي فَأَحدَثتَ عِندي
لِتَنائيكَbecause of your remoteness مُقعِداًa cause to sit وَمُقيماand a cause to rise
لِتَنائيكَ مُقعِداً وَمُقيما
You slept, heedless of my need, and left me,
through your remoteness, restless—now sitting, now rising.
وَتَرَحَّلتَand you departed عَنfrom فِنائيmy courtyard رَحيلاًa departure
وَتَرَحَّلتَ عَن فِنائي رَحيلاً
صَيَّرَmade الحُزنَsorrow فيin الفُؤادِthe heart مُقيماresident
صَيَّرَ الحُزنَ في الفُؤادِ مُقيما
And you departed from my courtyard—a departure
that made sorrow a resident in my heart.
لَستُI do not أَنساكَforget you وَالمَنِيَّةُand death تُخفيconceals
لَستُ أَنساكَ وَالمَنِيَّةُ تُخفي
مِنكَof yours نُطقاًspeech عَذباًsweet وَصَوتاًand a voice رَخيماmellow
مِنكَ نُطقاً عَذباً وَصَوتاً رَخيما
I will not forget you, while death conceals
your sweet speech and your mellow voice.
وَمَسَحتُand I stroked الجَبينَthe brow مِنكَof yours بِكَفّيwith my palm
وَمَسَحتُ الجَبينَ مِنكَ بِكَفّي
فَأَعادَso rendered المَسيحُthe stroked one (pun on 'Messiah') قَلبيmy heart كَليماwounded
فَأَعادَ المَسيحُ قَلبي كَليما
And I stroked your brow with my palm,
so the one I stroked—the 'Messiah'—left my heart wounded.
كُنتُI was أَمَّلتُI hoped أَنthat تُشَيّعَyou would accompany نَعشيmy bier
كُنتُ أَمَّلتُ أَن تُشَيّعَ نَعشي
وَتَواريand you would bury فيin التُربِthe earth عَظميmy bones الرَميماcrumbling
وَتَواري في التُربِ عَظمي الرَميما
I had hoped that you would accompany my bier,
and bury my crumbling bones in the earth.
وَتَوَقَّعتُand I expected أَنthat أَرُدَّI would ward off بِكَthrough you الخَطthe calamity (first part)
وَتَوَقَّعتُ أَن أَرُدَّ بِكَ الخَط
بَthe calamity (completion) فَأَمسىso became نَواكَyour absence خَطباًa calamity جَسيماgrave
بَ فَأَمسى نَواكَ خَطباً جَسيما
And I had expected, with your help, to ward off
calamity; instead, your absence became a grievous calamity.
قَدindeed تَبَوَّأتَyou took up residence قاطِناًas a resident جَنَّةَthe Garden of الخُلeternity (first part)
قَد تَبَوَّأتَ قاطِناً جَنَّةَ الخُل
دِeternity (completion) فَأَورَثتَso you bequeathed فيin فُؤاديmy heart الجَحيماhellfire
دِ فَأَورَثتَ في فُؤادي الجَحيما
You have taken up residence in the Garden of
Eternity, bequeathing hellfire to my heart.
وَتَفَرَّدتَand you were alone بِالنَعيمِin bliss مِنَof العَيlife (first part)
وَتَفَرَّدتَ بِالنَعيمِ مِنَ العَي
شِlife (completion) وَأَبقَيتَand you left ليfor me العَذابَthe torment الأَليماpainful
شِ وَأَبقَيتَ لي العَذابَ الأَليما
And you alone have enjoyed the bliss of
life, and left me painful torment.
فَسَقىso may ... water عَهدَكَyour memory العِهادُthe returning rains فَقَدfor indeed فُزyou have triumphed (first part)
فَسَقى عَهدَكَ العِهادُ فَقَد فُز
تَyou have triumphed (completion) بِزُلفىwith nearness الجِنانِthe Gardens فَوزاًa triumph عَظيماmighty
تَ بِزُلفى الجِنانِ فَوزاً عَظيما
So may the returning rains water your memory, for you have
won nearness to the Gardens—a mighty triumph.
وَعَلَيكَand upon you السَلامُpeace حَيّاًalive وَمَيتاًand dead
وَعَلَيكَ السَلامُ حَيّاً وَمَيتاً
وَرَضيعاًand as a nursling وَيافِعاًand as an adolescent وَفَطيماand as a weaned child
وَرَضيعاً وَيافِعاً وَفَطيما
And peace be upon you, alive and dead,
and as a nursling, an adolescent, and a weaned child.
Sol 6.1