أَصَفيحُis it a sheet of ماءٍwater أَديمُa surface أَمor سَماءِsky
أَصَفيحُ ماءٍ أَديمُ أَم سَماءِ
فيهِin it تَغورُsink كَواكِبُthe stars of الجَوزاءِOrion
فيهِ تَغورُ كَواكِبُ الجَوزاءِ
Is this surface a sheet of water, or of sky,
Is it a sheet of water, an eternal sky,
within which the stars of Orion sink?
In which the stars of Gemini sink?
ماnot كُنتُI was أَعلَمُknow قَبلَbefore مَوتِكَyour death موقِناًcertain
ما كُنتُ أَعلَمُ قَبلَ مَوتِكَ موقِناً
أَنَّthat البُدورَthe full moons غُروبُهاtheir setting فيin الماءِthe water
أَنَّ البُدورَ غُروبُها في الماءِ
I did not know for certain, before your death,
I did not know for certain before your death
that full moons set in water.
That stars set in water.
وَلَقَدand indeed عَجِبتُI marveled وَقَدwhile already هَوَيتَyou fell بِلُجَّةٍinto deep water
وَلَقَد عَجِبتُ وَقَد هَوَيتَ بِلُجَّةٍ
فَجَرىso it flowed عَلىat رُسلٍease بِغَيرِwithout حَياءِshame
فَجَرى عَلى رُسلٍ بِغَيرِ حَياءِ
And I would indeed have marveled, when you fell into the deep,
I was amazed when you plunged into the deep,
and it flowed gently on, without shame,
Flowing with messengers without shame.
لَوif لَمnot يُشَقُّbe parted لَكَfor you العُبابُthe surging sea وَطالَماand so often
لَو لَم يُشَقُّ لَكَ العُبابُ وَطالَما
أَشبَهتَyou resembled مَوسىMoses بِاليَدِwith the hand البَيضاءِwhite
أَشبَهتَ مَوسى بِاليَدِ البَيضاءِ
if the surging sea had not been parted for you, when so often
Had the sea not split for you, for so long
you resembled Moses with your white hand.
You resembled Moses with the white hand.
أَنِفَdisdained العَلاءُnobility عَليكَfor you مِنof لَمسِtouching الثَرىthe earth
أَنِفَ العَلاءُ عَليكَ مِن لَمسِ الثَرى
وَحُلولِand dwelling باطِنِthe interior of حُفرَةٍa pit ظَلماءِdark
وَحُلولِ باطِنِ حُفرَةٍ ظَلماءِ
Nobility disdained for you the touch of earth
The exalted scorned that you touched the soil
and dwelling within a dark pit,
And dwelled in the belly of a dark pit.
وَأَجَلَّand held too noble جِسمَكَyour body أَنthat يُغَيِّرَshould alter لُطفَهits delicacy
وَأَجَلَّ جِسمَكَ أَن يُغَيِّرَ لُطفَه
عَفَنُthe decay of الثَرىthe earth وَتَكاثُفُand the crowding of الأَرجاءِthe surrounding sides
عَفَنُ الثَرى وَتَكاثُفُ الأَرجاءِ
and held your body too noble for its delicacy to be marred
And your body was too delicate to change its gentleness
by the earth's decay and the press of the confines.
With the rot of earth and condensation of tombs.
فَأَحَلَّهُso it lodged him جَدَثاًa grave طَهوراًpure مُشبِهاًresembling
فَأَحَلَّهُ جَدَثاً طَهوراً مُشبِهاً
أَخلاقَهُhis character فيin رِقَّةٍgentleness وَصَفاءِand clarity
أَخلاقَهُ في رِقَّةٍ وَصَفاءِ
So it laid him in a pure grave, resembling
So He made it a pure grave, resembling
his character in gentleness and clarity.
Its manners in softness and clarity.
ماnot ذاكَthat بِدَعاًunprecedented أَنthat يَضُمَّshould embrace صَفاؤُهُits clarity
ما ذاكَ بِدَعاً أَن يَضُمَّ صَفاؤُهُ
نوراًa light يُضَنُّis jealously withheld بِهِwith it عَلىfrom الغَبراءِthe dusty earth
نوراً يُضَنُّ بِهِ عَلى الغَبراءِ
It is no strange thing that its clarity should embrace
It is no wonder that its purity
a light jealously withheld from the dusty earth.
Contains a light He protects from dust.
فَالبَحرُso the sea أَولىworthier فيin القِياسِanalogy مِنَthan الثَرىthe earth
فَالبَحرُ أَولى في القِياسِ مِنَ الثَرى
بِجِوارِof the company of تِلكَthat الدُرَّةِthe pearl الغَرّاءِradiant
بِجِوارِ تِلكَ الدُرَّةِ الغَرّاءِ
So the sea is worthier, by analogy, than the earth
So the sea is more fitting in comparison to the earth
of the company of that radiant pearl.
Next to that splendid pearl.
ياO مالِكيmy master إِنّيindeed I عَلَيكَfor you مُتَيَّمٌenslaved by love
يا مالِكي إِنّي عَلَيكَ مُتَيَّمٌ
ياO صَخرُSakhr إِنّيindeed I فيكَconcerning you كَالخَنساءِlike al-Khansa
يا صَخرُ إِنّي فيكَ كَالخَنساءِ
O my master, I am enslaved by love for you;
O my comfort, I yearn for you,
O Sakhr, in mourning you I am like al-Khansa.
O rock, through you I am like an ostrich.
وَلَقَدand indeed أَلوذُI seek refuge بِكَنزِin the treasure of صَبريmy patience طالِباًseeking
وَلَقَد أَلوذُ بِكَنزِ صَبري طالِباً
حُسنَthe grace of العَزاءِconsolation وَلاتَbut it is not حَينَa time for عَزاءِconsolation
حُسنَ العَزاءِ وَلاتَ حَينَ عَزاءِ
And indeed I seek refuge in the treasure of my patience, seeking
And I take refuge in the treasure of my patience,
the grace of consolation—yet this is no time for consolation.
Seeking the beauty of consolation and the time of consolation.
وَأَعافُand I loathe شُربَdrinking الماءِthe water يَطفَحُoverflows لُجُّهُits depths
وَأَعافُ شُربَ الماءِ يَطفَحُ لُجُّهُ
فَأَصُدُّso I turn away عَنهُfrom it وَأَنثَنيand I draw back بِظَماءِwith thirst
فَأَصُدُّ عَنهُ وَأَنثَني بِظَماءِ
And I loathe drinking water when its depths overflow,
And I refrain from drinking overflowing water,
so I turn away from it and retreat thirsty.
So I stop it and bend with thirst.
وَإِذاand when رَأَيتُI see مَدامِعيmy tears مُبيَضَّةًwhitened
وَإِذا رَأَيتُ مَدامِعي مُبيَضَّةً
مِثلَlike المِياهِthe waters مَزَجتُهاI mingle them بِدِماءِwith blood
مِثلَ المِياهِ مَزَجتُها بِدِماءِ
And when I see my tears grown white,
And when I see my tears whitened
like water, I mingle them with blood.
Like water, I mix them with blood.
لاlet not يُطمِعِgive hope to العُذّالَthe reproachers حُسنُthe fineness of تَجَلُّديmy show of endurance
لا يُطمِعِ العُذّالَ حُسنُ تَجَلُّدي
فَلِذاكَso, for that خَوفَfor fear of شَماتَةِthe gloating of الأَعداءِthe enemies
فَلِذاكَ خَوفَ شَماتَةِ الأَعداءِ
Let not my fine composure give the reproachers hope,
The persecutor is not tempted by my graceful endurance
for that is out of fear of the enemies' gloating.
So I fear the gloating of enemies.
فَلَئِنfor even if خَفَضتُI lower لَهُمfor them جَناحَthe wing of تَحَمُّليmy endurance
فَلَئِن خَفَضتُ لَهُم جَناحَ تَحَمُّلي
فَالقَلبُthen the heart مَنصوبٌraised; grammatically accusative عَلىin الإِغراءِexhortation
فَالقَلبُ مَنصوبٌ عَلى الإِغراءِ
For even if I lower for them the wing of my endurance,
And if I lower the wing of my tolerance,
yet the heart stands raised in exhortation.
My heart is set on defiance.
Sol 6.1