عَجَباًhow astonishing! لِلَّذيat the one whom نَعىannounced the death of الناعِيانِthe two death-heralds
عَجَباً لِلَّذي نَعى الناعِيانِ
كَيفَhow فاهَتspoke بِمَوتِهِof his death الشَفَتانِthe two lips
كَيفَ فاهَت بِمَوتِهِ الشَفَتانِ
How astounding—the man whose death the two heralds announced!
Wondrous is he who lamented the lamenters,
Astonishing is the one whose death the two heralds announced,
How could the two lips speak of his death?
How eloquent were his lips in death!
How could the lips bring themselves to utter his demise?
مَلِكٌa king إِنif غَداmarched forth عَلىagainst الدَهرِTime يَوماًone day
مَلِكٌ إِن غَدا عَلى الدَهرِ يَوماً
أَصبَحَbecame الدَهرُTime ساقِطاًfallen لِلجِرانِupon the underside of the neck
أَصبَحَ الدَهرُ ساقِطاً لِلجِرانِ
A king—if he marched against Time one day,
A king, if one day he rules the world,
A king who, if he were to march against Time itself one day,
Time would lie fallen, its neck upon the ground.
The world becomes lowly to tyranny.
Time would end up prostrate, its neck bowed in submission.
لَيتَwould that كَفّاًa hand حَثَتscattered عَلَيهِover him تُراباًearth
لَيتَ كَفّاً حَثَت عَلَيهِ تُراباً
لَمdid not تَعُدreturn فيin يَمينُهاits right hand بِبَنانِwith fingers
لَم تَعُد في يَمينُها بِبَنانِ
Would that the hand that scattered earth over him
Would that a palmful had cast dust upon him
Would that the hand which heaped dust upon him,
Had not returned with fingers on its right hand.
Whose right hand holds no boughs.
Had returned without a single finger left on its right side.
حينَwhen دانَتsubmitted لَهُto him البِلادُthe lands عَلىunder العَسthe coercion (first part)
حينَ دانَت لَهُ البِلادُ عَلى العَس
فِcoercion (final part) وَأَغضىand lowered their gaze مِنfrom خَوفِهِfear of him الثَقَلانِthe two kinds—humans and jinn
فِ وَأَغضى مِن خَوفِهِ الثَقَلانِ
When the lands submitted to him under coercion,
When countries bowed to him, spear atop,
When the lands submitted to him under the yoke of force,
And humans and jinn lowered their eyes in fear of him.
And the two burdens feared him.
And both Mankind and Jinn lowered their gaze in dread of him.
أَينَwhere رَبُّthe lord of الزَوراءِal-Zawra’ قَدalready قَلَّدَتهُinvested him with الthe
أَينَ رَبُّ الزَوراءِ قَد قَلَّدَتهُ ال
مَلِكَkingship عِشرونَtwenty حِجَّةًyears وَاِثنَتانِand two
مَلِكَ عِشرونَ حِجَّةً وَاِثنَتانِ
Where is the lord of al-Zawra’, whom
Where is the Lord of Zuraa’, who wore
Where is the Lord of al-Zawra'? Fate had invested him with,
Twenty years and two had invested with kingship?
The mantle of a king for twenty-two years?
The mantle of kingship for twenty-two full years.
إِنَّماonly المَرءُa man كَالزِنادِlike fire-striking flints إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle
إِنَّما المَرءُ كَالزِنادِ إِذا ما
أَخَذَتهُtook hold of him قَوادِحُfire-strikers النيرانِthe fires
أَخَذَتهُ قَوادِحُ النيرانِ
A man is but like flint when
Man is but like a match; when
Truly, a man is like the fire-striker when,
The fire-strikers take him in hand.
The fiery challenges seize him.
The kindling sparks of fire take hold of him.
لَيسَdoes not يَثنيdeflect هَواهُhis desire زَجرٌa rebuke وَلاnor يَقundermine (first part)
لَيسَ يَثني هَواهُ زَجرٌ وَلا يَق
دَحُundermine (final part) فيinto حَبلِهِhis rope ذَووthose given to الإِدهانِflattery
دَحُ في حَبلِهِ ذَوو الإِدهانِ
No rebuke deflects his desire, nor do
No restraint can bend his passion, nor can
No rebuke could turn back his will, nor could,
Flatterers fray his rope.
The expert douse his wick.
Those of flattery cut through the rope of his resolve.
قَلَّدَتهُentrusted him with أَعِنَّةَthe reins of المُلكِkingship حَتّىuntil
قَلَّدَتهُ أَعِنَّةَ المُلكِ حَتّى
قادَled أَعداءَهُhis enemies بِغَيرِwithout عِنانِa rein
قادَ أَعداءَهُ بِغَيرِ عِنانِ
He was entrusted with the reins of kingship, until
The reins of kingship saddled him until
He was entrusted with the reins of the dominion until,
He led his enemies without a rein.
He led his foes unfettered.
He drove his enemies forward without need of a bridle.
يُكسَرُis lowered الطَرفُthe gaze دونَهُbefore him وَتُرىand are seen الأَيّthe hands (first part)
يُكسَرُ الطَرفُ دونَهُ وَتُرى الأَيّ
ديhands (final part) مِنfrom خَوفِهِfear of him عَلىupon الأَذقانِthe chins
دي مِن خَوفِهِ عَلى الأَذقانِ
The gaze is lowered before him, and hands are seen
Eyes lower before him, and hands
The glance is broken in his presence, and hands are seen,
Upon chins, for fear of him.
Tremble in fear of him.
Clutched to chins in sheer terror of him.
ضَمَّgathered أَطرافَthe far reaches of مُلكِهِhis realm ثُمَّthen أَضحىcame to be
ضَمَّ أَطرافَ مُلكِهِ ثُمَّ أَضحى
خَلفَbeyond أَقصاهُمُthe farthest of them وَدونَand nearer than الدانيthe near one
خَلفَ أَقصاهُمُ وَدونَ الداني
He gathered the far reaches of his realm, then came to be
He gathered the ends of his kingdom, then was laid
He consolidated the borders of his realm, then became,
Beyond their farthest, and nearer than the near.
Behind, lower than the lowly.
Beyond the reach of the farthest, and cut off from the nearest.
هاشِمِيُّHashimite التَشميرِreadiness for action لاnot يَحمِلُloads الثِقthe burden (first part)
هاشِمِيُّ التَشميرِ لا يَحمِلُ الثِق
لَburden (final part) عَلىupon غارِبِthe withers of الشَرودِthe skittish one الهِدانِthe sluggish coward
لَ عَلى غارِبِ الشَرودِ الهِدانِ
A Hashimite in vigor, he does not lay the burden
Hashimite unfurling, bearing not the burden
A Hashemite of rigorous zeal; he does not place the burden,
On the withers of the skittish, sluggish coward.
Of the wandering, wavering fool.
Upon the shoulders of the unruly or the sluggish beast.
ذوpossessed of أَناةٍforbearance يَنسىforgets لَهاbecause of it الخائِفُthe fearful one الخَوthe fear (first part)
ذو أَناةٍ يَنسى لَها الخائِفُ الخَو
فَfear (final part) وَعَزمٍand resolve يُلويbends بِكُلِّwith every جَنانِheart
فَ وَعَزمٍ يُلوي بِكُلِّ جَنانِ
Endowed with forbearance that makes the fearful forget fear,
Patient, making the fearful forget fear,
Possessed of a patience that makes the frightened forget fear,
And resolve that bends every heart.
And resolute, bending all wills.
And a determination that overwhelms every heart.
ذَهَبَتdeparted دونَهُbefore him النُفوسُthe souls حِذاراًout of dread
ذَهَبَت دونَهُ النُفوسُ حِذاراً
غَيرَexcept أَنَّthat الأَرواحَthe spirits فيin الأَبدانِthe bodies
غَيرَ أَنَّ الأَرواحَ في الأَبدانِ
Souls fled before him in dread,
Souls fled him in dread,
Souls perished in dread before his presence,
Yet the spirits were still within their bodies.
Though spirits remain in bodies.
Even though the spirits yet remained within the bodies.
Sol 6.1