تَمادَتpersisted عَلَيناagainst us بِخُطوبِwith calamities الدَوامِسِpitch-dark
تَمادَت عَلَينا بِخُطوبِ الدَوامِسِ
لَيالٍnights لَهاtheirs is بِالمَجدِagainst glory عَصفَthe violent sweep of الرَوامِسِobliterating winds
لَيالٍ لَها بِالمَجدِ عَصفَ الرَوامِسِ
Long have they beset us with dark calamities—
nights that ravage glory like obliterating winds—
وَأَصمَتَand struck down رِجالاًmen لِلزَمانِof the age وَأَنَّهُمand indeed they
وَأَصمَتَ رِجالاً لِلزَمانِ وَأَنَّهُم
لَنِعمَtruly excellent are رِجالِthe men of الدَهرِthe age شَمُّlofty; proud المَعاطِسِthe noses
لَنِعمَ رِجالِ الدَهرِ شَمُّ المَعاطِسِ
and struck down men of the age, though they
were truly the finest men of the age, proud and high-nosed.
أَحقاis it true عِابدِO worshipper of اللَهِGod ذاthis اليَومَday أَنَّهُthat it
أَحقا عِابدِ اللَهِ ذا اليَومَ أَنَّهُ
وَجَوin grief (word fragment) ماcontinuation of 'in grief' قَدindeed اِسوَدَّتhave blackened وُجوهُthe faces of المَدارِسِthe schools
وَجَو ما قَد اِسوَدَّت وُجوهُ المَدارِسِ
Is it true, O worshipper of God, that on this day
the faces of the schools have darkened with grief?
وَأَصبَحَand has become مِضمارُthe arena of البَلاغَةِeloquence خالِياًempty
وَأَصبَحَ مِضمارُ البَلاغَةِ خالِياً
لَدُنsince غابَdeparted عَنهُfrom it اليَومَtoday أَحمَدَAhmad فارِسِFaris
لَدُن غابَ عَنهُ اليَومَ أَحمَدَ فارِسِ
And the arena of eloquence has fallen empty
since Ahmad Faris departed from it today.
هُوَhe الفارِسُthe horseman السِباقِthe front-runner فيin كُلِّevery حَلبَةٍarena
هُوَ الفارِسُ السِباقِ في كُلِّ حَلبَةٍ
تَجَمّضعَgathered (apparent typo) فيهاin it كُلُّevery قِرنٍrival مُمارِسِseasoned
تَجَمّضعَ فيها كُلُّ قِرنٍ مُمارِسِ
He is the foremost horseman in every arena
where every seasoned rival gathered—
أَجَلُّthe greatest مُجِلٍّa front-runner فيin رِهانٍa contest بَراعَةًin skill
أَجَلُّ مُجِلٍّ في رِهانٍ بَراعَةً
وَأَبتَعُand the strongest of فُرسانَthe horsemen of البَيانِeloquence المَداعِسِfierce in combat
وَأَبتَعُ فُرسانَ البَيانِ المَداعِسِ
the greatest front-runner in contests of skill,
and the mightiest of eloquence's battling horsemen.
إِذاwhen صالَhe charged لَمnot يَترُكhe left مِصالاًroom to charge لِفارِسٍfor a horseman
إِذا صالَ لَم يَترُك مِصالاً لِفارِسٍ
وَإِنand if قالَhe spoke لَمnot يَترُكhe left مَقالاًanything to say لِنابِسِfor a speaker
وَإِن قالَ لَم يَترُك مَقالاً لِنابِسِ
When he charged, he left no room for another horseman to charge;
and when he spoke, he left nothing for any speaker to say.
اَقامَhe raised مَناراًa beacon هادِياًguiding كُلَّevery حائِرٍbewildered person
اَقامَ مَناراً هادِياً كُلَّ حائِرٍ
وَأَوقَدَand kindled ناراًa fire أَمَّهاmade for it كُلَّevery قابِسِseeker of a firebrand
وَأَوقَدَ ناراً أَمَّها كُلَّ قابِسِ
He raised a beacon guiding every bewildered soul,
and kindled a fire to which every seeker of a firebrand came.
غَداcame to be ذِكرُهُhis renown مِلءَfilling الزَمانِtime وَلَمand not تَكُنwere
غَدا ذِكرُهُ مِلءَ الزَمانِ وَلَم تَكُن
لِآثارِهِfor his works الأَيّامُthe days غَيرَother than فَهارِسِindexes
لِآثارِهِ الأَيّامُ غَيرَ فَهارِسِ
His renown came to fill all time, while
the days were nothing but indexes to his works.
وَشَيَّدَand built لِلفُصحىfor classical Arabic قُصوراًpalaces شَواهِقاًtowering
وَشَيَّدَ لِلفُصحى قُصوراً شَواهِقاً
عَلىupon عَفوِهاتيكِthe effacement of those الرُسومِtraces الطَوامِسِfading
عَلى عَفوِهاتيكِ الرُسومِ الطَوامِسِ
And he built soaring palaces for classical Arabic
over those effaced and fading traces.
لَقَدindeed جابَتِtraversed الدُنياthe world جَوائِبُهُhis Jawa'ib الَّتيwhich
لَقَد جابَتِ الدُنيا جَوائِبُهُ الَّتي
بِإِنشائِهِthrough his writing كانَتwas طِرازَthe ornament of المَجالِسِgatherings
بِإِنشائِهِ كانَت طِرازَ المَجالِسِ
Indeed, his Jawa'ib ranged across the world—
through his writing, it was the ornament of gatherings.
تَبلُجُshone forth نورَthe light of الشَرقِthe East عَنfrom وَجهِa face سافِرٍunveiled
تَبلُجُ نورَ الشَرقِ عَن وَجهِ سافِرٍ
بِهاthrough it وَتَثنيand it turns العَصرَthe age عَنfrom عَطفِa flank مائِسِgracefully swaying
بِها وَتَثني العَصرَ عَن عَطفِ مائِسِ
The East's light shone from an unveiled face
through it, and it made the age turn, its flank gracefully swaying.
فَمَنwho, then لِفُصولٍfor essays كانَhe used to يَكسوclothe بَيانَهاtheir expression
فَمَن لِفُصولٍ كانَ يَكسو بَيانَها
مِنَof الوَشيِembroidery وَالديباجِand brocade أَبهىthe most splendid المَلابِسِgarments
مِنَ الوَشيِ وَالديباجِ أَبهى المَلابِسِ
Who, then, will care for the essays whose language he clothed
in the most splendid garments of embroidery and brocade,
وَآياتُand signs of فَضلٍexcellence كانَhe used to يَمحوerase بِنورِهاwith their light
وَآياتُ فَضلٍ كانَ يَمحو بِنورِها
دَجىthe darkness of الشَكُّdoubt مَحوَthe effacing of الصُبحِdawn لَيلَthe night of الحَنادِسشpitch-darkness (apparent typo)
دَجى الشَكُّ مَحوَ الصُبحِ لَيلَ الحَنادِسش
and the signs of excellence with whose light he dispelled
the gloom of doubt, as dawn effaces the pitch-black night?
فَماfor not كُلُّeveryone مَنwho رامَsought العُلاthe heights أَدرَكَattained العُلاthe heights
فَما كُلُّ مَن رامَ العُلا أَدرَكَ العُلا
وَلاnor كُلُّeveryone مَنwho يَعلوmounts السُروجَsaddles بِفارِسِa horseman
وَلا كُلُّ مَن يَعلو السُروجَ بِفارِسِ
For not everyone who seeks the heights attains the heights,
nor is everyone who mounts a saddle a horseman.
Sol 6.1