أَسائَلُI ask دَمعيmy tears هَلwhether غَدَوتَyou have become مُجيبيone who answers me
أَسائَلُ دَمعي هَل غَدَوتَ مُجيبي
إِذاif شِئتَyou wish أَطفىquench حُرقَتيmy burning anguish وَلَهيبيand my blaze
إِذا شِئتَ أَطفى حُرقَتي وَلَهيبي
I ask my tears: “Have you come to answer me?”
I ask my tears, have you become my answerers,
If you will, quench my burning anguish and my blaze.
If you wish, quench my burning and flames,
وَهَيهاتَyet how unlikely أَنthat يَقوىcan prevail عَلىover النارِthe fire صيبِa downpour
وَهَيهاتَ أَن يَقوى عَلى النارِ صيبِ
وَريحُand the wind الرَزاياof calamities آذَنَتhas given notice بِهُبوبِof its blowing
وَريحُ الرَزايا آذَنَت بِهُبوبِ
Yet far is a downpour from overcoming the fire,
Alas, a shower cannot overcome the fire,
while the wind of calamities has announced its onset.
And the winds of misery have signaled blowing,
لَئِنif indeed بَكَتِwept for الخَنساءُal-Khansa صَخراًSakhr فَإِنَّهُthen indeed it is
لَئِن بَكَتِ الخَنساءُ صَخراً فَإِنَّهُ
لَقَدindeed باتَspent the night يَبكيweeping الصَخرُthe rock طولَthe length of نَحيبيmy sobbing
لَقَد باتَ يَبكي الصَخرُ طولَ نَحيبي
If al-Khansa wept for Sakhr, then surely
If Al-Khansa’ cried for a rock, then it
the very rock has spent the night weeping at my long lament.
Has cried all night long to my lament,
يَقولونَthey say ليto me صَبراًpatience! فَقَدfor indeed ذُبتُI have melted لَوعَةًwith anguish
يَقولونَ لي صَبراً فَقَد ذُبتُ لَوعَةً
وَماand it is not ذوبَthe melting مِثليof one like me فيin الأَسىsorrow بِعَجيبِanything strange
وَما ذوبَ مِثلي في الأَسى بِعَجيبِ
They tell me, “Be patient!” Yet I have melted with anguish,
They say to me, patience, for I have melted from agony,
and it is no wonder that one like me should melt in sorrow.
And none like me has melted in sorrow strangely,
أَأَحسَبُdo I suppose قَلبيmy heart مِنof حَديدٍiron وَإِنand even if يَكُنit is
أَأَحسَبُ قَلبي مِن حَديدٍ وَإِن يَكُن
فَكَمthen how many مِنof شَرارٍsparks لِلحَديدِfor iron مُذيبِable to melt
فَكَم مِن شَرارٍ لِلحَديدِ مُذيبِ
Do I think my heart is iron? Even if it is,
Do I think my heart is of iron? Even if so,
how many sparks there are that can melt iron!
How many embers melt the iron!
وَقالواand they said أَلاcome now مَهلاًgently تَأسَtake solace بِمَنin those who مَضواhave gone before
وَقالوا أَلا مَهلاً تَأسَ بِمَن مَضوا
فَلَيسَfor ... is not مُصابٌa bereaved person جازِعٌimpatient in grief بِمُصيبِin the right
فَلَيسَ مُصابٌ جازِعٌ بِمُصيبِ
And they said, “Come, be calm; take comfort from those gone before,
And they said, wait, grieve not for those who passed,
for a bereaved man who despairs is not acting rightly.”
For no shaken bereaved is with bereavement,
فَقُلتُso I said ذَرونيleave me وَالأَسىwith sorrow لَيسَis not مُغنِياًof any avail
فَقُلتُ ذَروني وَالأَسى لَيسَ مُغنِياً
كَلامَthe words of خَطيبٍan orator مَعَbeside كَلامِthe words of خُطوبِcalamities
كَلامَ خَطيبٍ مَعَ كَلامِ خُطوبِ
So I said, “Leave me to sorrow; of no avail are
So I said, leave me, and sorrow avails not,
an orator’s words beside the words of calamities.”
The words of a suitor unlike the contract’s words,
أَجَلَّtoo exalted مَقاميmy station فيin المَحَبَّةِlove وَالوَفاand fidelity
أَجَلَّ مَقامي في المَحَبَّةِ وَالوَفا
عَنِabove اللَهوِdiversion وَالسَلوانِand forgetfulness بَعدَafter حَبيبِa beloved
عَنِ اللَهوِ وَالسَلوانِ بَعدَ حَبيبِ
My station in love and fidelity is too exalted
My stay in love and loyalty abstains
for diversion or forgetting after a beloved’s loss.
From nonsense and joy after the beloved,
وَرُبَّand many a مُحِبٍّlover باتَhas come to يَسلوforget حَبيبَهُhis beloved
وَرُبَّ مُحِبٍّ باتَ يَسلو حَبيبَهُ
أَلاbehold تِلكَthose are أَجسامٌbodies بِغَيرِwithout قُلوبِhearts
أَلا تِلكَ أَجسامٌ بِغَيرِ قُلوبِ
And many a lover has come to forget his beloved—
And how many lovers spend nights entertaining his beloved,
behold, those are bodies without hearts!
Oh no! Those are bodies without hearts,
أَفيis there in كُلِّevery يَومٍday لِلمَنِيَّةِfor death حادِثٌan occurrence
أَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ لِلمَنِيَّةِ حادِثٌ
يُسيلُmakes flow مِنَfrom الأَجفانِthe eyelids كُلَّevery صَبيبِtorrent
يُسيلُ مِنَ الأَجفانِ كُلَّ صَبيبِ
Does death bring a calamity every day
Is there for death every day an incident,
that sends every torrent flowing from the eyelids?
That makes every shower pour from the eyelids?
تَعَمَّدناsingled us out رَيبَthe treachery of المَنونِdeath بِضَربَةٍwith a blow
تَعَمَّدنا رَيبَ المَنونِ بِضَربَةٍ
أَبىrefused الدَهرُTime أَنto يَأتيcome لَهاfor it بِضَريبِwith an equal
أَبى الدَهرُ أَن يَأتي لَها بِضَريبِ
Death’s treachery singled us out with a blow
We have intended doubt of death with a strike,
whose equal Time has refused to bring.
Fate has refused to impose a tax for it,
أُصِبناwe were bereaved بِعَبدِthrough Abd القادِرِal-Qadir اليَومَtoday إِذwhen غَدَتhad come to be
أُصِبنا بِعَبدِ القادِرِ اليَومَ إِذ غَدَت
تَناطَare pinned بِهِon him آمالَthe hopes of كُلِّevery لَبيبِdiscerning person
تَناطَ بِهِ آمالَ كُلِّ لَبيبِ
Today we were bereaved of Abd al-Qadir, just when
We were afflicted today by Abd al-Qadir, when
every discerning person’s hopes had come to rest on him.
Hopes of every sensible pinned on him,
هَوىhe fell كَوكَباًa star باتَتbecame لِوَقعِat the shock of غُروبِهِhis setting
هَوى كَوكَباً باتَت لِوَقعِ غُروبِهِ
جَميعَall المَآقيthe inner eye-corners مَترَعاتُbrimming غُروبِflowing tears
جَميعَ المَآقي مَترَعاتُ غُروبِ
He fell, a star whose setting left
A star has fallen, and for its setting
all the corners of the eyes brimming with tears.
All planets became homes of settings,
هَوىhe fell كَوكَباًa star كَالبَدرِlike the full moon تَمّاًcomplete وَإِنand though غَداit was
هَوى كَوكَباً كَالبَدرِ تَمّاً وَإِن غَدا
قَريبُshort المَدىin span مِنfrom مَشرِقٍrising لِمَغيبِto setting
قَريبُ المَدى مِن مَشرِقٍ لِمَغيبِ
He fell, a star, perfect as the full moon, though it had
A star has fallen, perfect as the full moon, and if
a brief course from rising to setting.
Its destiny was near to a rising place of setting,
فَقُلthen say أَيُّwhat وَجدٍanguish فيwithin الجَوانِحِthe breast مَحرِقٌburning
فَقُل أَيُّ وَجدٍ في الجَوانِحِ مَحرِقٌ
عَلىover أَيِّwhat a غُصنٍbranch فيin التُرابِthe dust رَطيبِtender
عَلى أَيِّ غُصنٍ في التُرابِ رَطيبِ
Then say what anguish burns within the breast
Say, which burning in the souls is burning,
over so tender a branch lying in the dust!
On which branch in the soil is aroma left?
لَئِنeven if لَمdid not يُجاوِزُexceed سِتَّsix عَشرَةَten حِجَّةًyears
لَئِن لَم يُجاوِزُ سِتَّ عَشرَةَ حِجَّةً
لَقَدindeed جازَhe surpassed فيin الإِدراكِunderstanding أَهلُthose with مَشيبِgray hair
لَقَد جازَ في الإِدراكِ أَهلُ مَشيبِ
Though he had not lived beyond sixteen years,
If he did not exceed sixteen years,
he had surpassed the gray-haired in understanding.
He has surpassed the elderly in perception,
قَرَأتُI read لَهُof his كُتُباًwritings قُبَيلَshortly before نَعِيِّهِnews of his death
قَرَأتُ لَهُ كُتُباً قُبَيلَ نَعِيِّهِ
بِأَمثالِهاin their like يَختالُtakes pride كُلَّevery أَديبِman of letters
بِأَمثالِها يَختالُ كُلَّ أَديبِ
I read writings of his shortly before news of his death,
I have read books to him before his death notice
the like of which would make any man of letters proud.
Which every literary boasts with its likes,
اَبىrefused نَكَدُthe misery of الأَيّامِthe days إِلّاanything but أَقولُهُI say it
اَبى نَكَدُ الأَيّامِ إِلّا أَقولُهُ
وَهَلand does تُؤثِرُfavor الدُنياthe world حَياةَthe life of نَجيبِa noble man
وَهَل تُؤثِرُ الدُنيا حَياةَ نَجيبِ
The wretchedness of the days compels me to say it:
The bitterness of days insists I say it -
And does the world favor the life of a noble man?
Does the world prefer the life of a nobleman?
وَكانَand he was الَّذيthe one who لَوif عاشَhe had lived أَحياwould have revived جُدودَهُhis forefathers
وَكانَ الَّذي لَو عاشَ أَحيا جُدودَهُ
وَأَمسىand would have become بِواديin the valley of النيلِthe Nile كُلَّevery خَصيبِbountiful one
وَأَمسى بِوادي النيلِ كُلَّ خَصيبِ
And he was one who, had he lived, would have revived his forefathers,
He who, if lived, would have revived his ancestors
and become the very embodiment of bounty in the Nile Valley.
And by the Nile valley every fertile land,
عَزيزٌa cherished one نَماهُnurtured him عَرشُthe throne of مِصرَEgypt وَقَدand indeed قَضىhe met
عَزيزٌ نَماهُ عَرشُ مِصرَ وَقَد قَضى
مَنِيَّةًthe death of ناءَone far away فيin البِلادِthe lands غَريبِa stranger
مَنِيَّةً ناءَ في البِلادِ غَريبِ
A cherished one reared by Egypt’s throne, he met
A dear whom the throne of Egypt nurtured, and he met
the death of one far from home, a stranger abroad—
An unexpected death in the countries,
مِنَof العَلَويينَthe Alawites الأَعاظِمَthe great فَضَلَّهُمtheir bounty
مِنَ العَلَويينَ الأَعاظِمَ فَضَلَّهُم
عَلىtoward كُلِّevery قاصٍdistant person عَنهُمfrom them وَقَريبِand a near one
عَلى كُلِّ قاصٍ عَنهُم وَقَريبِ
one of the great Alawites, whose bounty extends
Of the greatest Alawites, their superiority
to everyone, both far from them and near.
To every relative or stranger to them,
يُرجيهِمُlooks to them with hope الإِسلامُIslam فيin كُلِّevery مَأزِقٍcrisis
يُرجيهِمُ الإِسلامُ في كُلِّ مَأزِقٍ
وَفيand on كُلِّevery يَومٍday لِلزَمانِof time عَصيبِtrying
وَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ لِلزَمانِ عَصيبِ
Islam looks to them with hope in every crisis,
Islam hopes in them in every dilemma
and on every trying day that time brings.
And in every day for time there is hardship,
قَضىhas decreed العَدلُjustice أَنّاthat we فيin الكَوارِثِcalamities كُلِّهاall of them
قَضى العَدلُ أَنّا في الكَوارِثِ كُلِّها
نُشاطِرُwe share مِنof أَحزانِهِمtheir sorrows بِنَصيبِwith a portion
نُشاطِرُ مِن أَحزانِهِم بِنَصيبِ
Justice has decreed that in all calamities
Justice rules: we in all catastrophes
we bear a share of their sorrows.
Share a portion of their sorrows,
سَأَلتُI asked لَهُمfor them طولضlength of (apparent typo) البَقاءِsurvival وَسيلَةًas a means
سَأَلتُ لَهُم طولض البَقاءِ وَسيلَةً
لِنُصرَةِfor the support of أَقوامٍcommunities لَهُمof theirs وَشُعوبِand peoples
لِنُصرَةِ أَقوامٍ لَهُم وَشُعوبِ
I prayed for their long lives, as a means
I have asked for their longevity an avenue
to aid their communities and peoples,
To save a people for them and nations,
وَرِفعَةَand the uplift of أَوطانٍhomelands وَعِزَّةِand the glory of مِلَّةٍa faith
وَرِفعَةَ أَوطانٍ وَعِزَّةِ مِلَّةٍ
وَكَبَتand the humbling of عدوan enemy كاشِحٍspiteful وَرَقيبِand a watchful foe
وَكَبَت عدو كاشِحٍ وَرَقيبِ
and to uplift homelands and bring glory to the faith,
And the elevation of homelands and glory of a faith,
and to humble spiteful foes and watchful adversaries.
And suppressing a defiant spying enemy.
Sol 6.1