تهوينyou desire أنْthat أرقىI ascend ذُراthe summits of الممالكِkingdoms
تهوين أنْ أرقى ذُرا الممالكِ
والعمرُand life يمضيpasses فيin خلالthe midst of ذلِكِthat
والعمرُ يمضي في خلال ذلِكِ
You wish me to climb the summits of kingdoms,
How I wish to ascend the heights of kingdoms,
While life passes in the midst of all this.
Yet life passes amidst that,
هالكةٌone doomed to perish تتبعfollows إثْرَin the wake of هالكِanother doomed one
هالكةٌ تتبع إثْرَ هالكِ
كمhow many مِنof أخٍa brother ليof mine أوor حميمٍan intimate friend شابِكِclosely bound
كم مِن أخٍ لي أو حميمٍ شابِكِ
One doomed to perish follows in another's wake.
Ruin follows the trail of ruin,
How many a brother of mine, or a closely bound friend,
How many a brother or intimate friend of mine fate has entangled,
ولّتْturned away بهwith him عنّيfrom me يدُthe hand of المهالكِdeadly perils
ولّتْ به عنّي يدُ المهالكِ
فَجْعُbereavement الرّدىdeath متمّماًMutammim بمالِكِthrough Malik's loss
فَجْعُ الرّدى متمّماً بمالِكِ
The hand of destruction has carried away from me,
And the hand of doom has turned him from me,
As death bereaved Mutammim of Malik.
The havoc of devastation accomplishing with an owner,
بعُدْتَyou have gone far away ياO يحيىYahya بعادَthe departure of الهالكِone who has perished
بعُدْتَ يا يحيى بعادَ الهالكِ
بِعادَa departure لاnot قالٍone who hates ولاnor مُتارِكِone who forsakes
بِعادَ لا قالٍ ولا مُتارِكِ
You have departed, O Yahya, as the dead depart,
You have gone far, O Yahya, to the distance of ruin,
Not the departure of one who hates or forsakes,
To a distance with no words and no leaver,
لكنّهbut it is أخذُthe seizure by الرّدىdeath للواشكِof the swift one
لكنّه أخذُ الرّدى للواشكِ
لاقيmeeting الجبانِthe coward والشّجاعِand the brave man الفاتكِthe fierce assailant
لاقي الجبانِ والشّجاعِ الفاتكِ
But death's seizure of the swift,
But it is the taking of devastation to the brink,
Meeting the coward and the fierce, brave man.
Meeting the coward and the intrepid killer,
بُدِّلْتَyou were given instead بالأرضin place of the earth ثرىsoil الدّكادِكِof low mounds
بُدِّلْتَ بالأرض ثرى الدّكادِكِ
وبالضّياءِand in place of light قعرَthe bottom of لَحْدٍa burial niche حالكِpitch-dark
وبالضّياءِ قعرَ لَحْدٍ حالكِ
In place of the earth, you were given the soil of low mounds,
You have been replaced by the earth, soil of the graves,
And in place of light, the bottom of a pitch-dark grave,
And by the light, depth of a perished, destroyed tomb,
وبالأنيسِand in place of a companion رَنَّةًa wail منfrom ساهكِa scouring wind
وبالأنيسِ رَنَّةً من ساهكِ
سادكةٌone that clings قدindeed ظفرتْhas prevailed بسادِكِover one who stays
سادكةٌ قد ظفرتْ بسادِكِ
And in place of a companion, the wail of a scouring wind.
And by the companion, the croaking of a mourner,
One that clings has prevailed over one who stays.
A mourning woman who has triumphed over her mourner,
مسالكٌpaths ماnever رجعتْhave returned بسالكِwith a traveler
مسالكٌ ما رجعتْ بسالكِ
أعيَتْhave proved too difficult علىfor الأخفافِcamels' padded feet والسَّنابِكِand horses' hooves
أعيَتْ على الأخفافِ والسَّنابِكِ
Paths that have never brought a traveler back,
Ways that did not return with a returner,
That have proved impassable to camels' feet and horses' hooves.
Tired at the riders and the litters,
سُقيتَmay you be watered صوبَby the downpour of الدِّيَمِsteady rains السّوافكِpouring forth
سُقيتَ صوبَ الدِّيَمِ السّوافكِ
منfrom كلّevery ذاتِone bearing هَيْدَبٍa fringe of rain مباركِblessed
من كلّ ذاتِ هَيْدَبٍ مباركِ
May the downpour of steady, streaming rains water you,
You were given to drink the draft of presses,
From every cloud with a blessed fringe of rain,
From every cistern of blessed abundance,
دلّاحةٍheavy with rain كالنَّعَمِlike camels الأواركِbrowsing on arak
دلّاحةٍ كالنَّعَمِ الأواركِ
دنيايَmy world ماnot دارَan abode of مقامٍlasting residence دارُكِyour abode
دنيايَ ما دارَ مقامٍ دارُكِ
Heavy with rain, like camels browsing on arak.
Of a udder like the teats of unmilked ewe,
My world, your abode is no lasting home.
My world, your abode did not last,
هيهاتfar be it أنْthat أعْلَقَI become caught فيin حبالِكِyour ropes
هيهات أنْ أعْلَقَ في حبالِكِ
وماand not عفاfaded away منfrom جسديmy body جراحُكِyour wounds
وما عفا من جسدي جراحُكِ
Far be it from me to become caught in your ropes,
Alas! That I should hang on your ropes,
And your wounds have not faded from my body,
And the wounds you made on my body have not healed,
وهذهand this الفَعْلةُdeed منamong فِعالِكِyour deeds
وهذه الفَعْلةُ من فِعالِكِ
And this deed is among your deeds.
And this is some of your doings,
Sol 6.1