ياO بِأَبيwith my father as ransom المُختَلَسُthe snatched-away one المُستَلَبthe stolen one
يا بِأَبي المُختَلَسُ المُستَلَب
عَنَّappeared لَهُto him سَهمُan arrow حِمامٍof death غَرَبstray
عَنَّ لَهُ سَهمُ حِمامٍ غَرَب
O snatched-away, stolen one—my father be your ransom!
O my father who passed away silently and suddenly,
A stray arrow of death came upon him.
An arrow of fate struck him from the west.
وَانتَزَعَتهُand snatched him away لِلمَناياfor death يَدٌa hand
وَانتَزَعَتهُ لِلمَنايا يَدٌ
مُغتالَةٌtreacherously murderous مِنfrom حُجرِthe lap of أُمٍّa mother وَأَبand a father
مُغتالَةٌ مِن حُجرِ أُمٍّ وَأَب
And a hand snatched him away for death,
And the hand of death snatched him away,
murderous, from a mother's and father's lap.
Ambushing from the rock of a mother and father.
أَفديهِI would ransom him مِنas a رَيحانَةٍsprig of basil غَضَّةٍtender
أَفديهِ مِن رَيحانَةٍ غَضَّةٍ
عادَbecame هَشيماًbrittle, dry debris عودُهاits stem المُحتَطَبgathered for firewood
عادَ هَشيماً عودُها المُحتَطَب
I would ransom him: a tender sprig of basil,
I would sacrifice him for a fresh, green basil plant,
whose stem, gathered as firewood, became brittle debris;
Whose stick became firewood when dried up.
ياقوتَةٍa ruby أَذهَبَtook away جَريالَهاits crimson hue الthe
ياقوتَةٍ أَذهَبَ جَريالَها ال
مَوتُdeath فَعادَتso it became كَقَضيبِlike a rod of الذَهَبgold
مَوتُ فَعادَت كَقَضيبِ الذَهَب
a ruby whose crimson was taken away by
A ruby whose mineral was taken away by death,
death, so it became like a rod of gold.
So it became like a rod of gold.
كَأَنَّهُas though he were الوَردُthe rose أَتىcame زائِراًas a visitor
كَأَنَّهُ الوَردُ أَتى زائِراً
ثُمَّthen اِنقَضَتcame to an end أَيّامُهُhis days عَنfrom كَثَبnearness
ثُمَّ اِنقَضَت أَيّامُهُ عَن كَثَب
He was like a rose come to visit,
It was as if a rose came to visit,
then his days soon came to an end.
Then its days swiftly vanished.
أَشرَقَshone كَالنَجمِlike a star مُضيئاًradiant فَماand not
أَشرَقَ كَالنَجمِ مُضيئاً فَما
مَلَأتُI filled عَينيmy eye مِنهُof him حَتّىuntil غَرَبhe set
مَلَأتُ عَيني مِنهُ حَتّى غَرَب
He shone like a star, radiant, and I had not
It shone like a bright star, but before
feasted my eyes on him before he set;
My eyes had their fill, it had set.
كَماjust as تَجَلّىappeared البَدرُthe full moon مِنfrom دونِهِin front of it
كَما تَجَلّى البَدرُ مِن دونِهِ
سَحابَةٌa cloud غَرّاءُgleaming ثُمَّthen اِحتَجَبwas veiled
سَحابَةٌ غَرّاءُ ثُمَّ اِحتَجَب
just as the full moon shone forth from behind
The full moon appeared from behind it,
a gleaming cloud, then was veiled.
Then a thick cloud covered and concealed it.
وَيليwoe to me عَلَيهِfor him ماnot بَلَغتُI attained المُنىhopes
وَيلي عَلَيهِ ما بَلَغتُ المُنى
مِنهُfrom him وَلاnor قَضَيتُI fulfilled مِنهُfrom him أَرَبa desire
مِنهُ وَلا قَضَيتُ مِنهُ أَرَب
Woe is me for him! I never attained my hopes
Woe to me for what I hoped for from him,
through him, nor fulfilled any desire through him.
And what profits I desired from him.
أَباO father of عَلِيٍّAli فَرَّقَتseparated بَينَناbetween us
أَبا عَلِيٍّ فَرَّقَت بَينَنا
دَهياءُa dire calamity لاnot يَعطِفُهاsoftens it مِنany عَتَبreproach
دَهياءُ لا يَعطِفُها مِن عَتَب
Abu Ali, we were parted by
Abu Ali, cleverness separated us,
a dire calamity no reproach can soften.
Which cannot be swayed by reproach.
أَباO father of عَلِيٍّAli فَرَّقَتscattered شَملَناour union
أَبا عَلِيٍّ فَرَّقَت شَملَنا
حَوادِثُthe calamities of الدَهرِtime وَصَرفُand the turns of النُوَبmisfortunes
حَوادِثُ الدَهرِ وَصَرفُ النُوَب
Abu Ali, our union was broken by
Abu Ali, circumstances split us apart,
the calamities of time and the turns of misfortune.
And the changing of fate.
أَباO father of عَلِيٍّAli كُنتُI was أَرجوكَI placed hope in you أَنthat
أَبا عَلِيٍّ كُنتُ أَرجوكَ أَن
تَكشِفَyou lift عَنfrom قَلبِthe heart of أَبيكَyour father الكُرَبsorrows
تَكشِفَ عَن قَلبِ أَبيكَ الكُرَب
Abu Ali, I had hoped you would
Abu Ali, I hoped you would
lift the sorrows from your father's heart.
Relieve your father’s worries.
أَباO father of عَلِيٍّAli كُنتَyou were ليto me مُؤنِساًa comforting companion
أَبا عَلِيٍّ كُنتَ لي مُؤنِساً
فَخالَسَتنيthen stealthily robbed me فيكَof you أَيديthe hands of الرِيَبmisfortune
فَخالَسَتني فيكَ أَيدي الرِيَب
Abu Ali, you were a comfort to me,
Abu Ali, you were a comfort to me,
then the hands of misfortune stole you from me.
But doubt crept up and ambushed me about you.
غالَبَنيcontended with me فيكَover you شَديدُmighty القُوىstrength
غالَبَني فيكَ شَديدُ القُوى
وَالبَطشِand violent force ماnot غالَبَhe contended إِلّاexcept غَلَبhe prevailed
وَالبَطشِ ما غالَبَ إِلّا غَلَب
One mighty in strength contended with me over you,
The Almighty overpowered me about you,
and in violence—he never contended without prevailing.
He who overcomes, only overcomes.
واطولَOh, how long! حُزنيmy grief فيكَfor you مِنas a ذاهِبٍdeparted one
واطولَ حُزني فيكَ مِن ذاهِبٍ
لَوif رَدَّrestored طولُthe length of الحُزنِgrief ليto me ماwhat ذَهَبhas gone
لَو رَدَّ طولُ الحُزنِ لي ما ذَهَب
Oh, how long my grief for you, departed one—
And my longest sorrow for you will remain
if only long grief could restore to me what has gone!
Even if the length of sorrow itself passes.
ياO هاجِراًone leaving رَبعِيَmy dwelling لاnot عَنout of رِضىwillingness
يا هاجِراً رَبعِيَ لا عَن رِضى
وَمُعرِضاًand turning away عَنِّيَfrom me لاnot عَنout of غَضَبanger
وَمُعرِضاً عَنِّيَ لا عَن غَضَب
O you who left my dwelling, not willingly,
O you who migrated from me, not by choice,
and turned away from me, not out of anger,
And turned away, not in anger.
أَبقَيتَyou left مِنfrom بَعدِكَafter you ليfor me حَسرَةًa sorrow
أَبقَيتَ مِن بَعدِكَ لي حَسرَةً
تَفنىperish اللَياليthe nights دونَهاbefore it وَالحِقَبand the ages
تَفنى اللَيالي دونَها وَالحِقَب
you left me, after your departure, a sorrow;
After you, a longing remains that consumes
nights and ages will perish before it ends.
The nights and eras.
حَسبِيَenough for me فيكَconcerning you اللَهُGod مِنas a فارِطٍforerunner
حَسبِيَ فيكَ اللَهُ مِن فارِطٍ
مُدَّخِرٍlaying up ليfor me أَجرُهُhis reward مُحتَسَبhoped for
مُدَّخِرٍ لي أَجرُهُ مُحتَسَب
God is enough for me concerning you, one gone ahead,
May God suffice me from one who parts,
laying up for me his hoped-for reward;
Storing reward that I hope for.
مَوهِبَةٍa gift جادَgave generously بِهاwith it الدَهرُtime ليto me
مَوهِبَةٍ جادَ بِها الدَهرُ لي
ثُمَّthen سَطاstruck مُرتَجِعاًtaking back ماwhat وَهَبit had given
ثُمَّ سَطا مُرتَجِعاً ما وَهَب
a gift that time generously bestowed on me,
A gift the days gave me,
then it struck, reclaiming what it had given.
Then they took back what they granted.
فَقُلso say لِمُغتَرٍto one deluded بِأَيّامِهِby his days
فَقُل لِمُغتَرٍ بِأَيّامِهِ
يَعلَقُclings مِنهاto them بِضَعيفِby a frail السَبَبcord
يَعلَقُ مِنها بِضَعيفِ السَبَب
So tell one deceived by his days,
Say to one deluded by his days,
who clings to them by a frail cord:
Who clings to their weak connections -
ياO طالِبَseeker of الراحَةِrest أَخطَأتَهاyou missed it
يا طالِبَ الراحَةِ أَخطَأتَها
مالَكَyou have nothing مِنfrom دُنياكَyour world إِلّاexcept التَعَبweariness
مالَكَ مِن دُنياكَ إِلّا التَعَب
O seeker of rest, you have missed it;
O you who seek comfort but miss it -
you have nothing from your world but weariness.
You have nothing from your life but fatigue.
أَيُّwhat دَمٍblood ماnot طاحَwas shed فيin حُبِّهاlove of it
أَيُّ دَمٍ ما طاحَ في حُبِّها
وَأَيُّماand what حَبلٍa cord لَهاto it ماnot اِنقَضَبwas severed
وَأَيُّما حَبلٍ لَها ما اِنقَضَب
What blood has not been shed for love of it,
What blood was not spilt for loving it?
and what cord tied to it has not been severed?
What rope of it did not snap?
ماnot الفَتىthe young man مِنهاfrom it نَصيبٌa share إِذاwhen
ما الفَتى مِنها نَصيبٌ إِذا
فَكَّرَhe reflects فيon يَومَيهِhis two days غَيرُother than النَصَبtoil
فَكَّرَ في يَومَيهِ غَيرُ النَصَب
A young man has no share in it, when
The youth gets nothing from it except
he reflects on his two days, except toil.
Worry, when he reflects on his two days.
فَهيَfor it تَوَخّاناtargets us بِأَرزائِهاwith its calamities
فَهيَ تَوَخّانا بِأَرزائِها
وَالمَوتُand death مِنfrom بَعدُafterward لَناfor us فيin الطَلَبpursuit
وَالمَوتُ مِن بَعدُ لَنا في الطَلَب
For it targets us with its calamities,
It has eluded us with its calamities,
and death, afterward, is in pursuit of us.
While death follows in pursuit.
Sol 6.1