ذَهَبَhas gone الصِباyouth وَتَرَكتُand I forsook غَيَّتِيَهmy folly
ذَهَبَ الصِبا وَتَرَكتُ غَيَّتِيَه
وَرَأىand saw الغَوانيthe lovely women شَيبَgray hair لِمَّتِيَهmy locks
وَرَأى الغَواني شَيبَ لِمَّتِيَه
Youth has gone, and I have forsaken my folly.
Youth has departed, leaving my body,
And the lovely women saw the gray in my locks.
And the gazelles have seen the gray hair at my temples,
وَهَجَرنَنيand they forsook me وَهَجَرتُهُنَّand I forsook them وَقَدthough once
وَهَجَرنَني وَهَجَرتُهُنَّ وَقَد
غَنِيَتhad lingered كَرائِمُهاthe noblest of them يَطُفنَthey circle بِيَهaround me
غَنِيَت كَرائِمُها يَطُفنَ بِيَه
They forsook me, and I forsook them, though
And they have abandoned me, while their virtues still
Their noblest once lingered, circling round me,
Surround me, their beauties revolving around me.
إِذwhen لِمَّتيmy hair سَوداءُblack لَيسَthere was no بِهاin it
إِذ لِمَّتي سَوداءُ لَيسَ بِها
وَضحٌwhiteness وَلَمand not أُفجَعI was bereaved بِإِخوَتِيَهof my brothers
وَضحٌ وَلَم أُفجَع بِإِخوَتِيَه
When my hair was black, with no
When my hair went gray, no longer black,
Whiteness in it, and I had not been bereaved of my brothers—
I was not saddened by the loss of my brothers
الحامِلينَthose bearing لِواءَthe banner of قَومِهِمُtheir people
الحامِلينَ لِواءَ قَومِهِمُ
وَالذائِدينَand those warding off وَراءَbehind عَورَتِيَهmy vulnerable spot
وَالذائِدينَ وَراءَ عَورَتِيَه
Those who bore the banner of their people,
Who carried the banner of their people
And defended my exposed rear.
And drove the enemy back from their weakness.
إِنَّindeed الحَوادِثَthe calamities بِالمَدينَةِin Medina قَدalready
إِنَّ الحَوادِثَ بِالمَدينَةِ قَد
أَوجَعنَنيthey hurt me وَقَرَعنَand they struck مَروَتِيَهmy flint
أَوجَعنَني وَقَرَعنَ مَروَتِيَه
Indeed, the calamities in Medina have
The events in the city have
Hurt me and struck my flint.
Pained me and undermined my dignity.
وَجَبَبنَنيand they lopped me جَبَّthe lopping of السَنامِthe camel's hump فَلَمand did not
وَجَبَبنَني جَبَّ السَنامِ فَلَم
يَترُكنَthey leave ريشاًfeathers فيin مَناكِبِيَهmy shoulders
يَترُكنَ ريشاً في مَناكِبِيَه
And lopped me as a camel's hump is lopped, and did not
They dragged me in the dirt and left
Leave a feather on my shoulders.
No feather on my shoulders.
وَأَتىand arrived كِتابٌa letter مِنfrom يَزيدَYazid وَقَدwhen already
وَأَتى كِتابٌ مِن يَزيدَ وَقَد
شُدَّwas tightened الحِزامُthe girth بِسَرجِon the saddle of بَغلَتِيَهmy mule
شُدَّ الحِزامُ بِسَرجِ بَغلَتِيَه
And a letter arrived from Yazid, when already
And there came a letter from Yazîd when
The girth had been tightened on my mule's saddle,
The saddle-girth was tightened on my she-camel.
يَنعىannouncing the deaths of بَنيthe sons of عَبدٍAbd وَإِخوَتَهُمand their brothers
يَنعى بَني عَبدٍ وَإِخوَتَهُم
حَلَّdescended الهَلاكُdestruction عَلىupon أَقارِبِيَهmy kinsmen
حَلَّ الهَلاكُ عَلى أَقارِبِيَه
Announcing the deaths of the sons of Abd and their brothers.
It announced the death of the Banû ‘Abd and their brothers -
Destruction had fallen upon my kinsmen.
Destruction befell my kin!
وَنَعىand announced the deaths of أُسامَةَUsama ليto me وَإِخوَتَهُand his brothers
وَنَعى أُسامَةَ لي وَإِخوَتَهُ
فَظَلِلتُso I remained مُستَكّاًdeafened مَسامِعِيَهmy ears
فَظَلِلتُ مُستَكّاً مَسامِعِيَه
And it announced to me the deaths of Usama and his brothers;
And it announced the death of Usâmah and his brothers -
So I remained with my ears deafened,
I was plunged in grief, my hearing dulled,
كَالشارِبِlike the drinker النَشوانِdrunken قَطَّرَهُfelled him
كَالشارِبِ النَشوانِ قَطَّرَهُ
سَمَلُthe dregs of الزِقاقِthe wineskins تَفيضُoverflows عَبرَتِيَهmy tears
سَمَلُ الزِقاقِ تَفيضُ عَبرَتِيَه
Like a drunken drinker felled by
Like a drinker of wine whose mouth
The dregs of wineskins; my tears overflow.
Drools slowly as his tears overflow.
سَدِماًgrief-stricken يُعَزّينيconsoles me الصَحيحُthe unharmed one وَقَدwhile already
سَدِماً يُعَزّيني الصَحيحُ وَقَد
مَرَّpassed المَنونُdeath عَلىover كَريمَتِيَهmy dearest
مَرَّ المَنونُ عَلى كَريمَتِيَه
Grief-stricken, I am consoled by one unscathed, while
A confidant consoles me when in truth
Death had swept over my dearest.
Death has passed by my dear ones.
كَيفَhow الرُقادُsleep وَكُلَّماand whenever هَجَعَتfell asleep
كَيفَ الرُقادُ وَكُلَّما هَجَعَت
عَينيmy eye أَلَمَّvisited خَيالُthe vision of إِخوَتِيَهmy brothers
عَيني أَلَمَّ خَيالُ إِخوَتِيَه
How can I sleep, when each time slumber overtakes
How can I sleep when, whenever my eyes
My eyes, a vision of my brothers visits me?
Close, cares for my brothers haunt me?
تَبكيweeps لَهُمfor them أَسماءُAsma مُعوِلَةًwailing
تَبكي لَهُم أَسماءُ مُعوِلَةً
وَتَقولُand says لَيلىLayla وارَزِيَّتِيَهalas for my loss!
وَتَقولُ لَيلى وارَزِيَّتِيَه
Asma weeps for them, wailing,
For them, Asmâ’ weeps incessantly
And Layla says, 'Alas for my loss!'
And says: “O my calamity and loss!”
وَاللَهِby God أَبرَحُI shall not leave فيin مُقَدَّمَةٍa vanguard
وَاللَهِ أَبرَحُ في مُقَدَّمَةٍ
أَهديI lead الجُيوشَthe armies عَلَيَّupon me شِكَّتِيَهmy battle-gear
أَهدي الجُيوشَ عَلَيَّ شِكَّتِيَه
By God, I shall not leave the vanguard,
By God, I will set forth at the head
Leading the armies, my battle-gear upon me,
Of armies, directing their spears at me,
حَتّىuntil أُفَجِّعَهُمI bereave them بِإِخوَتِهِمof their brothers
حَتّى أُفَجِّعَهُم بِإِخوَتِهِم
وَأَسوقَand I drive off نِسوَتَهُمtheir women بِنِسوَتِيَهin requital for my women
وَأَسوقَ نِسوَتَهُم بِنِسوَتِيَه
Until I bereave them of their brothers
Until I fill them with grief for their brothers
And drive off their women in requital for mine.
And drive their women before me as captives!
Sol 6.1