الموتُdeath للناسِto people كالجزَّارِlike the butcher للغَنَمِto sheep
الموتُ للناسِ كالجزَّارِ للغَنَمِ
فليسَso it does not يتركُspare منany طفلٍchild ولاnor هَرِمِan aged person
فليسَ يتركُ من طفلٍ ولا هَرِمِ
Death is to people as the butcher is to sheep.
Death treats people like a butcher treats sheep,
So it spares neither child nor aged person.
Leaving no child or elderly person untouched.
كاسٌa cup يدورُgoes round عليناamong us ساقِياًserving drink ابداًforever
كاسٌ يدورُ علينا ساقِياً ابداً
وليسَand it does not يتركُspare انساناًa human being منamong الأممِthe nations
وليسَ يتركُ انساناً من الأممِ
A cup goes round among us, forever serving drink,
A cup circulates among us forever pouring,
and it spares no human being among the nations.
Leaving no human of any nation behind.
سقىgave drink to الكريمَthe generous man الذيwho قدindeed كانَwas يؤنسُناcomforting us
سقى الكريمَ الذي قد كانَ يؤنسُنا
وخَلَّفَand left behind الحزنَsorrow بينَamid النوحwailing والأَلمِand pain
وخَلَّفَ الحزنَ بينَ النوح والأَلمِ
It gave drink to the generous man who once comforted us,
It served the generous one who kept us company,
and left sorrow amid wailing and pain.
And left grief between crying and pain.
ذابتmelted لفرقتهِat parting from him الأكبادُthe livers والتهبتand blazed
ذابت لفرقتهِ الأكبادُ والتهبت
أَجفانناour eyelids منfrom دموعٍtears ضُرّجَتwere stained بدمِwith blood
أَجفاننا من دموعٍ ضُرّجَت بدمِ
Our livers melted at parting from him, and aflame were
For his absence, livers melted and eyelids burned
our eyelids, from tears stained with blood.
With tears stained with blood.
ياO ليتwould that لاnever كانexisted يومٌa day أَلبَسُوهُthey clothed him بهِon it
يا ليت لا كان يومٌ أَلبَسُوهُ بهِ
ثوبthe garment of البِلَىdecay فلبسناso we donned حُلَّةَthe robe of السَقَمِsickness
ثوب البِلَى فلبسنا حُلَّةَ السَقَمِ
Oh, would that the day had never been when they clothed him
If only the day they dressed him in the shroud of decay
in the garment of decay, and we donned the robe of sickness.
Had never come, so we would not wear the garment of illness.
قدindeed لازمَclung to الجفنُthe eyelid مناof ours السهدَsleeplessness إذsince لزمتclung to
قد لازمَ الجفنُ منا السهدَ إذ لزمت
جفونهُhis eyelids النومَsleep دهراًfor an age غيرnot منصرمِending
جفونهُ النومَ دهراً غير منصرمِ
Our eyelids have clung to sleeplessness, ever since
Since his eyelids were shut by eternal sleep,
his eyelids clung to sleep for an age without end.
Our eyelids have been sleepless ever since.
قدindeed كانتwere الناسُthe people ترجوhoping أنto تراهُsee him غداًtomorrow
قد كانت الناسُ ترجو أن تراهُ غداً
فسابَقَتهاand outstripped them المناياthe fates of death ربَّةُmistress of الهممlofty resolves
فسابَقَتها المنايا ربَّةُ الهمم
The people had hoped to see him tomorrow,
People hoped to see him again tomorrow,
but Death, mistress of lofty resolve, outstripped them.
But death, the mistress of resolves, outpaced them.
أبكىmade weep الشعيرةَthe rite دمعاًtears فاضَoverflowed منسجماًstreaming
أبكى الشعيرةَ دمعاً فاضَ منسجماً
وأيُّand what دمعٍtears عليهِfor him غيرُnot منسجمِstreaming
وأيُّ دمعٍ عليهِ غيرُ منسجمِ
He made the rite weep tears that overflowed in streams;
I cry sincere tears for the noble one,
and what tears shed for him would not stream?
And what tear for him is not sincere?
هوhe الفريدُthe peerless one الذيwho قدalready باتhas become منفرداًalone
هو الفريدُ الذي قد بات منفرداً
فيin اللحدthe grave بينَamong هوامvermin of الأرضthe earth والرِممِand decayed remains
في اللحد بينَ هوام الأرض والرِممِ
He is the peerless one who has come to lie alone
He was unique, now alone in his grave
in the grave, among the earth's vermin and decayed remains.
Between the worms of the earth and debris.
منhe who كانwas بالأمسِyesterday فيin الأَبراجthe towers منتصباًstanding erect
من كان بالأمسِ في الأَبراج منتصباً
كيفhow ارتضىwas content اليومَtoday تحتَbeneath الارضthe earth بالرُجَمِwith the stone heaps
كيف ارتضى اليومَ تحتَ الارض بالرُجَمِ
He who yesterday stood erect in the towers—
Yesterday he stood tall in the towers,
how could he be content today beneath the earth, with stone heaps?
Today, how did he accept being underground, pelted with rocks?
تبكيweep عليهِfor him القوافيthe rhymes والصحائفand the pages والand the
تبكي عليهِ القوافي والصحائف وال
أقلامُpens حزناًin sorrow معwith الآدابliterature والكرمِand generosity
أقلامُ حزناً مع الآداب والكرمِ
Rhymes and pages weep for him, and the
Lines of poetry, pages, and pens cry for him
pens, in sorrow, together with literature and generosity.
With sorrow, along with literature and generosity.
آهاًalas منfor البينِseparation كمhow much أجرَىmade flow مدامعناour tears
آهاً من البينِ كم أجرَى مدامعنا
لقصفهِfor its snapping غصنa bough of بانٍa bān tree كانwas كالعَلَمِlike a mountain
لقصفهِ غصن بانٍ كان كالعَلَمِ
Alas for separation! How it has made our tears flow
Alas! From the separation, how copious are the tears we shed
by snapping a bān bough that stood like a mountain!
For the snapping of a conspicuous branch.
لاdo not تجزعواdespair ياO بنيsons of النقاشal-Naqqash واصطبرواand be steadfast
لا تجزعوا يا بني النقاش واصطبروا
فأَحسَنُfor the best الصبرِpatience عندat الحادثthe calamity الحَطِمِcrushing
فأَحسَنُ الصبرِ عند الحادث الحَطِمِ
Do not despair, O sons of al-Naqqash; be steadfast.
Do not despair, O people of integrity, and be patient,
For patience is finest in the face of crushing calamity.
For the best patience is at times of shattering calamity.
هذاthis one الذيwho حَسنُتwas good فيon الأرضthe earth سيرتهُhis conduct
هذا الذي حَسنُت في الأرض سيرتهُ
واليومَand today فيat العرشthe Throne لاقَىmet مُختَتَمِan end
واليومَ في العرش لاقَى مُختَتَمِ
This is he whose conduct on earth was good,
He whose conduct was good on earth
and today, at the Throne, he has found his final rest.
Today, in heaven, has met his destined end.
Sol 6.1