ياO حاسباًone who deems دنياكَyour world دَارَan abode قرارِpermanence
يا حاسباً دنياكَ دَارَ قرارِ
أَقصِرdesist عناكyour toil فتلكfor that أخبثُthe vilest دارِabode
أَقصِر عناك فتلك أخبثُ دارِ
O you who deem your world an abode of permanence,
O you who counts the world as a home
Cease your toil, for that is the vilest abode.
Shorten your hopes, for that is the worst home
لاnot تستقرُّfind rest بهاin it النفوسُthe souls ولاand not ترىyou see
لا تستقرُّ بها النفوسُ ولا ترى
قلباًa heart بلاwithout غمٍّsorrow ولاand without اكدارِtroubles
قلباً بلا غمٍّ ولا اكدارِ
Souls find no rest in it, nor do you see
In it, souls find no peace or rest
A heart without sorrow or troubles.
Nor hearts spared from sorrow and gloom
دنياa world غرورٍdelusion كلَّماwhenever طالَgrew long المدىthe span of time
دنيا غرورٍ كلَّما طالَ المدى
طالَgrew long الغرورُdelusion بمكرهاthrough its guile الغرَّارِbeguiling
طالَ الغرورُ بمكرها الغرَّارِ
A world of delusion: whenever time grows long,
A world of delusion, the longer the years
Delusion grows long through its beguiling guile.
The greater the delusion with its cunning and deceit
غَدَرَتit acted treacherously بحبرٍtoward a prelate كانwas فيupon كرسيّهِhis throne
غَدَرَت بحبرٍ كان في كرسيّهِ
راعيshepherd of الرُّعاةِthe shepherds وسيّدَand master of الأحبارِthe prelates
راعي الرُّعاةِ وسيّدَ الأحبارِ
It betrayed a prelate who, upon his throne,
It betrayed a sea who sat on his throne
Was shepherd of shepherds and master of prelates.
The shepherd of shepherds and the master of the wise
ياO أيُّهاyou الحبرُthe prelate الجليلُexalted مقامُهُhis station
يا أيُّها الحبرُ الجليلُ مقامُهُ
هلis there? بعدَafter فقدِكlosing you غيرُanything other than دمعٍtears جارِflowing
هل بعدَ فقدِك غيرُ دمعٍ جارِ
O prelate, whose station is exalted,
O great revered sheikh of lofty status
After losing you, is there anything but flowing tears?
After you left, what remains but flowing tears?
للهto God (exclamation) يومُكَyour day فيamong الأَنامِhumankind فإنَّهُfor it indeed
لله يومُكَ في الأَنامِ فإنَّهُ
أَبقىleft لناfor us حزناًsorrow مدىthroughout الأدهارِthe ages
أَبقى لنا حزناً مدى الأدهارِ
By God, what a day was yours among humankind! For it
Your day among people, for He
Has left us sorrow through all the ages.
Left us lifelong sorrow to bear
ياO بدرَfull moon تمٍّfullness غابَvanished عناfrom us فيin الثرىthe dust
يا بدرَ تمٍّ غابَ عنا في الثرى
ماnot كانَwas ذلكthat عادةthe custom of الأقمارِthe moons
ما كانَ ذلك عادة الأقمارِ
O full moon, vanished from us into the dust,
O full moon that set in the earth
Such was never the custom of moons.
That wasn’t the custom of moons
حَسَدَتهُenvied him أفلاكُthe spheres of العُلَىthe heights وتحسَّرتand sighed with longing
حَسَدَتهُ أفلاكُ العُلَى وتحسَّرت
لوif only أنهُthat he فيwithin طيِّهاtheir folds مُتَوارِhidden
لو أنهُ في طيِّها مُتَوارِ
The spheres on high envied him and yearned
The highest spheres envied you and grieved
For him to lie hidden within their folds.
If only you were veiled in their fold
قدindeed كادnearly حزنُكَgrief for you يصدعُsplits الصخرthe rock الذيthat
قد كاد حزنُكَ يصدعُ الصخر الذي
قدindeed كانَused to منكfrom you يَلينُsoften بالإنذارِthrough warning
قد كانَ منك يَلينُ بالإنذارِ
Grief for you has nearly split the rock that
Your sorrow almost cracked the rock
Once would soften at your warning.
Which by your warning would gently yield
ويلاهُalas! منwhom أبقيتَyou left بعدكَafter you راعياًas a shepherd
ويلاهُ من أبقيتَ بعدكَ راعياً
يرعىtends الرعيَّةthe flock حيثُin a way that يُرضِيpleases الباريthe Creator
يرعى الرعيَّة حيثُ يُرضِي الباري
Alas! Whom have you left after you as a shepherd
Woe to whom you left as shepherd
To tend the flock in ways that please the Creator?
To watch over the flock, pleasing the Lord
مَنwho للمَنابرِfor the pulpits والهياكلِand the sanctuaries والحِجَىand wisdom
مَن للمَنابرِ والهياكلِ والحِجَى
والمشكلاتِand difficult questions وغامضand the hidden depths of الأسرارِthe secrets
والمشكلاتِ وغامض الأسرارِ
Who is there for the pulpits, the sanctuaries, and wisdom,
Who remains for the pulpits, shrines and sermons
And difficult questions and the hidden depths of secrets?
For problems and the ambiguous secrets?
لاno بدعَwonder إنif بَكَتِwept العيونthe eyes عليكfor you منout of
لا بدعَ إن بَكَتِ العيون عليك من
أَسَفٍgrief وفَاضَتand overflowed بالدمwith blood المدرارِflowing abundantly
أَسَفٍ وفَاضَت بالدم المدرارِ
No wonder if eyes have wept for you out of
Eyes must shed tears of regret for you
Grief, and overflowed with blood in torrents.
Gushing blood in continuous flow
فَلَقَدfor indeed بَكَتكwept for you كنائسٌchurches أنشأتهاyou founded them
فَلَقَد بَكَتك كنائسٌ أنشأتها
فيin أَبعَدِthe farthest of الأَمصارِthe cities والأقطارِand the lands
في أَبعَدِ الأَمصارِ والأقطارِ
For indeed, churches you founded have wept for you
Churches you built in distant lands
In the farthest cities and lands.
Cried for you from afar
فَعَلَىso upon ثراكyour dust تحيَّةٌa greeting نَفَحَتwafted fragrance بأَرwith scents (word begins here)
فَعَلَى ثراك تحيَّةٌ نَفَحَت بأَر
واحِcompletion of “scents” الخزامِlavender واطيبِand the sweetest of الأَزهارِthe flowers
واحِ الخزامِ واطيبِ الأَزهارِ
So upon your dust be a greeting, fragrant with
Upon your grave a breeze blows
The scents of lavender and the sweetest flowers.
Carrying the scent of flowers and sweet basil
وأجادَand graced مضجعكَyour resting place الندآءُthe dew (contextual reading) مكلّلاًcrowning
وأجادَ مضجعكَ الندآءُ مكلّلاً
صَفَحاتهِits surfaces البيضآءwhite فيin الأَسحارِthe hours before dawn
صَفَحاتهِ البيضآء في الأَسحارِ
And may the dew grace your resting place, crowning
At your resting place the call to prayer echoes
Its white surfaces in the hours before dawn.
Reciting its white pages at dawn
قدindeed سرتَyou departed عنfrom دارِthe abode of الفنآءِtransience مجاوراًdwelling as a neighbor
قد سرتَ عن دارِ الفنآءِ مجاوراً
دارthe abode of البقآءِeternity فنلتَand so you gained خيرَthe best جوارِneighborly company
دار البقآءِ فنلتَ خيرَ جوارِ
You have left the abode of transience, to dwell in
You left the abode of demise, a neighbor
The abode of eternity, and won the finest company.
To the abode of eternity, gaining the best neighborhood
ماnot كانwas حظكَyour share فيin النعيمbliss مؤَرَّخاًdated by a chronogram
ما كان حظكَ في النعيم مؤَرَّخاً
الاَّexcept مراحمَthe mercies of ربِّكَyour Lord الغفَّارِthe All-Forgiving
الاَّ مراحمَ ربِّكَ الغفَّارِ
No chronogram marked your share in bliss
Your share of bliss was never recorded
Except “the mercies of your Lord, the All-Forgiving.”
Except by your Lord’s great mercy
Sol 6.1