أُحاشِيهI spare him عنfrom ذِكْرِىrecollection حديثtalk وداعِهhis farewell
أُحاشِيه عن ذِكْرِى حديث وداعِه
وأُكبِرُهand I deem him too exalted عنfor بَثِّهrecounting it وسَماعِهِand hearing it
وأُكبِرُه عن بَثِّه وسَماعِهِ
I spare him the recollection of talk of his farewell,
I distract myself from thoughts of his farewell,
and hold him too exalted to recount it or hear it.
And restrain myself from spreading news I hear of him,
وماand not كانwas صَبْرِيmy endurance عندat وَشْكthe imminence of النَّوىseparation علىin the face of
وما كان صَبْرِي عند وَشْك النَّوى على
الْجَوَىheartache غيرother than صَبْرِendurance الموْتِdeath عندduring نزِاعِهِits death throes
الْجَوَى غير صَبْرِ الموْتِ عند نزِاعِهِ
And my endurance, as separation drew near, in the face of
My patience at the pangs of parting was no more
heartache was only death's endurance in its throes.
Than the patience of death at the moment of its struggle,
ونحنُand we بأُفْقِin the region of الشَّامِal-Sham فيin خِدْمةِthe service of الَّذِيthe one who
ونحنُ بأُفْقِ الشَّامِ في خِدْمةِ الَّذِي
يضِيقُis too narrow الفضَاthe open expanse عنfor صَدْرِهhis breast واتِّساعِهِand its breadth
يضِيقُ الفضَا عن صَدْرِه واتِّساعِهِ
And we were in the region of al-Sham, in the service of one
While we are in Damascus, serving one
for whose breast and its breadth the open expanse is too narrow:
Whose spirit overflows its breast however much it expands
أجَلُّmost exalted حُماةdefenders الدِّينِthe faith وابْنُand son حُسامِهِits sword
أجَلُّ حُماة الدِّينِ وابْنُ حُسامِهِ
وحَاميand guardian حِمَىthe protected precincts أرْكانِهِits pillars وقطاعِهِand its domains
وحَامي حِمَى أرْكانِهِ وقطاعِهِ
the greatest of the faith's defenders, and son of its sword,
The greatest defender of the faith, son of its protector,
and guardian of the precincts of its pillars and domains,
Guardian of its pillars and warden of its marches,
عَشِيَّةَon the evening of تَوْدِيعbidding farewell المآثِرِnoble deeds والعُلَىand eminence
عَشِيَّةَ تَوْدِيع المآثِرِ والعُلَى
وكلُّand every فَخارٍsource of pride للْوَرَىfor humankind فيin رِباعِهِhis dwellings
وكلُّ فَخارٍ للْوَرَى في رِباعِهِ
on the evening of bidding farewell to noble deeds and eminence,
On the eve of farewells to great deeds and glories,
with every source of pride for humankind in his dwellings.
While all that gives pride to the world lies in its quarters,
وماand not سِرْتُI departed عنfrom وَادِيthe valley of دِمَشْقَDamascus ولمand did not يَسِرْhe depart
وما سِرْتُ عن وَادِي دِمَشْقَ ولم يَسِرْ
وسُؤْدُدُهand his noble glory فيin مُدْنِهِits cities وضِياعِهِand its estates
وسُؤْدُدُه في مُدْنِهِ وضِياعِهِ
And I did not leave the valley of Damascus, nor did he depart,
I left not Damascus nor did delight there leave me -
his noble glory still in its cities and estates;
Its dwellings and farms were my intimate companions
سِوَىexcept أنَّنِيthat I لاnot أرْتضِيI accept أنto أرىI see بهin it
سِوَى أنَّنِي لا أرْتضِي أن أرى به
سواهُanyone other than him علىover أعْيانِهِits grandees ورِعَاعِهِand its rabble
سواهُ على أعْيانِهِ ورِعَاعِهِ
save that I cannot bear to see there
Except that I cannot be pleased to see there
anyone but him ruling over its grandees and rabble.
Other than him over its nobles and commoners alike,
فأيُّwhat, then فُؤادٍheart بعدafter يَوْمِthe day of رَحِيلهhis departure
فأيُّ فُؤادٍ بعد يَوْمِ رَحِيله
غَدَاbecame سالماًunharmed منfrom وجْدِهits yearning وانْصِداعِهِand its shattering
غَدَا سالماً من وجْدِه وانْصِداعِهِ
What heart, then, after the day of his departure,
What heart after the day of his departure
has remained unscathed by its yearning and its shattering?
Remains unrent by grief and parting?
فياso O أيُّهاyou السَّارِيthe night-traveler عنaway from الشَّامِal-Sham بعْدَمَاafter
فيا أيُّها السَّارِي عن الشَّامِ بعْدَمَا
ثَوَىsettled عَدْلُهhis justice فيin قاعِهits plain وبِقاعِهand its regions
ثَوَى عَدْلُه في قاعِه وبِقاعِه
So, O night-traveler departing al-Sham, after
O you who travel from Damascus where
his justice had settled in its plain and regions,
Justice has found rest in its vales and hills,
وياand O قادماًone arriving بلrather راحلاًone departing عنfrom بلادِناour lands
ويا قادماً بل راحلاً عن بلادِنا
وفيand in كلِّevery أرْضٍland نَيِّرٌa light منfrom شُعاعِهِhis radiance
وفي كلِّ أرْضٍ نَيِّرٌ من شُعاعِهِ
and O you who come—rather, who depart from our lands—
And O you who come, nay who leave our lands
while in every land there is a light from his radiance,
While renown from his rays fills every earth,
فلاso do not تَنْسَforget عبداًa servant نازِحاًfar away شاعspread ذِكْرُهhis renown
فلا تَنْسَ عبداً نازِحاً شاع ذِكْرُه
إلىto بابكَyour door السَّاميthe lofty عَلاَrose high بانْقطاعِهِthrough his exclusive devotion
إلى بابكَ السَّامي عَلاَ بانْقطاعِهِ
so do not forget a distant servant whose renown has spread,
Forget not a servant whose fame has reached
who rose high through his devotion to your lofty door.
Your lofty court, exalted when cut off,
ومَنand whoever كانwas للأُسْدِto the lions الضَّوارِيthe ravening انْتِماؤُهhis allegiance
ومَن كان للأُسْدِ الضَّوارِي انْتِماؤُه
لهfor him غُنْيةٌsufficiency فيin دَهْرِهhis lifetime عنagainst ضياعِهِhis ruin
له غُنْيةٌ في دَهْرِه عن ضياعِهِ
And one whose allegiance is to ravening lions
He whose allegiance was to the fierce lions
has, throughout his life, enough to keep him from ruin.
Has wealth in his time against loss,
وأنْتَand you الذيthe one whose نَوَّهْتُI spoke highly منfrom قبلُbefore باسْمِهof his name
وأنْتَ الذي نَوَّهْتُ من قبلُ باسْمِه
وأبْقيْتُand I preserved ذِكْراًa remembrance خالداًeverlasting باصْطِناعِهthrough his patronage
وأبْقيْتُ ذِكْراً خالداً باصْطِناعِه
And you are the one whose name I extolled before,
You who before I praised by name
and I preserved an immortal remembrance through his patronage.
And left lasting fame by celebrating his making
Sol 6.1