ولماand when رأيتُI saw الحيَّthe living والميْتَand the dead واحداًone and the same
ولما رأيتُ الحيَّ والميْتَ واحداً
وفَقْدand the absence of المعاليnoble virtues فيin وجودِthe presence of الأكابرِthe great
وفَقْد المعالي في وجودِ الأكابرِ
And when I saw the living and the dead alike,
And when I saw the living and the dead as one and the same,
And noble virtues lost, even among the great,
and noble virtues absent in the presence of the great,
بَكيْتَyou wept علىfor أهلthe dwellers of القبورthe graves وإنَّماbut only
بَكيْتَ على أهل القبور وإنَّما
بكيْتُI wept السَّجاياthe virtues الغُرَّthe radiant بينamong المقابرthe tombs
بكيْتُ السَّجايا الغُرَّ بين المقابر
I wept for the dwellers in the graves—but it was only
you wept for the dwellers of the graves, but
For the radiant qualities amid the tombs that I wept.
I wept only for the radiant virtues among the tombs.
