ياO عَليَّAli بنَson of حُمَيدٍHumayd
يا عَليَّ بنَ حُمَيدٍ
دَعوَةًa call ذاتِbearing شُجُونِsorrows
دَعوَةً ذاتِ شُجُونِ
O Ali, son of Humayd,
O Ali son of Humaid
a call laden with sorrows!
A call of sorrows
كانَwas عَهديmy knowledge بكَof you لاnot تَخyou reserve exclusively (word beginning)
كانَ عَهدي بكَ لا تَخ
تَصُّreserve exclusively (word continuation) بالرَّاحةِwith repose دُونيto my exclusion
تَصُّ بالرَّاحةِ دُوني
I knew you would not reserve
My promise to you was not to abandon
repose for yourself, apart from me.
You to comfort without me
فَتَغرَّبتَyet you went far away وسابَقand raced (word beginning)
فَتَغرَّبتَ وسابَق
تَyou (verb ending) إلىtoward رَيبِravages المَنُونِdeath
تَ إلى رَيبِ المَنُونِ
Yet you went far away and raced
But you became estranged and outpaced
toward the ravages of death.
To the doubt of death
أفَلاthen, would … not? أختارُI choose لوif كُنwas (word beginning)
أفَلا أختارُ لو كُن
تُI (verb ending) إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle خيَّرونيthey gave me a choice
تُ إِذا ما خيَّروني
Would I not then choose, were I
Should I not choose, if I were given the choice
given a choice,
To perish not to tread
هالِكاًdead لاnot سالِكاًtreading مَسpath (word beginning)
هالِكاً لا سالِكاً مَس
لَكَpath (word continuation) حُزنٍsorrow لاnot حُزُونِrugged ground
لَكَ حُزنٍ لا حُزُونِ
to perish rather than tread
The path of your sorrow without the sorrowful
a path of sorrow, not of rugged ground?
Partial English translation: 9 of 10 Arabic lines translated.