برغميagainst my will أنthat شرعتI began لهfor him رثاءًan elegy
برغمي أن شرعت له رثاءً
ولمand not ألزمْI was obliged بتهنئةٍwith congratulations شروعاa beginning
ولم ألزمْ بتهنئةٍ شروعا
Against my will, I began an elegy for him,
It is against my will that I began an elegy for him,
though I had not yet begun to offer congratulations.
and was not called upon to begin with congratulations.
وليدٌa newborn كانwas ياO أسفيmy sorrow حبيباًbeloved
وليدٌ كان يا أسفي حبيباً
أبىrefused تسيارُthe journey of كوكبهhis star رُجوعاa return
أبى تسيارُ كوكبه رُجوعا
My little son—alas!—was dearly beloved;
A newborn who was—alas for me!—beloved;
his star’s course refused to turn back.
the journey of his star refused to turn back.
وماand not قلبيmy heart إذاًthen حجرٌa stone فيسلوso that it forgets
وما قلبي إذاً حجرٌ فيسلو
هلالاًa crescent moon قبلbefore ماthat (clause marker) اكتملbecame complete الطلوعاthe rising
هلالاً قبل ما اكتمل الطلوعا
Nor, when this came to pass, could my heart forget
And my heart, then, is no stone, that it should forget
a crescent before its rising was complete.
a crescent before its rising was complete.
فياso, O ولديmy son تولدwas born حزنsorrow of قلبٍa heart
فيا ولدي تولد حزن قلبٍ
فعمّand so pervaded أصولthe roots of بيتكyour house والفروعاand the branches
فعمّ أصول بيتك والفروعا
O my son, my heart’s sorrow was born,
So, O my son, a heart's sorrow was born,
then swept through your household, roots and branches alike.
and engulfed the roots and branches of your house.
ومسّand touched عيونَthe eyes of منthose whom فارقتyou left شرٌّan affliction
ومسّ عيونَ من فارقت شرٌّ
فأصبحand so became كلّevery إنسانٍperson جزوعاdistraught
فأصبح كلّ إنسانٍ جزوعا
Calamity struck the eyes of those you left behind,
And an affliction touched the eyes of those you left,
and everyone was overcome with anguish.
and every person became distraught.
أماindeed والجارياتby the flowing tears بصحنover the expanse of خدّa cheek
أما والجاريات بصحن خدّ
بكتwept والمورياتand by the kindling fires ورتset ablaze ضلوعاribs
بكت والموريات ورت ضلوعا
Indeed, by the tears coursing across a cheek’s broad plane—
Indeed, by the tears coursing across a cheek's expanse,
tears that wept—and by the fire-kindlers that set ribs aflame:
shed in weeping, and by the kindling fires that set ribs ablaze,
لقدindeed أطفأextinguished شميعةa little candle نورthe light of بيتٍa home
لقد أطفأ شميعة نور بيتٍ
ردًىdeath كمhow many مثلهاlike it أطفأextinguished شموعاcandles
ردًى كم مثلها أطفأ شموعا
Truly, a little candle—the light of my home—was extinguished
a little candle, the light of a home, was indeed extinguished
by death; how many candles like it has death extinguished!
by death—how many candles like it has death extinguished!
