مَنwho مُجيريmy protector وَمُصرِخيand my rescuer
مَن مُجيري وَمُصرِخي
قَدalready هَوىhas fallen كُلُّevery أبلَخproud man
قَد هَوى كُلُّ أبلَخ
Who will shelter me, who answer my cry?
Who will shelter me and answer my cry?
Who will help me and answer my cry?
Who is my protector and my rescuer?
Every proud, mighty man has fallen.
Every proud man has fallen.
All my friends have abandoned me.
For every proud giant has fallen low.
أَناI فَردٌalone بِلاwithout خَليfriend (first part)
أَنا فَردٌ بِلا خَلي
لٍcompletes 'friend' وَلاnor اِبنٍa son وَلاnor أَخa brother
لٍ وَلا اِبنٍ وَلا أَخ
I stand alone, with no compan—
I am alone, without a friend,
I am alone, with no family—
I am solitary, without a companion,
ion, no son, and no brother.
a son, or a brother.
No son, daughter, or brother have I.
Without a son, and without a brother.
أَناI كَالأَورَقِlike the gray dove اِشتَكىlamented
أَنا كَالأَورَقِ اِشتَكى
فَقدloss of إِلفٍa mate وَأَفرُخand chicks
فَقد إِلفٍ وَأَفرُخ
I am like the gray dove, lamenting
I am like the gray dove that lamented
I am as the leaves that complained—
I am like the ashen dove that complains
the loss of mate and fledglings.
the loss of a mate and chicks.
Friends and chicks they have lost.
Of the loss of a mate and her chicks.
أَناI كَالزَرعِlike the crops وَالعِداand the enemies
أَنا كَالزَرعِ وَالعِدا
كَالجَرادِlike locusts المَصوِّخclamorous
كَالجَرادِ المَصوِّخ
I am like the crops, while my foes
I am like the crops, and my enemies
I am as the crops and grasses—
I am like the sown field, while the enemies
are like ravenous locusts.
are like clamorous locusts.
Like locusts despoiled and crushed.
Are like the screeching locusts descending.
أَناI أَبكيI weep بِنُضَّحwith sprinkling tears
أَنا أَبكي بِنُضَّح
وَسَأَبكيand I shall weep بِنُضَّخِwith gushing tears
وَسَأَبكي بِنُضَّخِ
I weep now in trickling tears,
I weep in showers,
With sprinkles do I weep,
I weep now with trickling tears,
and shall weep in torrents.
and shall weep in torrents.
And with downpours shall I sob.
But soon I shall weep with gushing torrents.
عِظَةُadmonition الدَهرِtime وَالرَدىand death
عِظَةُ الدَهرِ وَالرَدى
أَسمَعَتmade hear كُلَّevery أَصلَخِstone-deaf person
أَسمَعَت كُلَّ أَصلَخِ
The admonition of time and death
The admonition of time and death
The lessons of fate and ruin—
The admonition of Time and Destruction
has made every stone-deaf man hear.
has made every stone-deaf person hear.
I have heard them all and am struck.
Has made even the deafest one listen.
قُرَّةُdelight العَينِthe eye دونَهُbarring access to him
قُرَّةُ العَينِ دونَهُ
بَرزَخٌa barrier أَيّwhat a بَرزَخِbarrier
بَرزَخٌ أَيّ بَرزَخِ
The delight of my eye—from him I am severed
Between me and the delight of my eyes
The delight of my eye beyond it
Separating me from the delight of my eye
by a barrier—what a barrier!
lies a barrier—what a barrier!
Is a divide—what divide!
Is a barrier—and oh, what a barrier!
عظمُenormity ذاthis الخَطبِcalamity موهِنٌweakening
عظمُ ذا الخَطبِ موهِنٌ
كُلَّevery عَظمٍbone مَمَخَّخِmarrow-filled
كُلَّ عَظمٍ مَمَخَّخِ
The enormity of this calamity weakens
The enormity of this calamity weakens
Great is this calamity that weakens
The enormity of this calamity saps the strength
every marrow-filled bone.
every marrow-filled bone.
All bone, brittle and cracking.
Of every bone, though filled with marrow.
صاحِبَO bearer الصورِthe Trumpet آنِفاًjust now
صاحِبَ الصورِ آنِفاً
حَضرَhas arrived الوَقتُthe hour فَاِنفُخِso blow
حَضرَ الوَقتُ فَاِنفُخِ
O bearer of the Trumpet, now
O bearer of the Trumpet, just now
Master of the Trumpet soon
O Bearer of the Trumpet, the time is nigh,
the hour has come—so blow!
the hour has come—so blow!
The time comes—so sound it!
The hour has arrived, so blow your blast!
عَلَّنيperhaps I مِنهُfrom him أَشتَفيI find relief
عَلَّني مِنهُ أَشتَفي
بِالنَسيمِwith the breeze المَضَمَّخِperfume-laden
بِالنَسيمِ المَضَمَّخِ
Perhaps through him I may be healed
Perhaps I may find relief from him
With its moist breeze let me breathe
Perhaps from this pain I may be healed
by the balm of a fragrant breeze.
through the perfume-laden breeze.
To revive and refresh.
By the perfumed breeze of the afterlife.
جارُneighbor رِضوانَRidwan لَمnot يَكُنwas
جارُ رِضوانَ لَم يَكُن
مِنهُthan he رَضوىMount Radwa بِأَشمخِany loftier
مِنهُ رَضوى بِأَشمخِ
Riḍwān’s neighbor: not even
Ridwan's neighbor—never was
My neighbor, Ridwan, was not
He is the neighbor of Ridwan; Mount Radwa
Mount Raḍwā stood loftier than he.
Mount Radwa loftier than he.
Pleased with me, aloof and cold.
Was never more towering than he.
يافِعٌa youth كانَhe was مُزرِياًputting to shame
يافِعٌ كانَ مُزرِياً
بِكُهولٍto middle-aged men وَشُوَّخِand elders
بِكُهولٍ وَشُوَّخِ
Though young, he put to shame
A youth, he would put to shame
Once providing, now miserly
A youth who used to outshine
mature men and hoary elders.
middle-aged men and elders.
In his old age and senility.
Mature men and hoary elders alike.
هَلquestion particle رَأَيتَyou have seen الصِباyouth يَجيcomes (first part)
هَل رَأَيتَ الصِبا يَجي
ءُcompletes 'comes' بِحِلمِwith the forbearance التَشَيُّخِold age
ءُ بِحِلمِ التَشَيُّخِ
Have you ever seen youth co—
Have you seen youth come
Have you seen youth come
Have you ever seen childhood arrive
me bearing the wisdom of old age?
with the forbearance of old age?
Bearing the wisdom of age?
Bearing the wisdom of old age?
رَدَّhe made أُسداًlions كَنُبِّحlike barking dogs
رَدَّ أُسداً كَنُبِّح
وَبُزاةًand falcons كَصُرَّخِlike crowing cocks
وَبُزاةً كَصُرَّخِ
He reduced lions to barking curs,
He made lions like barking dogs,
It humbled lions roaring
He repelled lions as if they were yapping dogs,
and falcons to squawking birds.
and falcons like crowing cocks.
And buzzards shrieking.
And falcons as if they were mere screechers.
لَوif بَقىhe lived كانَhe would have been مِنamong مَصاlamps (first part)
لَو بَقى كانَ مِن مَصا
بيحcompletes 'lamps' فيin العِلمِknowledge رُسَّخِfirmly grounded
بيح في العِلمِ رُسَّخِ
Had he lived, he would have ranked among the lumi—
Had he lived, he would have been among the beacons
Had it remained, it would be
Had he remained, he would have been a lamp
naries firmly grounded in knowledge.
firmly grounded in learning.
Firmly rooted in knowledge.
Among those firmly rooted in knowledge.
زِدsay more وَأَبِّنهُand eulogize him ياO فَميmy mouth
زِد وَأَبِّنهُ يا فَمي
أَملِdictate ماwhatever شِئتَyou wish يُنسَخِit will be copied
أَملِ ما شِئتَ يُنسَخِ
Say more and eulogize him, O my mouth;
Say more and eulogize him, O my mouth.
Say more, my mouth—as you wish
O my mouth, increase your wailing and eulogize him,
dictate what you will—it shall be written down.
Dictate whatever you wish; it will be copied.
Pages upon pages transcribed.
Dictate what you will, and let it be inscribed.
دَنِفٌgravely ill لَمnot يُفِقhe recovered وَفيand in
دَنِفٌ لَم يُفِق وَفي
دَعوَتيmy supplication لَمnot أَسَبِّخِI slackened
دَعوَتي لَم أَسَبِّخِ
I am heartsick and have not recovered,
Gravely ill, he did not recover; and in
Deaf he was, and to my call
I am a wasted sufferer finding no recovery,
yet in my prayer I have never slackened.
my supplication I did not slacken.
He paid no heed or care.
And in my invocation, I have not relented.
غَلَطاًmistakenly أَبَّخَreproached الطَبيthe physician (first part)
غَلَطاً أَبَّخَ الطَبي
بُcompletes 'the physician' فَحَسبُso enough المُوَبِّخِthe reproacher
بُ فَحَسبُ المُوَبِّخِ
Mistakenly, the physi—
Reproaching the physician was a mistake;
Wrongly did the healer rebuke—
Wrongly did the doctor rebuke me,
cian rebuked me—enough of the rebuker!
so let the reproacher desist.
Such is the critic’s share.
So let that be enough of the scolder.
حَكَمَdecreed اللَهُGod ياO قَنوdespairing one (first part)
حَكَمَ اللَهُ يا قَنو
طُcompletes 'despairing one' إِنif اِسطَعتَyou can فَاِفسَخِthen undo it
طُ إِن اِسطَعتَ فَاِفسَخِ
God has decreed, O des—
God has decreed, O despairing one;
God judges, O you Complainer,
God has passed judgment, O despairing one,
pair; if you can, then annul His decree.
undo it, if you can.
So if you can, unravel!
So annul it if you possess the power!
هُوَHe أَنشاcreated عِبادَهُHis servants
هُوَ أَنشا عِبادَهُ
وَهوَand He إِنif شاءَHe wills يَنسَخِHe erases
وَهوَ إِن شاءَ يَنسَخِ
It is He who created His servants,
He created His servants,
He created His servants,
It is He who brought His servants into being,
and He, if He wills, effaces them.
and if He wills, He erases them.
And if He wills, He destroys.
And it is He who, if He wills, erases them.
كُلُّevery عُمرٍlifespan مُوَقَّتٌassigned a time
كُلُّ عُمرٍ مُوَقَّتٌ
فيin كِتابٍa book مُؤَرَّخِdated
في كِتابٍ مُؤَرَّخِ
Every lifespan has its appointed term,
Every lifespan is fixed
Every life has its time
inscribed and dated in a Book.
in a dated book.
In a dated book inscribed.
Partial English translation: 40 of 42 Arabic lines translated.