عبدAbd (servant of) المجيدal-Majid (the Glorious) لقيتَyou have met منof
عبد المجيد لقيتَ من
ريبmisfortunes المنيةdeath ماwhat سنلقىwe shall meet
ريب المنية ما سنلقى
Abd al-Majid, you have met with
the blows of death that we too shall meet.
فيin الكأسthe cup بعدكafter you فَضلةa remnant
في الكأس بعدك فَضلة
كلeveryone بكأسwith the cup of الموتdeath يُسقىis given to drink
كل بكأس الموت يُسقى
A draught remains in the cup after you;
everyone is given death's cup to drink.
والشمسand the sun شاربةa drinker بهاfrom it
والشمس شاربة بها
يوماone day تضلit fails to find عليهon it شرقاa place of rising
يوما تضل عليه شرقا
And the sun shall drink from it
one day, when it finds no place of rising.
مارستَyou practiced كلall الحقjustice; truth هلdid ...?
مارستَ كل الحق هل
صادفتyou encountered غيرother than الموتdeath حقاa truth
صادفت غير الموت حقا
You practiced justice in full; did you
find any truth but death?
النفسthe soul فيin عشقlove of الحياةlife
النفس في عشق الحياة
ةword-ending fragment تموتit dies دونwithout attaining الوصلunion عشقاof love
ة تموت دون الوصل عشقا
The soul, enamored of life,
dies of love without attaining union.
والناسand people فيin غمرthe flood of الشقاmisery (continued)
والناس في غمر الشقا
ءcompletion of 'misery' علىdespite اختلافdifferences in العمقdepth غرقىdrowned
ء على اختلاف العمق غرقى
And people, in the flood of misery,
are drowned, however the depth may differ.
ليتwould that المنونdeath حكتكhad resembled you فيin
ليت المنون حكتك في
تصريفهاits dealings عدلاwith justice وفقاًin fitting measure
تصريفها عدلا وفقاً
Would that death had resembled you in
its dealings, with fitting justice.
عِجلتit hastened إليكto you فغيَّبتand so hid away
عِجلت إليك فغيَّبت
زينthe ornament of الشبابyouth نُهىin intellect وخلقاand in character
زين الشباب نُهى وخلقا
It hastened to you and hid away
youth's ornament in intellect and character.
الأرضthe earth فوقكabove you مأتمa place of mourning
الأرض فوقك مأتم
جيبthe neckline of الفضيلةvirtue فيهin it شُقاwas rent
جيب الفضيلة فيه شُقا
The earth above you is a place of mourning,
where Virtue's robe is rent at the breast.
ماذاwhat جنيتhave you inflicted علىupon أبa father
ماذا جنيت على أب
شيخaged بدمعwith tears ليسdoes not يرقاcease flowing
شيخ بدمع ليس يرقا
What have you inflicted upon a father,
an old man whose tears will not cease?
منَّيتهyou filled him with hope فيin ذاthis الشبابyouth
منَّيته في ذا الشباب
منىًhopes فهلاthen why not كنّthey were صدقاtrue
منىً فهلا كنّ صدقا
In this youth of yours, you gave him
hopes—if only they had come true!
قدindeed كانhe was يرجوhe hopes أنthat تعيشyou would live
قد كان يرجو أن تعيش
وكانand he was يأملhe hopes أنthat سترقىyou would rise
وكان يأمل أن سترقى
He had hoped that you would live,
and hoped that you would rise.
والمرءand a man يسعَدfinds happiness بالبنينthrough sons
والمرء يسعَد بالبنين
وفيكand in you مُعتَبرa lesson ويشقىand he suffers
وفيك مُعتَبر ويشقى
A man finds happiness in sons,
and suffers too—in you lies a lesson.
منwho للصغارfor the little ones الذائقينwho taste
من للصغار الذائقين
برغمهمagainst their will لليتمto orphanhood رقاbondage
برغمهم لليتم رقا
Who will care for the little ones, tasting
against their will the bondage of orphanhood?
ضَعُفُواthey grew weak كأفراخlike the nestlings of الحمامdoves
ضَعُفُوا كأفراخ الحمام
فمنso who لهمfor them عطفاtender care وزقاand beak-to-beak feeding
فمن لهم عطفا وزقا
They have grown frail as nestling doves;
so who will tend them and feed them beak to beak?
منwho للقضاءfor justice تركتهyou left it
من للقضاء تركته
جزِعاdistraught ضعيفweak in الركنsupport قلقاanxious
جزِعا ضعيف الركن قلقا
Who will sustain justice? You have left it
distraught, its mainstay weakened, anxious,
يبكيweeping ويستبكيand making others weep عليـover (continued)
يبكي ويستبكي عليـ
ـكyou (attached pronoun) المشتِكيthe complainant والمستحقاand the rightful claimant
ـك المشتِكي والمستحقا
weeping and drawing tears over
you from the complainant and the rightful claimant.
نمsleep حيثwhere ضافكcame to you as a guest فيin الثرىthe dust
نم حيث ضافك في الثرى
خَلقa multitude وحيثand where تَضيفyou are a guest of خلقاa multitude
خَلق وحيث تَضيف خلقا
Sleep where, in the dust, you have received
multitudes as guests, and where you are a guest of multitudes.
إنindeed التيshe whom جاورتهاyou became a neighbor to
إن التي جاورتها
لمhas not ترعhonored للجيرانfor neighbors حقاa right
لم ترع للجيران حقا
Indeed, she whose neighbor you have become
has not honored the rights of neighbors.
عقwas cruel to الخلائقall creatures ظهرهاher surface
عق الخلائق ظهرها
وأظنand I think باطنهاher depths أعقاcrueler
وأظن باطنها أعقا
Her surface has been cruel to all creatures,
and I think her depths crueler still.
كلeverything عليهاupon her زائلpassing away
كل عليها زائل
لاno شيءthing غيرother than اللهGod يبقىremains
لا شيء غير الله يبقى
Everything upon her passes away;
nothing but God endures.