حَلَفتُI swore بِالمُسَتَّرَهby the veiled one
حَلَفتُ بِالمُسَتَّرَه
وَالرَوضَةِand the garden المُعَطَّرَهperfumed
وَالرَوضَةِ المُعَطَّرَه
I swore by the veiled one,
I swear by the veiled one
and the perfumed garden,
And the perfumed garden
وَمَجلِسِand the seat of الزَهراءِal-Zahra فيin الthe
وَمَجلِسِ الزَهراءِ في ال
حَظائِرِprecincts المُنَوَّرَهilluminated
حَظائِرِ المُنَوَّرَه
and al-Zahra's seat in the
And the assembly of Zahra in the
illuminated precincts—
Enlightened courtyards
مَراقِدِresting places السُلالَةِthe lineage الthe
مَراقِدِ السُلالَةِ ال
طَيِّبَةِgoodly المُطَهَّرَهpurified
طَيِّبَةِ المُطَهَّرَه
the resting places of the lineage,
The tombs of the good lineage
goodly and purified—
The purified and sanctified
ماnot أَنزَلواthey lowered إِلىto الثَرىthe earth
ما أَنزَلوا إِلى الثَرى
بِالأَمسِyesterday إِلّاexcept نَيِّرَهa radiant woman
بِالأَمسِ إِلّا نَيِّرَه
they lowered no one into the earth
They did not go down into the ground
yesterday but a radiant woman.
Yesterday except as radiant
سيرواproceed بِهاwith her نَقِيَّةًpure
سيروا بِها نَقِيَّةً
تَقِيَّةًdevout مُبَرَّرَهdeclared righteous
تَقِيَّةً مُبَرَّرَه
Bear her onward, pure,
Walk with her pure
devout and blameless.
Pious and justified
نُجِلُّwe revere سِترَcovering نَعشِهاher bier
نُجِلُّ سِترَ نَعشِها
كَالكُسوَةِlike the covering المُسَيَّرَهsent forth
كَالكُسوَةِ المُسَيَّرَه
We revere her bier's drape,
We cover the bier of her coffin
like the covering sent forth,
Like a prepared shroud
وَنَنشُقُand we inhale الجَنَّةَParadise مِنfrom
وَنَنشُقُ الجَنَّةَ مِن
أَعوادِهِits timbers المُنَضَّرَهmade radiant
أَعوادِهِ المُنَضَّرَه
and breathe in Paradise from
And we pick paradise from
its gleaming timbers,
Its green trees
فيin مَوكِبٍa procession تَمَثَّلَtook form الthe
في مَوكِبٍ تَمَثَّلَ ال
حَقُّtruth فَكانَso it became مَظهَرَهits manifestation
حَقُّ فَكانَ مَظهَرَه
in a procession that embodied
In a procession where truth appeared
truth and became its manifestation.
Leave the soldiers, the notables
دَعِleave aside الجُنودَthe soldiers وَالبُنوand the banners (beginning)
دَعِ الجُنودَ وَالبُنو
دَcompletion of 'banners' وَالوُفودَand the delegations المُحضَرَهsummoned
دَ وَالوُفودَ المُحضَرَه
Leave aside the soldiers and the banners,
And the delegations present
and the delegations summoned there,
And every fake tear
وَكُلَّand every دَمعٍtear كَذِبٍfalse
وَكُلَّ دَمعٍ كَذِبٍ
وَلَوعَةٍand anguish مُزَوَّرَهfeigned
وَلَوعَةٍ مُزَوَّرَه
and every lying tear,
And feigned agony
and every feigned anguish.
Nothing benefits the dead except
لاdoes not يَنفَعُbenefit المَيتَthe deceased سِوىexcept
لا يَنفَعُ المَيتَ سِوى
صالِحَةٍa good deed مُدَّخَرَهstored up
صالِحَةٍ مُدَّخَرَه
Nothing benefits the dead except
Good deeds stored
a good deed laid up in store.
The dome may be raised over
قَدmay تُرفَعُbe raised السوقَةُthe common folk عِنbefore (beginning)
قَد تُرفَعُ السوقَةُ عِن
دَcompletion of 'before' اللَهِGod فَوقَabove القَيصَرَهthe empress
دَ اللَهِ فَوقَ القَيصَرَه
Common folk may be raised
The house of God above the fences
in God's sight above an empress.
Oh the sorrow of knowledge over
ياO جَزَعَthe grief of العِلمِlearning عَلىover
يا جَزَعَ العِلمِ عَلى
سُكَينَةِSukayna المُوَقَّرَهvenerable
سُكَينَةِ المُوَقَّرَه
O learning's grief over
The tranquility of the revered one
the venerable Sukayna!
It became in a desolate quarter
أَمسىhas come to be بِرَبعٍin an abode موحِشٍdesolate
أَمسى بِرَبعٍ موحِشٍ
مِنهاbereft of her وَدارٍand a house مُقفِرَهdeserted
مِنها وَدارٍ مُقفِرَه
It now dwells in a desolate abode,
Of it and a deserted house
bereft of her, and in a deserted home.
Who can console this
مَنwho ذاis it يُؤَسّيconsoles هَذِهِthis الthe
مَن ذا يُؤَسّي هَذِهِ ال
جامِعَةَuniversity المُستَعبَرَهweeping
جامِعَةَ المُستَعبَرَه
Who will console this
Weeping university
weeping university?
If she had lived, she would have supported
لَوif عِشتِyou had lived شِدتِyou would have built مِثلَهاits like
لَو عِشتِ شِدتِ مِثلَها
لِلمَرأَةِfor the woman المُحَرَّرَهemancipated
لِلمَرأَةِ المُحَرَّرَه
Had you lived, you would have built its like
The liberated woman like her
for the emancipated woman.
She built its pillars as
بَنَيتِyou built رُكنَيهاits two pillars كَماjust as
بَنَيتِ رُكنَيها كَما
يَبنيbuilds أَبوكِyour father المَأثُرَهa deed of renown
يَبني أَبوكِ المَأثُرَه
You built its two pillars, as
Your father the renowned builds
your father builds works of renown.
She combined each stone
قَرَنتِyou paired كُلَّevery حِجرِstone
قَرَنتِ كُلَّ حِجرِ
فيin أُسِّهاits foundation بِجَوهَرَهwith a jewel
في أُسِّها بِجَوهَرَه
You paired every stone
In its foundation with a jewel
in its foundation with a jewel.
A pride for your house
مَفخَرَةٌa glory لِبَيتِكُمfor your house
مَفخَرَةٌ لِبَيتِكُم
كَمhow many قَبلَهاbefore it مِنof مَفخَرَهa glory
كَم قَبلَها مِن مَفخَرَه
A glory to your house—
As many prides before her
how many glories came before it!
O Daughter of Ismail, for the dead
ياO بِنتَdaughter of إِسماعيلِIsmail فيin الthe
يا بِنتَ إِسماعيلِ في ال
مَيتِdead person لِحَيٍّfor a living person تَبصِرَهa lesson
مَيتِ لِحَيٍّ تَبصِرَه
O daughter of Ismail, in the
A living one sees him
dead is a lesson for the living.
Did this world have any
أَكانَwas there? عِندَwith بَيتِكُمyour house
أَكانَ عِندَ بَيتِكُم
لِهَذِهِto this الدُنياworld تِرَهa debt of vengeance
لِهَذِهِ الدُنيا تِرَه
Did your house owe
Value in your house
this world a debt of vengeance?
Why didn't you describe it to us
هَلّاwhy not? وَصَفتِهاyou described it لَناto us
هَلّا وَصَفتِها لَنا
مُقبِلَةًadvancing وَمُدبِرَهand retreating
مُقبِلَةً وَمُدبِرَه
Would you not describe it to us,
Coming and going
advancing and retreating,
Its clear color
وَلَونَهاand its color صافِيَةًclear
وَلَونَها صافِيَةً
وَطَعمَهاand its taste مُكَدَّرَهclouded
وَطَعمَها مُكَدَّرَه
and its color when clear,
And its bitter taste
and its taste when clouded—
Like a dream, illusion, shadow or flower
كَالحِلمِlike a dream أَوor كَالوَهمِlike an illusion أَوor
كَالحِلمِ أَو كَالوَهمِ أَو
كَالظِلِّlike a shadow أَوor كَالزَهَرَهlike a blossom
كَالظِلِّ أَو كَالزَهَرَه
like a dream, or an illusion, or
Fatima, whoever is born will die
like a shadow, or a blossom?
The cradle is the bridge to the grave
فاطِمُFatima مَنwhoever يولَدُis born يَمُتdies
فاطِمُ مَن يولَدُ يَمُت
المَهدُthe cradle جِسرُa bridge المَقبَرَهthe graveyard
المَهدُ جِسرُ المَقبَرَه
Fatima, whoever is born must die;
And every soul tomorrow
the cradle is a bridge to the graveyard.
Is dead and then resurrected
وَكُلُّand every نَفسٍsoul فيin غَدٍtomorrow
وَكُلُّ نَفسٍ في غَدٍ
مَيِّتَةٌdead فَمُنشَرَهthen resurrected
مَيِّتَةٌ فَمُنشَرَه
And every soul, tomorrow,
And he who does good or evil will see it
will be dead, then resurrected.
And only the heedless is alerted at the death rattle
وَإِنَّهُand indeed it is so مَنwhoever يَعمَلِdoes الthe
وَإِنَّهُ مَن يَعمَلِ ال
خَيرَgood أَوِor الشَرَّevil يَرَهwill see it
خَيرَ أَوِ الشَرَّ يَرَه
And indeed, whoever does
He spits it out while it was
good or evil will see it.
Sweet in his mouth
وَإِنَّماand only يُنَبَّهُis awakened الthe
وَإِنَّما يُنَبَّهُ ال
غافِلُheedless person عِندَat الغَرغَرَهthe death rattle
غافِلُ عِندَ الغَرغَرَه
And only then is awakened
This ball will continue
the heedless one, at the death rattle.
From hand to hand
يَلفِظُهاhe spits it out حَنظَلَةًa bitter colocynth
يَلفِظُها حَنظَلَةً
كانَتit was بِفيهِin his mouth سُكَّرَهa lump of sugar
كانَت بِفيهِ سُكَّرَه
He spits it out as bitter colocynth,
Where is your father's money
though it had been sugar in his mouth.
Status, and power
وَلَنand never will تَزالَcease مِنfrom يَدٍa hand
وَلَن تَزالَ مِن يَدٍ
إِلىto يَدٍa hand هَذيthis الكُرَهthe globe
إِلى يَدٍ هَذي الكُرَه
And it will ever pass from hand
The valley of Nada and its rain
to hand, this globe.
And its flowing spring
أَينَwhere أَبوكِyour father مالُهُhis wealth
أَينَ أَبوكِ مالُهُ
وَجاهُهُand his prestige وَالمَقدِرَهand his power
وَجاهُهُ وَالمَقدِرَه
Where is your father—his wealth,
Where are the palaces and mansions
and his prestige and his power,
And the languid homes
واديvalley النَدىbounty وَغَيثُهُand its rain
وادي النَدى وَغَيثُهُ
وَعَينُهُand its spring المُفَجَّرَهmade to gush
وَعَينُهُ المُفَجَّرَه
the valley of bounty and its rain,
Where are the white nights and the
and its gushing spring?
Saffron dawns
أَينَwhere الأُمورُthe affairs وَالقُصوand the palaces (beginning)
أَينَ الأُمورُ وَالقُصو
رُcompletion of 'palaces' وَالبُدورُand the full moons المُخدَرَهsecluded
رُ وَالبُدورُ المُخدَرَه
Where are the affairs and the palaces,
And where is in the corner of the country his
and the secluded full moons?
Everlasting hand
أَينَwhere اللَياليthe nights البيضُwhite وَالand the
أَينَ اللَيالي البيضُ وَال
أَصائِلُlate afternoons المُزَعفَرَهsaffron-dyed
أَصائِلُ المُزَعفَرَه
Where are the white nights, and the
And where is that determined ambition
saffron-dyed late afternoons?
That accomplished and prepared
وَأَينَand where فيin رُكنِthe corner of البِلاthe country (beginning)
وَأَينَ في رُكنِ البِلا
دِcompletion of 'country' يَدَهُhis hand المُعَمِّرَهthat builds
دِ يَدَهُ المُعَمِّرَه
And where, in the country's corner,
Seeking to colonize Egypt or more
is his hand that builds?
Where is time in relation to it
وَأَينَand where تِلكَthat الهِمَّةُambition الthe
وَأَينَ تِلكَ الهِمَّةُ ال
ماضِيَةُresolute المُشَمِّرَهgirded for action
ماضِيَةُ المُشَمِّرَه
And where is that ambition,
It countered and stumbled it
resolute and girded for action,
So if you are determined, remember
تَبغيseeks لِمِصرَfor Egypt الشَرقُthe East أَوor
تَبغي لِمِصرَ الشَرقُ أَو
أَكثَرَهُmost of it مُستَعمَرَهa colony
أَكثَرَهُ مُستَعمَرَه
seeking the East for Egypt, or
The predetermined destinies
most of it, as a colony?
Those who do not endure, people do not
جَرىran الزَمانُtime دونَهاacross its path
جَرى الزَمانُ دونَها
فَرَدَّهُso it drove him back وَأَعثَرَهand made him stumble
فَرَدَّهُ وَأَعثَرَه
Time raced across its path,
Seek excuses
and drove him back and made him stumble.
فَإِنso if هَمَمتَyou aspire فَاِذكُرِthen remember الthe
فَإِن هَمَمتَ فَاِذكُرِ ال
مَقادِرَdestinies المُقَدَّرَهdecreed
مَقادِرَ المُقَدَّرَه
So if you aspire, then remember
the destinies decreed.
مَنwhoever لاdoes not يُصِبhit the mark فَالناسُthen people لاdo not
مَن لا يُصِب فَالناسُ لا
يَلتَمِسونَseek المَعذِرَهan excuse
يَلتَمِسونَ المَعذِرَه
Whoever misses the mark—people do not
seek an excuse.
Partial English translation: 75 of 80 Arabic lines translated.