عَرَفَknew المَوْتُdeath قَدْرَthe worth of مَنthe one whom هُوَit طَالِبْseeking
عَرَفَ المَوْتُ قَدْرَ مَن هُوَ طَالِبْ
فَأَلحّتْso pressed relentlessly صُرُوفُهُits vicissitudes والنَّوَائِبْand calamities
فَأَلحّتْ صُرُوفُهُ والنَّوَائِبْ
Death knew the worth of the one it sought;
so its vicissitudes and calamities pressed relentlessly.
وأَتَىand it came رَاجيِاًhoping لِبَابِكَto your door عِلْماًknowing
وأَتَى رَاجيِاً لِبَابِكَ عِلْماً
أَنَّthat رَاجِيكَone who hopes in you لَيْسَdoes not يَرْجِعُreturn خَائِبْdisappointed
أَنَّ رَاجِيكَ لَيْسَ يَرْجِعُ خَائِبْ
And it came hopefully to your door, knowing
that whoever hopes in you never returns disappointed.
قَدْindeed أَصَمَّdeafened النَّاعِيthe death-announcer بِكَwith news of you اليومَtoday حَتَّىeven
قَدْ أَصَمَّ النَّاعِي بِكَ اليومَ حَتَّى
رَجَباًRajab فاسْمُهُso its name الأَصَمُّthe Deaf مُناسِبْfitting
رَجَباً فاسْمُهُ الأَصَمُّ مُناسِبْ
Today the herald of your death has deafened even
Rajab; thus its name, “the Deaf,” is fitting.
ولَئِنْand if indeed مُتَّyou died فِيهِin it فالآنَthen now لاnot
ولَئِنْ مُتَّ فِيهِ فالآنَ لا
يَختَلِفُdisagree النَّاسthe people فيover انْقِطاعthe cessation of الرَّغَائِبْbounties
يَختَلِفُ النَّاس في انْقِطاع الرَّغَائِبْ
And if indeed you died in it, now there is no
dispute among people that bounties have ceased.
كُنتَyou were عَبدَAbd الوَهّابِal-Wahhab مِنamong أَنعُمِthe blessings of اللَّGod (first part)
كُنتَ عَبدَ الوَهّابِ مِن أَنعُمِ اللَّ
هِcompletion of “God” عَلَيْناupon us ومِنand among أَجَلِّthe noblest of المَواهِبْgifts
هِ عَلَيْنا ومِن أَجَلِّ المَواهِبْ
You were, Abd al-Wahhab, among God's blessings
upon us, and among the noblest gifts.
كُنتَyou were كالبَدْرِlike the full moon طالِعاًrising فيin دُجَىthe darkness of الخَطْthe calamity (first part)
كُنتَ كالبَدْرِ طالِعاً في دُجَى الخَطْ
بِcompletion of “calamity” ولابُدَّand it is inevitable أَنْthat يُرَىbe seen البَدْرُthe full moon غَائِبْout of sight
بِ ولابُدَّ أَنْ يُرَى البَدْرُ غَائِبْ
You were like the full moon rising in calamity's darkness,
and the full moon must inevitably be seen to set.
قُلْsay لأَبنائهِto his sons وَصَدْرُهُمُand their chief الصَّدْthe foremost (first part)
قُلْ لأَبنائهِ وَصَدْرُهُمُ الصَّدْ
رُcompletion of “the foremost” وأَصْبَاهُمْand their youngest لهُhe has حُكْمُthe judgment of شَائِبْa gray-haired man
رُ وأَصْبَاهُمْ لهُ حُكْمُ شَائِبْ
Say to his sons, whose chief is foremost
and whose youngest has a graybeard's judgment:
إنْif هَوَىhas fallen منfrom سَمائِكُمْyour sky بَدْرُهاits full moon التَّfull (first part)
إنْ هَوَى من سَمائِكُمْ بَدْرُها التَّ
مّcompletion of “full” فَماthen not عُطّلَتْit was left unadorned وأَنتمْwhile you are كَواكِبْstars
مّ فَما عُطّلَتْ وأَنتمْ كَواكِبْ
If the full moon has fallen from your sky,
the sky is not left unadorned, for you are stars.