مَنwho يَحفَظُguards الفِيلَthe elephant بَعْدَafter الشِّبْلِthe lion cub والأَسَدِand the lion
مَن يَحفَظُ الفِيلَ بَعْدَ الشِّبْلِ والأَسَدِ
هَيْهاتَfar from it! والمَوْتُand death لاnot يُبقيspares علىupon أَحَدِanyone
هَيْهاتَ والمَوْتُ لا يُبقي على أَحَدِ
Who will guard the elephant after the lion cub and the lion?
Who can protect the elephant after the lion and tiger?
Far from it! Death spares no one.
Alas, death spares no one.
مَنَwho يَجْمَعُgathers الشَّمْلَthe scattered group مَنwho يُرْضِيpleases العَشِيرةَthe clan مَنwho
مَنَ يَجْمَعُ الشَّمْلَ مَن يُرْضِي العَشِيرةَ مَن
يَجْلُوdispels الضَّرورةَhardship مَنwho يَهْدِىguides إلىtoward الرشَدِsound judgment
يَجْلُو الضَّرورةَ مَن يَهْدِى إلى الرشَدِ
Who will reunite the scattered, who will please the clan, who
Who can unite the clan, satisfy the tribe, meet necessity, or guide to the right path?
will dispel hardship, who will guide toward sound judgment?
None remain above the earth’s plain,
لَمْdid not يَبْقَremain فَوْقَupon بَسِيطِthe expanse of الأَرْضِthe earth منof أَحَدٍanyone
لَمْ يَبْقَ فَوْقَ بَسِيطِ الأَرْضِ من أَحَدٍ
إلاexcept that ثَنَتْهُit turned him حَزِيناًsorrowful صُبحَةُthe morning of الأَحَدِSunday
إلا ثَنَتْهُ حَزِيناً صُبحَةُ الأَحَدِ
No one remained upon the earth's expanse
Except the morning of Sunday grieved them.
whom Sunday morning did not leave sorrowful.
Thursday renewed for me a sorrow,
وَجَدَّدَتْand it renewed ليَfor me فيon يَومِthe day of الخَمِيسِThursday أَسًىgrief
وَجَدَّدَتْ ليَ في يَومِ الخَمِيسِ أَسًى
لَمْdid not يَجْرِbefall مُشبهُهُits like يَوْماًever علىupon أَحَدِanyone
لَمْ يَجْرِ مُشبهُهُ يَوْماً على أَحَدِ
And on Thursday it renewed a grief for me
The like of which no day had brought upon anyone.
the like of which had never befallen anyone.
How little attention people paid to this, though they looked
مَاhow! أَغفَلَheedless النَّاسَpeople عَنof هذاthis وَكَمْand how often نَظَرُواthey saw
مَا أَغفَلَ النَّاسَ عَن هذا وَكَمْ نَظَرُوا
فيin وَالدٍa father عِبَراًlessons شَتَّىvaried وفيand in وَلَدِa son
في وَالدٍ عِبَراً شَتَّى وفي وَلَدِ
How heedless people are of this, though so often they have seen
At the abundant tears of a father for his son!
varied lessons in a father and in a son.
The loss of Musa's son was as severe as his father’s,
أَجَدَّrenewed فَقْدُthe loss of ابنِson of مُوْسَىMusa مِثْلَthe like of والدِهِhis father
أَجَدَّ فَقْدُ ابنِ مُوْسَى مِثْلَ والدِهِ
فَيالَهُand, how great it is! كَمَداًanguish وَافَىcame علَىupon كَمَدِanguish
فَيالَهُ كَمَداً وَافَى علَى كَمَدِ
The loss of Ibn Musa renewed a grief like that for his father;
So woe to him as much as to his namesake!
and oh, what anguish has come upon anguish!
Had I been on the west side when the son of Musa
لَوْif كُنتُI had been بِالجَانِبِon the side الغَربيِّwestern حِينَwhen قَضَىhe died
لَوْ كُنتُ بِالجَانِبِ الغَربيِّ حِينَ قَضَى
فِيهِin it ابنُson of مُوسَىMusa لَنادَيْتُI would have called الحِمامَDeath قَدِenough!
فِيهِ ابنُ مُوسَى لَنادَيْتُ الحِمامَ قَدِ
Had I been on the western side when he died—
Died there, I would have called to the doves, “Enough!”
Ibn Musa, there—I would have cried to Death: 'Enough!'
O Death, after him there is no ultimate goal you seek.
مَاthere is no بَعْدَهُbeyond him غَايَةٌgoal يَاموْتُO Death تَطْلُبُهاyou seek it
مَا بَعْدَهُ غَايَةٌ يَاموْتُ تَطْلُبُها
وَصَلْتَyou reached لِلشُّهْبِto the shooting stars فىin تَرْقَاكَyour ascent فاتئِدِso slow down
وَصَلْتَ لِلشُّهْبِ فى تَرْقَاكَ فاتئِدِ
There is no goal beyond him, O Death, for you to seek.
You have reached the stars in your ascent, so stop!
You have reached the shooting stars in your ascent; so slow down.
Each day he gained more knowledge and experience
يَزِيدُhe increases فيin كُلِّevery يَوْمٍday عِلْمَknowledge تَجْرِبَةٍexperience
يَزِيدُ في كُلِّ يَوْمٍ عِلْمَ تَجْرِبَةٍ
حَتَّىuntil أُتِيحَwas allotted لَهُto him يَوْمٌa day بِغَيْرِwithout غَدِtomorrow
حَتَّى أُتِيحَ لَهُ يَوْمٌ بِغَيْرِ غَدِ
Each day he grew in knowledge gained through experience,
Until finally a day came with no tomorrow.
until a day without tomorrow was allotted to him.
He quenched the thirst of the people of Banu Yaghmour,
سَقَىmay water الحَيايَاthe rain, O بَنيsons of يَغمُورَYaghmur أَعْظمكُمْyour bones
سَقَى الحَيايَا بَني يَغمُورَ أَعْظمكُمْ
فَطَالَماfor so often جُدْتُمُyou gave generously والغَيْثُwhile the rain لمdid not يَجُدِgive generously
فَطَالَما جُدْتُمُ والغَيْثُ لم يَجُدِ
May the rain water your bones, O sons of Yaghmur,
Though long you struggled and the rain did not come.
for often you gave generously when the rain did not.
Partial English translation: 19 of 20 Arabic lines translated.