نامَslept الخَلِيُّthe carefree man وَماand not أُغَمِّضُI close my eyes ساعَةًfor a moment
نامَ الخَلِيُّ وَما أُغَمِّضُ ساعَةً
أَرَقاًfrom sleeplessness وَهاجَand roused الشَوقُlonging ليfor me أَحزانيmy sorrows
أَرَقاً وَهاجَ الشَوقُ لي أَحزاني
The carefree man has fallen asleep; I do not close my eyes a moment,
The night has passed and I have not slept an hour
Sleepless, and longing has roused my sorrows.
Restlessness and longing have saddened me
وَإِذاand when ذَكَرتُكَI remember you ياO اِبنَson of موسىMusa أَسبَلَتshed
وَإِذا ذَكَرتُكَ يا اِبنَ موسى أَسبَلَت
عَينيmy eye بِدَمعٍwith tears دائِمِunceasing in الهَمَلانِflow
عَيني بِدَمعٍ دائِمِ الهَمَلانِ
And when I remember you, O son of Musa, there flows
And when I remember you, O son of Musa,
From my eye a ceaseless stream of tears.
My eyes shed copious tears
ماnot كُنتُI used to أَبكيI weep for الهالِكينَthe dead لِفَقدِهِمbecause of their loss
ما كُنتُ أَبكي الهالِكينَ لِفَقدِهِم
وَلَقَدand indeed بَكَيتُI wept وَعَزَّand was rare ماwhat أَبكانيmade me weep
وَلَقَد بَكَيتُ وَعَزَّ ما أَبكاني
I never used to weep for the dead because of their loss,
I did not weep for the departed because of their loss
Yet I have wept, and seldom has anything made me weep.
Yet I cried, and rarely does crying console me
كَسَفَتwas eclipsed لَهُfor him شَمسُthe sun of النَهارِthe day فَأَصبَحَتand so it became
كَسَفَت لَهُ شَمسُ النَهارِ فَأَصبَحَت
شَمسُthe sun of النَهارِthe day كَأَنَّهاas though it were بِدُخانِin smoke
شَمسُ النَهارِ كَأَنَّها بِدُخانِ
The sun of day was eclipsed for him, and now
The sun of day eclipsed for him, so the sun
The sun of day is as though shrouded in smoke.
Became as if it was clouded with smoke
لاno حَيَّliving man بَعدَكَafter you ياO اِبنُson of موسىMusa فيهِمُamong them
لا حَيَّ بَعدَكَ يا اِبنُ موسى فيهِمُ
يَرجونَهُthey look to him in hope لِنَوائِبِfor the calamities of الحَدَثانِtime
يَرجونَهُ لِنَوائِبِ الحَدَثانِ
No living man remains among them after you, O son of Musa,
After you, O son of Musa, there is no life left in them
To whom they look for help against the calamities of time.
That they hope for in the vicissitudes of events
كانواthey were لَيالِيَduring the nights when كُنتَyou were فيهِمamong them أُمَّةًa people
كانوا لَيالِيَ كُنتَ فيهِم أُمَّةً
يُرجىis hoped for لَهاfor it زَمَنٌan age مِنَamong الأَزمانِthe ages
يُرجى لَها زَمَنٌ مِنَ الأَزمانِ
They were, in the nights when you were among them, a people
They were a nation, in nights when you were among them
For whom an age among the ages was hoped for.
For whom an era of eras was hoped for
فَالناسُso the people بَعدَكَafter you ياO اِبنَson of موسىMusa أَصبَحواhave become
فَالناسُ بَعدَكَ يا اِبنَ موسى أَصبَحوا
كَقَناةِlike a spearshaft of حَربٍwar غَيرِnot ذاتِpossessing سِنانِa spearhead
كَقَناةِ حَربٍ غَيرِ ذاتِ سِنانِ
So the people after you, O son of Musa, have become
But after you, O son of Musa, people have become
Like a battle-spear without a point.
Like a canal of war without dams
مُتَشابِهينَalike بُيوتُهُمtheir houses بِمَجازَةٍin a passage
مُتَشابِهينَ بُيوتُهُم بِمَجازَةٍ
لِلسَيلِfor the flood بَينَbetween سَباسِبٍopen plains وَمِتانِand hard uplands
لِلسَيلِ بَينَ سَباسِبٍ وَمِتانِ
All alike, their houses lie in a passage
Their houses resembling each other with plaster
For floodwaters, between open plains and hard uplands.
For the floods between fences and pillars
أَودىperished اِبنُthe son of موسىMusa وَالمَكارِمُand noble virtues وَالنَدىand generosity
أَودى اِبنُ موسى وَالمَكارِمُ وَالنَدى
وَالعِزُّand honor عِندَat the time of تَحَفُّظِwariness السُلطانِthe ruler
وَالعِزُّ عِندَ تَحَفُّظِ السُلطانِ
The son of Musa is gone, and with him noble virtues and bounty,
The son of Musa passed away, and with him generosity, glory
And honor when the ruler is on his guard.
And honor in the preservation of power
جُمعَwas gathered اِبنُthe son of موسىMusa وَالمَكارِمُand noble virtues وَالنَدىand generosity
جُمعَ اِبنُ موسى وَالمَكارِمُ وَالنَدى
فيin القَبرِthe grave بَينَamong سَبائِبِlengths of cloth الأَكفانِthe shrouds
في القَبرِ بَينَ سَبائِبِ الأَكفانِ
The son of Musa, noble virtues, and bounty were gathered
The son of Musa, generosity, glory and honor
In the grave, amid the lengths of shrouding cloth.
Were gathered in the grave between winding sheets
ماnot ماتَdied فيهِمamong them بَعدَafter طَلحَةَTalha مِثلُهُhis equal
ما ماتَ فيهِم بَعدَ طَلحَةَ مِثلُهُ
لِلسائِلينَfor petitioners وَلاnor لِيَومِfor a day of طِعانِspear-fighting
لِلسائِلينَ وَلا لِيَومِ طِعانِ
No one like him has died among them since Talha,
None like him has died among them after Talha
For petitioners, nor for a day of spear-fighting.
For those who ask and on a day of calamity
وَلَئِنand even if جِيادُكَyour fine steeds ياO اِبنَson of موسىMusa أَصبَحَتhave become
وَلَئِن جِيادُكَ يا اِبنَ موسى أَصبَحَت
مُلسَsmooth المُتونِthe backs تَجولُroam فيwithin الأَشطانِthe tether ropes
مُلسَ المُتونِ تَجولُ في الأَشطانِ
And though your fine steeds, O son of Musa, have become
And if your steeds, O son of Musa, have become
Smooth-backed, roaming within their tethers,
Smooth flanked roaming in the meadows
لَبِماsurely often تُقادُare led إِلىtoward العَدُوِّthe enemy ضَوامِراًlean
لَبِما تُقادُ إِلى العَدُوِّ ضَوامِراً
جُرداًshort-haired مُجَنَّبَةًled alongside مَعَwith الرُكبانِthe riders
جُرداً مُجَنَّبَةً مَعَ الرُكبانِ
Surely they were often led against the enemy, lean,
It is because they are led to the enemy as destriers
Sleek-coated, led alongside the mounted men,
Bared, set aside with the riders
مِنof كُلِّevery سابِحَةٍswimming-gaited mare وَأَجرَدَand a sleek-coated horse سابِحٍswimming-gaited
مِن كُلِّ سابِحَةٍ وَأَجرَدَ سابِحٍ
كَالسيدِlike a wolf يَومَa day of تَغَيُّمٍclouding over وَدُخانِand smoke
كَالسيدِ يَومَ تَغَيُّمٍ وَدُخانِ
Of every swimming-gaited mare and sleek, swimming-gaited steed,
Of every swimming one and bare swimming
Like a wolf on a day of clouding skies and smoke.
Like the master on a cloudy and smoky day
كانَhad اِبنُthe son of موسىMusa قَدalready بَنىbuilt ذاpossessing هَيبَةٍawe
كانَ اِبنُ موسى قَد بَنى ذا هَيبَةٍ
صَعبَhard to scale الذُرىthe heights مُتَمَنِّعَunassailable الأَركانِthe corners
صَعبَ الذُرى مُتَمَنِّعَ الأَركانِ
The son of Musa had built a house that inspired awe,
The son of Musa had built with formidable might
Its heights hard to scale, its corners unassailable.
Difficult of ascent, unassailable columns
فَثَوىthen he lay at rest وَغادَرَand left behind فيكُمُamong you بِصَنيعَةٍas a benefaction
فَثَوى وَغادَرَ فيكُمُ بِصَنيعَةٍ
خَيرَthe best of البُيوتِhouses وَأَحسَنَand the finest of البُنيانِconstruction
خَيرَ البُيوتِ وَأَحسَنَ البُنيانِ
Then he lay at rest, leaving among you, as a benefaction,
So he dwelt and left among you with an act
The best of houses and the finest edifice.
The best of homes and most beautiful of buildings