رُدّاturn back, you two كُؤوسَكُماyour cups, both of you عَنaway from شِبهِone resembling مَفؤودِone heart-stricken
رُدّا كُؤوسَكُما عَن شِبهِ مَفؤودِ
فَلَيسَfor it is not ذَلِكَthat يَومَa day الراحِwine وَالعودِand the lute
فَلَيسَ ذَلِكَ يَومَ الراحِ وَالعودِ
Turn your cups away from one who seems heart-stricken;
Turn away your cups from the likeness of the lost,
for this is no day for wine and the lute.
For this is not a day of ease or return.
ياO ساقِيَيَّmy two cupbearers أَرانيI find myself قَدalready سَكَنتُI have found solace إِلىin
يا ساقِيَيَّ أَراني قَد سَكَنتُ إِلى
ماءِwater المَدامِعِtears عَنaway from ماءِwater العَناقيدِgrape-clusters
ماءِ المَدامِعِ عَن ماءِ العَناقيدِ
O my two cupbearers, I find I have taken solace in
O cupbearer, I see that I have settled for
the water of tears, away from the water of grape-clusters.
The water of tears instead of grape water.
وَبِتُّand I spent the night يَرتاحُtakes comfort سَمعيmy hearing حينَwhen يَفتُقُهُpierces it
وَبِتُّ يَرتاحُ سَمعي حينَ يَفتُقُهُ
صَوتُthe sound of النَوادِبِmourning women لاnot صَوتُthe sound of الأَغاريدِsongs
صَوتُ النَوادِبِ لا صَوتُ الأَغاريدِ
And I spent the night with my ear soothed whenever pierced by
And I spend the night finding rest when
the sound of mourning women, not the sound of songs.
The voice of the wailers, not the voice of singers, splits it.
فَأَمسِكاso withhold, you two الراحَthe wine إِنّيindeed I لاdo not أُخامِرُهاI partake of it
فَأَمسِكا الراحَ إِنّي لا أُخامِرُها
وَبَلِّغاand convey, you two الغيدَthe graceful maidens عَنّيfrom me سَلوَةَindifference to الغيدِthe graceful maidens
وَبَلِّغا الغيدَ عَنّي سَلوَةَ الغيدِ
So withhold the wine: I will not partake of it;
So withhold joy, I will not partake of it,
and tell the graceful maidens, from me, of my indifference to them.
And tell the love from me the solace of love.
ثُمَّthen اِمضِياgo, you two وَدَعانيand leave me, you two إِنَّنيindeed I رَجُلٌa man
ثُمَّ اِمضِيا وَدَعاني إِنَّني رَجُلٌ
قَدindeed آلَhas come أَمريmy condition إِلىto هَمٍّgrief وَتَسهيدِand sleeplessness
قَد آلَ أَمري إِلى هَمٍّ وَتَسهيدِ
Then go, both of you, and leave me: I am a man
Then go on, and leave me be, I am a man
whose lot has come to grief and sleeplessness.
Whose affair has turned to anxiety and sleeplessness.
أَبَعدَafter ...? عُثمانَUthman أَبغيI seek مَأرَباًan aim حَسَناًpleasant
أَبَعدَ عُثمانَ أَبغي مَأرَباً حَسَناً
مِنَfrom الحَياةِlife وَحَظّاًand a fortune غَيرَnot مَنكودِill-fated
مِنَ الحَياةِ وَحَظّاً غَيرَ مَنكودِ
After Uthman, should I seek some pleasant aim
After Uthman do I seek fine life's delight
in life, and a fortune free of misery?
And fortune not diminished?
إِنّيindeed I لَيَحزُنُنيsurely grieves me أَنthat جاءَcame يَنشُدُهُseeking him
إِنّي لَيَحزُنُني أَن جاءَ يَنشُدُهُ
داعيthe summoner of المَنونِdeath وَأَنّيand that I غَيرُnot مَنشودِsought
داعي المَنونِ وَأَنّي غَيرُ مَنشودِ
It grieves me indeed that there came seeking him
It saddens me that the caller of death came seeking him
death's summoner, while I remain unsought.
While I am not sought.
أَمسَتhas become تُنافِسُrivals فيكَbecause of you الشُهبَthe bright stars مِنthrough شَرَفٍhonor
أَمسَت تُنافِسُ فيكَ الشُهبَ مِن شَرَفٍ
أَرضٌthe earth تَوارَيتَyou have lain hidden فيهاin it ياO فَتىyoung man of الجودِgenerosity
أَرضٌ تَوارَيتَ فيها يا فَتى الجودِ
Now, through you, it rivals the bright stars in honor—
The meteors compete with you in glory
the earth where you lie hidden, O youth of generosity.
On a ground you were hidden in, O youth of generosity.
لَوif لَمnot تَكُنhad سَبَقَتكَpreceded you الأَنبِياءُthe prophets لَهاto it
لَو لَم تَكُن سَبَقَتكَ الأَنبِياءُ لَها
قُلناwe would have said بِأَنَّكَthat you فيهاin it خَيرُthe best مَلحودِone buried
قُلنا بِأَنَّكَ فيها خَيرُ مَلحودِ
Had the prophets not preceded you there,
Had the prophets not preceded you in it
we would have said you were the finest one buried there.
We would have said you were the best endowed with it.
وَوَدَّتِand wished الريحُthe wind لَوif only كانَتit were مُسَخَّرَةًput to service
وَوَدَّتِ الريحُ لَو كانَت مُسَخَّرَةً
لِحَملِto carry نَعشِكَyour bier عَنfrom هامِthe heads of الأَماجيدِthe noble men
لِحَملِ نَعشِكَ عَن هامِ الأَماجيدِ
And the wind wished it could be put to service
The wind wished, if it were subjugated,
to carry your bier from the heads of noble men.
To carry your bier from the towering heights.
وَالشَمسُand the sun لَوif only أَنَّهاthat it مِنfrom أُفقِهاits horizon هَبَطَتhad descended
وَالشَمسُ لَو أَنَّها مِن أُفقِها هَبَطَت
وَآثَرَتand preferred مَعكَwith you سُكنىdwelling القَفرِthe wasteland وَالبيدِand the deserts
وَآثَرَت مَعكَ سُكنى القَفرِ وَالبيدِ
And the sun wished it had descended from its horizon
And the sun, if it descended from its horizon
and chosen to dwell with you in the wasteland and deserts.
And chose with you the abode of desolation and wilderness.
وَقَدand indeed تَمَنّىwished الضُحىthe morning light لَوif only أَنَّهُمthat they دَرَجواthey wrapped
وَقَد تَمَنّى الضُحى لَو أَنَّهُم دَرَجوا
هَذاthis الفَقيدَthe departed one بِثَوبٍin a garment مِنهُfrom it مَقدودِcut out
هَذا الفَقيدَ بِثَوبٍ مِنهُ مَقدودِ
And the morning light wished that they had wrapped
The morning wished, if they had marched,
this departed one in a garment cut from that light.
To drape this absence in its own raiment.
ياO راحِلاًdeparted one أَكبَرَتكَheld you in awe الحادِثاتُmisfortunes وَماand did not
يا راحِلاً أَكبَرَتكَ الحادِثاتُ وَما
أَكبَرتَهاyou held them in awe عِندَduring تَليينٍeasing وَتَشديدِand severity
أَكبَرتَها عِندَ تَليينٍ وَتَشديدِ
O departed one, misfortunes held you in awe, but you never
O traveler, events made you great, and you did not make them,
held them in awe, whether they relented or grew severe.
In gentleness and force.
أَبكَيتَyou made weep حَتّىeven العُلاglory وَالمَكرُماتِand noble deeds وَماand have not
أَبكَيتَ حَتّى العُلا وَالمَكرُماتِ وَما
جَفَّتdried عَلَيكَover you مَآقيthe inner eye-corners of الخُرَّدِshy maidens الخودِyoung beauties
جَفَّت عَلَيكَ مَآقي الخُرَّدِ الخودِ
You made even glory and noble deeds weep, and never
You cried until even the lofty and bestowals, and the
have the eyes of shy young beauties dried for you.
Tears of sorrow did not dry upon you.
وَباتَand spent the night آلُكَyour family وَالأَصحابُand the companions كُلُّهُمُall of them
وَباتَ آلُكَ وَالأَصحابُ كُلُّهُمُ
عَلَيكَover you ماan emphatic particle بَينَbetween مَحزونٍsorrowful وَمَعمودِand heart-stricken
عَلَيكَ ما بَينَ مَحزونٍ وَمَعمودِ
And all your family and companions spent the night
Your family and all the companions spent the night
mourning you, some sorrowful, others stricken to the heart.
Mourning you, grieved and drenched.
يَبكونَthey weep for فَقدَthe loss of اِمرِئٍa man لِلخَيرِto goodness مُنتَسِبٍbelonging
يَبكونَ فَقدَ اِمرِئٍ لِلخَيرِ مُنتَسِبٍ
بِالبِشرِin cheerfulness مُنتَقِبٍveiled فيamong الناسِthe people مَحمودِpraised
بِالبِشرِ مُنتَقِبٍ في الناسِ مَحمودِ
They weep for the loss of a man kin to goodness,
They weep for the loss of a man inclined
veiled in cheerfulness, praised among the people.
To good, examining mankind, praised among people.
بَنيsons of أَباظَةَAbaza لاmay ... not زالَتcease to be دِيارُكُمُyour homes
بَني أَباظَةَ لا زالَت دِيارُكُمُ
أُفقَthe horizon of البُدورِfull moons وَغاباًand a forest لِلصَناديدِfor champions
أُفقَ البُدورِ وَغاباً لِلصَناديدِ
Sons of Abaza, may your homes never cease to be
O clan of Abaza, still the dwellings
the horizon of full moons and a forest for champions.
Are horizons for buds and a forest for lions.
لاmay ... not قَدَّرَdecree اللَهُGod بَعدَafter اليَومِtoday تَعرِيَةًstripping bare
لا قَدَّرَ اللَهُ بَعدَ اليَومِ تَعرِيَةً
إِلّاonly هَناءًhappiness عَلىamid عِزٍّglory وَتَخليدِand lasting renown
إِلّا هَناءً عَلى عِزٍّ وَتَخليدِ
May God decree no further stripping away after today—
May God not decree after this day exposure
only happiness amid glory and lasting renown.
Except joy upon honor and eternity.
وَعَظَّمَand may magnify اللَهُGod فيfor عُثمانَUthman أَجرَكُمُyour reward
وَعَظَّمَ اللَهُ في عُثمانَ أَجرَكُمُ
فيin رَحمَةِthe mercy of اللَهِGod أَمسىhe has come to be خَيرَthe best مَغمودِone sheathed in burial
في رَحمَةِ اللَهِ أَمسى خَيرَ مَغمودِ
And may God magnify your reward for the loss of Uthman;
And God made great your reward in Uthman
in God's mercy he now rests, the finest one enshrouded.
In God's mercy he spent the night, excellent, buried.