قَدindeed تَوارىvanished النَجيبُthe noble one (Najib) فيin ظلِّthe shadow of لَحدٍa grave
قَد تَوارى النَجيبُ في ظلِّ لَحدٍ
غابَset فيهِwithin it بَدرُthe full moon of الحِجىintellect وَالرَشادِand right guidance
غابَ فيهِ بَدرُ الحِجى وَالرَشادِ
The noble Najib has vanished into the shadow of a grave;
The full moon of intellect and right guidance has set within it.
بَلrather ثَوىrested فيهِwithin it لِلبَلاغةِof eloquence بَحرٌa sea
بَل ثَوى فيهِ لِلبَلاغةِ بَحرٌ
باتَcame to be يُسقىwatered بِصيِّباتِby the showers of الغَواديthe morning clouds
باتَ يُسقى بِصيِّباتِ الغَوادي
Nay, a sea of eloquence has come to rest within it,
Now watered by showers from the morning clouds,
بَينَamid نَثرٍprose كَأَنَّهُas though it were قَطَعُpatches of الرَوthe gar- (word continues)
بَينَ نَثرٍ كَأَنَّهُ قَطَعُ الرَو
ضِ-den (completing 'garden') وَنظمٍand verse كَالدرِّlike pearls فيupon الأَجيادِnecks
ضِ وَنظمٍ كَالدرِّ في الأَجيادِ
Amid prose as though it were patches of a gar-
den, and verse like pearls upon necks.
بَكَتِwept الصُحْفُthe pages بَعدَهُafter him بِدُموعٍwith tears
بَكَتِ الصُحْفُ بَعدَهُ بِدُموعٍ
صَبَغَتstained وَجههاtheir face بِذَوبِwith molten المِدادِink
صَبَغَت وَجهها بِذَوبِ المِدادِ
The pages wept after him with tears
That stained their face with molten ink.
فَأَشارَthen signaled التاريخُhistory فيهاin them بِنظمٍthrough verse
فَأَشارَ التاريخُ فيها بِنظمٍ
لاقَbefitted بَعدَafter الحِدادِal-Haddad (punning on 'mourning') بِثَوبِwith the garb of الحِدادِmourning
لاقَ بَعدَ الحِدادِ بِثَوبِ الحِدادِ
Then history signaled in their pages through verse
That, after al-Haddad, befitted the garb of mourning.