ما للمنون تهبُّ في قنواتها

ما للمنون تهبُّ في قنواتها

أدرت لمن أردت بصدر قناتها

أدرت لمن أردت بصدر قناتها

What ails Death, stirring among her spears?

What agony flows in its channels,

Did she know whom she struck dead with her spear's point?

I knew who you wanted with the sincerity of its channel,

عادت بقاصمة الفقار ولم ولم تزل

عادت بقاصمة الفقار ولم ولم تزل

عثراتها تجري على عادتها

عثراتها تجري على عادتها

She returned with a spine-breaking blow, and still—still—

It came back with a broken spine, yet continued,

her calamities follow their accustomed course.

Its stumbling goes on as usual.

ويح الليالي كم رمت لبني الهدى

ويح الليالي كم رمت لبني الهدى

بيضاً جحاجحة بسود بناتها

بيضاً جحاجحة بسود بناتها

Woe to the nights! How often they have struck the sons of guidance—

Oh nights, how you have cast the people of guidance,

radiant, mighty chieftains—with their dark daughters!

As white sacrifices with the darkness of its daughters,

نفست بها الدنيا وكم من أنفس

نفست بها الدنيا وكم من أنفس

لذوي العلى تحبي بيوم مماتها

لذوي العلى تحبي بيوم مماتها

The world begrudged them; and how many souls

The world sighed with it, and how many souls

of the exalted are rewarded with their dying day!

Of the exalted ones live the day of their death.

طرقت تجدُّ ويا لها من نكبة

طرقت تجدُّ ويا لها من نكبة

سرعان ما عطفت على أخواتها

سرعان ما عطفت على أخواتها

She came by night, pressing on—what a calamity!

It knocked to find, what a calamity,

How swiftly it turned to join its sisters!

It soon had mercy on its sisters,

وطأت أنوفاً بالغري وطأطأت

وطأت أنوفاً بالغري وطأطأت

في تستر بالرغم هام كماتها

في تستر بالرغم هام كماتها

She trampled noses at al-Ghari and bowed low

It trod the noses in the dust and bowed down,

in Tustar, in humiliation, the heads of its champions.

Hiding in shame like the worried deceased.

ألوت بمثوى الأرض جعفرها الذي

ألوت بمثوى الأرض جعفرها الذي

أجرى البحار يعام في غمراتها

أجرى البحار يعام في غمراتها

She carried off to earth's resting place its Ja'far, who

It took Jafar, he who,

made the seas flow, swimming in their depths.

Caused the seas to stream in its depths,

أودى الردى بابرّ نفس سمحة

أودى الردى بابرّ نفس سمحة

تحيي الدجى بصلاتها وصلاتها

تحيي الدجى بصلاتها وصلاتها

Death swept away the most righteous, generous soul,

Ruin took the kind-hearted soul,

that enlivened the dark night with its prayers and gifts.

That gave life to the darkness with its prayers and devotion

ما إن عصت مذ أدركت معبودها

ما إن عصت مذ أدركت معبودها

ما طاوعت حاشا لها شهواتها

ما طاوعت حاشا لها شهواتها

Never did it disobey, since it recognized the One it worshiped;

It did not disobey since realizing its worshipped,

it never yielded—far be it from such—to its desires.

It did not comply, it is above its desires,

لن تتبعنَّ كغيرها شيطانها

لن تتبعنَّ كغيرها شيطانها

ضربت عن الدنيا وعن تبعاتها

ضربت عن الدنيا وعن تبعاتها

Never would it, like others, follow its devil;

It will not follow, like others, its devil,

it turned away from the world and from its burdens.

It shunned the world and all that comes with it.

يا هل درى الناعي بفيه رغامها

يا هل درى الناعي بفيه رغامها

من ذانعي والنفس في غفلاتها

من ذانعي والنفس في غفلاتها

Oh, did the bearer of death's tidings know—may its dust fill his mouth—

O you who cries, does he know in his nonsense,

who it was that had been announced dead, while the soul lay heedless?

Of the preventers while the soul is unaware?

أترى نعي مضر العلى ومعدها

أترى نعي مضر العلى ومعدها

وسراة غالبها وغلب سراتها

وسراة غالبها وغلب سراتها

Do you think glory's Mudar and its Ma'add were announced dead,

Do you see he laments Mudar the exalted and its glory,

and the chiefs of its Ghalib, and the mightiest of its chiefs?

And its victorious horsemen and the defeat of its elite?

لولا النجار لما عدوتك سيدا

لولا النجار لما عدوتك سيدا

من هاشم ولأنت من ساداتها

من هاشم ولأنت من ساداتها

But for lineage, I would not pass you over as a lord

If not for the carpenter you would not be master,

of Hashim; indeed, you are among its lords.

Of Hashim, and you would not be of its masters,

ولقد سددت عن النعي مسامي

ولقد سددت عن النعي مسامي

حتى اعتلى فأطار صم صفاتها

حتى اعتلى فأطار صم صفاتها

Indeed, I had stopped my ears against the death-news,

You blocked the path of lament until,

until it rose and sent their solid rocks flying.

It rose high and flew over its defining traits,

من زلزل الطود الأشم فدكَّه

من زلزل الطود الأشم فدكَّه

دكّاً يحط الطير عن وكناتها

دكّاً يحط الطير عن وكناتها

Who shook the towering mountain and crushed it,

Who shook the towering mountain and crushed it,

with a crushing that brought birds down from their roosts?

A crushing that drops the birds from their nests,

من غادر الإسلام منخفض الذرى

من غادر الإسلام منخفض الذرى

والمسلمين تعج في أصواتها

والمسلمين تعج في أصواتها

Who left Islam with its peaks brought low,

Whoever abandoned Islam, lowly and disgraced,

and the Muslims clamoring with their voices?

While the Muslims cry loudly,

من غال شمس الأفق في آفاقها

من غال شمس الأفق في آفاقها

من راع أسد الغاب في غاباتها

من راع أسد الغاب في غاباتها

Who carried off the horizon's sun within its skies?

Whoever robbed the sun on the horizon in its spheres,

Who frightened the forest's lions in their forests?

Who terrified the lion in its forests,

ومن استزلَّ النجم عن أبراجها

ومن استزلَّ النجم عن أبراجها

واستنزل الأقمار من هالاتها

واستنزل الأقمار من هالاتها

And who dislodged the stars from their celestial towers,

And who eclipsed the star from its mansions,

and drew the moons down from their halos?

And brought down the moon from its halo,

حال تحول وأي حال لم تحل

حال تحول وأي حال لم تحل

تتنقل الأشياء في حالاتها

تتنقل الأشياء في حالاتها

A state changes; and what state has not changed?

The state changes, and what state does not change?

Things shift through their various states.

Things move in their states.

أربيب حجر الفضل بعدك عطلت

أربيب حجر الفضل بعدك عطلت

غرف العلوم وصبح في حجراتها

غرف العلوم وصبح في حجراتها

O fosterling of virtue's lap, after you lay deserted

O beloved of the rock of virtue, after you stalled,

the halls of learning, and it was assailed at dawn in their chambers.

The halls of knowledge and dawn in its chambers,

إن رقرقت لك دمعها فلربما

إن رقرقت لك دمعها فلربما

قلدتها بارق من عبراتها

قلدتها بارق من عبراتها

If it lets its tears shimmer for you, how often

If it sheds a tear for you, perhaps,

you adorned it with a gleam from its tears!

It mimics the lightning of its tears.

فقدت بك السباق في مضمارها

فقدت بك السباق في مضمارها

وزعيمها الوثاب في حلباتها

وزعيمها الوثاب في حلباتها

It has lost in you the frontrunner on its racecourse,

It lost with you the lead in its race,

and its leader, ever leaping in its arenas.

And its energetic jumper in its arenas,

واهاً لدهرٍ لم يقل لك عثرة

واهاً لدهرٍ لم يقل لك عثرة

ولكم اقلت بنيه من عثراتها

ولكم اقلت بنيه من عثراتها

Alas for an age that did not lift you from a stumble,

Oh what a time that did not trip you up,

though how often you lifted its sons from their stumbles!

Yet how many times it tripped up your sons with its pitfalls!

لو كان يندفع القضا لتدافعت

لو كان يندفع القضا لتدافعت

عصب تقيك الحتف في مهجاتها

عصب تقيك الحتف في مهجاتها

If fate could be averted, there would have surged forward

If fate could be averted, your loyal clan would have,

bands shielding you from death with their own life's blood.

Defended you against death in its onslaught,

أو كان تطفي الوجد زفرة واجد

أو كان تطفي الوجد زفرة واجد

لقضت عليك النفس في زفراتها

لقضت عليك النفس في زفراتها

Or if a mourner's sigh could quench grief,

Or if anguish could be extinguished by the sigh of the anguished,

the soul would have died over you amid its sighs.

The soul would have finished you off with its sighs,

لكنَّ أمر اللضه جل منجز

لكنَّ أمر اللضه جل منجز

توفي النفوس آلهها بوفاتها

توفي النفوس آلهها بوفاتها

But God's decree—exalted is He—is fulfilled;

But the command of God is supreme, fulfilled,

their God takes the souls at their death.

Souls die at their specified time.

أجمان بحر العلم والدرر التي

أجمان بحر العلم والدرر التي

هي كالدراري الشهب في لمعاتها

هي كالدراري الشهب في لمعاتها

O pearls of learning's sea, and gems that

Oceans of knowledge and pearls that

are like brilliant, radiant stars in their gleams,

Are like meteors in their flashes,

نزلت بنعت أبٍ له من قبله

نزلت بنعت أبٍ له من قبله

أم الكتاب فكان من آياتها

أم الكتاب فكان من آياتها

before him, in praise of a father of his, was revealed

Came down eulogizing a father who had before him,

the Mother of the Book; thus he was among its signs.

The Mother of the Book, and so it was among its signs,

نهاز غامضة العلوم بفكرة

نهاز غامضة العلوم بفكرة

في مثل وخز الرمح وخز شباتها

في مثل وخز الرمح وخز شباتها

He seized the obscurities of learning with a thought;

A piercing allusion with an idea,

with a spear-like thrust, he pierced their sharp points.

Like a spear stab and the sting of an adder,

وضحت بأنجم رأيه فكأنما

وضحت بأنجم رأيه فكأنما

ناط النجوم الزهر في لباتها

ناط النجوم الزهر في لباتها

They grew clear through the stars of his judgment, as though

Its opinions were illuminated with brilliant stars,

he had hung radiant stars at their throats.

As if it placed the stars in their settings,

روح العلى محسوس خمس حواسها

روح العلى محسوس خمس حواسها

نفس الحياة قوام ست جهاتها

نفس الحياة قوام ست جهاتها

The spirit of eminence, perceived by its five senses;

The soul of the exalted is sensible in its five senses,

the very soul of life, sustaining its six directions.

The living spirit is the pillar of its six directions,

أرخى على الخضر الذوائب سؤدد

أرخى على الخضر الذوائب سؤدد

فكأنما الجوزاء من عذباتها

فكأنما الجوزاء من عذباتها

Nobility let its tresses fall over the green heavens,

It let down on the greens its dangling tresses,

as though al-Jawza' were among their tassels.

As if the Virgo is one of its sweet springs,

لاتقرننَّ به سواه مشبهاً

لاتقرننَّ به سواه مشبهاً

فضحت بغاث الطير شهب بزاتها

فضحت بغاث الطير شهب بزاتها

Do not pair another with him in comparison:

Do not compare him to another, making a simile,

the pale falcons have put the lesser birds among them to shame.

Distinguish the raven from its companions.

حاز المكارم كلها جمعاً فإن

حاز المكارم كلها جمعاً فإن

تدري بمكرمة عدته فهاتها

تدري بمكرمة عدته فهاتها

He possessed all noble virtues together; if

He attained all virtues together, so if,

you know of a virtue that passed him by, bring it forth.

You know a virtue, count him among it.

كم من يدٍ في الجود نافحة له

كم من يدٍ في الجود نافحة له

يستحيي صوب المزن من نفحاتها

يستحيي صوب المزن من نفحاتها

How many a hand of his was bountiful in giving,

How many generous hands competing with him,

before whose gifts the rainclouds' downpour feels shame!

Are shy to stretch from their bounty.

عميت بصائر حسّدٍ له أبصرت

عميت بصائر حسّدٍ له أبصرت

لرأت ذعاف سماها بلهاتها

لرأت ذعاف سماها بلهاتها

Blind were the inner eyes of his enviers; had they seen,

The sights of enviers were blinded, but if they saw,

they would have seen their deadly poison in their throats.

They would see the slander their tongues uttered.

لسب العقارب لا لسبق عداوة

لسب العقارب لا لسبق عداوة

أن العقارب لسَّب من ذاتها

أن العقارب لسَّب من ذاتها

Scorpions sting, not because of prior enmity:

Not to precede in enmity, but scorpions by nature,

scorpions are stingers by their very nature.

Sting with their tails without provocation,

والعقل مرآة حقائقنا بها

والعقل مرآة حقائقنا بها

تبدو ومرأى الناس في مرآتها

تبدو ومرأى الناس في مرآتها

And reason is a mirror in which our true natures

And the mind is a mirror of our realities through which,

appear, and people's image lies within its mirror.

They appear, and people's views are its reflection.

لولا المقام لقلت فيك مفصلا

لولا المقام لقلت فيك مفصلا

لكنما الأقوال في أوقاتها

لكنما الأقوال في أوقاتها

Were it not for this occasion, I would speak of you in detail,

If not for propriety, I would have elaborated,

but words have their proper times.

But words are only appropriate at certain times.

كل وأن جلى يصير لغاية

كل وأن جلى يصير لغاية

تجري الجياد إلى مدى غاياتها

تجري الجياد إلى مدى غاياتها

All, even those who come first, reach an end;

Every clear thing becomes a goal,

steeds run to the utmost of their goals.

Horses run to the extent of their capabilities.

تعطيك وصف هجانها وهجينها

تعطيك وصف هجانها وهجينها

صفتان حسن شواتها وشياتها

صفتان حسن شواتها وشياتها

You are shown the quality of their purebred and their crossbred

It distinguishes for you its commendations and defects,

by two traits: fine limbs and coat-markings.

Two traits: the beauty of its qualities and its faults,

وتميز بين أغرها وبهيمها

وتميز بين أغرها وبهيمها

غرر سوائلها على جبهاتها

غرر سوائلها على جبهاتها

And their white-blazed steeds are distinguished from their unmarked ones

And differentiates its proudest from its most despised,

by their streaming white blazes upon their foreheads.

The elite from the common on their brows,

يا ابن العرانين الأولى من هاشم

يا ابن العرانين الأولى من هاشم

والمعتلين من العلى قصباتها

والمعتلين من العلى قصباتها

O son of the foremost chiefs of Hashim,

O son of the early Hashimites,

and of those who scale the pinnacles of eminence,

And the climbers to the heights of its minarets,

عدِّ عن اللأواء وابق لأسرة

عدِّ عن اللأواء وابق لأسرة

شيم الضواري الطلس في عدواتها

شيم الضواري الطلس في عدواتها

turn aside from hardship, and remain for a family

Stop attacking the banners, and remain for a family,

with the temper of dusky beasts of prey in its onrushes.

Whose nature is fierceness in its assaults,

مثل الشبول تحف ليث عرينها

مثل الشبول تحف ليث عرينها

تحذوه في وثباتها وثباتها

تحذوه في وثباتها وثباتها

Like cubs, they surround the lion of their den,

Like cubs attached to the den of its lion,

following his example in their leaps and their steadfastness.

Following it in its pouncing and jumps,

أنى تشتُّ وأنت معقل جمعها

أنى تشتُّ وأنت معقل جمعها

متكفلاً قدماً بجمع شتاتها

متكفلاً قدماً بجمع شتاتها

How can they scatter, when you are the stronghold of their company,

How can you despair while being the stronghold of its entirety,

long pledged to gather their scattered members?

Responsible for gathering its fragmented parts?

والكِ العزاء بشبل أضرى أسدها

والكِ العزاء بشبل أضرى أسدها

والشبل للآساد لالبواتها

والشبل للآساد لالبواتها

And yours is consolation in a cub, the fiercest of its lions,

And console the cub who lost its lion,

and the cub belongs to lions, not to their lionesses.

For cubs are for lions in their absence.