وَقَفْتُI stood عَلَىat القَبْرِthe grave الَّذِيwhich أَنْتَyou نَازِلُهْdwelling in it
وَقَفْتُ عَلَى القَبْرِ الَّذِي أَنْتَ نَازِلُهْ
وُقُوفَthe standing of جَبانٍa coward بَادِيَاتٍexposed مَقَاتِلُهْhis vital spots
وُقُوفَ جَبانٍ بَادِيَاتٍ مَقَاتِلُهْ
I stood at the grave in which you dwell,
I stood by the grave where you now dwell,
as a coward stands, his vital spots exposed.
Standing like a coward with fighting hands,
وَمَاand not الْقَبْرُthe grave إِلاَّexcept حَلْقُthe throat of غَرْثَانَa famished one هَاضِمٍdevouring
وَمَا الْقَبْرُ إِلاَّ حَلْقُ غَرْثَانَ هَاضِمٍ
مِنfrom المَوْتِdeath مَاwhatever يُلْقِيcasts بِهِinto it فَهْوَso it غَائِلُهْdestroying it
مِن المَوْتِ مَا يُلْقِي بِهِ فَهْوَ غَائِلُهْ
The grave is but the throat of a famished devourer;
The grave is but the gullet of a voracious crusher,
whatever death casts into it, it destroys.
To whom death gives whatever it takes.
لِمِثْلِfor one like أَمِينٍAmin يَجْزَعُgrieve النَّاسُthe people إِذْwhen مَضَىhe departed
لِمِثْلِ أَمِينٍ يَجْزَعُ النَّاسُ إِذْ مَضَى
اَوَاخِرُهُhis last days مَحْمُودَةٌpraiseworthy وَأَوَائِلُهْand his first days
اَوَاخِرُهُ مَحْمُودَةٌ وَأَوَائِلُهْ
For one like Amin, people grieve when he is gone;
For one as faithful as Amin, people mourn when he passes,
his last days were praiseworthy, and his first days too.
His ending is praised and his beginnings too,
دَفَنَّاهُwe buried him مُبْكِيّاًmourned نَضِيرُthe bloom of شَبَابِهِhis youth
دَفَنَّاهُ مُبْكِيّاً نَضِيرُ شَبَابِهِ
وَمَبْكِيَّةًand mourned آدَابُهُhis refinement وَفَضَائِلُهْand his virtues
وَمَبْكِيَّةً آدَابُهُ وَفَضَائِلُهْ
We buried him, the bloom of his youth mourned,
We buried him in tears, his youthful equals,
and his refinement and virtues mourned too.
And in tears his manners and virtues.
كَأَنَّاas though we نُوَارِيهِwe bury him الثَّرَىthe earth كُلَّevery سَاعَةٍhour
كَأَنَّا نُوَارِيهِ الثَّرَى كُلَّ سَاعَةٍ
أَسىًin sorrow وَكَأَنَّاand as though we كُلَّevery آنٍmoment نُزَايِلُهْwe part from him
أَسىً وَكَأَنَّا كُلَّ آنٍ نُزَايِلُهْ
As though we bury him in the earth every hour
As if we bid the earth farewell every hour,
in sorrow, and as though we part from him each moment.
In sorrow, as if we descend to him each moment.
هَوَىhe fell بَيْنَbetween أَيْدِينَاour hands وَقَدْand already وَدَّتِwished المُنَىthe hopes
هَوَى بَيْنَ أَيْدِينَا وَقَدْ وَدَّتِ المُنَى
لَوْif only أَنَّthat لِفَضْلٍfor merit سَاعِداًan arm فَهْوَthen it نَاشِلُهْlifting him out
لَوْ أَنَّ لِفَضْلٍ سَاعِداً فَهْوَ نَاشِلُهْ
He fell before us, while our hopes wished
He fell between our hands though fate yearned for him,
that merit had an arm to lift him out.
If only merit could save him, it would have rescued him.
كَمَاas سَقَطَتْfell فِيinto البَحْرِthe sea دُرَّةُa pearl of بَاخِلٍa miser
كَمَا سَقَطَتْ فِي البَحْرِ دُرَّةُ بَاخِلٍ
أَحَاقَsurrounded بِهِaround him لُجٌّa deep sea مِنَof اليَأْسِdespair شَامِلُهْengulfing him
أَحَاقَ بِهِ لُجٌّ مِنَ اليَأْسِ شَامِلُهْ
Like a miser's pearl that fell into the sea,
Like a miser's pearl that fell in the sea,
an engulfing sea of despair surrounded him.
Despair's tides engulfed him.
فَرَاحَso he began يُعِيدُturning back الطَّرْفَthe gaze لاnot هُوَhe صَابِرٌpatient
فَرَاحَ يُعِيدُ الطَّرْفَ لا هُوَ صَابِرٌ
وَلاand not هُوَhe يَدْرِيknows أَيَّwhat أَمْرٍmatter يُحَاوِلُهْhe attempts it
وَلا هُوَ يَدْرِي أَيَّ أَمْرٍ يُحَاوِلُهْ
So he kept casting his gaze back, neither patient
He glanced around, not resigned,
nor knowing what course of action to attempt.
Not knowing what he was pondering.
يُقَطِّرُhe lets drip فَوْقَover الغَمْرِthe deep water سَائِلَthe flow of دَمْعِهِhis tears
يُقَطِّرُ فَوْقَ الغَمْرِ سَائِلَ دَمْعِهِ
وَلاand not يُدْرِكُhe attains الشيءthe thing الَّذِيwhich هُوhe سَائِلُهْseeking it
وَلا يُدْرِكُ الشيء الَّذِي هُو سَائِلُهْ
He drips his flowing tears upon the deep,
He sheds tears over sorrow, questioning their source,
and cannot retrieve the thing he seeks.
A lad who raced to every goal,
فَتىًa young man كَانَwas سَبَّاقاًforemost إِلَىtoward كُلِّevery غَايَةٍgoal
فَتىً كَانَ سَبَّاقاً إِلَى كُلِّ غَايَةٍ
وَيَعْلَمُand he knows إِلاَّexcept قَدْرَهُhis worth فَهْوَso he جَاهِلُهْunaware of it
وَيَعْلَمُ إِلاَّ قَدْرَهُ فَهْوَ جَاهِلُهْ
A young man who was foremost in pursuing every goal,
None can know his worth but God.
and knew all but his own worth, of which he was unaware.
We hoped medicine would delight us by curing him,
رَجَوْنَاwe hoped لَهُfor him بِالطِّبِّthrough medicine بُرْءاًa cure يَسُرُّنَاgladdening us
رَجَوْنَا لَهُ بِالطِّبِّ بُرْءاً يَسُرُّنَا
بِهِthrough it وَإِذَاand behold الطبthe medicine المُؤَمَّلُhoped for خَاذِلُهْfailing him
بِهِ وَإِذَا الطب المُؤَمَّلُ خَاذِلُهْ
We hoped medicine would bring him a cure to gladden us
But the hoped-for remedy failed him.
thereby—but the hoped-for medicine failed him.
When the sickness lies in the heart,
وَمنْand one whose قَلْبُهُhis heart الدَّاءُthe illness الَّذِيwhich هُوَhe يَشْتَكِيcomplains of
وَمنْ قَلْبُهُ الدَّاءُ الَّذِي هُوَ يَشْتَكِي
فَمَاذَاthen with what? تَدَاوِيهِyou treat him وَمَاذَاand what? وَسَائِلُهْhis means
فَمَاذَا تَدَاوِيهِ وَمَاذَا وَسَائِلُهْ
And one whose heart is the illness he complains of—
What remedies, what efforts can heal?
with what can you treat him, and what means has he?
He enjoyed life's goodness and bitterness,
وَكَانَand he was عَلَىin طِيبِthe goodness of الزَّمَانِtime وَخُبْثِهِand its harshness
وَكَانَ عَلَى طِيبِ الزَّمَانِ وَخُبْثِهِ
جَنِيَّripe ثِمَارِfruits of الأُنْسِfellowship عَذْباًsweet مَنَاهِلُهْhis springs
جَنِيَّ ثِمَارِ الأُنْسِ عَذْباً مَنَاهِلُهْ
And in times both kindly and cruel he was
Sweetly drinking the draughts of company,
rich in ripe fruits of fellowship, his springs sweet.
Seeking only praise, ascent, and God's approval,
وَلاand not يَبْتَغِيhe seeks إِلاَّexcept المَحَامِدَpraiseworthy deeds وَالعُلَىand lofty rank
وَلا يَبْتَغِي إِلاَّ المَحَامِدَ وَالعُلَى
وَمَرضَاةَand the pleasure of وجْهِthe face of اللهِGod فِيمَاin what يُزَاوِلُهْhe undertakes it
وَمَرضَاةَ وجْهِ اللهِ فِيمَا يُزَاوِلُهْ
He sought nothing but praiseworthy deeds and lofty rank,
In all his endeavors.
and the pleasure of God's countenance in all he undertook.
When clouds of events encircled him,
إِذَاwhen أَطْبَقَتْclosed in سُحْبُclouds of الحَوَادِثِcalamities حَوْلَهُaround him
إِذَا أَطْبَقَتْ سُحْبُ الحَوَادِثِ حَوْلَهُ
أَضَاءَتْshone بِهَاthrough them أَخْلاقُهُhis character وَشَمَائِلُهْand his qualities
أَضَاءَتْ بِهَا أَخْلاقُهُ وَشَمَائِلُهْ
When the clouds of calamities closed around him,
His virtues and traits shone through them.
his character and qualities shone through them.
If the fires of malice approached him,
وَإِنْand if تَدْنُdraws near نَارُthe fire of الحِقْدِrancor مِنْهُto him تَضَوَّعَتْwafted fragrance
وَإِنْ تَدْنُ نَارُ الحِقْدِ مِنْهُ تَضَوَّعَتْ
مَنَاقِبُهhis merits طِيباًas perfume بِهَاthrough it وَفَوَاصِلُهْand his distinctions
مَنَاقِبُه طِيباً بِهَا وَفَوَاصِلُهْ
And if the fire of rancor drew near him, there wafted
His virtues were perfumed by them.
through it the perfume of his merits and distinctions.
His hand recoiled only from evil,
وَمَاand not انْقَبَضَتْwithdrew إِلاَّexcept عَنِfrom الشَّرِّevil كَفُّهُhis hand
وَمَا انْقَبَضَتْ إِلاَّ عَنِ الشَّرِّ كَفُّهُ
وَمَاand not انْبَسَطَتْextended إِلاَّexcept لِخَيْرٍfor good أَنَامِلُهْhis fingertips
وَمَا انْبَسَطَتْ إِلاَّ لِخَيْرٍ أَنَامِلُهْ
And his hand withdrew only from evil,
His fingers stretched only towards good.
and his fingertips extended only for good.
He left us torn between the faithful one while we
فَلاso may not رَاعَنَاalarm us بَيْنَthe parting of الأَمِينِAmin وَكُلُّنَاand each of us
فَلا رَاعَنَا بَيْنَ الأَمِينِ وَكُلُّنَا
يَجِدُّhastens إِلَيْهِtoward him وَالهُمُومُand sorrows رَواحِلُهْhis mounts
يَجِدُّ إِلَيْهِ وَالهُمُومُ رَواحِلُهْ
So may Amin's departure not alarm us, for each of us
Yearned for him and sorrows rode us.
hastens toward him, with sorrows as his mounts.
Can a man hope for longevity under any condition,
هَلِcan ...? المَرْءُa man مَرْجُوٌّexpected عَلَىin كُلِّevery حَالَةٍcondition
هَلِ المَرْءُ مَرْجُوٌّ عَلَى كُلِّ حَالَةٍ
لِطُولfor length of بَقَاءٍsurvival وَاللَّيَالِيand the nights كَوافِلُهْhis guardians
لِطُول بَقَاءٍ وَاللَّيَالِي كَوافِلُهْ
Can a man, whatever his condition, be expected
When nights and days are his executioners?
to live long, when the nights are his guardians?
If an infant, death holds him hostage from birth
فَإِنْfor if كَانَhe is طِفْلاًa child فَهْوَthen he منذsince وِلادِهِhis birth
فَإِنْ كَانَ طِفْلاً فَهْوَ منذ وِلادِهِ
رَهِينُa hostage to المَنَايَاdeaths وَالرَّزَايَاand calamities قَوَابِلُهْhis midwives
رَهِينُ المَنَايَا وَالرَّزَايَا قَوَابِلُهْ
For if he is a child, then from his birth he is
And fate and calamities are his midwives.
a hostage to death, with calamities as his midwives;
If an old man, his head has bowed down to the ground,
وَإِنْand if كَانَhe is شَيْخاًan old man فَهوَthen he قَدْalready شدَّdrew down رَأْسُهُhis head
وَإِنْ كَانَ شَيْخاً فَهوَ قَدْ شدَّ رَأْسُهُ
إِلَىtoward الأَرضِthe earth مِنْfrom عَجْزٍweakness وَنَاءَتْand sagged كَوَاهِلُهْhis shoulders
إِلَى الأَرضِ مِنْ عَجْزٍ وَنَاءَتْ كَوَاهِلُهْ
and if he is an old man, his head is already drawn down
From frailty, and his shoulders are weighed down.
toward the earth by weakness, and his shoulders sag.
Partial English translation: 41 of 42 Arabic lines translated.