وَقَعَتْ نِهَايَةُ دَائكَ المُنْتَابِ

وَقَعَتْ نِهَايَةُ دَائكَ المُنْتَابِ

وَقْعَ الفُجَاءَةِ فِي انْقِضَاضِ شِهَابِ

وَقْعَ الفُجَاءَةِ فِي انْقِضَاضِ شِهَابِ

The end of your recurring illness came

with the sudden shock of a plunging meteor;

فِي يَوْمِ الاسْتِبْشَارِ بِالْعِيدِ الَّذي

فِي يَوْمِ الاسْتِبْشَارِ بِالْعِيدِ الَّذي

هُوَ مَعْقَدُ الآمَالِ مِنْ أَحْقَابِ

هُوَ مَعْقَدُ الآمَالِ مِنْ أَحْقَابِ

on the day of rejoicing in the festival that

has been the focus of hopes for ages;

وَبِحَضْرَةِ المَلِكِ المَهِيبِ وَمُلْتَقَى

وَبِحَضْرَةِ المَلِكِ المَهِيبِ وَمُلْتَقَى

وُزَرَائِهِ وَالشّعْبِ وَالنُّوّابِ

وُزَرَائِهِ وَالشّعْبِ وَالنُّوّابِ

and before the majestic king and the gathering of

his ministers, the people, and the deputies;

وَبِمَشْهَدٍ مِنْ قَادَةٍ فِي أهْبَةٍ

وَبِمَشْهَدٍ مِنْ قَادَةٍ فِي أهْبَةٍ

وَذَوِي سُيوفٍ تُنْتَفَى وَحِرَابِ

وَذَوِي سُيوفٍ تُنْتَفَى وَحِرَابِ

and before commanders in readiness,

and bearers of swords [apparently drawn] and spears.

بَيْنَا تَقُولُ زَفِي الخِطَابِ بَقِيَّةٌ

بَيْنَا تَقُولُ زَفِي الخِطَابِ بَقِيَّةٌ

نَزَلَ القَضَاءُ فَكَانَ فَصْلَ خِطَابِ

نَزَلَ القَضَاءُ فَكَانَ فَصْلَ خِطَابِ

While you were speaking, with some of the speech still left,

Fate descended, and that was the final word.

فإِذا التَّعجُّبُ وَالأَسَى قَدْ أَعْقَبَا

فإِذا التَّعجُّبُ وَالأَسَى قَدْ أَعْقَبَا

ما كَانَ مِنْ طَرَبٍِ وَمِنْ إعْجَابِ

ما كَانَ مِنْ طَرَبٍِ وَمِنْ إعْجَابِ

And suddenly astonishment and sorrow had replaced

what had been delight and admiration.

عَاشَ المَلِيكُ وَنَجْمُهُ فِي أَوْجِهِ

عَاشَ المَلِيكُ وَنَجْمُهُ فِي أَوْجِهِ

أنْ يَهْوي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ نَجْمٌ كَابِ

أنْ يَهْوي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ نَجْمٌ كَابِ

Long live the king, his star at its zenith,

as a waning star falls before him.

عِظَةٌ أَرَادَ الدَّهْرُ إِغْرابَاً بِهَا

عِظَةٌ أَرَادَ الدَّهْرُ إِغْرابَاً بِهَا

يا بُعْدَ غَايَتِهِ مِنَ الإِغْرَابِ

يا بُعْدَ غَايَتِهِ مِنَ الإِغْرَابِ

A lesson through which Time sought to astonish—

how far its aim lay from astonishment!