جَلَّيْتَyou came first فِيin حَلْبَةِthe arena of السِّبَاقِthe race
جَلَّيْتَ فِي حَلْبَةِ السِّبَاقِ
وَجَدِّand strove مَنْwhoever جَدّstrove فِيin اللَّحَاقِcatching up
وَجَدِّ مَنْ جَدّ فِي اللَّحَاقِ
You came first on the racecourse,
You excelled in the racecourse
And hard strove those who sought to catch up.
And strove hard to catch up
مَوْعِدُنَاour meeting صَاقِبٌnear وَلَكَنْand yet
مَوْعِدُنَا صَاقِبٌ وَلَكَنْ
وَاحَرَّah, how burning قَلْبَاًa heart مِنَfrom الْفِرَاقِparting
وَاحَرَّ قَلْبَاً مِنَ الْفِرَاقِ
Our meeting is near, and yet—
Our tryst is imminent but
Ah, how the heart burns from parting!
A heart is tormented by separation
لاَdo not تَعْجَبُواmarvel مِنْat بُكَاءِthe weeping of كَهْلٍan older man
لاَ تَعْجَبُوا مِنْ بُكَاءِ كَهْلٍ
إِنَّindeed النَّوَىseparation مُرَّةُbitter المَذَاقِin taste
إِنَّ النَّوَى مُرَّةُ المَذَاقِ
Do not marvel at an older man's weeping;
Marvel not at an old man's tears
Separation is bitter to taste.
For sorrow's taste is bitter
يَبْكِيhe weeps عَلَىdespite عَلْمِهِhis knowledge بِأَلاَّthat not
يَبْكِي عَلَى عَلْمِهِ بِأَلاَّ
يَطُولُwill be long عَهْدٌa span of time دُونَwithout التَّلاَقِيreunion
يَطُولُ عَهْدٌ دُونَ التَّلاَقِي
He weeps, though he knows it will not
He weeps knowing that never
Be long before reunion.
Will a long estrangement end
أَلْفَرْغَلِيُّal-Farghali الأَرِيبُthe discerning وَلَّىdeparted
أَلْفَرْغَلِيُّ الأَرِيبُ وَلَّى
وَكَانَand he was مِنْamong خِيرَةِthe finest of الرِّفَاقِthe companions
وَكَانَ مِنْ خِيرَةِ الرِّفَاقِ
The discerning al-Farghali has departed,
Alfrghani the eloquent bid adieu
And he was among the finest companions.
He was the best of friends
رَاعَتْdazzled حُلِيُّthe ornaments of الْبَدِيعِrhetoric فِيهِin him
رَاعَتْ حُلِيُّ الْبَدِيعِ فِيهِ
بَيْنَbetween المُنَابَاةِcontrast وَالطِّبَاقِand antithesis
بَيْنَ المُنَابَاةِ وَالطِّبَاقِ
The jewels of rhetoric in him dazzled,
The ornaments of rhetoric in him
From contrast to antithesis.
Mingled metaplasm and antithesis
أَلْقَلْبُthe heart عَفٌّchaste وَالقَوْلُand speech عَفٌّchaste
أَلْقَلْبُ عَفٌّ وَالقَوْلُ عَفٌّ
وَالفِكْرُand thought رَاقٍlofty وَالحِسُّand feeling رَاقِrefined
وَالفِكْرُ رَاقٍ وَالحِسُّ رَاقِ
His heart was pure, his speech was pure,
A gentle heart, gentle words
His thought was lofty, his feeling refined.
Keen wit and refined senses
جَلاَئِلُgreat matters of الرَّأْيِthought كَامِناتٌhidden
جَلاَئِلُ الرَّأْيِ كَامِناتٌ
بَيْنَamong أَسَالِيبِهِhis modes of expression الدَّقَاقِsubtle
بَيْنَ أَسَالِيبِهِ الدَّقَاقِ
Great insights lie hidden
Deep thoughts lay hidden
Within his subtle turns of phrase.
In his subtle idioms
وَكُلُّand all حُسْنِthe beauty of الْبَيَانِeloquence بَادٍevident
وَكُلُّ حُسْنِ الْبَيَانِ بَادٍ
فِيin صَوْغِthe crafting of أَلْفَاظِهِhis words الرَّقَاقِdelicate
فِي صَوْغِ أَلْفَاظِهِ الرَّقَاقِ
And all the beauty of eloquence is plain
All beauty of diction fades
In the shaping of his delicate words.
In its delicate wording
مِنْof عِظَمِgreatness الْخُلْقِof character لَمْdid not يَفُتْهُescape him
مِنْ عِظَمِ الْخُلْقِ لَمْ يَفُتْهُ
فِيin كُلِّevery حَالٍcircumstance أَوْفَىthe fullest خَلاَقِshare
فِي كُلِّ حَالٍ أَوْفَى خَلاَقِ
In nobility of character, he never lacked
For his noble character never
The fullest share, in every circumstance.
Missed what best conduct requires
قَدْindeed أَطْعَمَhe fed السُّهْدَsleeplessness مُقْلَتَيْهِhis two eyes
قَدْ أَطْعَمَ السُّهْدَ مُقْلَتَيْهِ
وَأَقْلَقَand disturbed المَهْدَthe cradle بِالصِّفَاقِwith clapping
وَأَقْلَقَ المَهْدَ بِالصِّفَاقِ
He fed his eyes to sleeplessness,
He fed the hungry from his hands
And shook the cradle with clapping.
And startled the cradle with bounty
وَعِبْئُهُand his burden فِيin هَوَىlove of حِمَاهُhis homeland
وَعِبْئُهُ فِي هَوَى حِمَاهُ
لَمْdid not يَلْقَهُencounter it فِيamong الْحُمَاةِthe defenders لاَقِone who encountered
لَمْ يَلْقَهُ فِي الْحُمَاةِ لاَقِ
And the burden he bore for love of his homeland
The burden of his passionate love
No other defender ever faced.
Met no embarrassment in intimacy
عَلاَمَwhy ضَاقَتْgrew narrow بِهِfor him حَيَاةٌa life
عَلاَمَ ضَاقَتْ بِهِ حَيَاةٌ
مَجَالُهَاits expanse وَاسِعُwide النِّطَاقِin scope
مَجَالُهَا وَاسِعُ النِّطَاقِ
Why did life become too narrow for him,
Why did life whose scope is wide
Though its range is so vast?
Feel straitened by him?
جِدُّtruly المَسَاكِينِthe wretched هَؤُلاَءthese
جِدُّ المَسَاكِينِ هَؤُلاَء
الَّذِينَwho عَاشُواlived بِلاَwithout نِفَاقِhypocrisy
الَّذِينَ عَاشُوا بِلاَ نِفَاقِ
These are the truly wretched,
He was serious about the poor
Those who lived without hypocrisy,
Who lived without hypocrisy
إِذْfor جَوْهَرُthe jewel of الصَّدْقِtruth فِيin كَسَادٍstagnation
إِذْ جَوْهَرُ الصَّدْقِ فِي كَسَادٍ
وَسِلْعَةُand the merchandise of الإِفْكِfalsehood فِيin نَفَاقِbrisk demand
وَسِلْعَةُ الإِفْكِ فِي نَفَاقِ
For the jewel of truth lies unsold,
For truthfulness is now devalued
While the merchandise of falsehood sells well.
While falsehood fetches a price
يَاO شَارِباًdrinker كَأْسَهُhis cup دِهَاقاًbrimming full
يَا شَارِباً كَأْسَهُ دِهَاقاً
وَالْهَمُّand sorrow فِيin كَأْسِهِhis cup الدِّهَاقِbrimming full
وَالْهَمُّ فِي كَأْسِهِ الدِّهَاقِ
O you who drank your brimming cup,
O cup companion, your brimming cup
With sorrow in your brimming cup,
And the sorrow within the cup overflow
أَلموْتُdeath فِيمَاas عَلِمْتَyou learned حَقاًtruly
أَلموْتُ فِيمَا عَلِمْتَ حَقاً
أَهْنَأُthe most soothing رَاحٍwine يَسْقِيهِserves it سَاقِa cupbearer
أَهْنَأُ رَاحٍ يَسْقِيهِ سَاقِ
Death, as you have truly learned,
Death, know for certain
Is the most soothing wine a cupbearer serves.
Is the most comfortable rest that gives drink
يَاO وَيْحَalas لِلشَّرْقِfor the East كَيْفَhow يُفْنِيit squanders
يَا وَيْحَ لِلشَّرْقِ كَيْفَ يُفْنِي
قُوَاهُits strength فِيin بُؤْرَةِthe pit of الشِّقَاقِdiscord
قُوَاهُ فِي بُؤْرَةِ الشِّقَاقِ
Alas for the East! How it wastes
Oh Orient, how can it waste
Its strength in the pit of discord!
Its strength in the womb of discord
إِنْif لَمْnot يَرِدْit comes to drink وِرْدَهُits draught مَرِيراًbitter
إِنْ لَمْ يَرِدْ وِرْدَهُ مَرِيراً
مَاتَit dies مِنَfrom الغَمِّgrief فِيin احْتِرَاقِburning
مَاتَ مِنَ الغَمِّ فِي احْتِرَاقِ
If it does not drink its bitter draught,
If it fails to get back its pasture
It dies of grief, burning away.
It will die burnt in flames
وَلَمْand not يُرَفَّهْis eased عَنْهُfrom it عَنَاءٌhardship
وَلَمْ يُرَفَّهْ عَنْهُ عَنَاءٌ
بَيْنَbetween اصْطِبَاحٍmorning drinking أَوِor اغْتِبَاقِevening drinking
بَيْنَ اصْطِبَاحٍ أَوِ اغْتِبَاقِ
And no hardship is eased for it
No toil made it ignore
Between the morning cup and the evening cup.
Mornings or evenings
دَعُواlet الشُّعَاعَthe ray المُضِيءَshining يُزْهِرْblossom
دَعُوا الشُّعَاعَ المُضِيءَ يُزْهِرْ
بِلاَwithout حِجَابٍa veil وَلاَnor اعْتِيَاقِhindrance
بِلاَ حِجَابٍ وَلاَ اعْتِيَاقِ
Let the shining ray blossom,
Let the shining ray blossom
Without veil or hindrance.
Without a veil or habit
هَلْcan تَسْتَنِيرُbecome enlightened الْعُقُولُminds وَالْبَدْwhile the full-
هَلْ تَسْتَنِيرُ الْعُقُولُ وَالْبَدْ
رُmoon لَيْلَةَthe night of التِّمِّfullness فِيin مِحَاقِmoonless darkness
رُ لَيْلَةَ التِّمِّ فِي مِحَاقِ
Can minds be enlightened while the full
Can minds and vision penetrate
moon, on its night of fullness, is in darkness?
The night of obscurity?
يَاO مَنْyou who قَضَىdied عَنْleaving عَظِيمِgreat شَأْنٍstature
يَا مَنْ قَضَى عَنْ عَظِيمِ شَأْنٍ
فُزْwin بِجَزَاءٍwith a reward لَهُto it وِفَاقِcommensurate
فُزْ بِجَزَاءٍ لَهُ وِفَاقِ
O you who died, a man of great stature,
O you who fulfilled great deeds
May you win a reward befitting it.
Excel in matching reward
إِنْif أَخْلَدَimmortalizes المَرْءَa person حُسْنُthe goodness of فِعْلٍa deed
إِنْ أَخْلَدَ المَرْءَ حُسْنُ فِعْلٍ
فَأَنْتَthen you بِالْخَالِدَاتthrough imperishable deeds بَاقِendure
فَأَنْتَ بِالْخَالِدَات بَاقِ
If a good deed makes a man immortal,
If a man lives by good acts
Then through imperishable deeds you endure.
You live by the eternal
هَذَاthis رَثَاءٌan elegy أَطْلَقْتُI unleashed فِيهِin it
هَذَا رَثَاءٌ أَطْلَقْتُ فِيهِ
وَهْيَthe outpouring of شُجُونِيmy sorrows بِلاَwithout سِيَاقِorder
وَهْيَ شُجُونِي بِلاَ سِيَاقِ
This is an elegy in which I unleashed
This is an elegy I poured out
The outpouring of my sorrows, without order.
Letting my passions loose, unchecked
جَرَىflowed بِهِwith it الحُزْنُgrief مِنْfrom فُؤَادِيmy heart
جَرَى بِهِ الحُزْنُ مِنْ فُؤَادِي
جَرْيَlike the flowing of دُمُوعِيmy tears مِنَfrom المَآقيthe inner eye-corners
جَرْيَ دُمُوعِي مِنَ المَآقي
Grief poured it forth from my heart,
Sorrow flowed from my heart
As my tears flow from the corners of my eyes.
Like my tears from their springs
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.