ماnot اخْتَصَّsingled out فَاجِعُgrievous خَطْبِكَyour calamity التَّمْثِيلاَtheatrical acting
ما اخْتَصَّ فَاجِعُ خَطْبِكَ التَّمْثِيلاَ
عَمَّswept البِلاَدthe land أَسىwith sorrow وَنَالَand reached النِّيَلاthe Nile
عَمَّ البِلاَد أَسى وَنَالَ النِّيَلا
Your grievous loss was not confined to the theater;
The eloquence of your mournful speech has no parallel,
Grief swept the land and reached the Nile.
It brought sorrow throughout the land and moved the Nile.
يَاO مُحْيِياًgiver of life فَناan art وَمَيْتاًand one who died دُونَهُfor its sake
يَا مُحْيِياً فَنا وَمَيْتاً دُونَهُ
يَاO لَيْتَwould that حَظَّكَyour share مِنْهُof it كَانَhad been قَلِيلاَlittle
يَا لَيْتَ حَظَّكَ مِنْهُ كَانَ قَلِيلاَ
O you who gave an art life, and died for its sake,
O you who revived art but passed away yourself,
Would that your share of it had been small!
If only your share of it had been little.
أَصبَحْتَyou became مُوجِدَهُits creator وبِتَّand you became فَقِيدَهُthe one it lost
أَصبَحْتَ مُوجِدَهُ وبِتَّ فَقِيدَهُ
قُتِلَmay it be slain الْعُقوقُingratitude كَمِhow many اسْتَبَاحَit claimed قَتِيلاَa victim
قُتِلَ الْعُقوقُ كَمِ اسْتَبَاحَ قَتِيلاَ
You became its creator, then the one it lost.
You found it and left it an orphan,
May ingratitude be slain! How many victims it has claimed!
So much sinfulness—how many victims were violated!
أَبَتِrefused السلاَمَةُsafety أَنْto تُعِيذَكَshelter you بِاسْمِهَاin its name
أَبَتِ السلاَمَةُ أَنْ تُعِيذَكَ بِاسْمِهَا
أَجَلُappointed death الفَتَىthe young man لاَnot يَقبَلُaccepts التَّأْجِيَلاpostponement
أَجَلُ الفَتَى لاَ يَقبَلُ التَّأْجِيَلا
Safety refused to shelter you in its name;
Invulnerability itself refused to protect you in its name,
A man's appointed hour admits no postponement.
A young man’s death brooks no delay.
ذَهَبتْhave gone لَيَالٍnights كُنْتَyou were بُلْبُلَthe nightingale of أُنْسِهَاtheir delight
ذَهَبتْ لَيَالٍ كُنْتَ بُلْبُلَ أُنْسِهَا
آناًat times وَآناًand at other times عُذْرَهَاtheir excuse المَقْبُولاَaccepted
آناً وَآناً عُذْرَهَا المَقْبُولاَ
Gone are nights when you were the nightingale of their delight,
Nights whose nightingale you were are gone,
At times, and at others their accepted excuse,
Pleading their excuse again and again.
وَالمُسْتَحَبَّand the beloved one سَمَاعُهُhearing him وَلِقَاؤُهُand meeting him
وَالمُسْتَحَبَّ سَمَاعُهُ وَلِقَاؤُهُ
فِيin عَالَمٍa world أَبْدَعْتَهُyou created it تَخْيِيلاَthrough imagination
فِي عَالَمٍ أَبْدَعْتَهُ تَخْيِيلاَ
And one whom it was a delight to hear and meet,
The desirable thing was hearing and seeing you
In a world you fashioned through imagination.
In a world you made elegantly imaginary.
هَيْهَاتَfar beyond reach يرْجِعُwill return بَعْضُsome of ذَاكَthat ورُبَّمَاand perhaps
هَيْهَاتَ يرْجِعُ بَعْضُ ذَاكَ ورُبَّمَا
كانَwas الزَّمَانُtime بِبَعضِwith some of ذاكَthat بخِيلاَmiserly
كانَ الزَّمَانُ بِبَعضِ ذاكَ بخِيلاَ
Beyond hope is any return of that; and perhaps
Alas, some of that will not return, and time
Time was miserly with even a little of it.
May be stingy with some of it.
عهْدٌan age غَنمْنَاwe reaped الحلْوsweetness مِنْfrom أَوْقاتِهِits hours
عهْدٌ غَنمْنَا الحلْو مِنْ أَوْقاتِهِ
حَتْىuntil اسْتَمرَّit grew bitter ولَمْand not يَكنْit had been مَمْلولاَwearisome
حَتْى اسْتَمرَّ ولَمْ يَكنْ مَمْلولاَ
An age from whose hours we gathered sweetness,
A happy period whose sweetness we enjoyed
Till it grew bitter, though it had never been wearisome.
Until it lasted and was no longer cloying.
وَلَّيتَyou departed مصطحِباًtaking along قلوباًhearts لاَnot تَرَىthey see
وَلَّيتَ مصطحِباً قلوباً لاَ تَرَى
مِنfrom بَعْدِكafter you الصَّبْرَpatience الْجمِيلَbeautiful جمِيلاَbeautiful
مِن بَعْدِك الصَّبْرَ الْجمِيلَ جمِيلاَ
You departed, taking with you hearts that cannot see
You have left behind you hearts that will not see
Beautiful patience as beautiful after you.
Patience as beautiful without you.
تَبْكِيthey mourn أَبِيَّاًa proud man لَوْذَعِيّاًquick-witted بَالِغاًattaining
تَبْكِي أَبِيَّاً لَوْذَعِيّاً بَالِغاً
فِيin فَنَّهِhis art مَاwhat جَاوَزَsurpassed المأْمُولاَwhat was hoped for
فِي فَنَّهِ مَا جَاوَزَ المأْمُولاَ
They mourn a proud, brilliant man who attained
A creative genuis, excelling
In his art what surpassed expectation.
In his art whatever was hoped for.
غَنَّىhe sang ونَاحَand he lamented شَجاhe stirred sorrow وَسرَّand he delighted مُبَدَّلاًchanging
غَنَّى ونَاحَ شَجا وَسرَّ مُبَدَّلاً
مَاwhatever يَقْتَضِيهِrequires it فَنُّهُhis art تَبْدِيلاَa transformation
مَا يَقْتَضِيهِ فَنُّهُ تَبْدِيلاَ
He sang and lamented, saddened and delighted, changing
He sang, lamented feelingly, and was excellent
Whatever his art required him to change.
At following his art's demands.
ظَلَّتْthey continued تُرَدِّدُechoing شَدْوَهُhis song أَوْor شَجْوهُhis sorrow
ظَلَّتْ تُرَدِّدُ شَدْوَهُ أَوْ شَجْوهُ
مُتَعَاقِبَيْنِalternating تَذَكراًin remembrance وَذُهُولاَand in a daze
مُتَعَاقِبَيْنِ تَذَكراً وَذُهُولاَ
They went on echoing his song or his sorrow,
She still echoes his lyrics or laments,
Alternating, in remembrance and in a daze.
Alternately remembering and grieving.
يَعْتَادُهَاrevisits them مِنْfrom لَحْنِهhis melody مَاwhat اسْتَسْلَفَتْthey borrowed
يَعْتَادُهَا مِنْ لَحْنِه مَا اسْتَسْلَفَتْ
فَتُعِيدُهُso they repeat it نَوْحاًas lamentation عَلَيْهِfor him طويلاَlong
فَتُعِيدُهُ نَوْحاً عَلَيْهِ طويلاَ
What they borrowed from his melody keeps returning to them,
She repeats from his melodies what she learned,
So they repeat it in a long lament for him.
Mourning him at length.
لِلهِto God, in admiration نَعْشُكَyour bier فِيin السْنَاءِsplendor كَانَهُas though it were
لِلهِ نَعْشُكَ فِي السْنَاءِ كَانَهُ
فُلْكٌa ship تَهَادَىgliding gently مُوسَعاًlavishly accorded تَبجِيلاَreverence
فُلْكٌ تَهَادَى مُوسَعاً تَبجِيلاَ
How splendid, by God, your bier, as though it were
Your bier moves slowly under the heavens as though
A ship gliding gently, lavishly honored.
It were a ship sailing spaciously, with reverence.
يَطْوِيit traverses الْعنَانَthe sky ضُحًىat midmorning وَنَحْسَبُهُand we imagine it عَلَىupon
يَطْوِي الْعنَانَ ضُحًى وَنَحْسَبُهُ عَلَى
بَحْرٍa sea تَضَرَّمَblazed بِالشَّجَىwith sorrow مَحْمُولاَborne
بَحْرٍ تَضَرَّمَ بِالشَّجَى مَحْمُولاَ
It crosses the sky at midmorning, and we imagine it borne upon
Those escorting you have fulfilled their loyalty,
A sea ablaze with sorrow.
And they are the most noble people of fidelity.
أَرْضَىsatisfied الولاَءَloyalty مُشَيِّعُوهُhis funeral escorts وَإِنَّهُمْand indeed they
أَرْضَى الولاَءَ مُشَيِّعُوهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ
لَلأَكْرَمُونَsurely the noblest عَلَىin الْوَفَاءِfaithfulness قَبِيلاَas a company
لَلأَكْرَمُونَ عَلَى الْوَفَاءِ قَبِيلاَ
His funeral escorts paid loyalty its due; and they
In God’s mercy, in His good pleasure,
Are surely the noblest company in keeping faith.
In His pardon—that is enough when implored.
فِيin رحمَةِthe mercy of الرَّحْمَنِthe All-Merciful فِيin رِضْوَانِهِHis good pleasure
فِي رحمَةِ الرَّحْمَنِ فِي رِضْوَانِهِ
فِيin عَفْوِهِHis pardon وَكَفَىand sufficient is بِهِHe مَسْؤُولاَto be implored
فِي عَفْوِهِ وَكَفَى بِهِ مَسْؤُولاَ
In the All-Merciful's mercy, in His good pleasure,
Return to the tenderness of eternity, the purest abode,
In His pardon—and He suffices as the One implored.
Where thirsty souls are saturated.
رِدْcome to the water فِيin حِنَانِthe tenderness of الخُلْدِeternity أَصْفَىthe purest مَوْرِدٍspring
رِدْ فِي حِنَانِ الخُلْدِ أَصْفَى مَوْرِدٍ
تُرْوِيyou quench بِهِwith it ظَمْأَىthirsty النُّفُوسِsouls غَلِيلاَburning thirst
تُرْوِي بِهِ ظَمْأَى النُّفُوسِ غَلِيلاَ
Come, amid eternity's tenderness, to the purest spring,
And gain the company of pure angels
With it you slake the burning thirst of thirsty souls.
Among whom greetings are only "Peace."
وَاغْنَمْand gain جِوَاراًnearness لِلْمَلاَئِكِto the angels طَاهِراًpure
وَاغْنَمْ جِوَاراً لِلْمَلاَئِكِ طَاهِراً
لَيْسَis not التَّحِيَّةُthe greeting فِيهِtherein إِلاَّexcept قِيلاَa spoken word
لَيْسَ التَّحِيَّةُ فِيهِ إِلاَّ قِيلاَ
And gain pure companionship with the angels,
You listen to the heavenly recitations
Where greeting is nothing but a spoken word.
And respond with the like, reciting.
تُصْغِيyou listen attentively إِلَىto العُلْوِيِّthe heavenly مِنْfrom تَرْتِيلِهَاtheir chanting
تُصْغِي إِلَى العُلْوِيِّ مِنْ تَرْتِيلِهَا
وَتُجِيبُهَاand you answer them بِنَظِيرِهِwith its like تَرِتيلاَin chanting
وَتُجِيبُهَا بِنَظِيرِهِ تَرِتيلاَ
You listen to the heavenly strain of their chanting,
And answer them with chanting like their own.
Partial English translation: 38 of 40 Arabic lines translated.