عَامُكَyour year الثَّالِثُthe third وافىhas arrived يَاO أَميرِيmy prince
عَامُكَ الثَّالِثُ وافى يَا أَميرِي
لَمْnot تَمُتْyou die بَلْrather أَنتَyou حَيalive فيin ضَمِيرِيmy inmost soul
لَمْ تَمُتْ بَلْ أَنتَ حَي في ضَمِيرِي
Your third year has arrived, O my prince.
Three years have passed, my prince, since you left
You have not died; you live in my inmost soul.
Yet you still live within my heart and mind
لَسْتُI do not أَنسَىI forget كيْفَhow أَنْسَىI forget أَبَدَever
لَسْتُ أَنسَى كيْفَ أَنْسَى أَبَدَ
الدَّهْرِtime خِدْنِيmy companion وَحَبِيبِيand my beloved وَنَصِيرِيand my defender
الدَّهْرِ خِدْنِي وَحَبِيبِي وَنَصِيرِي
I do not forget—how could I ever forget
How could I ever forget, not for a moment
My companion, my beloved, and my defender?
My lifetime's companion, beloved and aide
كَيْفَhow أَنسَىI forget عَطْفَهُhis tenderness أَوْor ظَرْفَهُhis charm
كَيْفَ أَنسَى عَطْفَهُ أَوْ ظَرْفَهُ
أَوor بَشاشَاتِcheerful smiles مُحَيَّاهُhis face المُنِيرِradiant
أَو بَشاشَاتِ مُحَيَّاهُ المُنِيرِ
How could I forget his tenderness or his charm,
How could I forget your kindness or your grace
Or the cheerful smiles of his radiant face?
Or the cheer of your radiant smile
كَيْفَhow أَنْسىI forget ذلِكَthat الإِقْدَامَboldness إِنْif
كَيْفَ أَنْسى ذلِكَ الإِقْدَامَ إِنْ
أَحجَمَheld back الشُّجْعَانُthe brave فِيin الأَمْرِthe undertaking الخَطِيرِperilous
أَحجَمَ الشُّجْعَانُ فِي الأَمْرِ الخَطِيرِ
How could I forget that boldness when
How forget your valour whenever faced
The brave drew back from a perilous undertaking?
With situations dire, though cowards recoiled
كَيْفhow أَنْسىI forget صَوْلَةَthe force الحَزْمِfirmness إِذاwhen
كَيْف أَنْسى صَوْلَةَ الحَزْمِ إِذا
قُرِنَتْwas joined بِالعَزْمِwith resolve فِيin الْقَلْبِthe heart الكبِيرِgreat
قُرِنَتْ بِالعَزْمِ فِي الْقَلْبِ الكبِيرِ
How could I forget the force of firmness when
How forget your judiciousness paired with resolve
It was joined with resolve in that great heart?
In your magnanimous heart and soul
كَيْفhow أَنْسَىI forget جوْدَgenerosity ذَاكَthat الْمُجْتَدَىone sought for gifts
كَيْف أَنْسَى جوْدَ ذَاكَ الْمُجْتَدَى
والتِّراكَand the forbearance الحُلوَsweet مِنْfrom ذَاكَthat القَدِيرِpowerful one
والتِّراكَ الحُلوَ مِنْ ذَاكَ القَدِيرِ
How could I forget the bounty of that sought-out giver,
How forget the generosity of that noble one
And the sweet forbearance of that mighty man?
And the gentle humor of that mighty lord
لَمْnot يَكنْwas فِيin الشَّرْقِthe East قَيْلٌa prince مِثْلُهُlike him
لَمْ يَكنْ فِي الشَّرْقِ قَيْلٌ مِثْلُهُ
حَوَّلَhe turned البَأْسَmight إِلىinto رِفْقٍgentleness وَخِيرِand goodness
حَوَّلَ البَأْسَ إِلى رِفْقٍ وَخِيرِ
There was no prince like him in the East,
None in the East compared to you my prince
Who turned might into gentleness and goodness.
For you turned cruelty into mercy and good
قَامَةٌstature كالرُّمْحِlike a spear وَجْهٌa face كَالضُّحىlike morning brightness
قَامَةٌ كالرُّمْحِ وَجْهٌ كَالضُّحى
هَيْبةٌmajesty كاللَّيْثِlike a lion لُطْفٌgentleness كَالعبِيرِlike perfume
هَيْبةٌ كاللَّيْثِ لُطْفٌ كَالعبِيرِ
A stature like a spear, a face like morning brightness;
Stature like a spear, face like the dawn
Majesty like a lion's, gentleness like perfume.
Awe like a lion, charm like sweet perfume
كَانَwas ماwhat يَبْنِيhe builds لِمُسْتَقبَلِهِfor his future
كَانَ ما يَبْنِي لِمُسْتَقبَلِهِ
خَيْرُthe best مَاwhat يَبْنِيbuilds حَصِيفٌa discerning man لِلمَصِيرِfor destiny
خَيْرُ مَا يَبْنِي حَصِيفٌ لِلمَصِيرِ
What he was building for his future was
You built for the future as wisely as any could
The best a discerning man could build for his destiny.
To prepare for what destiny might bring
آهِah لوْif only أُمْهِلَwas granted more time عَاماًa year بَعْدَafter مَاthat
آهِ لوْ أُمْهِلَ عَاماً بَعْدَ مَا
هَيَّأhe prepared الأَسْبَابَthe means فِيin الْعامِthe year الأَخِيرِlast
هَيَّأ الأَسْبَابَ فِي الْعامِ الأَخِيرِ
Ah, had he been granted another year after
Oh, if only you were granted one more year
He had laid the groundwork in his final year,
To fulfill the plans made in your final days
لَرَأَتْwould surely have seen أُمَّتهُhis people مِنfrom بِرِّهِhis benevolence
لَرَأَتْ أُمَّتهُ مِن بِرِّهِ
عِظَماًgreatness فِيin الْبَذْلِgiving مَفْقُودَlacking النَّظِيرِan equal
عِظَماً فِي الْبَذْلِ مَفْقُودَ النَّظِيرِ
His people would have witnessed, through his benevolence,
Your people would have seen such generosity
A greatness in giving beyond compare.
A peerless openhandedness and giving
بُغْيَةٌan aspiration لِلْخَيْرِfor good حَالَتْstood as a barrier دُونَهَاin its way
بُغْيَةٌ لِلْخَيْرِ حَالَتْ دُونَهَا
قَسْوَةُthe cruelty المَوْتِdeath عَلىtoward الشَّعْبِthe people الْفَقِيرِpoor
قَسْوَةُ المَوْتِ عَلى الشَّعْبِ الْفَقِيرِ
An aspiration for good, thwarted by
But cruel death obstructed this noble aim
Death's cruelty toward the poor people.
And afflicted the poor with its bitter sting
إِنْif يَكُنْhe has أَخطأَهاmissed it قَسْراًagainst his will لَقَدْindeed
إِنْ يَكُنْ أَخطأَها قَسْراً لَقَدْ
جَلَّwas great مَاwhat قَدَّمَhe gave فِيin الْعُمْرِthe lifetime الْقَصِيرِshort
جَلَّ مَا قَدَّمَ فِي الْعُمْرِ الْقَصِيرِ
If he fell short of it against his will, indeed
If perchance you faltered, still you excelled
Great was what he gave in his brief life.
In all you accomplished in your years brief
مَنْwho عَذِيرِيone who excuses me إِنَّنيindeed I أَبْكِيI weep وَمَاand not
مَنْ عَذِيرِي إِنَّني أَبْكِي وَمَا
كُلُّevery مَفْقُودٍlost person كَهَذاlike this one مَنْwho عَذِيرِيone who excuses me
كُلُّ مَفْقُودٍ كَهَذا مَنْ عَذِيرِي
Who will excuse me? I weep, and not
Who can blame my tears, for one so great as you
Every lost one is like this one—who will excuse me?
No loss can compare, who then can blame my grief
إِنمَاonly الشَّكوَىlament وَقَدْand indeed عَزَّhas become scarce الأَسَاhealing
إِنمَا الشَّكوَى وَقَدْ عَزَّ الأَسَا
آخِرُthe last السَّلوَىsolace لذِيfor one with الْقَلْبِthe heart الْكسِيرِbroken
آخِرُ السَّلوَى لذِي الْقَلْبِ الْكسِيرِ
Lament, when healing is hard to find, is but
Though complaint is fruitless when fate has ruled
The last solace for one whose heart is broken.
It comforts the broken heart to voice its woe