برِّدcool لَظاكَyour blaze فَقَدfor indeed شَجاكَhas grieved you المصرعُdeath
برِّد لَظاكَ فَقَد شَجاكَ المصرعُ
وَأَكففand restrain بُكاكَyour weeping فَقَدfor indeed كَفاكَhas sufficed you المدمَعُthe flow of tears
وَأَكفف بُكاكَ فَقَد كَفاكَ المدمَعُ
Cool your blaze, for death has grieved you.
Calm your agony, for death has pained you,
And curb your weeping, for you have shed enough tears.
And restrain your tears, for weeping has sufficed you.
ماذاwhat عركَbefell you (apparently intended) وَقَدthough indeed عَهدتُكَI have known you فيin المَلاthe assembly
ماذا عركَ وَقَد عَهدتُكَ في المَلا
بَطَلاًa hero عَظيمgreat الجَأشِcourage لاnot يَتروَّعُtaking fright
بَطَلاً عَظيم الجَأشِ لا يَتروَّعُ
What has befallen you, when I have known you in the assembly
What ails you, when I knew you amidst perils
a hero, stout of heart, who never takes fright?
A great hero, undaunted, intrepid?
فَلَقَدfor indeed رَأَيتَكَI have seen you فيin الكَآبةgloom وَالأَسىand sorrow
فَلَقَد رَأَيتَكَ في الكَآبة وَالأَسى
ضُعفاًin weakness مِنfrom البَلوىaffliction تَأَنُّyou groan وَتَجزَعُand you lose composure
ضُعفاً مِن البَلوى تَأَنُّ وَتَجزَعُ
For I have seen you in gloom and sorrow,
I’ve seen you collapse in grief and sorrow,
weakened by affliction, groaning and distraught.
Succumbing feebly to tribulation and woe.
مَهلاًgently عَلَيكَwith yourself بِماover what اِرتَعَدتَyou trembled بِهِat it لَقَدindeed
مَهلاً عَلَيكَ بِما اِرتَعَدتَ بِهِ لَقَد
حكمhas decreed الإِلَهُGod فايّso what شَيءٍthing تَصنَعُyou do
حكم الإِلَهُ فايّ شَيءٍ تَصنَعُ
Be gentle with yourself over what made you tremble; indeed,
Patience with what makes you tremble! God has ruled-
God has decreed; what, then, can you do?
What can you do? Fate has willed it to be so.
وَأَرادَتِand willed الأَقدارُthe fates أَمراًa thing فَاِنقَضىso it came to pass
وَأَرادَتِ الأَقدارُ أَمراً فَاِنقَضى
وَجَرىand ran its course القَضاfate حَتماًinevitably فَمَنso who ذاis there يَدفَعُcan avert it
وَجَرى القَضا حَتماً فَمَن ذا يَدفَعُ
And the fates willed a thing, and it came to pass;
You who guide resolve with enlightened thought
and fate ran its inevitable course—who can avert it?
And lofty purpose that cannot be bent low,
أَنتَyou المُجَرِّبُthe experienced one لِلرمانِfor pomegranates (probably intended: 'of time') بِفكَرَةٍwith a mind
أَنتَ المُجَرِّبُ لِلرمانِ بِفكَرَةٍ
تَهديguides الرَشادَright judgment وَهِمَةٍand a resolve لاnot تَدفَعُis thwarted
تَهدي الرَشادَ وَهِمَةٍ لا تَدفَعُ
You are versed in time's ways, with a mind
If the world narrows around you in bereavement,
that guides toward right judgment, and a resolve none can thwart.
Sorrow descends with it, but your heart is more vast.
إِنif ضاقَتِgrew narrow الدُنياthe world عَلَيكَaround you بِفَجعَةٍthrough a bereavement
إِن ضاقَتِ الدُنيا عَلَيكَ بِفَجعَةٍ
نَزَلَdescended الأَسىsorrow مَعَهاwith it فَصَدرُكَthen your breast أَوسَعُbroader
نَزَلَ الأَسى مَعَها فَصَدرُكَ أَوسَعُ
If the world has narrowed around you through a bereavement
You are kind towards a youth you tenderly raised,
and sorrow has descended with it, your breast is broader still.
A fruit protected by ribs that embed and enfold.
لَكنَّماbut indeed أَنتَyou الشفوقtenderhearted عَلىtoward فَتىًa youth
لَكنَّما أَنتَ الشفوق عَلى فَتىً
هُوhe ثَمرَةٌa fruit حَنَّتyearned عَلَيهاfor it الأَضلُعُthe ribs
هُو ثَمرَةٌ حَنَّت عَلَيها الأَضلُعُ
But you are tenderhearted toward a youth
Your beloved loss was a radiant pearl
who is a fruit for which the ribs have yearned.
Snatched away, while its owner bids adieu.
وَفَقيدُكَand your departed loved one المَحبوبُbeloved أَبهىmost radiant دُرَّةٍa pearl
وَفَقيدُكَ المَحبوبُ أَبهى دُرَّةٍ
سُلِبَتwas snatched away فَصاحبهاso its owner الفوادُthe heart يودِّعُbids farewell
سُلِبَت فَصاحبها الفوادُ يودِّعُ
And your beloved departed is the most radiant pearl,
A moon set in Damascus, eclipsed and veiled
snatched away; so its owner, the heart, bids farewell.
Below the soil - what sun can hope to rise anew?
قَمَرٌa moon بِبَطنِin the heart of دِمَشقِDamascus غابَvanished محجَّباًveiled
قَمَرٌ بِبَطنِ دِمَشقِ غابَ محجَّباً
تَحتَbeneath التُرابthe dust فأَيُّso what شَمسٍsun تَطلَعُrises
تَحتَ التُراب فأَيُّ شَمسٍ تَطلَعُ
A moon in the heart of Damascus has vanished, veiled
My bewilderment - its eclipse befell
beneath the dust—what sun, then, can rise?
Before fullness. Why shouldn’t we shudder and rue?
وَأَحيرَتيand oh, my bewilderment إِنَّindeed الخُسوفَthe lunar eclipse أَصابَهُstruck him
وَأَحيرَتي إِنَّ الخُسوفَ أَصابَهُ
قَبلَbefore التَمامِfullness فَكَيفَso how لاnot نَتَروَّعُwe take fright
قَبلَ التَمامِ فَكَيفَ لا نَتَروَّعُ
Ah, my bewilderment! The eclipse has struck him
The light in him transformed, turned sickly yellow
before reaching fullness—how, then, can we not be shaken?
After whiteness, erupting in putrid spew,
وَقَدand indeed اِستَحالَhas changed النورthe light مِنهُfrom him مَغيّراًaltered in hue
وَقَد اِستَحالَ النور مِنهُ مَغيّراً
بَعدَafter البَياضwhiteness فَصارَso it became أَصفرَyellow يَفقعُis bright in hue
بَعدَ البَياض فَصارَ أَصفرَ يَفقعُ
And the light from him has changed its hue:
Limp lips conceal beneath them
after whiteness, it has turned a vivid yellow.
The pearl of speech, the sheen of a beaming mouth
وَتَراخَتِand slackened الشَفتانِthe two lips تَحجُبُconceals تَحتَهاbeneath it
وَتَراخَتِ الشَفتانِ تَحجُبُ تَحتَها
دُرَّthe pearls of الكَلامِspeech وَدُرَّand the pearls of ثَغرٍa mouth يَسطَعُgleams
دُرَّ الكَلامِ وَدُرَّ ثَغرٍ يَسطَعُ
And his lips have slackened, concealing beneath them
I envied the dawns the dawn of his forehead,
the pearls of speech and the pearls of a radiant mouth.
So arrows from it struck him down.
حَسدتُenvied عُيونُthe eyes of الصُبحdawn صُبحَthe dawn of جَبينهِhis brow
حَسدتُ عُيونُ الصُبح صُبحَ جَبينهِ
فَأَصابَهُso struck him مِنهاfrom them سِهامٌarrows تَصرَعُstrike down
فَأَصابَهُ مِنها سِهامٌ تَصرَعُ
The eyes of dawn envied the dawn of his brow,
Good tidings to him! He left behind fantasies
so arrows from them struck him, felling him.
For which wise minds are squandered and misconstrued,
بُشرىglad tidings لَهُfor him تركَhe left الخَيالاتthe illusions الَّتيwhich
بُشرى لَهُ تركَ الخَيالات الَّتي
بِإزائِهاin their presence رشدsound judgment العُقولof minds يُضيَّعُis squandered
بِإزائِها رشد العُقول يُضيَّعُ
Glad tidings for him! He has left those illusions
And found relief from the world of villainy; he marched on
before which the sound judgment of minds is lost.
Unswayed by the valley of delusion and untrue,
وَإِرتاحَand found rest مِنfrom دُنياthe world of الشُرورevils وَلَمand did not يَجزِcross
وَإِرتاحَ مِن دُنيا الشُرور وَلَم يَجزِ
واديthe valley of الغُرورdelusion فَسارَso he departed وَهُوَwhile he was ممنَّعُwell protected
وادي الغُرور فَسارَ وَهُوَ ممنَّعُ
And he found rest from the world of evils, without crossing
Your sublime did not entice him in this refuge,
the valley of delusion; so he departed, well protected.
So lofty principles shunned all that was base and crude,
لَمdid not يَستملهُentice him علاكَyour eminence فيin هَذاthis المَلاassembly
لَم يَستملهُ علاكَ في هَذا المَلا
فَأَشاقَهُso stirred his longing ذاكَthat العَلاءُeminence الأَرفَعُloftier
فَأَشاقَهُ ذاكَ العَلاءُ الأَرفَعُ
Your eminence in this assembly did not entice him;
He was no mortal who strode to the heavens
so that loftier eminence awakened his longing.
Where angels gleam with beams of light anew,
ماnot كانَhe was مِنof بَشَرٍhumankind فَسارَso he went إِلىto السَماheaven
ما كانَ مِن بَشَرٍ فَسارَ إِلى السَما
حَيثwhere المَلائِكُthe angels بِالأَشعَّةِwith rays of light نَلمَعُwe gleam (probably intended: 'they gleam')
حَيث المَلائِكُ بِالأَشعَّةِ نَلمَعُ
He was not of humankind, so he went to heaven,
His name intimated this, for he remains
where the angels gleam with rays of light.
A victor in the heights exulting in grace imbued.
كانَwas إِسمَهُhis name يَنبيforetells عَلَيهِof him فَإِنَّماfor indeed
كانَ إِسمَهُ يَنبي عَلَيهِ فَإِنَّما
هُوَhe فيin الأَعاليthe heights غالِبٌGhalib ('victorious') يَتَمتَّعُrejoices
هُوَ في الأَعالي غالِبٌ يَتَمتَّعُ
His name foretold it, for indeed
he, Ghalib—triumphant—rejoices in the heights.
Partial English translation: 36 of 38 Arabic lines translated.