أسَفاًalas لمنfor one who قدindeed ماتَdied قبلَbefore مَماتِهِhis death
أسَفاً لمن قد ماتَ قبلَ مَماتِهِ
لاno بلrather لَعَمْريby my life ماتdied قبلَbefore حياتِهِhis life
لا بل لَعَمْري مات قبلَ حياتِهِ
Alas for one who died before his death—
Alas for one who died before his death!
no, by my life, he died before his life.
No—by my life, he died before his life began.
لمnot يَدْرِknew طَعْمَthe taste of العَيشِlife مُنتبِهاًconscious لهُof it
لم يَدْرِ طَعْمَ العَيشِ مُنتبِهاً لهُ
كالحَيِّlike the living حَتَّىuntil ذاقَtasted طَعْمَthe taste of وَفاتِهِhis death
كالحَيِّ حَتَّى ذاقَ طَعْمَ وَفاتِهِ
He never knew the taste of life while fully awake to it,
He did not know life's taste, awake to it,
alive as others are, until he tasted his passing.
like the living, until he tasted his death.
هذاthis غُلامٌa boy كالكُهولِlike mature men فكيفَso how لوif
هذا غُلامٌ كالكُهولِ فكيفَ لو
بَلغَreached الشَبابَyouth وخاضَand ventured فيinto فَلوَاتِهِits wildernesses
بَلغَ الشَبابَ وخاضَ في فَلوَاتِهِ
This was a boy like seasoned men—what, then, if
This boy was like men of mature years—what then if
he had reached youth and ventured through its wild expanses?
he had reached youth and ventured into its wildernesses?
ماnot زالَceased يَنَحتُchips away ذِهنُهُhis mind منfrom قَلبِهِhis heart
ما زالَ يَنَحتُ ذِهنُهُ من قَلبِهِ
حَتَّىuntil بَراهُwore it away فكانَand so became شَرَّthe worst of عُدَاتِهِhis enemies
حَتَّى بَراهُ فكانَ شَرَّ عُدَاتِهِ
His mind kept chiseling away at his heart
His mind never ceased chipping away at his heart,
until it wore him down, becoming the worst of his enemies.
until it wore it away, becoming his worst enemy.
نَهْنِهrestrain دمُوعَكَyour tears ياO أبهاُher father فقدfor indeed جَرَىcame to pass
نَهْنِه دمُوعَكَ يا أبهاُ فقد جَرَى
ماwhat قدindeed جَرَىcame to pass ومَضَىand passed علىwith عِلاّتِهِits ills
ما قد جَرَى ومَضَى على عِلاّتِهِ
Restrain your tears, O Abhā, for what befell
Hold back your tears, O father, for there has happened
has befallen and passed, with all its afflictions.
what has happened, and it has passed, with all its ills.
أشقَىmost wretched الوَرَىhumankind عَيناًin eye وأضيَعُand most wasteful مَدمعاًof tears
أشقَى الوَرَى عَيناً وأضيَعُ مَدمعاً
مَنone who قدindeed بَكَىwept للأمرِover the matter بعدafter فَواتِهِits passing beyond recall
مَن قد بَكَى للأمرِ بعد فَواتِهِ
The most wretched of mortals in his eyes, the most wasteful of tears,
The most wretched of mortals in eye, and most wasteful of tears,
is one who weeps for a matter after it has passed.
is one who weeps over a matter after it has passed beyond recall.
قدindeed كانَwas قبلَbefore البَينِparting أهلاًworthy للبُكاof weeping
قد كانَ قبلَ البَينِ أهلاً للبُكا
إذsince لمnot يكُنُwas أمَلٌhope بطُولِof the length of ثَباتِهِhis endurance
إذ لم يكُنُ أمَلٌ بطُولِ ثَباتِهِ
Even before the parting, he was cause enough for weeping,
Even before parting, he was worthy of tears,
for there was no hope that he would long endure.
since there was no hope of his enduring long.
عَهدِيmy knowledge بهِof him أنْthat لاnot يعيِشَwould live نَظيرُهُone like him
عَهدِي بهِ أنْ لا يعيِشَ نَظيرُهُ
فَحسِبتُهُso I thought him قدalready جَفَّwithered مُنذُsince نَباتِهِhis sprouting
فَحسِبتُهُ قد جَفَّ مُنذُ نَباتِهِ
I knew him as one whose equal was not alive;
I knew that one like him would not live,
I thought that equal had withered at its first sprouting.
so I thought him withered from the moment he sprouted.
إذsince لمnot يَجِدْfound فيamong الناسِpeople أمثالاًequals لهُto him
إذ لم يَجِدْ في الناسِ أمثالاً لهُ
طَلَبَsought الملائكَthe angels فَهْيَfor they are منamong طَغمَاتِهِhis ranks
طَلَبَ الملائكَ فَهْيَ من طَغمَاتِهِ
Finding among mankind none who resembled him,
Since he found no equals among people,
he sought the angels, for they are of his kind.
he sought the angels, for they were of his ranks.
ولقدand indeed رآهُsaw him الدَّهرُTime منamong آحادِهِits singular ones
ولقد رآهُ الدَّهرُ من آحادِهِ
فلِذاكَso for that reason لمnot يُدْخِلْهُadmit him فيinto عَشَراتِهِits tens
فلِذاكَ لم يُدْخِلْهُ في عَشَراتِهِ
Time saw in him one of its singular wonders,
Time had counted him among its singular ones,
and therefore never numbered him among its tens.
and so did not admit him among its tens.
ياO صاحبَone with السَّبْعِthe seven السِّنينَyears ودُونِهاand less than them
يا صاحبَ السَّبْعِ السِّنينَ ودُونِها
ماذاwhat تَرَكتَhave you left لشَيخِناfor our elder فيin ذاتِهِhis own self
ماذا تَرَكتَ لشَيخِنا في ذاتِهِ
O child of seven years—or fewer—
O child of seven years and less,
what have you left our elder to call his own?
what have you left our elder of his own self?
أنتَyou الغريبُthe stranger كماas نَرَاكَwe see you وهكذاand thus
أنتَ الغريبُ كما نَرَاكَ وهكذا
شَمْلُtogetherness الغريبِof the stranger يكونُis قُرْبَnear شتاتِهhis scattering
شَمْلُ الغريبِ يكونُ قُرْبَ شتاتِه
You are the stranger, as we plainly see; and so
You are the stranger, as we see you; and thus
a stranger’s gathered bonds are always near dispersal.
a stranger's togetherness is near his scattering.
قدindeed ضاقgrew too narrow جسمكyour body عنfor مدىthe reach of النَّفسthe soul التّيwhich
قد ضاق جسمك عن مدى النَّفس التّي
ضغطتpressed against هياكِلهاits forms جميعall جهاتهِits sides
ضغطت هياكِلها جميع جهاتهِ
Your body was too cramped for the reach of the soul
Your body was too narrow for the reach of the soul whose
whose vast frame pressed upon it from every side.
forms pressed against its every side.
فمَضتso it departed إلىto الموعودِthe promised منof غاياتِهاits ends
فمَضت إلى الموعودِ من غاياتِها
ومَضَىand it departed إلىto المعهودِthe accustomed منof غاياتِهِits ends
ومَضَى إلى المعهودِ من غاياتِهِ
So the soul went on to its promised destination,
So the soul went to its promised end,
and he went on to the familiar end of his course.
and the body went to its accustomed end.
هذاthis الذيwhat تَرَكَleft الأبُthe forefather الأقصَىthe remotest لناto us
هذا الذي تَرَكَ الأبُ الأقصَى لنا
لكنbut كَحظِّlike the lot of بَنيهِhis sons حَظُّthe lot of بَناتِهِhis daughters
لكن كَحظِّ بَنيهِ حَظُّ بَناتِهِ
This is what our remotest forefather bequeathed us;
This is what the remotest forefather left us—
yet his daughters’ lot is the same as his sons’.
but his daughters' lot is like his sons'—
كأسٌa cup علىto الغِلمانِthe boys يَعرِضُpresents itself تارةًsometimes
كأسٌ على الغِلمانِ يَعرِضُ تارةً
قبلَbefore الشُّيوخِthe elders لُسوءِbecause of poor رأيِjudgment of سُقاتِهِits cupbearers
قبلَ الشُّيوخِ لُسوءِ رأيِ سُقاتِهِ
A cup is sometimes offered to young boys
a cup that sometimes presents itself to boys
before the elders, through the poor judgment of its cupbearers.
before the elders, through its cupbearers' poor judgment.
ياO أيُّهاyou القبرُthe grave الذيwhich استُودِعْتَهُyou were entrusted with him
يا أيُّها القبرُ الذي استُودِعْتَهُ
أبشِرْrejoice فماfor there is no منany قائلٍone saying لكَto you هاتِهِhand him over
أبشِرْ فما من قائلٍ لكَ هاتِهِ
O grave, you who have been entrusted with him,
O grave, to which he was entrusted,
rejoice—no one will say to you, “Hand him over.”
rejoice, for no one will tell you, "Hand him over."
إِعطِفْbe tender عليهِto him فأنتَfor you حَقاًtruly أمُّهُhis mother
إِعطِفْ عليهِ فأنتَ حَقاً أمُّهُ
وازجُرْand rebuke ثَراكyour earth مُؤَدِّباًdisciplining حَشَراتِهِits insects
وازجُرْ ثَراك مُؤَدِّباً حَشَراتِهِ
Have compassion on him, for you are truly his mother,
Be tender to him, for you are truly his mother,
and restrain your soil, disciplining all its insects.
and rebuke your earth, disciplining its insects.
واحرصْand be protective علىof ذاكَthat اللِسانِtongue فإنَّهُfor it
واحرصْ على ذاكَ اللِسانِ فإنَّهُ
قدindeed كانَused to يَسقِيgive to drink الشَّهْدَhoney منfrom كَلِماتِهِits words
قد كانَ يَسقِي الشَّهْدَ من كَلِماتِهِ
Guard well that tongue, for it
And guard that tongue, for it
would give honey to drink from its words.
used to pour honey from its words.
لَكَfor you أُمُّهُhis mother رَبَّتْهُraised him فاشكُرْso thank فَضْلَهاher kindness
لَكَ أُمُّهُ رَبَّتْهُ فاشكُرْ فَضْلَها
واشكُرْand thank أباهُhis father فذاكَfor that منamong حَسنَاتِهِhis good deeds
واشكُرْ أباهُ فذاكَ من حَسنَاتِهِ
His mother reared him for you, so thank her for her gift,
His mother raised him for you; thank her for her kindness,
and thank his father too—for that is among his good deeds.
and thank his father, for that is among his good deeds.
ياoh طالماhow often سَهِرَتْshe kept vigil عليهِover him فقُلْso say لهاto her
يا طالما سَهِرَتْ عليهِ فقُلْ لها
هاbehold قدindeed أمِنْتِyou are safe اليومَtoday منfrom يَقَظاتِهِhis awakenings
ها قد أمِنْتِ اليومَ من يَقَظاتِهِ
How long she kept vigil over him! So tell her:
Oh, how often she kept vigil over him! So tell her,
“Now, today, you are safe from his wakeful spells.”
"See, today you are safe from his awakenings."
لاdo not تَخلَعيtake off ثوبَthe robe of السَّوادِblack لأجلِهِfor his sake
لا تَخلَعي ثوبَ السَّوادِ لأجلِهِ
ماas long as دامَhe remains تحتَbeneath اللَحْدِthe burial niche فيin ظُلُماتِهِits darkness
ما دامَ تحتَ اللَحْدِ في ظُلُماتِهِ
Do not take off the garment of black for his sake
For his sake, do not take off your robe of black,
so long as he lies beneath the grave slab in its darkness.
as long as he lies beneath the tomb, in its darkness.
لمّاwhen رآكِhe saw you وقدand already دَعَوْتِyou called بفارسٍfor a knight
لمّا رآكِ وقد دَعَوْتِ بفارسٍ
سَبَقَoutpaced الرِّجالَthe men وجَدَّand hastened فيin خَطَواتِهِhis steps
سَبَقَ الرِّجالَ وجَدَّ في خَطَواتِهِ
When he saw you calling for a horseman,
When he saw you had called for a knight,
he outstripped grown men and strode earnestly onward.
he outpaced men and hastened in his steps.
لاdo not تُنكِريreject هذاthis القَضاءَdecree بمَوتِهِconcerning his death
لا تُنكِري هذا القَضاءَ بمَوتِهِ
فلَقَدْfor indeed جَرَىit proceeded فيهِin his case علىaccording to عاداتِهِits usual ways
فلَقَدْ جَرَى فيهِ على عاداتِهِ
Do not deny this decree because of his death,
Do not reject this decree concerning his death,
for in him it followed its accustomed way.
for in his case it followed its usual ways.
بَلغَattained الكمالَperfection كطاعنٍlike one advanced فيin سنِّهِhis age
بَلغَ الكمالَ كطاعنٍ في سنِّهِ
فَيكونُand so is ذلكَthat مُنتَهَىthe end of أوقاتِهِhis days
فَيكونُ ذلكَ مُنتَهَى أوقاتِهِ
He reached perfection like one advanced in years,
He attained perfection like one advanced in years,
and so that became the final limit of his time.
and so that marks the end of his days.
