هَلاَّwill you not تَرَىyou see الغيثَthe rain قَدْalready فَاضَتْhave overflowed مَآقيهِits eye-corners
هَلاَّ تَرَى الغيثَ قَدْ فَاضَتْ مَآقيهِ
عَلَىover محمدٍMuhammad إذْwhen غَاضَتْreceded أيَادِيهِhis benefactions
عَلَى محمدٍ إذْ غَاضَتْ أيَادِيهِ
Do you not see the rain, its eye-corners overflowing
over Muhammad, now that his benefactions have run dry?
نَعَىannounced the death of محمدMuhammad نَاعِيهِhis death-herald فَيَاso, oh أسفيmy grief
نَعَى محمد نَاعِيهِ فَيَا أسفي
قَدْindeed قَدَّrent قَلْبَthe heart المُغَنَّىthe one sung to نعيُthe death-announcement نَاعِيهِhis death-herald
قَدْ قَدَّ قَلْبَ المُغَنَّى نعيُ نَاعِيهِ
His herald announced Muhammad's death—oh, my grief!
His herald's death-tidings have rent the heart of the one sung to.
لهفيmy anguish وَهَلْand can نَافِعِيbenefit me لهفيmy anguish عَلَىover ولدa child
لهفي وَهَلْ نَافِعِي لهفي عَلَى ولد
بَاتَspent the night الغمَامُthe clouds عَلَىacross الآفَاقِthe horizons يَبْكِيهِweeping for him
بَاتَ الغمَامُ عَلَى الآفَاقِ يَبْكِيهِ
My anguish—and can my anguish help me?—for a child
for whom the clouds wept all night across the horizons.
لهفيmy anguish عَلَىover ذَلِكَthat المَوْلُدِthe child born حينَwhen قَضَىdecreed
لهفي عَلَى ذَلِكَ المَوْلُدِ حينَ قَضَى
مِنَof الحِمَامِdeath عَلَيْهِagainst him حُكْمُthe sentence قَاضِيهِhis judge
مِنَ الحِمَامِ عَلَيْهِ حُكْمُ قَاضِيهِ
My anguish for that child, when there was decreed
against him his judge's sentence of death.
تُرَىI wonder دَرَىknew الدَّهْرُTime مِقْدَارَthe worth الذيwhat فَقَدَتْlost
تُرَى دَرَى الدَّهْرُ مِقْدَارَ الذي فَقَدَتْ
مِنْof نُورthe light طلعتهhis countenance أبْصَارُthe eyes رَانِيهِone gazing at him
مِنْ نُور طلعته أبْصَارُ رَانِيهِ
I wonder: did Time know the worth of what was lost
of his countenance's light to the eyes that gazed upon him?
وَهَلْand did ثَنَىblunt الدَّهْرُTime غرباa keen edge منof محاسنهِhis charms
وَهَلْ ثَنَى الدَّهْرُ غربا من محاسنهِ
فَكَانَfor he was كَوْكَبa star شَرْقthe East فِيin ليالِيهِits nights
فَكَانَ كَوْكَب شَرْق فِي ليالِيهِ
And did Time ever blunt the keen edge of his charms?
For he was a star of the East in its nights.
لاَnot أعتبI reproach الزمنَTime المُودِيbringing death بِسَيِّدِهِto its lord
لاَ أعتب الزمنَ المُودِي بِسَيِّدِهِ
يَكْفِيهِsuffices it مَاwhat قَدْalready تَوَلَّىdeparted مِنْهُfrom it يكفيهِsuffices it
يَكْفِيهِ مَا قَدْ تَوَلَّى مِنْهُ يكفيهِ
I do not reproach Time, which brought death to its lord;
what has already departed from it is enough for it—enough.
بُنَيَّmy little son لَيْتَكwould that you لَمْhad not تطلعْrisen عَلَىabove أفقa horizon
بُنَيَّ لَيْتَك لَمْ تطلعْ عَلَى أفق
وَلَيْتَand would that بدركyour full moon لَمْhad not تُشْرِقْbrightened دَيَاجِيهِits dark nights
وَلَيْتَ بدرك لَمْ تُشْرِقْ دَيَاجِيهِ
My little son, would that you had never risen above a horizon,
and would that your full moon had never brightened its dark nights.
سَقَىmay ... water ضريحَكyour tomb رِضْوَانٌdivine favor وَلاَand may not بَرِحَتْcease
سَقَى ضريحَك رِضْوَانٌ وَلاَ بَرِحَتْ
سَحَائِبُclouds العَفْوِpardon وَالغفرَانِand forgiveness تَسْقِيهِwater it
سَحَائِبُ العَفْوِ وَالغفرَانِ تَسْقِيهِ
May divine favor water your tomb; and may there ever remain
clouds of pardon and forgiveness to water it.
نِعْمَhow excellent السَّحَائِبُthe clouds يَسْقِيwaters وَبْلُthe downpour صَبِّيِهَاtheir rain (unclear form)
نِعْمَ السَّحَائِبُ يَسْقِي وَبْلُ صَبِّيِهَا
نِعْمَhow excellent الضَّرِيحُthe tomb وَنِعْمَand how excellent البدرُthe full moon ثَاوِيهِresting within it
نِعْمَ الضَّرِيحُ وَنِعْمَ البدرُ ثَاوِيهِ
How excellent the clouds! The downpour of their rain waters it.
How excellent the tomb, and how excellent the full moon resting within it!
كَانَwas الزَّمَانُTime لَهُfor him عرساًa wedding feast بِدَولَتِهin his good fortune
كَانَ الزَّمَانُ لَهُ عرساً بِدَولَتِه
فَأحْسَنَso may ... grant good اللَّهُGod للِدَّهْرِto Time العَزَاconsolation فِيهِfor him
فَأحْسَنَ اللَّهُ للِدَّهْرِ العَزَا فِيهِ
Time was a wedding feast for him in his days of fortune;
so may God grant Time good consolation for his loss.
وَصَبَّرَand may ... grant patience اللَّهُGod قَلْبَthe heart الوَالِدَيْنِof both parents علىover
وَصَبَّرَ اللَّهُ قَلْبَ الوَالِدَيْنِ على
مَنْone طَاوَعَyielded to الحزنَgrief فِيهِfor him دمعُthe tears عَاصِيهِone who defied him
مَنْ طَاوَعَ الحزنَ فِيهِ دمعُ عَاصِيهِ
And may God grant the heart of both parents patience over
one for whom even the tears of those who defied him yielded to grief.