ياO ربعdwelling لاmay ... not بلَّwet الغمامُthe clouds ثراكاyour soil
يا ربع لا بلَّ الغمامُ ثراكا
لمَwhy لاnot تنوحdo you lament معيwith me علىfor مولاكاyour master
لمَ لا تنوح معي على مولاكا
O dwelling, may the clouds never wet your soil!
O quarter, no, but the clouds have covered you
Why do you not lament with me for your master?
Why don't you weep with me for your Master?
أنسيتhave you forgotten? ياO قاسيhard الفؤادof heart مهذَّباًa refined man
أنسيت يا قاسي الفؤاد مهذَّباً
كانتused to تسميهcall him الملوكthe kings ملاكاan angel
كانت تسميه الملوك ملاكا
Have you forgotten, O hard-hearted one, a refined man
Have you forgotten, o hard-hearted one, the refined one
whom kings used to call an angel?
Whom kings used to call an angel?
أخذtook العهودpledges عليهupon him جودthe generosity of يمينهhis right hand
أخذ العهود عليه جود يمينه
أنthat لاnot يقولhe say لسائلٍto a petitioner أكفاكاhas it sufficed you?
أن لا يقول لسائلٍ أكفاكا
His right hand's bounty bound him by pledges
He made covenants and swore by his generosity
never to tell a petitioner, 'Is that enough for you?'
That he would never say "enough" to one who asked
ياoh ماhow أقلscant وفاكyour loyalty صمmay ... be deaf صداكyour echo ماhow
يا ما أقل وفاك صم صداك ما
أقساكcruel you are منas a ربعٍdwelling وماand how أعتاكاdefiant you are
أقساك من ربعٍ وما أعتاكا
Oh, how scant your loyalty! Deaf be your echo! How
O how little is your loyalty, deaf is your echo
cruel a dwelling you are, and how defiant!
The desert made you harsh, and what misled you?
أينwhere الذينthose whom رأيتهمyou saw them وسمعتهمand heard them
أين الذين رأيتهم وسمعتهم
لاnot يحمدونthey praise منamong الربوعthe dwellings سواكاother than you
لا يحمدون من الربوع سواكا
Where are those you saw and heard,
Where are those I saw and heard
praising no dwelling but you?
Who praised nothing in the wilds but you?
أفبعدthen, after...? ذاكthat البدرfull moon زاركvisited you زائرٌa visitor
أفبعد ذاك البدر زارك زائرٌ
إلّاexcept ليسألto ask أينwhere أصبحis now ذاكاthat one
إلّا ليسأل أين أصبح ذاكا
After that full moon, has any visitor come to you
After that full moon visited you, did any visitor come
except to ask, 'Where is that one now?'
Except to ask where that one was?
واalas حسرتاهُmy grief! عليهfor him أصبحhe has become ثاوياًlying at rest
وا حسرتاهُ عليه أصبح ثاوياً
بينamong القبورthe graves يخالهاhe takes them for أفلاكاcelestial spheres
بين القبور يخالها أفلاكا
Alas, my grief for him! He now lies
Alas for him, he lies still
among graves he takes for celestial spheres.
Among the graves, which seem to him planets
واحسرتاهalas, my grief! عليهfor him برّاًkind فاضلاًvirtuous
واحسرتاه عليه برّاً فاضلاً
ماnot كانhe was ضنّاناًmiserly ولاnor أفّاكاa habitual liar
ما كان ضنّاناً ولا أفّاكا
Alas, my grief for him, kind and virtuous!
Alas for him, righteous and noble
He was never miserly, nor a liar.
Who was neither miserly nor wasteful
لاnot يسمعhears المحتاجthe needy person منfrom كلماتهhis words
لا يسمع المحتاج من كلماته
إلّاexcept التحياتthe greetings الثلاثthe three وهاكاand 'here, take this'
إلّا التحيات الثلاث وهاكا
The needy hear no words from him
The needy would hear from his words
but the three greetings and 'Here, take this.'
Only greetings, no more, and "take this"
فتلتtwisted لهfor him ريحwind السمومthe scorching hot wind حبائلاًsnares
فتلت له ريح السموم حبائلاً
أمسىhe became بهاin them لاnot يستطيعable to manage حراكاmovement
أمسى بها لا يستطيع حراكا
The scorching wind twisted snares for him;
The wind of misfortunes tangled snares for him
in them he was left unable to stir.
He fell into them, unable to stir
ودعتand it called بخائنةfor the betrayer of الشبابyouth فأودعتso she consigned
ودعت بخائنة الشباب فأودعت
منهfrom him الترابthe dust الفارسَthe horseman الفتّاكاthe deadly one
منه التراب الفارسَ الفتّاكا
And it called for youth's betrayer, who consigned
The traitorousness of youth bid him farewell
the deadly horseman in him to the dust.
And the dust received the deadly knight
تبتmay ... perish يداهاher two hands الجانياتthe offending ones علىagainst العلىgreatness
تبت يداها الجانيات على العلى
جنتshe plucked الورودthe roses وأبقتand left الأشواكاthe thorns
جنت الورود وأبقت الأشواكا
May her hands perish, that wronged greatness!
May their hands, which wronged the exalted one, perish
She plucked the roses and left the thorns.
They grew flowers but left only thorns
ياO آلfamily of إبرهيمIbrahim بستانُthe garden of الصفاserenity
يا آل إبرهيم بستانُ الصفا
منfrom بعدafter إبرهيمIbrahim جفَّdried up وشاكاand grew thorny
من بعد إبرهيم جفَّ وشاكا
O family of Ibrahim, the garden of serenity
O family of Abraham, the garden of purity
has withered and grown thorny since Ibrahim's passing.
After Abraham withered and became desolate
فتقلّبواso roll about فوقupon الرمادthe ashes وداومواand persist in
فتقلّبوا فوق الرماد وداوموا
لبسwearing الحدادmourning dress وماثلواand resemble النسّاكاthe ascetics
لبس الحداد وماثلوا النسّاكا
So roll upon the ashes, and persist
They rolled in the ashes and wore the garb of mourning
in wearing mourning, and be like ascetics.
And wept for the handsome youth who fate wove
وابكواand weep for الفتىthe young man الشابyouthful الذيwho نسجwove الردىdeath
وابكوا الفتى الشاب الذي نسج الردى
لشبابهfor his youth ثوبa garment of الترابthe dust وحاكاand wove
لشبابه ثوب التراب وحاكا
And weep for the young man, for whom death wove
A garment of dust for his youth and tailored it
a garment of dust for his youth, and fashioned it.
He erased our beautiful nights and left
ومحاand erased لياليناour nights الحسانbeautiful وغادرand left الthe
ومحا ليالينا الحسان وغادر ال
أيامdays بعدafter بعادهhis departure أحلاكاpitch-dark
أيام بعد بعاده أحلاكا
And erased our lovely nights, and left the
After his departure days of darker complexion
days pitch-dark after his departure.
What harm, my son, if death had inherited
ماwhat ضرharm would it have done ياO ولديmy son المنيةDeath لوif رثتshe had pitied
ما ضر يا ولدي المنية لو رثت
لصباكfor your youth واختارتand chosen أباكyour father فداكاas your ransom
لصباك واختارت أباك فداكا
What harm would it have done Death, my son, had she pitied
Your youth and chosen your father instead?
your youth and chosen your father as your ransom?
For death, my son, is more pleasing to behold
فالموتfor death ياO ولديmy son أحبdearer لناظريto my eye
فالموت يا ولدي أحب لناظري
منthan أنthat يرىit see الدنياthe world وليسand not يراكاsee you
من أن يرى الدنيا وليس يراكا
For death, my son, is dearer to my eye
Than seeing the world without sight of you
than seeing the world and not seeing you.
If I pictured the state I found him in
لوif صورdepicted الحالthe state التيthat لاقيتُهاI endured it
لو صور الحال التي لاقيتُها
لكfor you فيin الضريحthe tomb مصورan artist أبكاكاwould have made you weep
لك في الضريح مصور أبكاكا
Had the state I endured been depicted
In the tomb, it would make a painter weep
for you in the tomb by an artist, it would have made you weep.
By God, my dutiful pigeon left me only
واللَهby God ماnot تركspared الحِمامdeath حشاشتيmy life's last spark
واللَه ما ترك الحِمام حشاشتي
إلّاexcept ليحرقهاto burn it بنارwith the fire of نواكاyour absence
إلّا ليحرقها بنار نواكا
By God, death spared my last spark of life
To set her on fire with the flames of your lament
only to burn it in the fire of your absence.
I yearn for you, and every hopeful person yearns
لهفيmy grief عليكfor you ولهفand the grief of كلevery مؤمِّلٍhopeful seeker
لهفي عليك ولهف كل مؤمِّلٍ
ماnot صارwould have become صاحبa possessor of نعمةٍprosperity لولاكاbut for you
ما صار صاحب نعمةٍ لولاكا
My grief for you, and the grief of every hopeful seeker
Who gained no boon but through you
who would not have prospered without you!
I yearn for you, and every emulator yearns
لهفيmy grief عليكfor you ولهفand the grief of كلevery مشبِّهٍone who likens
لهفي عليك ولهف كل مشبِّهٍ
بالبدرto the full moon وجهَكyour face والشموسِand the suns سناكاyour radiance
بالبدر وجهَك والشموسِ سناكا
My grief for you, and the grief of all who likened
Who likened your face to the moon, your brilliance to suns
your face to the full moon, your radiance to the suns!
The moon is your servant, the gazelle your confidant
والبدرand the full moon عبدكyour slave والغزالةand the sun قينةٌa singing slave-girl
والبدر عبدك والغزالة قينةٌ
لكfor you والكواكبand the stars منamong حصىthe pebbles of مغناكاyour abode
لك والكواكب من حصى مغناكا
And the full moon is your slave, and the sun a singing maid
The stars are pebbles from your jewelry
for you; and the stars are among the pebbles of your abode.
Do you think your beauty remains, my bliss,
أترىI wonder جمالكyour beauty فيin الثرىthe dust ياO منيتيmy heart's desire
أترى جمالك في الثرى يا منيتي
باقٍremaining يُرىis seen أمor زالhas departed عنكfrom you بهاكاyour splendor
باقٍ يُرى أم زال عنك بهاكا
I wonder: is your beauty in the dust, O my heart's desire,
Visible in the earth, or has it faded?
still visible, or has your splendor left you?
I never thought, my sovereign pigeon
ماnot كنتI was أحسبthinking ياO مليكsovereign of حشاشتيmy soul
ما كنت أحسب يا مليك حشاشتي
أنthat الترابthe dust حديقةٌa garden لصباكاfor your youth
أن التراب حديقةٌ لصباكا
I never thought, O sovereign of my soul,
That dust was a garden for your youth
that the dust was a garden for your youth,
Until I saw you cushioned in the grave
حتىuntil رأيتكI saw you فيin الضريحthe tomb موسَّداًpillowed
حتى رأيتك في الضريح موسَّداً
وترابهand its earth عبقاًfragrant بطيبwith the sweetness of شذاكاyour scent
وترابه عبقاً بطيب شذاكا
until I saw you pillowed in the tomb,
Its soil perfumed with your sweet scent
and its earth fragrant with your sweet scent.
The Merciful drew no distinction for my eyes
لاmay ... not فرقseparate الرحمنthe Merciful بينbetween نواظريmy eyes
لا فرق الرحمن بين نواظري
وثراكand your soil حتىuntil فيin النعيمbliss أراكاI see you
وثراك حتى في النعيم أراكا
May the Merciful never part my eyes
Between your tomb and you, even in Paradise
from your soil until I see you in bliss.
For we have with Him a mediatrix whose rank
فلناfor we have لديهwith Him شفيعةٌa female intercessor شدهتastounded مراmer- (word fragment)
فلنا لديه شفيعةٌ شدهت مرا
حمها-cies of hers العقولminds وفاقتand surpassed الإدراكاunderstanding
حمها العقول وفاقت الإدراكا
For we have with Him an intercessor; her mercies
Exceeds all minds and transcends all perception
astound minds and surpass understanding.
He will satisfy you, my son, with what you choose
يرضيكHe will please you ياO ولديmy son بماwith whatever تختارهyou choose it
يرضيك يا ولدي بما تختاره
ويقينand the certainty of قلبيmy heart أنهthat He أرضاكاhas pleased you
ويقين قلبي أنه أرضاكا
He will please you, my son, with whatever you choose,
And my heart's certainty is that it pleased you
and my heart is certain that He has pleased you.
Partial English translation: 57 of 58 Arabic lines translated.