Part 1 · Pages 172-173
Umaymah’s Elegy for Her Father
English rendering of the source section
Local verse translation from the Arabic text; lexical notes and variant readings are included separately.
This local English rendering may condense the Arabic narration and editorial notes. It is not a complete published English edition. Consult the Arabic source for exact wording and context.
Read the corresponding Arabic sectionUmaymah bint Abd al-Muttalib said, mourning her father: Alas, the guardian of the clan has died, the lost one, giver of water to the pilgrims, defender of honor; the man whose house welcomed the unfamiliar guest when the people’s sky withheld its thunder; you earned, Shaybat al-Hamd, the best legacy a young man can earn, and never ceased to increase in honor; Abu al-Harith, the generous giver, has left his place empty— may you not be taken far; every living soul must depart. I will weep and grieve for him as long as I live, for my sorrow is fitting for him.
[9] Ra‘i al-‘ashirah is the guardian of his clan; al-faqd can mean a bereaved person, but here it describes one who gives freely. [10] Umaymah speaks of herself with a masculine form, referring to herself as a person. The editor cites a parallel verse using the same construction.
May the Lord of the people send rain upon you in your grave; I shall continue to mourn you, though you lie in the tomb. You were the adornment of the whole clan, and worthy of praise wherever praise is given.