سَرَّكَ الدَهرُ وَساءَ

سَرَّكَ الدَهرُ وَساءَ

فَاقنَ شُكراً وَعَزاءَ

فَاقنَ شُكراً وَعَزاءَ

Time has gladdened you and grieved you;

Time brought you joy and sorrow

so hold fast to gratitude and fortitude.

So be grateful and patient in your plight

كَم أَفادَ الصَبرُ أَجراً

كَم أَفادَ الصَبرُ أَجراً

وَاِقتَضى الشُكرُ نَماءَ

وَاِقتَضى الشُكرُ نَماءَ

How often patience has brought reward,

How much reward patience brings

and gratitude secured increase!

And gratitude yields growth

أَنتَ إِن تَأسَ عَلى

أَنتَ إِن تَأسَ عَلى

المَفقودِ إِلفاً وَاِجتِباءَ

المَفقودِ إِلفاً وَاِجتِباءَ

If you grieve for

If you grieve what is lost

the lost one, from affection and special regard,

A loved one, a possession

فَاسلُ عَنهُ غَيرَةً

فَاسلُ عَنهُ غَيرَةً

وَاِحتَمِل الرُزءَ إِباءَ

وَاِحتَمِل الرُزءَ إِباءَ

then put that grief aside, out of self-respect,

Then seek solace for your grief

and bear the bereavement with proud resolve.

And bear adversity with resolve

أَيُّها المُعتَضِدُ المَنصورُ

أَيُّها المُعتَضِدُ المَنصورُ

مُلّيتَ البَقاءَ

مُلّيتَ البَقاءَ

O al-Muʿtaḍid, the victorious,

O al-Mu'tadid, al-Mansur

may you long enjoy life,

You have secured survival

وَتَزَيَّدتَ مَعَ الأَيّامِ

وَتَزَيَّدتَ مَعَ الأَيّامِ

عِزّاً وَعَلاءَ

عِزّاً وَعَلاءَ

and grow with the passing days

And with days accumulated

in might and eminence.

Honor and supremacy

إِنَّما يُكسِبُنا الحُزنُ

إِنَّما يُكسِبُنا الحُزنُ

عَناءً لا غَناءَ

عَناءً لا غَناءَ

Grief brings us only

For sorrow yields us

hardship, not gain.

No joy, but only toil

أَنتَ طَبٌّ أَنَّ داءَ المَو

أَنتَ طَبٌّ أَنَّ داءَ المَو

تِ قَد أَعيا الدَواءَ

تِ قَد أَعيا الدَواءَ

You know well that the sickness of death

You are blessed that death’s illness

has defied all remedy.

Has wearied of a cure

فَتَأَسَّ إِنَّ ذاكَ

فَتَأَسَّ إِنَّ ذاكَ

الخَطبَ غالَ الأَنبِياءَ

الخَطبَ غالَ الأَنبِياءَ

So take comfort: that

So grieve, for that misfortune

calamity carried off the prophets.

Has pained the prophets too

وَسَيَفنى المَلَأُ الأَع

وَسَيَفنى المَلَأُ الأَع

لى إِذا ما اللَهُ شاءَ

لى إِذا ما اللَهُ شاءَ

And the host on high shall perish

And the highest nobles will perish

when God so wills.

When Allah decrees it so

حَبَّذا هَديُ عَروسٍ

حَبَّذا هَديُ عَروسٍ

دَفنُها كانَ الهِداءَ

دَفنُها كانَ الهِداءَ

How lovely the bearing of a bride

Praiseworthy is the guidance

whose burial was her bridal procession!

Of a bride laid to rest

عُمِّرَت حيناً وَماءَ ال

عُمِّرَت حيناً وَماءَ ال

مُزنِ شَكلَينِ سَواءَ

مُزنِ شَكلَينِ سَواءَ

She lived awhile; she and the water of

For a time she lived, and the water

the rainclouds were two equal counterparts.

Of Muzn was perfectly still

ثُمَّ وَلَّت فَوَجَدنا

ثُمَّ وَلَّت فَوَجَدنا

أَرَجَ المِسكِ ثَناءَ

أَرَجَ المِسكِ ثَناءَ

Then she departed, and we found

Then she passed, leaving behind

musk's fragrance in praise of her.

The sweetest musk's fragrance

جَمَعَت تَقوى وَإِخبا

جَمَعَت تَقوى وَإِخبا

تاً وَفَضلاً وَذَكاءَ

تاً وَفَضلاً وَذَكاءَ

She combined piety and humble devotion

She gathered piety, wisdom,

with virtue and intelligence.

Virtue and intellect

سَتُوَفّى مِن جِمامِ الكَو

سَتُوَفّى مِن جِمامِ الكَو

ثَرِ العَذبِ رَواءَ

ثَرِ العَذبِ رَواءَ

She shall receive from the brimming waters of

She will sip from the cup

sweet al-Kawthar a thirst-quenching draught,

Of Kauthar’s sweet water

حَيثُ تَلقى الأَتقِياءَ السُ

حَيثُ تَلقى الأَتقِياءَ السُ

عَداءَ الشُهَداءَ

عَداءَ الشُهَداءَ

where she shall meet the pious,

Where she will meet the righteous

the blessed, the martyrs.

The martyrs and the devoted

هانَ ما لاقَت عَلَيها

هانَ ما لاقَت عَلَيها

أَن غَدَت مِنكَ فِداءَ

أَن غَدَت مِنكَ فِداءَ

What she suffered was light for her,

It was trivial what she endured

since she became a ransom for you.

To become your ransom

غُنمُ أَحبابِكَ أَن تَب

غُنمُ أَحبابِكَ أَن تَب

قى وَإِن عُمّوا فَناءَ

قى وَإِن عُمّوا فَناءَ

Your loved ones' gain is that you live on,

Your loved ones are privileged

even if death overtakes them all.

To live on, though death comes to all

فَاِلبَسِ الصَنعَ مُلاءً

فَاِلبَسِ الصَنعَ مُلاءً

وَاسحَبِ السَعدَ رِداءَ

وَاسحَبِ السَعدَ رِداءَ

So clothe yourself in robes of favor,

So wear your deeds as a mantle

and trail good fortune as a cloak.

And drag prosperity as a cloak

وَرِثِ الأَعداءَ أَعما

وَرِثِ الأَعداءَ أَعما

رَهُمُ وَالأَولِياءَ

رَهُمُ وَالأَولِياءَ

And inherit your enemies' lifespans

And inherit your enemies’

and your allies' as well.

Lifespans, and those of your allies