عفاmay pardon اللهGod عمَّاfor what جرَّهُbrought it about اللهوُamusement والصِّباand youth
عفا الله عمَّا جرَّهُ اللهوُ والصِّبا
وماand what مرَّpassed منof قالِtalk الشبابِyouth وقيلهِand its chatter
وما مرَّ من قالِ الشبابِ وقيلهِ
May God pardon what pleasure and youth brought about,
May God forgive what playfulness and youth led him to do,
and the bygone talk and chatter of youth.
And whatever passed of the sayings and deeds of youth.
حبيتُI was favored ضُحياهin its morning بأنعمِwith the most pleasant عيشةٍlife
حبيتُ ضُحياه بأنعمِ عيشةٍ
إِلىuntil أنthat مضىit passed on مستبسلاًresigned لسبيلهon its way
إِلى أن مضى مستبسلاً لسبيله
I was blessed in its morning with the most pleasant life,
I enjoyed his radiant morn with the finest living,
until it went, resigned, upon its way.
Until he went away freely on his path.
فلماthen when تولَّىit departed حلَّsettled منfrom بعدهafter it بناupon us
فلما تولَّى حلَّ من بعده بنا
مشيبgray hair نفىbanished طيبَsweetness الكرىsleep بحلولهby its arrival
مشيب نفى طيبَ الكرى بحلوله
When it departed, there settled upon us in its wake
When he turned away, old age befell us after him,
gray hair, whose arrival banished the sweetness of sleep.
With its advent the pleasures of life were denied.
أتىit came نازلاto lodge كالضيفlike a guest حتىuntil إذاwhen ثوىit settled
أتى نازلا كالضيف حتى إذا ثوى
رأيناwe saw المناياdeaths ضيفَناour guest فيin نزولهits arrival
رأينا المنايا ضيفَنا في نزوله
It came to lodge like a guest; then, when it settled,
It came down like an unwelcome guest, until when it lodged,
we saw death as our guest in its arrival.
We saw death as our guest in its arrival.
لئنeven if عظُمتwere great أحزانُناour sorrows لقدومهِat its coming
لئن عظُمت أحزانُنا لقدومهِ
لأَعظمُsurely greater منهاthan them خوفُناour fear منof رحيلهُits departure
لأَعظمُ منها خوفُنا من رحيلهُ
Though great were our sorrows at its coming,
Grievous as our sorrows were at its coming,
greater still is our fear of its departure.
Greater yet was our fear of its leaving.
وقدand indeed كانused to يلهيdistract عنfrom مشيبgray hair وكِبرهِand its old age
وقد كان يلهي عن مشيب وكِبرهِ
لقاءmeeting فتىًa young man حُلوِsweet اللقاءِthe encounter جميلهِlovely in it
لقاء فتىً حُلوِ اللقاءِ جميلهِ
And what once distracted us from gray hair and old age
And it had been distracting him from age and its burdens,
was meeting a young man, sweet and lovely to meet,
The meeting of a youth fair of face and refined.
كريمِnoble النثاrepute يهواهloves him منwhoever لمhas not يُلاقهmet him
كريمِ النثا يهواه من لم يُلاقه
جزيلlavish الندىbounty يُوليbestows المُنىwishes قبلbefore سولهasking him
جزيل الندى يُولي المُنى قبل سوله
noble in repute, loved by those who have not met him,
Generous, held dear by those who had not met him,
lavish in bounty, granting wishes before he is asked,
Bountiful, who would give fortune before being asked.
بديعِingenious معانيmeanings المشكلاتdifficult questions دقيقهاtheir subtleties
بديعِ معاني المشكلات دقيقها
رفيعِlofty بناءedifice المكرُماتnoble deeds جليلهgrand in it
رفيعِ بناء المكرُمات جليله
ingenious in the subtle meanings of difficult questions,
Ingenious in unraveling the most complex matters,
with a lofty, magnificent edifice of noble deeds.
Sublime in building up acts of nobility and worth.
نؤمُّwe make for ثراهhis soil زائرينيas visitors فنقتنيand so we acquire
نؤمُّ ثراه زائريني فنقتني
فوائدَbenefits منfrom منقولهwhat he transmits ومقولهand what he says
فوائدَ من منقوله ومقوله
We make for his ground as visitors, and gather
We visit his tomb, so it gives us profit
benefits from what he transmits and what he says.
From what is transmitted and spoken about him.
بعبدthrough the servant of الرحيمthe Merciful الفاضلthe eminent انبجستgushed forth لناfor us
بعبد الرحيم الفاضل انبجست لنا
عيونsprings العُلاglory تجريflowing بمدِّwith the surge of سيولهhis torrents
عيون العُلا تجري بمدِّ سيوله
Through the eminent Abd al-Rahim, there gushed forth for us
Through Abdul Rahim the Virtuous has burst forth for us
springs of glory, flowing with the surge of his torrents.
A spring whose streams of excellence copiously flow.
تلقَّحتwere fertilized الأفهامُminds منfrom نفثاتهhis breathings
تلقَّحت الأفهامُ من نفثاته
فكلُّso all كثيرٍabundance عندناwith us منfrom قليلهa little of his
فكلُّ كثيرٍ عندنا من قليله
Minds were made fertile by his breathings,
Understandings were cross-pollinated from his breaths,
so all our abundance is drawn from a little of his.
So that all we knew in abundance is now little.
إذاwhen نحنwe أثنيناpraise عليهof him بفضلهِfor his excellence
إذا نحن أثنينا عليه بفضلهِ
رأيناwe find جزيلَlavish المدحِpraise دونshort of جزيلهhis abundant merit
رأينا جزيلَ المدحِ دون جزيله
When we praise him for his excellence,
When we praise him for his merit,
we find lavish praise falls short of his abundant merit.
We see the amplest eulogy as inadequate for his stature.
أراهmay He show him الذيthe One who أعطاهendowed him مثلthe like of الذيwhat رأىhe saw
أراه الذي أعطاه مثل الذي رأى
باعطائهِthrough His giving فيin نفسِهhimself فيin سليلهِhis son
باعطائهِ في نفسِه في سليلهِ
May He who endowed him show him the like of what he saw
I see him as one who gave to the same degree as he saw
through His giving in himself—in his son as well.
In giving, in his soul, his own worth.
Sol 6.1