يُؤملُ المَرءُ آمالاً وَيَقطَعُها

يُؤملُ المَرءُ آمالاً وَيَقطَعُها

أَمرٌ يُفّرق بَينَ النَفسِ وَالنَفسِ

أَمرٌ يُفّرق بَينَ النَفسِ وَالنَفسِ

A man cherishes hopes, but they are cut short

A man harbors hopes, though fate divides soul from soul.

By an event that parts the soul from breath.

So accept what is destined; do not fret or obsess.

فَكُن مَعَ القَدَرِ المَحتوم وَارضَ بِهِ

فَكُن مَعَ القَدَرِ المَحتوم وَارضَ بِهِ

تَريح نَفسَك مِن فكرٍ وَمِن هَوَسٍ

تَريح نَفسَك مِن فكرٍ وَمِن هَوَسٍ

So yield to inevitable fate and be content with it;

Ibn Sahl and the like teach wisdom

You will spare yourself worry and obsession.

Beyond ambition or vigilance.

وَفي ابن سَهلٍ وَأَمثالٍ لَهُ عِبَرٌ

وَفي ابن سَهلٍ وَأَمثالٍ لَهُ عِبَرٌ

يَغنى بِها العَقلُ عَن حِرصٍ وَعَن حَرَسِ

يَغنى بِها العَقلُ عَن حِرصٍ وَعَن حَرَسِ

And in Ibn Sahl and his peers lie lessons

He acquired rare books of knowledge,

That free the mind from greed and vigilance.

Hoping to endow the scholars of Andalusia.

كانَ اِقتَنى كتباً في العِلمِ نادِرَةً

كانَ اِقتَنى كتباً في العِلمِ نادِرَةً

كَيما يَخُصّ بِها ناساً بِأَندَلُسِ

كَيما يَخُصّ بِها ناساً بِأَندَلُسِ

He had acquired rare books of learning,

But destiny denied what he intended,

So that he might favor people in al-Andalus with them.

And he dwelled far from kith and kin.

فَعاقَهُ قَدرٌ عَما يُؤمّلُهُ

فَعاقَهُ قَدرٌ عَما يُؤمّلُهُ

وَحَلَّ رَمساً بعيدَ الأَهلِ وَالأنسِ

وَحَلَّ رَمساً بعيدَ الأَهلِ وَالأنسِ

But fate kept him from what he hoped for,

His friend there was the Qur’an he often recited,

And he lay in a grave, far from family and companionship.

Pilgrimage and spiritual retreat in solitude.

أَنيسُهُ فيهِ قُرآنٌ يَردّدُه

أَنيسُهُ فيهِ قُرآنٌ يَردّدُه

وَحجةٌ وَاعتمارٌ مِنهُ في الخَلَسِ

وَحجةٌ وَاعتمارٌ مِنهُ في الخَلَسِ

His companion there is the Qur’an he would recite,

None we saw was his equal

And a Hajj and an ‘umrah he performed in secret.

In piety and distance from blame and stain.

وَما رَأَينا لَهُ في الناسِ مُشبهَه

وَما رَأَينا لَهُ في الناسِ مُشبهَه

أَتقى وَأَبعَد مِن ذامٍ وَمِن دَنَسٍ

أَتقى وَأَبعَد مِن ذامٍ وَمِن دَنَسٍ

And among people we have seen no one like him—

And how many were his charities in Hejaz

None more God-fearing, none further from reproach and stain.

And Egypt, Syria, seeking the needy.

وَكَم لَهُ صدقاتٍ بِالحِجازِ وَفي

وَكَم لَهُ صدقاتٍ بِالحِجازِ وَفي

مِصرٍ وَفي الشامِ تُسديها لملتَمسِ

مِصرٍ وَفي الشامِ تُسديها لملتَمسِ

And how many charitable gifts were his in the Hijaz, and in

He gave generously in times of calamity,

Egypt and al-Sham—you would bestow them on anyone who asked.

As when the people of Sorra drowned.

سَرى وَفي طيبة إِذ أَهلُها غَرِقوا

سَرى وَفي طيبة إِذ أَهلُها غَرِقوا

أَعطى وَأجزلَ في النعمى لِمُبتَئِسِ

أَعطى وَأجزلَ في النعمى لِمُبتَئِسِ

He journeyed by night; and in Taybah, when its people were drowning,

Fasting, devout, reciting the Qur’an in the night—

He gave, and lavished kindness on the distressed.

O meadow for Ibn Sahl, how singular a man!

صَوّامُ هاجرةٍ قوّامُ داجِيَةٍ

صَوّامُ هاجرةٍ قوّامُ داجِيَةٍ

تَلاءُ آيٍ مِن القُرآنِ في الغَلَسِ

تَلاءُ آيٍ مِن القُرآنِ في الغَلَسِ

Often fasting in midday heat, often standing in prayer through dark nights,

Ever reciting verses of the Qur’an in the predawn gloom.

يا رَوضَةً لابنِ سَهلٍ حَلَّها رجل

يا رَوضَةً لابنِ سَهلٍ حَلَّها رجل

ما أَن رَأَينا لَهُ شِبهاً مِن الأنسِ

ما أَن رَأَينا لَهُ شِبهاً مِن الأنسِ

O garden of Ibn Sahl, a man has settled within you

Whose like we have never seen among humankind.