يُؤملُ المَرءُ آمالاً وَيَقطَعُها

يُؤملُ المَرءُ آمالاً وَيَقطَعُها

أَمرٌ يُفّرق بَينَ النَفسِ وَالنَفسِ

أَمرٌ يُفّرق بَينَ النَفسِ وَالنَفسِ

A man cherishes hopes, only for them to be cut short

A man cherishes hopes, but they are cut short

by a decree that parts one soul from another.

By an event that parts the soul from breath.

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 accept inescapable fate and be content with it;

So yield to inevitable fate, and be content with it;

you will ease your soul of brooding and obsession.

You will free yourself from anxious thought and obsession.

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

In Ibn Sahl and those like him are lessons

And in Ibn Sahl and others like him are lessons,

by which the mind can dispense with grasping and guarding.

Through which the mind has no need of greed or guards.

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

He had acquired rare books of learning,

so that he might reserve them for certain people in al-Andalus.

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

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 had hoped for,

But fate barred him from what he hoped for,

and he came to rest in a grave, far from family and companionship.

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

أَنيسُهُ فيهِ قُرآنٌ يَردّدُه

أَنيسُهُ فيهِ قُرآنٌ يَردّدُه

وَحجةٌ وَاعتمارٌ مِنهُ في الخَلَسِ

وَحجةٌ وَاعتمارٌ مِنهُ في الخَلَسِ

His companion there is a Qur’an that he would recite again and again,

His companion there is the Qur'an he recites repeatedly,

and a pilgrimage and an ʿumra he performed quietly.

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

وَما رَأَينا لَهُ في الناسِ مُشبهَه

وَما رَأَينا لَهُ في الناسِ مُشبهَه

أَتقى وَأَبعَد مِن ذامٍ وَمِن دَنَسٍ

أَتقى وَأَبعَد مِن ذامٍ وَمِن دَنَسٍ

Among all people, we have seen none resembling him:

And we have seen no equal to him among people—

more God-fearing, or further removed from blame and stain.

More God-fearing, and farther from reproach and stain.

وَكَم لَهُ صدقاتٍ بِالحِجازِ وَفي

وَكَم لَهُ صدقاتٍ بِالحِجازِ وَفي

مِصرٍ وَفي الشامِ تُسديها لملتَمسِ

مِصرٍ وَفي الشامِ تُسديها لملتَمسِ

How many acts of charity were his in the Hijaz, and in

And how many alms are his in the Hijaz, and in

Egypt and Syria—bestowed upon whoever came seeking.

Egypt, and in Syria—you bestow them on whoever asks.

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 Tayba, when its people were overwhelmed,

He traveled by night; and in Taybah, when its people were overwhelmed by flooding,

he gave, and gave lavishly of his bounty to the distressed.

He gave, and lavished his bounty on the distressed.

صَوّامُ هاجرةٍ قوّامُ داجِيَةٍ

صَوّامُ هاجرةٍ قوّامُ داجِيَةٍ

تَلاءُ آيٍ مِن القُرآنِ في الغَلَسِ

تَلاءُ آيٍ مِن القُرآنِ في الغَلَسِ

Ever fasting through the noonday heat, ever praying through the dark night,

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

ever reciting verses of the Qur’an in the last darkness before dawn.

Ever reciting verses from the Qur'an in the predawn darkness.

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, now inhabited by a man

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

whose equal in gracious companionship we have never seen!

Whose equal we have never seen among humankind.