نُعي لي الرَضيُّ فَقُلت لَقَد

نُعي لي الرَضيُّ فَقُلت لَقَد

نُعي لِيَ شَيخُ العُلا وَالأَدَب

نُعي لِيَ شَيخُ العُلا وَالأَدَب

I was told of al-Raḍī’s death, and I said: Indeed,

I have been told of the death of the master of eminence and letters.

فَمَن للغاتِ وَمَن للثِقات

فَمَن للغاتِ وَمَن للثِقات

وَمَن للنُحاة وَمَن للنَسَب

وَمَن للنُحاة وَمَن للنَسَب

Who, then, is there for languages, and who for the trustworthy?

And who for grammarians, and who for genealogy?

لَقَد كانَ للعلمِ بَحراً فَغارَ

لَقَد كانَ للعلمِ بَحراً فَغارَ

وَإِنَّ غؤورَ البحارِ العجب

وَإِنَّ غؤورَ البحارِ العجب

Indeed, he was a sea of learning, and then it sank away;

And truly, the sinking of seas is a marvel.

فَقُدِّس من عالِم عامل

فَقُدِّس من عالِم عامل

أَثارَ لشجوي لَمّا ذَهَب

أَثارَ لشجوي لَمّا ذَهَب

So may he be hallowed—a scholar who lived by his learning,

Who stirred my sorrow when he departed.