في القبر أم في فؤادي الواجف

في القبر أم في فؤادي الواجف

عكفت يا ابني ولم تزل عاكف

عكفت يا ابني ولم تزل عاكف

In the grave, or in my trembling heart,

In the grave, O my son, or in my grieving heart

have you dwelt, my son, and do you dwell there still?

You have dwelled, and still dwell, always devoted

آنست في الترب خير والدة

آنست في الترب خير والدة

من حيث أوحشت والدا لاهف

من حيث أوحشت والدا لاهف

You kept the best of mothers company in the earth,

I imagined in the dust a better mother

even as you left an anguished father desolate.

Than she who left a father sorrowing and bereft

فمن له بالحمام بعدكما

فمن له بالحمام بعدكما

يلقاه لا كارها ولا خائف

يلقاه لا كارها ولا خائف

Who, then, can bring him death after you both?

So who now has the dove, after you two

He would meet it neither reluctant nor afraid.

Approaching without fear or apprehension?

يا غربة في العلوم ما طويت

يا غربة في العلوم ما طويت

إلا بسيف المنية الخاطف

إلا بسيف المنية الخاطف

O exile in pursuit of learning, never brought to a close

O loss of knowledge - how bitter you tasted!

except by death's swift-striking sword!

All with the sudden sword of death that reaps

ويا شبابا بدا له ثمر

ويا شبابا بدا له ثمر

ما كان غير الردى له قاطف

ما كان غير الردى له قاطف

And O youth whose fruit had appeared,

And O youth that showed fruit, but had

none but death was there to gather it!

No harvest save calamity to pluck it off

كونا لدى الله شافعَين له

كونا لدى الله شافعَين له

وسلما نحو ظله الوارف

وسلما نحو ظله الوارف

Be, both of you, his intercessors before God,

Be near God, interceding for him,

and a ladder toward His spreading shade.

And proceed into His abundant shade

وأيِّدا داعيا يؤرّخه

وأيِّدا داعيا يؤرّخه

في نعم الخلد مصطفى عاكف

في نعم الخلد مصطفى عاكف

And support a supplicant who dates his passing:

And aid a supplicant who dates it

In eternal bliss, Mustafa Akif abides.

In the bliss of eternity, Mustafa absorbed