إذا عالمٌ مات في بلدة

إذا عالمٌ مات في بلدة

تناقص من أرضها الأطول

تناقص من أرضها الأطول

When a scholar dies in a town,

When a scholar dies in a town

The loftiest part of its land dwindles.

Its tallest are diminished

وينعى إذا مات في يومه

وينعى إذا مات في يومه

إلى نفسه الآخر الأول

إلى نفسه الآخر الأول

And when he dies that day, the latter announces

And when one passes in his day

The former's death to himself.

The earliest mourns himself

جمال الرجال ألبّاؤهم

جمال الرجال ألبّاؤهم

وعالمهم فيهم الأجمل

وعالمهم فيهم الأجمل

The beauty of men lies in their wise ones,

The beauty of men are their fathers

And their scholar is the fairest among them.

And their scholar among them, the finest

قوام الورى علماء الزمان

قوام الورى علماء الزمان

فإن فقدوهم معا زلزلوا

فإن فقدوهم معا زلزلوا

The scholars of the age are humankind's mainstay;

The pillars of existence are the scholars of the age

So if they lose them all at once, they are shaken.

If they all perish, it would shake

وقرّاء امرىء فله رتبةٌ

وقرّاء امرىء فله رتبةٌ

فهذا يفوق وذا يسفل

فهذا يفوق وذا يسفل

And a man's reciters—he has a rank.

And a man's confidants, they have rank

This one excels, and that one sinks lower.

So that this one ascends, and that one descends

كما الجهل في الناس مستعملٌ

كما الجهل في الناس مستعملٌ

وكل يرى أنه الأعقل

وكل يرى أنه الأعقل

Just as ignorance is practiced among people,

As ignorance spreads among the people

And everyone thinks himself the wisest.

And each sees himself as the wisest