تَرَحَّمpray for mercy فَهَذاfor this القَبرُthe grave قَدindeed ضَمَّhas embraced أَحمَداًAhmad
تَرَحَّم فَهَذا القَبرُ قَد ضَمَّ أَحمَداً
حَليفally العُلىhigh honor وَالمَجدِand glory وَالبأسِand valor وَالنَدىand generosity
حَليف العُلى وَالمَجدِ وَالبأسِ وَالنَدى
Pray for mercy, for this grave has embraced Ahmad,
Have mercy, for this grave now holds Ahmed
an ally of high honor, glory, valor, and generosity.
Ally of glory, might, valor and generosity
أَميرُcommander الفُرسانِthe cavalry مَنwho طارَflew صيتُهُhis fame
أَميرُ الفُرسانِ مَن طارَ صيتُهُ
وَأَتهَمَand reached Tihamah فيthrough حَسنِexcellence الصَنيعِdeeds وَأَنجَداand reached Najd
وَأَتهَمَ في حَسنِ الصَنيعِ وَأَنجَدا
Commander of the cavalry, whose fame took wing
Chief of knights, whose fame took flight
and reached Tihamah and Najd through his noble deeds.
Known for kindly deeds and readiness to aid
فَلَوso if خَلَّدَmade immortal الذِكرُremembrance الجَميلُfair ابنa son of آدَمٍAdam
فَلَو خَلَّدَ الذِكرُ الجَميلُ ابن آدَمٍ
لأَصبضحَhe would surely have become فيin ذاthis القُطرِthe land فَرداًthe sole one مُخَلَّداimmortal
لأَصبضحَ في ذا القُطرِ فَرداً مُخَلَّدا
So, if fair remembrance could immortalize a son of Adam,
If praise immortalized man’s name
he would have become this land's sole immortal.
He in this land would live forever famed
وَلَوand if دَفَعَwarded off المَعروفُgood deeds حَتفَthe doom of امرىءa man لَماwould not
وَلَو دَفَعَ المَعروفُ حَتفَ امرىء لَما
تَقَلَّدَhe donned مِنof ثَوبِthe garment of البِلىdecay ماwhat تَقَلَّداhe donned
تَقَلَّدَ مِن ثَوبِ البِلى ما تَقَلَّدا
And if good deeds could ward off a man's doom, he would not
If kindness warded off death’s stroke
have donned what he has donned of the garment of decay.
Man would not don decay’s cloak
وَلَوand if زادَadded فيto الآجالِlifespans حُسنُgoodness طَويَّةinner disposition
وَلَو زادَ في الآجالِ حُسنُ طَويَّة
لَطابَتwould have been sweet لَهُfor him الدُنياthis world وَمُدَّand was prolonged لَهُfor him المَدىthe span
لَطابَت لَهُ الدُنيا وَمُدَّ لَهُ المَدى
And if goodness of heart could lengthen lifespans,
If the best of lifespans were made longer
this world would have been sweet to him, and his span prolonged.
The world would be sweet, his days stretched on
وَلَوand if كانَwas يُفدىis ransomed بِالنَفيسِwith precious things فَدَيتُهُI ransomed him
وَلَو كانَ يُفدى بِالنَفيسِ فَدَيتُهُ
وَأَعطَيتُهُand I gave him نَفسيmy soul وَأَنّيand that I لَهُfor him الفِدىthe ransom
وَأَعطَيتُهُ نَفسي وَأَنّي لَهُ الفِدى
And if he could have been ransomed with precious things, I would have ransomed him,
If I could ransom him with treasure precious
and given him my soul—I am his ransom.
I'd give myself; my soul I'd give for his soul’s rest
مَضىhe departed آمِلاًhoping for دارَthe abode of السَلامِpeace مُسَلِّماًsubmitting
مَضى آمِلاً دارَ السَلامِ مُسَلِّماً
رَضيّاًcontent نَضيراًradiant وَجهُهُhis face مُتَشَهِّداًprofessing the testimony of faith
رَضيّاً نَضيراً وَجهُهُ مُتَشَهِّداً
He departed, hoping for the Abode of Peace, submitting,
He passed on, hopeful of peace’s home, submitting
content, his face radiant, professing the testimony of faith.
Pleased, content, his face shows him resigned
يَحُفّsurrounds بِهِaround him جُندٌsoldiers حَيارىbewildered لِفَقدِهِat his loss
يَحُفّ بِهِ جُندٌ حَيارى لِفَقدِهِ
وَلَمّاand not yet يَسلواthey forget المَشرِفيّthe Mashrafi sword المُهَنَّداIndian-forged
وَلَمّا يَسلوا المَشرِفيّ المُهَنَّدا
Soldiers surround him, bewildered by his loss,
An army bewildered surrounds him, missing him
and have not yet forgotten the Indian-forged Mashrafi sword.
No comfort have nobles, glory’s standard lowered
فَلَيتَso, if only الرَدىdeath سامَsought الفَوارِسَthe horsemen دونَهُinstead of him
فَلَيتَ الرَدى سامَ الفَوارِسَ دونَهُ
وَلَكِنand yet سَهمَthe arrow الحَتفِof doom جاءَcame مُسَدداwell-aimed
وَلَكِن سَهمَ الحَتفِ جاءَ مُسَددا
So, if only death had sought the horsemen instead of him!
Would that fate had struck horsemen, not him
But the arrow of doom came true to its mark.
But the arrow of death flew straight and true
فَبوىءَso may he be lodged مِنfrom بُحبوحَةِthe heart of الخُلدeternity رَوضَةًa garden
فَبوىءَ مِن بُحبوحَةِ الخُلد رَوضَةً
وَرَوحاًand repose وَرَيحاناًand sweet basil وَعَرفاًand fragrance مُورداًbestowed
وَرَوحاً وَرَيحاناً وَعَرفاً مُورداً
So may he be granted a garden from the heart of eternity,
He left eternal bliss’ gardens as meadow
and repose, sweet basil, and fragrance bestowed,
And breeze, greensward, soft-flowing stream
جَزاءًas a reward لَهُfor him عَنfor سيرَةٍconduct وَسَريرَةٍand inner character
جَزاءً لَهُ عَن سيرَةٍ وَسَريرَةٍ
تَعَوّدَهاhe habitually practiced it الأَيّامthrough the days مَثنىin pairs وَمَوحَداand singly
تَعَوّدَها الأَيّام مَثنى وَمَوحَدا
as a reward to him for his conduct and inner character,
Requital for conduct and way of life
which he practiced through the days, in pairs and singly;
Known through days paired and singular
وَعَنand for حُسنِgoodness of ظَنٍّopinion بِالإِلَهِof God لَوif أَنَّهُthat it
وَعَن حُسنِ ظَنٍّ بِالإِلَهِ لَو أَنَّهُ
تَمَثَلَّtook form فيin صَدرِthe breast of امرىءٍa man ماnot تَعَبَّدَhe worshipped
تَمَثَلَّ في صَدرِ امرىءٍ ما تَعَبَّدَ
and for his trust in God—were it
For good thoughts of God, if a man
to take form in a man's breast, he would not worship.
Were to act on them, obediently worship
وَجاوَرَand he was a neighbor to هَذاthis الشَيخَshaykh حَيّاًalive وَمَيِّتاًand dead
وَجاوَرَ هَذا الشَيخَ حَيّاً وَمَيِّتاً
وَلِلجارِand a neighbor has حَقّa right فيin الحَياةِlife وَفيand in الرَدىdeath
وَلِلجارِ حَقّ في الحَياةِ وَفي الرَدى
And he was this shaykh's neighbor, in life and in death,
He was neighbor to this elder, alive and dead
and a neighbor has a right in life and in death.
To neighbors rights are due, in life and death
وَذاand this لَحدُهُhis grave فيin الأَرضِthe earth أَرّخهُrecord its date زائِراًas a visitor
وَذا لَحدُهُ في الأَرضِ أَرّخهُ زائِراً
أَميرُcommander لِواbanner الفُرسانِthe cavalry أَحمَدُAhmad أَلحِداwas entombed
أَميرُ لِوا الفُرسانِ أَحمَدُ أَلحِدا
And this is his grave in the earth; record its date as you visit:
His grave now hosts, opened to guest
The commander of the cavalry banner, Ahmad, was entombed.
Knight of knights, Ahmed the intrepid
Sol 6.1