هوَ النَبأُ العَظيمُ فَمَن يُحامي

هوَ النَبأُ العَظيمُ فَمَن يُحامي

وَقَد أَودى بَنو سامٍ وَحامٍ

وَقَد أَودى بَنو سامٍ وَحامٍ

It is the momentous news—who can fend it off,

It is momentous news, so who will defend

when the sons of Shem and Ham have already perished?

The clans of Shem and Ham have been undone

تُصيبُ سِهامُهُ الصَدرَ المُعَلى

تُصيبُ سِهامُهُ الصَدرَ المُعَلى

فَتَقذِفُهُ إِلىَ تَحتَ الرجام

فَتَقذِفُهُ إِلىَ تَحتَ الرجام

Its arrows strike the exalted breast,

His arrows pierce the noble breast

then fling it beneath the piled stones.

Casting them beneath the shooting stones

كَهَذا العالَمِ العَلَمِ المُفَدىّ

كَهَذا العالَمِ العَلَمِ المُفَدىّ

إِمامِ أَولي البَلاغَةِ وَالكَلامِ

إِمامِ أَولي البَلاغَةِ وَالكَلامِ

Like this scholar, this cherished beacon,

Like this remarkable, exemplary world

leader of those endowed with eloquence and speech:

Imam of eloquence and speech

أَبي العَبّاسِ أَحمَدَ مَن تَسامى

أَبي العَبّاسِ أَحمَدَ مَن تَسامى

وَنادى فَضلُهُ هَل مِن مُسامي

وَنادى فَضلُهُ هَل مِن مُسامي

Abu al-Abbas Ahmad, who rose so high,

Father of al-‘Abbas, Ahmad the Sublime

and his excellence cried, 'Is there any rival?'

Whose excellence proclaimed, who will join me?

سَليلُ أَبي الضَيّافِ وَسارَ ضَيفاً

سَليلُ أَبي الضَيّافِ وَسارَ ضَيفاً

إِلىَ دارِ الكَرامَةِ وَالكِرامِ

إِلىَ دارِ الكَرامَةِ وَالكِرامِ

A scion of Abu al-Diyaf, he journeyed as a guest

Scion of the hospitable, himself a noble guest

to the abode of honor and the noble.

To the abode of dignity and generosity

وَخَلَّدَ مِن مَحاسِنِهِ رياضاً

وَخَلَّدَ مِن مَحاسِنِهِ رياضاً

ثَوَت في طِرسها ذاتَ اِبتِسامِ

ثَوَت في طِرسها ذاتَ اِبتِسامِ

And he left immortal gardens of his virtues,

His virtues immortalized verdant gardens

which dwelt, smiling, upon their parchment.

Where smiles were planted, beautifully bloomed

وَباهى باليَراعِ حَديدَ عَضبٍ

وَباهى باليَراعِ حَديدَ عَضبٍ

وَصَمصام وَهندي حُسام

وَصَمصام وَهندي حُسام

And with his reed pen he vied with the steel of a keen blade,

With iron, wrath, scimitar and blade

and a stout sword, and a cutting Indian blade.

He brought splendor, when drawn in softness

إِذا أَجراهُ في رق أَقَرّت

إِذا أَجراهُ في رق أَقَرّت

لَهُ بالرق أَلسِنَةُ الأَنامِ

لَهُ بالرق أَلسِنَةُ الأَنامِ

When he set it running over parchment, they acknowledged—

Tongues spoke his praise in whispers

the tongues of humankind—their bondage to him.

And whatever he uttered in gentle words

وَمَهما قالَ في دَستٍ خِطاباً

وَمَهما قالَ في دَستٍ خِطاباً

فَإِنَّ القَولَ ما قالَت حَذّامِ

فَإِنَّ القَولَ ما قالَت حَذّامِ

And whatever address he gave from a seat of honor,

Were as if spoken by swords of India

then indeed, the word is what Hadhdham said.

If he scattered gems in his bounty

وَإِن نَثَرَ الجَواهِرَ في نَدي

وَإِن نَثَرَ الجَواهِرَ في نَدي

تَرَ العقدَ الفَريدَ مِنَ النِظامِ

تَرَ العقدَ الفَريدَ مِنَ النِظامِ

And if he scattered jewels in an assembly,

You would see a unique, graceful necklace

you would see the peerless necklace emerge from their stringing.

He contained whatever he wished of might and splendor

حَوى ما شاءَ مِن عزّ وَلَمّا

حَوى ما شاءَ مِن عزّ وَلَمّا

دَرى أَنَّ المَصيرَ إِلى الحِمامِ

دَرى أَنَّ المَصيرَ إِلى الحِمامِ

He attained all the glory he desired; and when

Yet he knew the return would be to the tomb

he knew that the final destination was death,

He cast off the world's vanity

رَمى بِزَخارِفِ الدُنيا وَأَلقى

رَمى بِزَخارِفِ الدُنيا وَأَلقى

بِزَهرَتِها إِلى وَجهِ الرغامِ

بِزَهرَتِها إِلى وَجهِ الرغامِ

he cast away the world's finery and flung

Throwing its flowers in the face of destruction

its bloom upon the face of the dust.

And walked the path of Qur'an, dhikr and asceticism

وَسارَ مَسيرَ قُرآنٍ وَذكرٍ

وَسارَ مَسيرَ قُرآنٍ وَذكرٍ

وَزُهدٍ ما تَدَنَّسَ بِالأثامِ

وَزُهدٍ ما تَدَنَّسَ بِالأثامِ

And he followed a path of Qur'an and remembrance,

Unsullied by sins, yearning for the meeting

and asceticism unsullied by sins.

The caller came to him, and took him

وَتاقَ إِلى اللِقا فَأَتاهُ آتٍ

وَتاقَ إِلى اللِقا فَأَتاهُ آتٍ

وَسارَ بِهِ إِلى دارِ المُقامِ

وَسارَ بِهِ إِلى دارِ المُقامِ

And he yearned for the meeting; then someone came to him

To the abode of eternity

and took him to the abiding home.

So honor his dwelling, O Lord, and bless

فأكرِم نُزلَهُ يا رَب وَأَحسِن

فأكرِم نُزلَهُ يا رَب وَأَحسِن

كَما أَلهَمتَهُ حُسنَ الخِتامِ

كَما أَلهَمتَهُ حُسنَ الخِتامِ

So grant him noble hospitality, O Lord, and show him kindness,

As you inspired him with a beautiful end

just as You inspired him to end well.

And fulfill for the chronicler sincerity

وَحَقِّق لِلمؤَرِخِ فالَ صِدقٍ

وَحَقِّق لِلمؤَرِخِ فالَ صِدقٍ

أَبو العَبّاسِ في دارِ السَلامِ

أَبو العَبّاسِ في دارِ السَلامِ

And fulfill for the chronicler a truthful omen:

Abu al-'Abbas in the abode of peace

Abu al-Abbas is in the Abode of Peace.