أَقبَرُa grave? ذاthis أمor جِنانٌgardens قَدindeed سَماrose high شَرَفُهits honor
أَقبَرُ ذا أم جِنانٌ قَد سَما شَرَفُه
وَمُلحَدٌand a burial niche أَمor مَقامٌan abode زُيِّنَتwere adorned غُرَفُهits chambers
وَمُلحَدٌ أَم مَقامٌ زُيِّنَت غُرَفُه
Is this a grave, or gardens whose honor has risen high?
Is this a tomb whose loftiness has reached the heights,
And a burial niche, or an abode whose chambers have been adorned?
Or a mausoleum with ornate chambers?
وَذاand this مَحَلّa place الثَوىresting أَمor ذاthis الطَريقُthe road إِلىto
وَذا مَحَلّ الثَوى أَم ذا الطَريقُ إِلى
جَنّاتِgardens عَدنٍEden وَهَذاand this الدرthe pearl بَلrather صَدَفُهُits shell
جَنّاتِ عَدنٍ وَهَذا الدر بَل صَدَفُهُ
And is this a resting place, or is this the road to
Is this an abode of rest, or a path leading
the gardens of Eden? And this is the pearl—rather, its shell.
To the gardens of Eden, and are these pearls or their shells?
لِمwhy لاnot وَقَدand indeed حَلَّهُsettled within it مِنfrom نَسلِoffspring فاطمَةٍFatimah
لِم لا وَقَد حَلَّهُ مِن نَسلِ فاطمَةٍ
فَرعٌa branch كَريمٌnoble وَزَهرٌand a blossom جَلَّwas exalted مُقتَطَفُهits gathered yield
فَرعٌ كَريمٌ وَزَهرٌ جَلَّ مُقتَطَفُه
Why not, when there has dwelt within it, of Fatimah’s offspring,
Why not, when a noble scion from Fatima's line
a noble branch, a blossom whose harvest is glorious:
Has made it his own, a generous shoot, a blossom plucked at its prime?
مُحَمَّدُMuhammad بنُson of عَليّAli بنِson of الشَريفِal-Sharif إِلىto
مُحَمَّدُ بنُ عَليّ بنِ الشَريفِ إِلى
خَيرِthe best of الوَرىhumankind حَيثُwhere يَدريknows الفَضلَexcellence مُغتَرفهone who draws from it
خَيرِ الوَرى حَيثُ يَدري الفَضلَ مُغتَرفه
Muhammad, son of Ali, son of al-Sharif, tracing his lineage to
Muhammad son of Ali son of the Noble One, who knows
the best of humankind, where excellence is known to whoever draws from it.
The worth of merit in the best of all lands whence it is derived.
مِنof مَعشَرٍa people حُبّهُمlove for them دينٌfaith وَبُغضُهُمُand hatred of them
مِن مَعشَرٍ حُبّهُم دينٌ وَبُغضُهُمُ
كُفرٌunbelief فَطوبىso blessedness لِمَنto whoever كانَتwas بِهِمthrough them زُلَفَهhis nearness
كُفرٌ فَطوبى لِمَن كانَت بِهِم زُلَفَه
Of a people, love for whom is faith, and hatred for whom
A people whose love is religion, whose hate
is unbelief; so blessed is he whose nearness comes through them.
Is unbelief; blessed is he who draws near them!
وَجاوَرَand he dwelt beside الحاريal-Hari تِلميذَthe pupil of ابنson of عيسىIsa وَذاand this
وَجاوَرَ الحاري تِلميذَ ابن عيسى وَذا
بَخّbravo! لِبَخّto “bravo!” وَفَضلٌand merit بانَbecame clear مُرتَدَفُهits accompaniment
بَخّ لِبَخّ وَفَضلٌ بانَ مُرتَدَفُه
And he lies beside al-Hari, the pupil of Ibn Isa—and this
He who dwelt beside the Aaronid, disciple of the son of Isa,
is acclaim upon acclaim, and merit whose accompaniment is clear.
Excellence on excellence aggregated.
فَزادَهُso may He give him more اللَهُGod نُعمىbliss لاno زَوالَcessation لَهاfor it
فَزادَهُ اللَهُ نُعمى لا زَوالَ لَها
مُخَلَّداًabiding forever فيin جِنانٍgardens قَدalready دَنَتdrew near قُطفُهhis fruit clusters
مُخَلَّداً في جِنانٍ قَد دَنَت قُطفُه
May God grant him still more bliss that shall never fade,
May God give him everlasting bounty
abiding forever in gardens, with his fruit clusters close at hand.
That will never fail, making him immortal in gardens near to be plucked.
بُشراهُhis glad tidings بِالفَوزِof triumph إِذsince لاحَتappeared بَشائِرُهُits heralds
بُشراهُ بِالفَوزِ إِذ لاحَت بَشائِرُهُ
وَحَسبُهُand enough for him أَنthat أَتىcame تاريخُهُhis chronogram شَرَفُهhis honor
وَحَسبُهُ أَن أَتى تاريخُهُ شَرَفُه
His is the glad news of triumph, since its heralds have appeared;
Give him good tidings of success, for the signs thereof
and enough for him that his chronogram reads “his honor.”
Have appeared, and his inscription bears the date of its nobility.
Sol 6.1