تَأَمَّل فَما إِلّا إِلى الخالِقِ البَقا

تَأَمَّل فَما إِلّا إِلى الخالِقِ البَقا

وَلَو بَلَغَ المَخلوقُ أَبعَدَ مُرتَقى

وَلَو بَلَغَ المَخلوقُ أَبعَدَ مُرتَقى

Reflect: eternity belongs to the Creator alone,

Consider the passing, for there is only the eternal Creator

even if a creature reaches the utmost height.

Though the creation reached the farthest ascent

يَبيتُ بِها فَوقَ الأَرائِك آمِناً

يَبيتُ بِها فَوقَ الأَرائِك آمِناً

وَيُصبِحُ تَحتَ الأَرضِ مُفتَرِشَ النَقا

وَيُصبِحُ تَحتَ الأَرضِ مُفتَرِشَ النَقا

He spends the night there, secure upon couches,

He sleeps safely on thrones at night

and by morning lies beneath the earth, with sand for his bed.

And awakens buried under the earth in the morning

فَسَل هَؤُلاءِ الشمّ ماذا دَهاهُمُ

فَسَل هَؤُلاءِ الشمّ ماذا دَهاهُمُ

وَقَد كانَ كلّ يستَغاثُ وَيُتَّقى

وَقَد كانَ كلّ يستَغاثُ وَيُتَّقى

So ask these lofty ones what befell them,

Ask these eminent ones what has destroyed them

though each was once called upon for help and feared.

Though each was pleading and taking precautions

كَفى بِهِمُ وَاللَه يا صاحِ واعِظاً

كَفى بِهِمُ وَاللَه يا صاحِ واعِظاً

لِمَ كانَ مِن لُقياهُ لِلَّهِ مُشفِقا

لِمَ كانَ مِن لُقياهُ لِلَّهِ مُشفِقا

By God, my friend, they are warning enough

Enough of them, by God O preacher

for [one who] was fearful of his meeting with God,

Why did the prospect of meeting God make them anxious

كَهَذا رَهينِ الرَمسِ قارَه مُحَمَّدٍ

كَهَذا رَهينِ الرَمسِ قارَه مُحَمَّدٍ

أَمير اللِوا مَن كانَ عَبداً مُوَفَّقا

أَمير اللِوا مَن كانَ عَبداً مُوَفَّقا

like this captive of the grave, Qara Muhammad,

Like this, hostage to fate, follower of Muhammad

commander of the banner, who was a slave granted success,

The commander of the battalions, who was granted success

وَمَن كانَ ذا عِرضٍ نَقيّ وَمِقوَلٍ

وَمَن كانَ ذا عِرضٍ نَقيّ وَمِقوَلٍ

صَدوقٍ وَخيمٍ زادَ مَرآهُ رَونَقا

صَدوقٍ وَخيمٍ زادَ مَرآهُ رَونَقا

and one of unblemished honor, with a tongue

And one of honest honor and reliable words

truthful, and a disposition that lent his appearance luster.

Truthful, protective, his sight made more radiant

تَقَلَّبَ في جُلّ الوِلاياتِ وَاِنثَنى

تَقَلَّبَ في جُلّ الوِلاياتِ وَاِنثَنى

بِطيبِ الثَنا يَرجو النَعيمَ المُحَقَّقا

بِطيبِ الثَنا يَرجو النَعيمَ المُحَقَّقا

He held most offices and then withdrew

He wandered through all the governorships humbly

with fine praise, hoping for assured bliss—

With good praise hoping for the realized blessing

كَرابِطَةٍ مَع دارِ ضَربٍ وَمَجلِس

كَرابِطَةٍ مَع دارِ ضَربٍ وَمَجلِس

بِهِ البَلَدُ المَحروسُ زانَ وَأَشرَقا

بِهِ البَلَدُ المَحروسُ زانَ وَأَشرَقا

offices such as a garrison, a mint, and a council,

Like a garrison in the abode of affliction and council

through which the guarded city grew fair and radiant.

Through which the protected city was adorned and illuminated

وَصاهَرَ رَبّ الدست كانَ سِقاهُمُ

وَصاهَرَ رَبّ الدست كانَ سِقاهُمُ

سَحابٌ مِنَ الرِضوانِ يَنهَلّ مُغدِقا

سَحابٌ مِنَ الرِضوانِ يَنهَلّ مُغدِقا

And he became kin by marriage to the lord of the throne; their waterskin was

And he joined the Lord of Power whose drink

a cloud of favor, pouring down abundantly.

Was a cloud of satisfaction pouring generously

وَلَمّا تَأَمَّلَ اِختارَ جيرَةَ سَيِّدٍ

وَلَمّا تَأَمَّلَ اِختارَ جيرَةَ سَيِّدٍ

يُرافِقُهُ فَضلاً إِلى مَنزِلِ البَقا

يُرافِقُهُ فَضلاً إِلى مَنزِلِ البَقا

And when he reflected, he chose to be a master's neighbor,

And when he considered, he chose the neighborhood of the Master

who graciously accompanies him to the abode of eternity.

Whose virtue accompanies to the abode of eternity

فَطوبىَ لَهُ بِالحُسنَيَينِ وَإِنَّهُ

فَطوبىَ لَهُ بِالحُسنَيَينِ وَإِنَّهُ

شَهيدٌ وَقِنّ حازَ بالعِتقِ مَوثِقا

شَهيدٌ وَقِنّ حازَ بالعِتقِ مَوثِقا

So blessed is he with both blessings; and indeed he is

Good tidings to him for the two benefactions, and he

a martyr and a bondsman who gained a sure pledge through emancipation.

Is a martyr and ransom who won liberation bound

إِلَهيَ أَنِّس لَحدَهُ وَامحُ ذَنبَهُ

إِلَهيَ أَنِّس لَحدَهُ وَامحُ ذَنبَهُ

وَقابِلهُ بِالغُفرانِ في مَوقِفِ اللِقا

وَقابِلهُ بِالغُفرانِ في مَوقِفِ اللِقا

My God, bring solace to his grave and erase his sin,

My God, make his grave comforting and erase his sins

and receive him with forgiveness at the place of meeting.

And meet him with forgiveness at the place of meeting

وَأعِتقهُ وَاقبِل فيهِ فأل مؤَرّخٍ

وَأعِتقهُ وَاقبِل فيهِ فأل مؤَرّخٍ

أَميرُ اللِوا قارَه مُحَمَّدُ أُعتِقا

أَميرُ اللِوا قارَه مُحَمَّدُ أُعتِقا

And free him, and accept for him a chronogram-maker's good omen:

And emancipate him and accept through him the chronicling

The commander of the banner, Qara Muhammad, was set free.

Of the commander of the battalions, follower of Muhammad, emancipated