مَحاeffaced نورَthe light of النَواظِرِthe eyes وَالعُقولِand the minds
مَحا نورَ النَواظِرِ وَالعُقولِ
أُفولُكَyour setting وَالبُدورُand full moons إِلىtoward أُفولِsetting
أُفولُكَ وَالبُدورُ إِلى أُفولِ
The light of eyes and minds was effaced
The light of sights and minds has faded,
by your setting—and full moons are bound to set.
Your sunset, and stars setting into sunset,
وَمِنand among جَلَلِthe gravest of الخُطوبِcalamities نَعِيُّthe death announcement of ناعٍa death-announcer
وَمِن جَلَلِ الخُطوبِ نَعِيُّ ناعٍ
أَتاناreached us عَنكَabout you بِالخَطبِwith the calamity الجَليلِgrievous
أَتانا عَنكَ بِالخَطبِ الجَليلِ
Among the gravest calamities was a herald's death announcement
And from the gravity of events a mourner laments,
that reached us about you, bearing the grievous calamity.
Bringing us tremendous news of you,
هُوَit is النَبَأُthe news العَظيمُmomentous وَكَمand how often بِأَرضِin a land
هُوَ النَبَأُ العَظيمُ وَكَم بِأَرضِ
أُسيلَwas made to flow دَمٌblood عَلىupon خَدٍّa cheek أَسيلِsmooth
أُسيلَ دَمٌ عَلى خَدٍّ أَسيلِ
It is the momentous news; and how often, somewhere on earth,
It is grave news, and how much blood
has blood been made to flow upon a smooth cheek!
Has flowed down cheeks made to flow,
أَيَومَO day of مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad لَمnot تُبقِyou left سُؤلاًa wish
أَيَومَ مُحَمَّدٍ لَم تُبقِ سُؤلاً
وَلاnor أَمَلاًany hope لِذيfor one with أَمَلٍhope وَسولِand desire
وَلا أَمَلاً لِذي أَمَلٍ وَسولِ
O day of Muhammad, you left no wish
O days of Mohammed, you left no hopes,
nor any hope for one with hope and desire.
Nor aspirations for the hopeful and determined,
فَكَمso how many أَذلَلتَyou humbled مِنof رَجُلٍa man عَزيزٍmighty
فَكَم أَذلَلتَ مِن رَجُلٍ عَزيزٍ
وَكَمand how many أَعزَزتَyou exalted مِنof رَجُلٍa man ذَليلِlowly
وَكَم أَعزَزتَ مِن رَجُلٍ ذَليلِ
How many a mighty man you brought low,
How many a mighty man you have humbled,
and how many a lowly man you raised high!
And how many a lowly man you have empowered,
وَلَمand not يَكُhe was سَيِّداًa lord لَوif كانَhe had been قَيلاًa king
وَلَم يَكُ سَيِّداً لَو كانَ قَيلاً
تُغَضُّare lowered لَدَيهِbefore him أَبصارُthe eyes of القُيولِkings
تُغَضُّ لَدَيهِ أَبصارُ القُيولِ
Nor would he have been a lord, even had he been a king
And he would not be a master had he been said to be,
before whom the eyes of kings were lowered.
Before whom the sights of the resolute are downcast,
وَماand not راحَتdeparted بِهِwith him النَكباءُthe crosswind حَتّىuntil
وَما راحَت بِهِ النَكباءُ حَتّى
دَعاcalled داعيthe herald of المَكارِمِnoble deeds بِالرَحيلِfor departure
دَعا داعي المَكارِمِ بِالرَحيلِ
And the crosswind did not carry him away until
And misfortune did not ease until,
the herald of noble deeds called for departure.
The caller to nobility bid farewell,
وَكَمand how many مِنof حُرِّnoble وَجهٍa face فاطِمِيٍّof Fatimah's line
وَكَم مِن حُرِّ وَجهٍ فاطِمِيٍّ
جَلَوتَyou brightened وَكانَand it had been كَالرَسمِlike a ruin المُحيلِweathered
جَلَوتَ وَكانَ كَالرَسمِ المُحيلِ
And how many a noble face of Fatimah's line
And how many a free Fatimid face,
you brightened, when it had been like a weathered ruin;
You have exposed, though it seemed ideal,
وَمِنand of عَظمٍa bone كَسيرٍbroken أَبطَحِيٍّof al-Abtah
وَمِن عَظمٍ كَسيرٍ أَبطَحِيٍّ
جَبَرتَyou mended بِنائِلٍwith bounty غَمرٍabundant جَزيلِlavish
جَبَرتَ بِنائِلٍ غَمرٍ جَزيلِ
and many a broken bone of an Abtahi
And from great monuments, you have demolished,
you mended with abundant, lavish bounty.
With floods pouring heavily,
أَعَينَO spring of السَلسَبيلِSalsabil سَقاكِmay he water you جوداًgenerously
أَعَينَ السَلسَبيلِ سَقاكِ جوداً
كَجودِكِlike your bounty مِنfrom عُيونِthe springs of السَلسَبيلِSalsabil
كَجودِكِ مِن عُيونِ السَلسَبيلِ
O spring of Salsabil, may you be watered with bounty
The eyes of Salsabil have quenched you with generosity,
like your own, from the springs of Salsabil.
Like your generosity from the springs of Salsabil,
عَدَتكَdrew you away مَحَبَّةٌa love زادَتكَmade you more حُبّاًbeloved
عَدَتكَ مَحَبَّةٌ زادَتكَ حُبّاً
إِلىto الصَلَواتِthe prayers وَالسُنَنِand the ways العُدولِupright
إِلى الصَلَواتِ وَالسُنَنِ العُدولِ
A love drew you away, making you dearer
Affection for you increased your love,
to prayers and upright ways.
For prayers and exemplary traditions,
وَلَمّاand when لَمnot نَجِدwe found دَرَكاًa means of recovery لِثاوٍfor one laid to rest
وَلَمّا لَم نَجِد دَرَكاً لِثاوٍ
وَجَلَّand was too great المَوتُdeath عَنfor طَلَبِthe pursuit of الذُحولِvengeance
وَجَلَّ المَوتُ عَن طَلَبِ الذُحولِ
And when we found no way to recover the one laid to rest,
And when we found no cure for one who passes away,
and death lay beyond the pursuit of vengeance,
And death kept clear of seeking the vanished,
رَدَدناwe returned البيضَthe gleaming swords فيinto الأَغمادِthe sheaths يَأساًin despair
رَدَدنا البيضَ في الأَغمادِ يَأساً
وَأَطلَقناand we let loose المَدامِعَthe tear ducts لِلغَليلِfor burning grief
وَأَطلَقنا المَدامِعَ لِلغَليلِ
we returned the gleaming swords to their sheaths in despair,
We sheathed the swords in sorrow,
and let our tears loose to quench our burning grief.
And let tears flow in anguish,
وَرُحناand we went حَولَaround شَرجَعِهِhis bier كَأَنّاas though we were
وَرُحنا حَولَ شَرجَعِهِ كَأَنّا
نَشاوىdrunk رائِحونَdeparting مِنَfrom الشُمولِwine
نَشاوى رائِحونَ مِنَ الشُمولِ
And we went around his bier as though we were
And we gathered around his deathbed as if,
drunk, coming away from wine.
We were inhaling fragrance wafting from musk,
نَغُضُّwe lower لَهُfor him النَواظِرَthe eyes وَهوَthough he is مَيتٌdead
نَغُضُّ لَهُ النَواظِرَ وَهوَ مَيتٌ
لِهَيبَتِهِin awe of him وَنُخفِضُand we lower مِنsome of عَويلِthe wailing
لِهَيبَتِهِ وَنُخفِضُ مِن عَويلِ
We lower our eyes before him, though he is dead,
We avert our sights from him though dead,
in awe of him, and quiet our wailing,
Out of reverence, stifling our wailing,
حَياءًout of modesty مِنbefore صَنائِعِهِhis favors اللَواتيwhich
حَياءً مِن صَنائِعِهِ اللَواتي
أَخَذنَthey secured لَهُfor him مَواثيقَthe solemn pledges of العُقولِthe minds
أَخَذنَ لَهُ مَواثيقَ العُقولِ
out of modesty before his favors, which
Shy because of his achievements which,
secured for him the solemn pledges of our minds.
Took pledges of minds,
Sol 6.1