أو أنه كانَ يُرضي المَوت فيكَ فدىً

أو أنه كانَ يُرضي المَوت فيكَ فدىً

إذاً فدَيناكِ بالأَهلين والوَلَدِ

إذاً فدَيناكِ بالأَهلين والوَلَدِ

Or, had a ransom been able to appease Death for you,

As if it pleased death to take you

Then we would have ransomed you with kinfolk and children.

So we would have ransomed you with family and children

لكنّه الموتُ لا يُرضيهِ بذلُ فدى

لكنّه الموتُ لا يُرضيهِ بذلُ فدى

ولاَ يصيخُ إلى عَذلٍ ولا فَنَدِ

ولاَ يصيخُ إلى عَذلٍ ولا فَنَدِ

But it is Death: no ransom offered can appease it,

But death is not appeased with paying ransom

Nor does it heed reproach or rebuke.

Nor does it heed pleading or redemption

ولا يرقّ لِذي ضعفٍ وذي خورٍ

ولا يرقّ لِذي ضعفٍ وذي خورٍ

ولا يُحاذرُ بطشَ الفارسِ النّجدِ

ولا يُحاذرُ بطشَ الفارسِ النّجدِ

Nor does it show tenderness to the weak and the frail,

It feels no pity for the weak and fallen

Nor does it fear the valiant horseman's onslaught.

Nor fears the might of the valiant knight

يأتي الملوكَ ملوكَ الأرضِ مُقْتحماً

يأتي الملوكَ ملوكَ الأرضِ مُقْتحماً

ويُخرجُ الشبلَ من عرّيسةِ الأسدِ

ويُخرجُ الشبلَ من عرّيسةِ الأسدِ

It comes to kings—the kings of the earth—storming in,

It storms the palaces of kings, kings of earth

And takes the cub out of the lion's den.

And drags the cub from the lioness's den

مَنْ لِلْمساكين قد أصليتِ أكبدِهمْ

مَنْ لِلْمساكين قد أصليتِ أكبدِهمْ

بلاعجٍ من ضرام الحُزنِ مُتّقِدِ

بلاعجٍ من ضرام الحُزنِ مُتّقِدِ

Who will care for the poor, whose livers you have seared

For the poor whose livers you eased

With a scorching flame of sorrow's blazing fire?

With drinks of sorrow boiling over

مَنْ لِلأَراملِ تبكيكَ الدّماءَ لِمَا

مَنْ لِلأَراملِ تبكيكَ الدّماءَ لِمَا

حَمَلْنَ بعدَكِ من كربٍ ومن كمد

حَمَلْنَ بعدَكِ من كربٍ ومن كمد

Who will care for the widows, who weep blood for you because of

For the widows who weep your blood

The anguish and grief they have borne since your passing?

For the hardship after you they shoulder

كَمْ مِن فؤادٍ غدا حَيرانَ مُلْتهباً

كَمْ مِن فؤادٍ غدا حَيرانَ مُلْتهباً

حُزناً ومن مَدْمعٍ في الخدّ مُطرّدِ

حُزناً ومن مَدْمعٍ في الخدّ مُطرّدِ

How many a heart has become bewildered, aflame

How many hearts bewildered, inflamed with grief

With grief, and how many a tear streams unceasingly down the cheek!

How many tears spilling on the cheek continuously

لا غَرو إنْ مُتْنَ مِنُ حُزنٍ عليكَ فقد

لا غَرو إنْ مُتْنَ مِنُ حُزنٍ عليكَ فقد

فَقَدْنَ مِنكَ لعمري خيرَ مفتَقدِ

فَقَدْنَ مِنكَ لعمري خيرَ مفتَقدِ

No wonder if they die of grief for you, for

No wonder we grieve for you were

They have lost in you, by my life, the best of all those mourned.

The best of all we've lost, by my life

أمّا كَرُزْئِك لاَ واللهِ مَا سَمِعَتْ

أمّا كَرُزْئِك لاَ واللهِ مَا سَمِعَتْ

أذنٌ ولا دَارَ في فكْرٍ ولا خَلَدِ

أذنٌ ولا دَارَ في فكْرٍ ولا خَلَدِ

As for a loss like yours—no, by God, it has never been heard by

As for your calamity—by God, no ear has heard

Any ear, nor has it crossed a thought or mind.

Nor has it dwelled in a thought or heart

رُزوٌ غدا مِنهُ شملُ المجدِ مُنْصَدعاً

رُزوٌ غدا مِنهُ شملُ المجدِ مُنْصَدعاً

وفتّ في ساعِد العلياء والعَضُدِ

وفتّ في ساعِد العلياء والعَضُدِ

A calamity that left the unity of glory shattered,

A calamity that shattered the edifice of glory

And sapped the strength of eminence's forearm and upper arm.

And rent the arms of the eminent and sturdy

جلَّ المصابُ فما خَلْقٌ يقولُ إذنْ

جلَّ المصابُ فما خَلْقٌ يقولُ إذنْ

يا صَبْرَ أسْعِدْ لأَمرِ الواحِد الصَّمَدِ

يا صَبْرَ أسْعِدْ لأَمرِ الواحِد الصَّمَدِ

The calamity is immense; no mortal then says:

Profound is the affliction, so people cannot say

'O patience, help me heed the decree of the One, the Eternal Refuge.'

"Patience brings happiness"—obey the One, the Absolute

فالصَّبرُ عقدٌ نفيسٌ ما لَهُ ثمَنٌ

فالصَّبرُ عقدٌ نفيسٌ ما لَهُ ثمَنٌ

ولا يكونُ لغير السيِّد السَّنَدِ

ولا يكونُ لغير السيِّد السَّنَدِ

For patience is a precious necklace beyond price,

For patience is a precious gem beyond price

And belongs to none but the lord who is a pillar of strength.

Sustained only by the Lord, the helper

وما الرَّزِيَّةُ يا مولايَ هَيِّنةٌ

وما الرَّزِيَّةُ يا مولايَ هَيِّنةٌ

وغن أُمرْتَ بحُسْنِ الصبَّرِ والجَلَدِ

وغن أُمرْتَ بحُسْنِ الصبَّرِ والجَلَدِ

And the calamity, my lord, is no light matter,

Yet grief is no small thing, my Master, though you

Even if you are enjoined to noble patience and fortitude.

Command goodly patience and composure

لكِن نَسُومُكَ عَادَاتٍ عُرِفْتَ بها

لكِن نَسُومُكَ عَادَاتٍ عُرِفْتَ بها

أنْ لَسْتَ تُلْقِي إلى حُزْنٍ غَزَا بِيَدِ

أنْ لَسْتَ تُلْقِي إلى حُزْنٍ غَزَا بِيَدِ

But we ask of you the ways for which you are known:

But your noble ways we know

That you do not give your hand in surrender to invading grief.

You spurn sorrow that comes upon you

وليسَ مثلكَ مَنْ بالصَّبر نأمرُه

وليسَ مثلكَ مَنْ بالصَّبر نأمرُه

فأنتَ أنتَ الَّذي يَهْدِي إلى الرشدِ

فأنتَ أنتَ الَّذي يَهْدِي إلى الرشدِ

Nor is one like you someone we instruct in patience,

Unlike others we exhort to patience

For you yourself are the one who guides to sound judgment.

You it is who guides to the right path

كم حادثٍ لا تطيقُ الشمُّ وطأتَهُ

كم حادثٍ لا تطيقُ الشمُّ وطأتَهُ

لاقيتَهُ مِن جَميل الصَّبرِ في عُدَدِ

لاقيتَهُ مِن جَميل الصَّبرِ في عُدَدِ

How many a calamity whose weight lofty mountains cannot bear

How many tribulations you faced

You have faced, armed with noble patience.

With fine patience, forbearance, fortitude!

ألستَ مِن سَادةٍ شمٍّ غطارفةٍ

ألستَ مِن سَادةٍ شمٍّ غطارفةٍ

أَحْيوا بوَبْل النَدى الوكّافِ كلَّ نَدِي

أَحْيوا بوَبْل النَدى الوكّافِ كلَّ نَدِي

Are you not of lofty lords, noble chieftains,

Are you not one of lofty, fragrant chiefs

Who revived every gathering with the pouring rain of their bounty?

Who revived with rain of bounty every valley?

القومُ تَضْربُ أمثَالَ العُلَى بِهمُ

القومُ تَضْربُ أمثَالَ العُلَى بِهمُ

بينَ البريّة طُرّاً آخرَ الأَبدِ

بينَ البريّة طُرّاً آخرَ الأَبدِ

The people cite them as exemplars of greatness

You are the paragon of the highest

Among all creation, to eternity's end.

Among the wasteland's creatures until the end of time

المقْدمونَ وأسْدُ الغابِ خَاضعةٌ

المقْدمونَ وأسْدُ الغابِ خَاضعةٌ

والباذلو الجود والأنواء لم تَجُدِ

والباذلو الجود والأنواء لم تَجُدِ

Those who advance while the forest's lions submit,

The first in generosity, lions in combat bowed

And lavish bounty when the rain-stars yield none.

Never has the giver of gifts and shelter known want

غُرٌّ رَقَوا مِن مَراقي المجدِ أَرفَعَها

غُرٌّ رَقَوا مِن مَراقي المجدِ أَرفَعَها

وقوَّمُوا كلَّ ذي زَيْغٍ وذي أَوَدِ

وقوَّمُوا كلَّ ذي زَيْغٍ وذي أَوَدِ

Radiant men who climbed the highest steps of glory,

Strange! You surpassed the loftiest heights of glory

And straightened all who swerved or bent.

And set right all crookedness and scheming

واشكُرْ لمولاك إذ أَولاكَ عافيةً

واشكُرْ لمولاك إذ أَولاكَ عافيةً

لا زِلْتَ ترفلُ في أثوابها الجُدُدِ

لا زِلْتَ ترفلُ في أثوابها الجُدُدِ

And thank your Lord, for He has granted you well-being;

Thank your Master for granting you well-being

May you never cease to walk in its new, flowing robes.

While you continued to wear its robes anew

وما بقيتَ لنا فالصَّدعُ ملتَئمٌ

وما بقيتَ لنا فالصَّدعُ ملتَئمٌ

فأنتَ للدّين مثلُ الرّوحِ لِلْجسدِ

فأنتَ للدّين مثلُ الرّوحِ لِلْجسدِ

And as long as you remain with us, the fracture is mended,

As long as you lived, the crack was mended

For you are to the faith what the soul is to the body.

For the faith you were like the soul to the body