فَدَيناكَ لَوَ اِنَّ الرَدى قَبِلَ الفِدا

فَدَيناكَ لَوَ اِنَّ الرَدى قَبِلَ الفِدا

بِكُلِّ نَفيسٍ بِالنَفائِسُ يُفتَدى

بِكُلِّ نَفيسٍ بِالنَفائِسُ يُفتَدى

We would have ransomed you, had death accepted ransom,

We would redeem you if death accepted ransom

We would have ransomed you, had Destruction accepted a ransom,

With all that is precious—with treasures one is ransomed.

With every precious soul or precious treasure

With every precious thing, for by the precious are precious souls redeemed.

أَبى المَوتُ إِلّا أَن يَنالَكَ سَهمُهُ

أَبى المَوتُ إِلّا أَن يَنالَكَ سَهمُهُ

وَأَلّا يَرى شَملَ السَخاءِ مُبَدَّدا

وَأَلّا يَرى شَملَ السَخاءِ مُبَدَّدا

Death insisted that its arrow should reach you,

Death refused but to smite you with its arrow

But Death refused all else except that its arrow must reach you,

And that it should not see generosity's company scattered.

And not to see the glory of generosity shattered

And refused to leave the gathering of generosity unscattered.

فَأَقدَمَ لا يَبغي سِواك وَكُلَّما

فَأَقدَمَ لا يَبغي سِواك وَكُلَّما

دَرى أَنَّهُ يَبغي عَظيماً تَشَدَّدا

دَرى أَنَّهُ يَبغي عَظيماً تَشَدَّدا

So it advanced, seeking none but you, and whenever

So it marched, desiring none but you, and whenever

So it advanced, seeking none but you, and whenever

It knew it pursued a great man, it grew more relentless.

It knew it wanted a great one, it grew resolute

It realized it was seeking a great figure, it intensified its assault.

دَهاكَ الرَدى لَكِن عَلى حينِ فَجأَةٍ

دَهاكَ الرَدى لَكِن عَلى حينِ فَجأَةٍ

فَتَبَّت يَداهُ غادِرٌ صَرَعَ النَدى

فَتَبَّت يَداهُ غادِرٌ صَرَعَ النَدى

Death struck you, but without warning;

Fate took you suddenly in an instant

Destruction struck you, but it came all of a sudden;

So may its hands perish—a traitor that felled generosity!

A traitor's hands felled the pillar

Perish its hands! A traitor that struck down Generosity itself.

دَهاك وَلَم يُشفِق عَلى الصِبيَةِ الأُلى

دَهاك وَلَم يُشفِق عَلى الصِبيَةِ الأُلى

تَرَكتُهُم يَبكونَ مَثنى وَمَوحَدا

تَرَكتُهُم يَبكونَ مَثنى وَمَوحَدا

It struck you, with no pity for the little children

It took you and had no mercy on the bereft children

It struck you and showed no pity for the young children whom

Whom I left weeping, in pairs and singly.

It left them weeping, two by two, one by one

You left behind, weeping together and alone.

فَقَدت وَأَوجَدتَ الأَسى في قُلوبِنا

فَقَدت وَأَوجَدتَ الأَسى في قُلوبِنا

أَسىً كادَ لَولا لدَمعِ أَن يَتَوَقَّدا

أَسىً كادَ لَولا لدَمعِ أَن يَتَوَقَّدا

You were lost, and you created sorrow in our hearts,

You are gone but caused anguish in our hearts

You were lost, and you created sorrow in our hearts,

A sorrow that, but for tears, would almost have burst into flame.

An anguish that nearly ignited, if not for tears' flow

A sorrow that almost—were it not for tears—would have burst into flame.

بَكَيناكَ حَتّى كادَ يَبكي لَنا الصَفا

بَكَيناكَ حَتّى كادَ يَبكي لَنا الصَفا

وَحَتّى بَكَت مِمّا بَكَينا لَهُ العِدى

وَحَتّى بَكَت مِمّا بَكَينا لَهُ العِدى

We wept for you until the rocks almost wept for us,

We wept for you until the mountain almost wept for us

We wept for you until the solid rock almost wept for us,

And even foes wept at what we had wept over.

And until, from our weeping, even enemies wept

And until the enemies wept because of our weeping for him.

وَما كادَ يَرقى الدَمعُ حَتّى جَرى بِهِ

وَما كادَ يَرقى الدَمعُ حَتّى جَرى بِهِ

غَدٌ عِندَما يا لَيتَنا لَم نَرَ غَدا

غَدٌ عِندَما يا لَيتَنا لَم نَرَ غَدا

Scarcely had the tears ceased when they were made to flow

Scarcely had tears wet our eyes before they flowed

Scarcely had the tears dried when they flowed again

By a morrow, like blood-red dye—oh, would that we had never seen that morrow!

Tomorrow when - would we had never seen tomorrow!

For a tomorrow—oh, would that we had never seen that tomorrow!

وَقَضَت طِفلَةٌ تَحكي المَلاكَ طَهارَةً

وَقَضَت طِفلَةٌ تَحكي المَلاكَ طَهارَةً

وَأَلحَقَها المَوتُ الزُؤامُ بِمَن عَدا

وَأَلحَقَها المَوتُ الزُؤامُ بِمَن عَدا

And a little girl died, angel-like in purity,

A young girl pure as angels perished

For a young girl passed away, resembling an angel in purity,

And dreadful death joined her to the one who had gone before.

And death joined her to those gone before

And violent death joined her with the one who passed before.

لَقَد ظَعِنَت تَبغي لُقاكَ كَأَنَّما

لَقَد ظَعِنَت تَبغي لُقاكَ كَأَنَّما

ضَربتَ لَها قَبلَ التَفَرُّقِ مَوعِدا

ضَربتَ لَها قَبلَ التَفَرُّقِ مَوعِدا

Indeed, she departed seeking to meet you, as though

She pined, seeking to meet you, as if

She departed seeking to meet you, as if

You had set her an appointment before the parting.

You had set, before parting, a time you'd see each other

You had made an appointment with her before parting.

كَأَنَّ لَها نَذراً أَرادَت قَضائَهُ

كَأَنَّ لَها نَذراً أَرادَت قَضائَهُ

كَأَنَّكَ أَنتَ الصَوتُ جاوَبَهُ الصَدى

كَأَنَّكَ أَنتَ الصَوتُ جاوَبَهُ الصَدى

As though she had a vow she wished to fulfill,

As if she had a vow she wanted to fulfill

As if she had a vow she wished to fulfill;

As though you were the voice that the echo answered.

As if you were the voice, the echo answered back

As if you were the voice and the echo answered it.

مَشَت في طَريقٍ قَد مَشى فيهِ بَعدَها

مَشَت في طَريقٍ قَد مَشى فيهِ بَعدَها

فَتاكَ الَّذي أَعدَدتَ مِنهُ المُهَنَّدا

فَتاكَ الَّذي أَعدَدتَ مِنهُ المُهَنَّدا

She walked a path along which, after her, there walked

She walked a path you too had walked

She walked a path which, after her, was walked by

Your young son, whom you had prepared to be an Indian-steel sword.

To meet you, whom you had prepared to excel

Your son, whom you had tempered like a fine sword.

فَتىً طابَ أَخلاقا وَطابَ مَحامِداً

فَتىً طابَ أَخلاقا وَطابَ مَحامِداً

وَطابَ فُؤاداً مِثلَما طابَ مَحتَدا

وَطابَ فُؤاداً مِثلَما طابَ مَحتَدا

A youth noble in character and in praiseworthy qualities,

A lad of fine character and fine qualities

A youth of good character and good praiseworthy deeds,

And noble of heart, just as he was noble in lineage.

Of a heart as sweet as his face that smiled

Good of heart just as he was good of lineage.

فَتىً كانَ مِثلَ الغُصنِ في عُنفُوانِهِ

فَتىً كانَ مِثلَ الغُصنِ في عُنفُوانِهِ

فَلِلَّهِ ذاكَ الغُصنُ كَيفَ تَأَوَّدا

فَلِلَّهِ ذاكَ الغُصنُ كَيفَ تَأَوَّدا

A youth who, in his prime, was like a bough;

A lad who was like a branch in its prime

A youth who was like a branch in his prime—

To God belongs that bough—how it bent!

By God! How that branch was brought down!

So to God belongs that branch, how quickly it withered!

تَعَوَّدَ أَن يَلقاكَ في كُلِّ بُكرَةٍ

تَعَوَّدَ أَن يَلقاكَ في كُلِّ بُكرَةٍ

فَكانَ قَبيحَ تُركٍ ما قَد تَعَوَّدا

فَكانَ قَبيحَ تُركٍ ما قَد تَعَوَّدا

He was used to meeting you every morning,

He grew used to seeing you each morn

He was accustomed to meeting you every morning,

So it was unseemly to abandon what he was used to.

Ugly then was the leaving you had made habitual

And it would have been an ugly breach to abandon his custom.

فُجِعنا بِهِ كَالبَدرِ عِندَ تَمامِهِ

فُجِعنا بِهِ كَالبَدرِ عِندَ تَمامِهِ

وَلَم نَرَ بَدراً قَبلَهُ الأَرضَ وُسِّدا

وَلَم نَرَ بَدراً قَبلَهُ الأَرضَ وُسِّدا

We were bereaved of him, like the moon at its full,

We were bereaved of him, like the full moon

We were bereaved of him like the full moon at its completion,

And never before him had we seen a moon pillowed on the earth.

Never before had we seen the earth filled with moonlight

And never before have we seen a full moon pillowed upon the earth.

فَلَم يَبقَ طَرفٌ لَم يَسِل دَمعُهُ دَماً

فَلَم يَبقَ طَرفٌ لَم يَسِل دَمعُهُ دَماً

وَلَم يَبقَ قَلبٌ في المَلا ما تَصَعَّدا

وَلَم يَبقَ قَلبٌ في المَلا ما تَصَعَّدا

So no eye remained that did not shed tears of blood,

No eye remained whose tears did not flow blood

Not an eye remained that did not shed its tears as blood,

And no heart among the people remained that did not sigh.

No heart in the throng did not blaze up

And not a heart remained in the assembly that did not heave in grief.

كَوارِثٌ لَو نابَت جِبالاً شَواهِقاً

كَوارِثٌ لَو نابَت جِبالاً شَواهِقاً

لَخَرَّت لَها تِلكَ الشَواهِقُ سُجَّدا

لَخَرَّت لَها تِلكَ الشَواهِقُ سُجَّدا

Calamities—had they befallen towering mountains,

Disasters that, had they turned to towering mountains,

Disasters, which if they had befallen towering mountains,

Those towering heights would have fallen prostrate before them.

Those peaks would have bowed down prostrate before them

Those towering peaks would have collapsed before them in prostration.

وَلَو اِنَّها في جامِدٍ صارَ سائِلاً

وَلَو اِنَّها في جامِدٍ صارَ سائِلاً

وَلَو اِنَّها في سائِلٍ صارَ جامِدا

وَلَو اِنَّها في سائِلٍ صارَ جامِدا

And had they struck a solid, it would have turned liquid;

Had they struck inanimate matter, it would have turned liquid

And if they befell a solid object, it would become liquid,

And had they struck a liquid, it would have turned solid.

Had they struck liquid, it would have turned solid

And if they befell a liquid, it would become solid.

أَفَهمي إِنَّ الصَبرَ أَليَقُ بَِلفَتى

أَفَهمي إِنَّ الصَبرَ أَليَقُ بَِلفَتى

وَلا سِيَّما مَن كانَ مِثلَكَ سَيِّدا

وَلا سِيَّما مَن كانَ مِثلَكَ سَيِّدا

O Fahmi, patience better befits a young man,

Understand, my friend, that patience best suits a hero

O Fahmi, indeed patience is more befitting of a man,

Especially one who, like you, is a man of distinction.

Especially one, like you, who is master

Especially one who was, like you, a master.

فَكُن قُدوَةً لِلصابِرينَ فَإِنَّما

فَكُن قُدوَةً لِلصابِرينَ فَإِنَّما

بِمِثلِكَ في دَفعِ المُلِمّاتِ يُقتَدى

بِمِثلِكَ في دَفعِ المُلِمّاتِ يُقتَدى

So be a model for those who endure, for only

Be an example for those who are patient -

So be a role model for the patient, for indeed,

One like you is taken as a model in withstanding calamities.

It is by your like, in repelling afflictions, examples are set

By the likes of you, in the repelling of calamities, one is guided.

لَعَمرُكَ ما الأَحزانُ تَنفَعُ رَبَّها

لَعَمرُكَ ما الأَحزانُ تَنفَعُ رَبَّها

فَيَجمُلُ بِالمَحزونِ أَن يَتَجَلَّدا

فَيَجمُلُ بِالمَحزونِ أَن يَتَجَلَّدا

By your life, sorrows do not benefit their bearer;

By your life! Sorrow avails not its lord

By your life, sorrows do not benefit their owner,

So it befits the sorrowful to show fortitude.

So it befits the sorrowful to show forbearance

So it is beautiful for the sorrowful to endure with fortitude.

فَما وُجِدَ الإِنسانُ إِلّا لِيُفقَدا

فَما وُجِدَ الإِنسانُ إِلّا لِيُفقَدا

وَما فُقِدَ الإِنسانُ إِلّا لِيوجَدا

وَما فُقِدَ الإِنسانُ إِلّا لِيوجَدا

For man was brought into being only to be lost,

Man was not created but to be lost one day

For man was not found except to be lost,

And man was lost only to be brought into being.

And was not lost but to be found one day

And man was not lost except to be found.

وَما أَحَدٌ تَنجو مِنَ المَوتِ نَفسُهُ

وَما أَحَدٌ تَنجو مِنَ المَوتِ نَفسُهُ

وَلَو اِنَّهُ فَوقَ السَماكينِ أُصعِدا

وَلَو اِنَّهُ فَوقَ السَماكينِ أُصعِدا

No one has a soul that escapes death,

No soul escapes death,

And no one saves his soul from death,

Even were he raised above the two Simak stars.

Even were it above the highest Heaven ascended

Even if he were ascended above the highest stars.

فَلا يَحزَنِ الباكي وَلا تَشمَتِ العِدا

فَلا يَحزَنِ الباكي وَلا تَشمَتِ العِدا

فَكُلُّ اِمرِئٍ ياصاحِ غايَتُهُ الرَدى

فَكُلُّ اِمرِئٍ ياصاحِ غايَتُهُ الرَدى

So let the mourner not grieve, nor enemies gloat,

So let not the weeping grieve, nor enemies gloat

So let not the weeper grieve, nor the enemies rejoice,

For every person, my friend, has death as his end.

For every person, friend, ends in dust

For every person, O friend, their ultimate end is Destruction.