1. أَيَدري المُسلِمونَ بِمَن أُصيبوا

    وَقَد وارَوا سَليماً في التُرابِ

    Do the Muslims know whose loss has stricken them,

    now that they have laid Salim in the earth?

  2. هَوى رُكنُ الحَديثِ فَأَيُّ قُطبٍ

    لِطُلّابِ الحَقيقَةِ وَالصَوابِ

    The pillar of hadith has fallen—what lodestar remains

    for seekers of truth and right?

  3. مُوَطَّأَ مالِكٍ عَزِّ البُخاري

    وَدَع لِلَّهِ تَعزِيَةَ الكِتابِ

    O Malik's Muwatta, console al-Bukhari,

    and leave the consoling of the Book to God.

  4. فَما في الناطِقينِ فَمٌ يُوَفّي

    عَزاءَ الدينِ في هَذا المُصابِ

    For among those who speak, no mouth can give

    faith its due consolation in this calamity.

  5. قَضى الشَيخُ المُحَدِّثُ وَهوَ يُملي

    عَلى طُلّابِهِ فَصلَ الخِطابِ

    The sheikh, the hadith scholar, died while dictating

    decisive discourse to his students.

  6. وَلَم تَنقُص لَهُ التِسعونَ عَزماً

    وَلا صَدَّتهُ عَن دَركِ الطِلابِ

    His ninety years had not diminished his resolve,

    nor kept him from attaining what he sought.

  7. وَما غالَت قَريحَتَهُ اللَيالي

    وَلا خانَتهُ ذاكِرَةُ الشَبابِ

    Nor had the nights ravaged his native genius,

    nor had his youthful memory betrayed him.

  8. أَشَيخَ المُسلِمينَ نَأَيتَ عَنّا

    عَظيمَ الأَجرِ مَوفورَ الثَوابِ

    O sheikh of the Muslims, you have gone far from us,

    with great recompense and abundant reward.

  9. لَقَد سَبَقَت لَكَ الحُسنى فَطوبى

    لِمَوقِفِ شَيخِنا يَومَ الحِسابِ

    Indeed, the finest reward was foreordained for you—so blessed be

    our sheikh's standing on the Day of Reckoning!

  10. إِذا أَلقى السُؤالَ عَلَيكَ مُلقٍ

    تَصَدّى عَنكَ بِرُّكِ لِلجَوابِ

    When a questioner puts a question to you,

    your righteousness will step forward to answer for you.

  11. وَنادى العَدلُ وَالإِحسانُ إِنّا

    نُزَكّي ما يَقولُ وَلا نُحابي

    And Justice and Benevolence will proclaim: 'Indeed, we

    vouch for what he says, and show no partiality.'

  12. قِفوا يا أَيُّها العُلَماءُ وَاِبكوا

    وَرَوّوا لَحدَهُ قَبلَ الحِسابِ

    Stand, O scholars, and weep,

    and drench his grave before the Reckoning.

  13. فَهَذا يَومُنا وَلَنَحنُ أَولى

    بِبَذلِ الدَمعِ مِن ذاتِ الخِضابِ

    For this is our day, and surely we are more entitled

    to shed tears than she who wears henna.

  14. عَلَيكَ تَحِيَّةُ الإِسلامِ وَقفاً

    وَأَهليهِ إِلى يَومِ المَآبِ

    Upon you be Islam's greeting, as a perpetual endowment,

    and that of its people, until the Day of Return.