العِلمُlearning بَعدَafter أَبيAbu العَلاءِal-Ala مُضَيَّعُneglected
العِلمُ بَعدَ أَبي العَلاءِ مُضَيَّعُ
وَالأَرضُand the earth خالِيَةُempty الجَوانِبِthe sides بَلقعُa barren waste
وَالأَرضُ خالِيَةُ الجَوانِبِ بَلقعُ
Learning lies neglected after Abu al-Ala.
Knowledge after Abul 'Ala has gone to waste
And the earth is empty on all sides, a barren waste.
And the horizons of the earth are desolate and bare
أَودىhe died وَقَدand already مَلَأَhe filled البِلادَthe lands غَرائِباًmarvels
أَودى وَقَد مَلَأَ البِلادَ غَرائِباً
تَسرِيtravel by night كَماjust as تَسرِيtravel by night النُجُومُthe stars الطُلَّعُthe rising ones
تَسرِي كَما تَسرِي النُجُومُ الطُلَّعُ
He died, having filled the lands with marvels
He passed away having filled the lands with wonders
That travel by night as the rising stars travel.
That flow like the stars rising in the darkness
ماnot كُنتُI was أَعلَمُI know وَهوَwhile he يُودَعُis laid فيin الثَرىthe soil
ما كُنتُ أَعلَمُ وَهوَ يُودَعُ في الثَرى
أَنَّthat الثَرىthe soil فِيهِwithin it الكَواكِبُthe stars تُودَعُare laid
أَنَّ الثَرى فِيهِ الكَواكِبُ تُودَعُ
I did not know, as he was laid in the soil,
I did not know, as he was laid in the earth
That stars could be laid within the soil.
That the earth contained the stars that set
جَبَلٌa mountain ظَنَنتُI thought وَقَدand already تَزَعزَعَshook رُكنُهُhis foundation
جَبَلٌ ظَنَنتُ وَقَد تَزَعزَعَ رُكنُهُ
أَنَّthat الجِبالَthe mountains الراسِياتِfirmly rooted تُزَعزَعُare shaken
أَنَّ الجِبالَ الراسِياتِ تُزَعزَعُ
He was a mountain; when his foundation shook, I thought
A mountain, I thought, whose pillar was shaken
That firmly rooted mountains could be shaken.
That the mountains that stood firm could be shaken
وَعَجِبتُand I marveled أَنthat تَسَعَcould contain المَعَرَّةُal-Maʿarra قَبرَهُhis grave
وَعَجِبتُ أَن تَسَعَ المَعَرَّةُ قَبرَهُ
وَيَضِيقُand is too narrow بَطنُthe interior of الأَرضِthe earth عَنهُfor him الأَوسَعُthe most spacious
وَيَضِيقُ بَطنُ الأَرضِ عَنهُ الأَوسَعُ
And I marveled that al-Maʿarra could contain his grave,
And I wondered that the grave could contain him
Yet the earth's vastest depths were too narrow for him.
While the vast earth was too narrow for him
لَوif فاضَتِpoured forth المُهَجاتُlifeblood يَومَthe day of وَفاتِهِhis death
لَو فاضَتِ المُهَجاتُ يَومَ وَفاتِهِ
ماnot اِستُكثِرَتwould be deemed excessive فِيهِfor him فَكَيفَthen what of الأَدمُعُtears
ما اِستُكثِرَت فِيهِ فَكَيفَ الأَدمُعُ
Had lifeblood poured forth on the day of his death,
Had hearts poured out on the day of his death
It would not have been deemed excessive for him—then what of tears?
Their tears would not have sufficed, so what of tears?
تَتَصَرَّمُpasses away الدُنياthe world وَيَأتيand will come بَعدَهُafter him
تَتَصَرَّمُ الدُنيا وَيَأتي بَعدَهُ
أُمَمٌnations وَأَنتَand you بِمِثلِهِof anyone like him لاnot تَسمَعُyou hear
أُمَمٌ وَأَنتَ بِمِثلِهِ لا تَسمَعُ
The world passes away, and after him will come
The world decays and ages come after him
Nations, yet you will hear of no one like him.
While you hear not the like of him again
لاdo not تَجمَعِhoard المالَthe wealth العَتيدَat hand وَجُدand be generous بِهِwith it
لا تَجمَعِ المالَ العَتيدَ وَجُد بِهِ
مِنfrom قَبلِbefore تَركِكَyour leaving behind كُلَّevery شَيءٍthing تَجمَعُyou gather
مِن قَبلِ تَركِكَ كُلَّ شَيءٍ تَجمَعُ
Do not hoard the wealth at hand; be generous with it,
Amass not treasured wealth and spend it
Before you leave behind everything you gather.
Before you leave behind all you amassed
وَإِنand if استَطَعتَyou can فَسِرthen follow بِسِيرَةِin the way of life of أَحمَدٍAhmad
وَإِن استَطَعتَ فَسِر بِسِيرَةِ أَحمَدٍ
تَأمَنyou will be safe from خَدِيعَةَthe deceit of مَنwhoever يَغُرَّbeguiles وَيَخدَعُand deceives
تَأمَن خَدِيعَةَ مَن يَغُرَّ وَيَخدَعُ
And if you can, follow Ahmad's way of life:
And if you can, live by Ahmad's way
You will be safe from the deceit of whoever beguiles and deceives.
You will be safe from the deceit of deceivers
رَفَضَhe rejected الحَياةَlife وَماتَand died قَبلَbefore مَماتِهِhis death
رَفَضَ الحَياةَ وَماتَ قَبلَ مَماتِهِ
مُتَطَوِّعاًvoluntarily بِأَبَرِّthrough the most righteous of ماwhat يُتَطَوَّعُis voluntarily undertaken
مُتَطَوِّعاً بِأَبَرِّ ما يُتَطَوَّعُ
He rejected life and died before his death,
He scorned life and died before dying
Willingly undertaking the most righteous of voluntary deeds.
Volunteering with the most noble volunteerism
عَينٌan eye تُسَهدُis kept awake لِلعَفافِfor chastity وَلِلتُقىand for piety
عَينٌ تُسَهدُ لِلعَفافِ وَلِلتُقى
أَبَداًalways وَقَلبٌand a heart لِلمُهَيمِنِbefore the Guardian يَخشَعُhumbles itself
أَبَداً وَقَلبٌ لِلمُهَيمِنِ يَخشَعُ
An eye kept wakeful for chastity and piety
An eye that stays sleepless for chastity and piety
Always, and a heart that humbles itself before the Guardian.
Forever, and a heart humbled before the All-Dominant
شِيَمٌnoble qualities تُجَمِّلُهُadorn him فهُنَّso they لِمَجدِهِfor his glory
شِيَمٌ تُجَمِّلُهُ فهُنَّ لِمَجدِهِ
تاجٌa crown وَلَكِنand yet بِالثَناءِwith praise يُرَصَّعُis studded
تاجٌ وَلَكِن بِالثَناءِ يُرَصَّعُ
Noble qualities adorn him; for his glory they are
Morals that adorn him, so for his glory
A crown, yet one studded with praise.
A crown, but with praise it is adorned
جادَتmay water generously ثَراكَyour soil أَباO Abu العَلاءِal-Ala غَمامَةٌa cloud
جادَت ثَراكَ أَبا العَلاءِ غَمامَةٌ
كَنَدىlike the bounty of يَدَيكَyour two hands وَمُزنَةٌand a raincloud لاnot تُقلِعُceases
كَنَدى يَدَيكَ وَمُزنَةٌ لا تُقلِعُ
May a cloud water your soil, Abu al-Ala,
Your grave, O Abul 'Ala, was clouded
Like the bounty of your hands, and a raincloud that never ceases.
With dew at your hands and a ceaseless drizzle
ماnot ضَيَّعَwasted الباكِيthe mourner عَلَيكَfor you دُمُوعَهُhis tears
ما ضَيَّعَ الباكِي عَلَيكَ دُمُوعَهُ
إِنindeed الدُمُوعَtears عَلىfor سِواكَanyone other than you تُضَيَّعُare wasted
إِن الدُمُوعَ عَلى سِواكَ تُضَيَّعُ
The mourner for you has not wasted his tears;
He who weeps for you wastes not his tears
Indeed, tears for anyone else are wasted.
For tears for other than you are wasted
قَصَدَتكَsought you طُلّابُseekers of العُلومِthe branches of knowledge وَلاand not أَرىI see
قَصَدَتكَ طُلّابُ العُلومِ وَلا أَرى
لِلعِلمِto learning باباًa door بَعدَafter بابِكَyour door يُقرَعُis knocked upon
لِلعِلمِ باباً بَعدَ بابِكَ يُقرَعُ
Seekers of learning sought you, and I see no
The students of knowledge sought you, and I see
Door to learning knocked upon after yours.
For knowledge no door after yours that is knocked
ماتَhas died النُهىreason وَتَعَطَلَّلَتand became idle أَسبابُهُits means
ماتَ النُهى وَتَعَطَلَّلَت أَسبابُهُ
وَقَضىand has perished التَأدُّبُrefinement وَالمَكارِمُand noble virtues أَجمَعُall
وَقَضى التَأدُّبُ وَالمَكارِمُ أَجمَعُ
Reason has died, and its means have fallen idle,
Manners passed away, and its means failed
And refinement and all noble virtues have perished.
And refinement and all virtues passed away
Sol 6.1