هَوى الشَرَفُ العالِي بِمَوتِ أَبِي يَعلى

هَوى الشَرَفُ العالِي بِمَوتِ أَبِي يَعلى

وَلا غَروَ أَن جَلَّت رَزِيَّةُ مَن جَلّا

وَلا غَروَ أَن جَلَّت رَزِيَّةُ مَن جَلّا

Lofty honor fell with the death of Abu Ya'la.

The great honor fell with the death of my father Ya'la

And no wonder the loss of one so exalted was immense.

And it is no wonder that the calamities of those exalted have come to pass

سَيَصلى بِنارِ الحُزنِ مَن كانَ آمِناً

سَيَصلى بِنارِ الحُزنِ مَن كانَ آمِناً

بِهِ أَنَّهُ في الحَشرِ بِالنارِ لا يَصلى

بِهِ أَنَّهُ في الحَشرِ بِالنارِ لا يَصلى

In grief's fire will burn whoever was assured

Whoever was faithful to him will pray with the fire of grief

Through him that he would not burn in fire at the Resurrection.

For he believes he will not pray in the Gathering with fire

تَحَلَّت بِهِ الدُنيا فَحَلَّ بِهِ الرَدى

تَحَلَّت بِهِ الدُنيا فَحَلَّ بِهِ الرَدى

فَعَطَلَّها مِن ذَلِكَ الحَليِ مَن حَلّى

فَعَطَلَّها مِن ذَلِكَ الحَليِ مَن حَلّى

The world adorned itself with him; then death befell him,

Afflictions befell him in this world, so misfortunes befell him

So the one who adorned it stripped it of that ornament.

And deprived this adorned one of his adornment

فَقَدناهُ فَقدَ الغَيثِ أَقلَعَ وَبلُهُ

فَقَدناهُ فَقدَ الغَيثِ أَقلَعَ وَبلُهُ

عَنِ الأَرضِ لَمّا أَمَّلت ذَلِكَ الوَبلا

عَنِ الأَرضِ لَمّا أَمَّلت ذَلِكَ الوَبلا

We lost him as one loses rain whose downpour withdrew

We lost him and lost a pouring rain after drought overcame its land

From the earth just when it hoped for that downpour.

When the land had hoped for such downpour

لَقَد فَلَّ مِنهُ الدَهرُ حَدَّ مُهَنَّدٍ

لَقَد فَلَّ مِنهُ الدَهرُ حَدَّ مُهَنَّدٍ

تَركنا بِهِ في كُلِّ حَدٍّ لَهُ فَلّا

تَركنا بِهِ في كُلِّ حَدٍّ لَهُ فَلّا

In him, Time has indeed blunted an Indian-steel sword's edge,

Indeed time has failed him, to the extent of the outstretched hand of Muhannad

With which we left a notch in every edge of Time.

We left him failing in every outstretched hand

فَلَستُ أُبالِي بَعدَهُ أَيَّ غابِرٍ

فَلَستُ أُبالِي بَعدَهُ أَيَّ غابِرٍ

مِنَ الناسِ أَملى اللَهُ مُدَّتَهُ أَم لا

مِنَ الناسِ أَملى اللَهُ مُدَّتَهُ أَم لا

So after him I care not for any survivor

So after him I don't care whichever adversary

Among mankind, whether God prolongs his life or not.

Of mankind God has destined his term or not

تَقِلُّ دُمُوعِي وَالهُمُومُ كَثِيرَةٌ

تَقِلُّ دُمُوعِي وَالهُمُومُ كَثِيرَةٌ

كَذاكَ دُخانُ النارِ إِن كَثُرَت قَلّا

كَذاكَ دُخانُ النارِ إِن كَثُرَت قَلّا

My tears dwindle, while my sorrows are many;

My tears are little but my griefs are many

So too a fire's smoke dwindles when the fire grows.

Just as the smoke of fire is little even when the fire is great

وَآنَفُ أَن أَبكِي عَلَيهِ بِعَبرَةٍ

وَآنَفُ أَن أَبكِي عَلَيهِ بِعَبرَةٍ

إِذا لَم تَكُن غَرباً مِنَ الدَمعِ أَو سَجلا

إِذا لَم تَكُن غَرباً مِنَ الدَمعِ أَو سَجلا

And I disdain to weep for him with a tear,

I disdain to weep over him with flowing tears

Unless it be a great bucketful of tears, or a brimming pail.

Unless it be tears of love or yearning