هو الدهر كرَّت في المعالي كتائبه

هو الدهر كرَّت في المعالي كتائبه

وعضت بأنياب حداد نوائبه

وعضت بأنياب حداد نوائبه

It is Time: its battalions have charged at the heights of glory,

Time revolved its battalions in glory,

and its calamities have bitten with sharp fangs.

And gnawed with the fangs of mourning its disasters.

فإن كان هذا الدهر ما لا صروفه

فإن كان هذا الدهر ما لا صروفه

على دكها الطور المنيع جوانبه

على دكها الطور المنيع جوانبه

If this is Time, whose vicissitudes [wording unclear]

If this time whose currents never return

batter the mountain whose sides are impregnable,

On its lofty mountain had fixed its sides,

فما جدعت إلاّ عرانين أنفه

فما جدعت إلاّ عرانين أنفه

ولا جب إلا ظهره وغواربه

ولا جب إلا ظهره وغواربه

then only the bridges of its own nose were mutilated,

It would have cut off only the tips of its nose,

and only its own back and crests were severed.

And no mountain but its back and calves.

لقد كورت في ذلك اليوم شمسه

لقد كورت في ذلك اليوم شمسه

وأمست تهاوى في الدياجي كواكبه

وأمست تهاوى في الدياجي كواكبه

That day its sun was indeed rolled up,

On that day, its sun was eclipsed,

and by evening its stars were tumbling through night's darkness.

And its stars began to wander in the darkness.

فوا أسفا للمجد طاف به الردى

فوا أسفا للمجد طاف به الردى

وقامت على رغم المعالي نوادبه

وقامت على رغم المعالي نوادبه

Alas for glory, which death has encircled,

Alas for the glory which abandonment befell,

while its women mourners rose, to lofty honor's dismay.

And adversities stood against the heights in spite.

وأمسى أبو العباس من بعد ملكه

وأمسى أبو العباس من بعد ملكه

معفرة تحت التراب ترائبه

معفرة تحت التراب ترائبه

And Abu al-Abbas, after his reign, came to lie

And Abu Al-Abbas after his kingdom,

with his breastbones dust-covered beneath the earth,

Became coffined beneath the soil,

وحيدا ببطن الأرض من فوقه الثرى

وحيدا ببطن الأرض من فوقه الثرى

تمر به أحبابه وحبائبه

تمر به أحبابه وحبائبه

alone in the belly of the earth, with soil above him,

Alone in the belly of the earth, above him the clay,

as his friends and beloved women pass by him.

While his loved ones and sweethearts pass by him.

وقد ملات عرض الفيافي جنوده

وقد ملات عرض الفيافي جنوده

وطبقت الدنيا خيولا مواكبه

وطبقت الدنيا خيولا مواكبه

Yet his troops had filled the breadth of the deserts,

And his armies filled the expanse of the desert,

and his processions had covered the world with horses.

And his cavalries covered the earth.

فلو كان يغني في الردى دفع دافع

فلو كان يغني في الردى دفع دافع

لردت وجوه الحطب عنه كتائبه

لردت وجوه الحطب عنه كتائبه

Had any defender's resistance availed against death,

Had there been one to repel the misfortune,

his battalions would have turned calamity's assaults away from him.

His battalions would have driven back the firewood.

ولكنها الأقدار تنفذ في الورى

ولكنها الأقدار تنفذ في الورى

بأمر غله أمره لا نغالبه

بأمر غله أمره لا نغالبه

Yet these are decrees of fate, fulfilled among mortals,

But it is fate which executes its will in the world,

by the command of God, whose command we cannot overcome.

With a command none can oppose.

فيا لهف نفسي كيف اطفىء نوره

فيا لهف نفسي كيف اطفىء نوره

وكيف خبا بعد الإِضاءة ثاقبه

وكيف خبا بعد الإِضاءة ثاقبه

Oh, my soul's anguish! How was his light extinguished?

Oh how my soul burns! How his light was extinguished!

And how did his piercing light fade after shining?

And how his brilliance disappeared after illumination!

وكيف أصابته المنايا بسهمها

وكيف أصابته المنايا بسهمها

ولم يغن عنه جيشه ومقانبه

ولم يغن عنه جيشه ومقانبه

And how did death strike him with its arrow,

And how the arrows of death hit their mark on him

while his army and cavalry squadrons could not save him?

While his army and weapons did not avail him.

فيا أيها الباكون حول ضريحه

فيا أيها الباكون حول ضريحه

على مثله فليسكب الدمع ساكبه

على مثله فليسكب الدمع ساكبه

O you who weep around his tomb,

Oh you who weep around his grave,

for one like him, let the weeper pour out tears.

Let your tears flow for one like him.

فجعتم بملك كالاب البر مشفق

فجعتم بملك كالاب البر مشفق

بوادره مأمونة وعواقبه

بوادره مأمونة وعواقبه

You have been bereaved of a king, compassionate as a kind father,

You have lost a king merciful as a father,

whose impulses and outcomes were both safe to trust.

His promises safe and his consequences good.

فقدتم به ما تعلمون من الوفا

فقدتم به ما تعلمون من الوفا

ومن كرم ما خاب في الناس طالبه

ومن كرم ما خاب في الناس طالبه

In him you lost the faithfulness you knew,

If a sinner sought refuge he would be covered by his forgiveness,

and generosity that never disappointed anyone who sought it.

And if the innocent made a promise, his gifts would cheat him.

إذا أوعد الجاني تغشاه عفوه

إذا أوعد الجاني تغشاه عفوه

وإن وعد العافي غشته مواهبه

وإن وعد العافي غشته مواهبه

When he threatened the offender, his pardon would enfold him,

No eye deserves excuse if it did not shed its water for him,

and when he promised the supplicant, his gifts would surround him.

No patience deserves excuse if its sides did not crack for him.

وما عذر عين لم تفض فيه ماؤها

وما عذر عين لم تفض فيه ماؤها

وما عذر صبر لم تصدع جوانبه

وما عذر صبر لم تصدع جوانبه

What excuse has an eye whose tears have not overflowed for him?

You owe him a debt so repay it,

And what excuse has patience whose sides have not cracked?

But how can tears repay what they owe?

عليكم له حق فوفه حقه

عليكم له حق فوفه حقه

وكيف يوفي بالمدامع واجبه

وكيف يوفي بالمدامع واجبه

You owe him a duty: give him his due,

By Allah, if our eyes shed blood in weeping,

and how can one fulfill his due with tears?

That would not equal what his due obliges.

فوالله لو تبكي الدماء عيوننا

فوالله لو تبكي الدماء عيوننا

لما قاربت من حقه ما يقاربه

لما قاربت من حقه ما يقاربه

By God, even if our eyes wept blood,

It would be proper for us to wish death after him,

they would not come anywhere near his due.

If the steps of a man could kill his companion.

لقد كان منا يحسن الموت بعده

لقد كان منا يحسن الموت بعده

لوان امرءا قدمات إذمات صاحبه

لوان امرءا قدمات إذمات صاحبه

It would indeed have been fitting for us to die after him,

If it were not for what we hope for and know,

if a man could die when his companion died.

That the highest stations of paradise are prepared for him,

ولولا الذي نرجو ونعلم أنه

ولولا الذي نرجو ونعلم أنه

ممهدة أعلى الجنان مراتبه

ممهدة أعلى الجنان مراتبه

And were it not for what we hope and know: that

And that he has in the presence of Holiness a dwelling,

his stations in the highest gardens of Paradise are made ready,

From which he looks upon and speaks to his Lord,

وإن له في حضرة القدس منزلا

وإن له في حضرة القدس منزلا

يشاهد منه ربه ويخاطبه

يشاهد منه ربه ويخاطبه

and that he has a home in the Holy Presence,

Then tears of sorrow and regret for him,

from which he beholds his Lord and addresses Him,

Would not cease flowing from the eyes of the weeping.

لما انفكَّ دمع العين حزنا وحسرة

لما انفكَّ دمع العين حزنا وحسرة

عليه من الباكين تجرى شعائبه

عليه من الباكين تجرى شعائبه

the eye's tears would never cease, in sorrow and anguish,

Let not the passage of time deceive anyone after him,

their branching streams flowing from those who mourn him.

For time is but a stupid camel you ride.

ولا يخدعن الدهر من بعده امرءا

ولا يخدعن الدهر من بعده امرءا

فما الدهر إلا ضيغم أنت راكبه

فما الدهر إلا ضيغم أنت راكبه

And after him, let Time deceive no man:

It treats the youth gently until it finds an opportunity,

for Time is only a lion you are riding.

Then it pounces on him with its fangs and claws.

يصافي الفتى حتى يرى فيه فرصة

يصافي الفتى حتى يرى فيه فرصة

فينشب فيه نابه ومخالبة

فينشب فيه نابه ومخالبة

It befriends a young man until it sees a chance against him,

Abu Ahmad, the nation of Ahmad

then sinks its fang and claws into him.

Has surrendered to Ahmad, so the truth surrendered to its companion.

أبا أحمد أسلمت أمة أحمد

أبا أحمد أسلمت أمة أحمد

إلى أحمد فاستسلم الحق صاحبه

إلى أحمد فاستسلم الحق صاحبه

Abu Ahmad, you entrusted Ahmad's community

And the landmarks of right leadership that had vanished amongst us,

to Ahmad, and right yielded to its rightful holder.

Rose by his order and its stars returned.

وقام بأمر الله من بعد ما عفت

وقام بأمر الله من بعد ما عفت

معالمه فينا وغارت كواكبه

معالمه فينا وغارت كواكبه

And he rose to uphold God's cause after

He rolled up his sleeve for the high endeavor, which is his concern,

its landmarks among us had faded and its stars had sunk.

Taking hold of its edges and pulling them together.

وشمر عن سائق امرىء همه العلا

وشمر عن سائق امرىء همه العلا

يجاذب من أطرافها وتجاذبه

يجاذب من أطرافها وتجاذبه

And he bared his shin, a man whose ambition was the heights,

He secured those in fear, and brought near those aspiring,

tugging at their edges as they tugged at him.

And managed the lands while he freely gave his drink to those thirsty from him.

وأمّن من خوف وقرب من نوى

وأمّن من خوف وقرب من نوى

وساس البرايا وهو ماطر شاربه

وساس البرايا وهو ماطر شاربه

And he brought safety from fear and nearness after separation,

The world and its people submitted to him,

and governed mankind before his moustache had sprouted.

And the rough trails of events were gentled by his experience.

ودانت له الدنيا وأذعن أهلها

ودانت له الدنيا وأذعن أهلها

وراضت صعاب الحادثات تجاربه

وراضت صعاب الحادثات تجاربه

And the world submitted to him, and its people obeyed,

Noble, he conserved wealth by his generosity, and who can disparage

and his experience tamed the unruly calamities.

One whose wealth was free to those begging from him?

كريما أصان المال بذلا ومن يهن

كريما أصان المال بذلا ومن يهن

لسائله أمواله عم جانبه

لسائله أمواله عم جانبه

Generous, he safeguarded wealth by giving; whoever holds cheap

By him the horizons shone and the sun rose

his wealth for his supplicant spreads his bounty to all.

At his appearing, and the night disclosed its obscurities.

أنارت به الافاق والشمس أشرقت

أنارت به الافاق والشمس أشرقت

بطلعته والليل تجلى غياهبه

بطلعته والليل تجلى غياهبه

The horizons shone through him, and the sun rose radiant

Oh helper of Islam, be patient, for when

at his countenance, while night's deep shadows lifted.

The taste of patience is sweet, its consequences are pleasant.

فيا ناصر الإِسلام صبرا فانه

فيا ناصر الإِسلام صبرا فانه

متى طاب طعم الصبر سرت عواقبه

متى طاب طعم الصبر سرت عواقبه

O champion of Islam, be patient; for

You were the best of cures for the break after him,

whenever patience's taste is sweet, its outcomes bring joy.

So alas for a crack not matched by its mountain!

لقد كنت نعم الجبر للكسر بعده

لقد كنت نعم الجبر للكسر بعده

فيالك صدعاً لم يلقه شاعبه

فيالك صدعاً لم يلقه شاعبه

You were indeed the finest mending for the fracture after him;

The rain clouds continuously water his grave with bounty and dew,

oh, what a rift, which its mender had not met!

Clouds that will not cease sustaining it.

سقى قبره الفياض بالجود والندى

سقى قبره الفياض بالجود والندى

سحاب ملث ليس يقلع راتبه

سحاب ملث ليس يقلع راتبه

May his grave, abundant in generosity and bounty, be watered

by a lingering cloud whose steady rain never ceases.