عثا في عرضِهِ قومٌ سلاطٌ

عثا في عرضِهِ قومٌ سلاطٌ

لهمْ منْ نثرِ جوهرِهِ التقاطُ

لهمْ منْ نثرِ جوهرِهِ التقاطُ

A sharp-tongued band has ravaged his honor,

A sharp-tongued band ravaged his honor.

though all they have is a gleaning from the jewels he scattered.

They gleaned from the jewels he scattered.

تقيُّ الدينِ أحمدُ خيرُ حَبْرٍ

تقيُّ الدينِ أحمدُ خيرُ حَبْرٍ

خُروقُ المفصلاتِ بهِ تُخاطُ

خُروقُ المفصلاتِ بهِ تُخاطُ

Taqi al-Din Ahmad, the finest learned scholar—

Taqi al-Din Ahmad, the finest of scholars:

through him the rents in difficult questions were sewn shut.

Through him, the rents in detailed expositions were stitched.

توفي وهْوَ محبوسٌ فريدٌ

توفي وهْوَ محبوسٌ فريدٌ

وليسَ لهُ إلى الدنيا انبساطُ

وليسَ لهُ إلى الدنيا انبساطُ

He died beloved and peerless,

He died, imprisoned and alone,

with no attachment to this worldly life.

And had no delight in this world.

ولو حضروهُ حينَ قضى لألفَوا

ولو حضروهُ حينَ قضى لألفَوا

ملائكةَ النعيمِ به أحاطوا

ملائكةَ النعيمِ به أحاطوا

Had they attended him when he passed away, they would have found

Had they attended him when he died, they would have found

the angels of Paradise encircling him.

Angels of bliss surrounding him.

قضى نحباً وليسَ لهُ قرينٌ

قضى نحباً وليسَ لهُ قرينٌ

ولا لنظيرِهِ لُفَّ القماطُ

ولا لنظيرِهِ لُفَّ القماطُ

He met his appointed death, with no peer;

He met his end, and had no peer;

nor was an equal to him ever wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Nor was a swaddling cloth ever wrapped around his equal.

فريداً في ندى كفٍّ وعلمٍ

فريداً في ندى كفٍّ وعلمٍ

وحلُّ المشكلاتِ به يُناطُ

وحلُّ المشكلاتِ به يُناطُ

Peerless in open-handed generosity and knowledge,

Unique in open-handed bounty and learning,

to him the solving of difficult questions was entrusted.

And to him was entrusted the solving of difficult questions.

وكانَ إلى التقى يدعو البرايا

وكانَ إلى التقى يدعو البرايا

وينهى فرقةً فسقوا ولاطوا

وينهى فرقةً فسقوا ولاطوا

He called all humankind to piety

And he called humankind to piety,

and forbade a faction debauchery and sodomy.

And rebuked a faction who sinned and practiced sodomy.

وكانَ يخافُ إبليسٌ سطاهُ

وكانَ يخافُ إبليسٌ سطاهُ

بوعظٍ للقلوبِ هوَ السياطُ

بوعظٍ للقلوبِ هوَ السياطُ

Even Iblis feared his assault;

And Iblis used to fear his onslaught,

his preaching was a scourge upon hearts.

Through exhortation—a scourge upon the hearts.

فيا لله ماذا ضمَّ لحدٌ

فيا لله ماذا ضمَّ لحدٌ

ويا للهِ ما غطَّى البساطُ

ويا للهِ ما غطَّى البساطُ

Ah, by God, what a man a tomb has enclosed!

O God, what a grave has embraced!

And, by God, what a man earth’s carpet has covered!

And O God, what the carpet has covered!

هُمْ حسدوهُ لما لم ينالوا

هُمْ حسدوهُ لما لم ينالوا

مناقبَهُ فقد مكروا وشاطوا

مناقبَهُ فقد مكروا وشاطوا

It was they who envied him because they could not attain

They envied him because they had not attained

his virtues; so they plotted and raged with fury.

His virtues; so they plotted and burned with rage.

وكانوا عن طرائقهِ كسالى

وكانوا عن طرائقهِ كسالى

ولكنْ في أذاهُ لهم نشاطُ

ولكنْ في أذاهُ لهم نشاطُ

They were sluggish in following his paths,

They were sluggish in following his ways,

yet full of zeal when it came to harming him.

But zealous in causing him harm.

وحبسُ الدرِّ في الأصدافِ فخرٌ

وحبسُ الدرِّ في الأصدافِ فخرٌ

وعندَ الشيخِ بالسجنِ اغتباطُ

وعندَ الشيخِ بالسجنِ اغتباطُ

The pearl’s confinement within its shells is an honor,

And the confinement of pearls in shells is an honor,

and for the shaykh, imprisonment was bliss.

And the shaykh found gladness in prison.

بآلِ الهاشميّ لهُ اقتداءٌ

بآلِ الهاشميّ لهُ اقتداءٌ

فقد ذاقوا المنونَ ولمْ يواطُوا

فقد ذاقوا المنونَ ولمْ يواطُوا

In the house of the Hashemite Prophet he had a precedent:

He followed the example of the Hashimite's household:

they too tasted death and never compromised.

For they tasted death and did not yield.

بنو تيميَّةٍ كانوا فباتوا

بنو تيميَّةٍ كانوا فباتوا

نجومَ العلمِ أدركها انهباطُ

نجومَ العلمِ أدركها انهباطُ

The sons of Taymiyya once were—and then departed—

The sons of Taymiyya lived, then became

stars of learning overtaken by their setting.

Stars of learning overtaken by a fall.

ولكنْ يا ندامةَ حاسديهِ

ولكنْ يا ندامةَ حاسديهِ

فشكُّ الشركِ كانَ بهِ يُماطُ

فشكُّ الشركِ كانَ بهِ يُماطُ

But alas for the remorse awaiting those who envied him!

But oh, the remorse of those who envied him!

For through him the doubt of polytheism was effaced.

For through him the doubts of polytheism were swept away.

ويا فرحَ اليهودِ بما فعلتم

ويا فرحَ اليهودِ بما فعلتم

فإنَّ الضدَّ يعجبُهُ الخباطُ

فإنَّ الضدَّ يعجبُهُ الخباطُ

Oh, the delight of the Jews at what you have done!

And oh, the Jews' delight in what you have done!

For an adversary delights in turmoil.

For an adversary delights in turmoil.

ألمْ يكُ فيكمُ رجلٌ رشيدٌ

ألمْ يكُ فيكمُ رجلٌ رشيدٌ

يرى سجنَ الإمامِ فيُستشاطُ

يرى سجنَ الإمامِ فيُستشاطُ

Was there not among you one right-minded man

Was there not a right-minded man among you

who, seeing the Imam imprisoned, would blaze with rage?

To see the imam imprisoned and be stirred to fury?

إمامٌ لا ولايةَ كانَ يرجو

إمامٌ لا ولايةَ كانَ يرجو

ولا وقفٌ عليهِ ولا رباطُ

ولا وقفٌ عليهِ ولا رباطُ

An Imam who sought no office,

An imam who aspired to no office,

no endowment assigned to him, no religious lodge;

With no endowment assigned to him, nor any religious lodge.

ولا جاراكمُ في كسبِ مالٍ

ولا جاراكمُ في كسبِ مالٍ

ولم يُعْهَد لهُ بكمُ اختلاطُ

ولم يُعْهَد لهُ بكمُ اختلاطُ

nor did he vie with you in amassing wealth,

Nor did he vie with you in acquiring wealth,

nor was he known to mingle with you.

Nor was he known to mingle with you.

ففيمَ سجنتموهُ وغظْتموهُ

ففيمَ سجنتموهُ وغظْتموهُ

أما لجزا أذِيَّتِهِ اشتراطُ

أما لجزا أذِيَّتِهِ اشتراطُ

Why, then, did you imprison him—and thereby exalt him?

So why did you imprison him and vex him?

Was harming him stipulated as his recompense?

Is no requital prescribed for the harm done to him?

وسجنُ الشيخِ لا يرضاهُ مثلي

وسجنُ الشيخِ لا يرضاهُ مثلي

ففيهِ لقدرٍ مثلكمُ انحطاطُ

ففيهِ لقدرٍ مثلكمُ انحطاطُ

Imprisoning the shaykh is something one like me cannot approve:

One like me does not approve the shaykh's imprisonment,

for it lowers the standing of men such as you.

For it lowers the standing of men like you.

أما واللهِ لولا كتمُ سرّي

أما واللهِ لولا كتمُ سرّي

وخوفُ الشرِّ لانحلَّ الرباطُ

وخوفُ الشرِّ لانحلَّ الرباطُ

But by God, were it not that I keep my secret

Indeed, by God, were it not for concealing my secret

and fear the evil, the bond would come undone.

And fear of harm, the bond would have come undone.

وكنتُ أقولُ ما عندي ولكنْ

وكنتُ أقولُ ما عندي ولكنْ

بأهلِ العلمِ ما حَسُنَ اشتطاطُ

بأهلِ العلمِ ما حَسُنَ اشتطاطُ

I would say all that is within me; but

And I would have spoken my mind, but

excess does not befit men of learning.

Intemperance ill befits men of learning.

فما أحدٌ إلى الإنصافِ يدعو

فما أحدٌ إلى الإنصافِ يدعو

وكلٌّ في هواهُ لهُ انخراطُ

وكلٌّ في هواهُ لهُ انخراطُ

Now no one calls for justice;

For no one calls for fairness,

each is wholly immersed in his own desire.

And everyone is immersed in his own desires.

سيظهرُ قصدُكم يا حابسيهِ

سيظهرُ قصدُكم يا حابسيهِ

ونيتُكُمْ إذا نُصِبَ الصّراطُ

ونيتُكُمْ إذا نُصِبَ الصّراطُ

Your purpose will be revealed, O you who jailed him,

Your purpose will be revealed, O you who imprisoned him,

and so will your intent, when the Bridge is raised.

And your intention, when the Sirat is set in place.

فها هو ماتَ عندكمُ استرحتمْ

فها هو ماتَ عندكمُ استرحتمْ

فعاطوا ما أردتم أنْ تعاطوا

فعاطوا ما أردتم أنْ تعاطوا

Here he has died in your custody: you have found relief.

So behold: he has died in your custody—you are relieved!

So pursue whatever you wished to pursue.

So do whatever you wished to do,

وحُلُّوا واعقدوا منْ غير ردٍّ

وحُلُّوا واعقدوا منْ غير ردٍّ

عليكمْ وانطوى ذاكَ البساطُ

عليكمْ وانطوى ذاكَ البساطُ

Loosen and bind, with none to answer you;

And unbind and bind, with no one to challenge

that whole arena once arrayed against you has now been folded away.

You; and that carpet has been rolled up.