كمhow much رحيقٍnectar معطّرٍperfumed مختومِsealed
كم رحيقٍ معطّرٍ مختومِ
فيin كؤوسcups of المنطوقthe stated meaning والمفهومand the inferred meaning
في كؤوس المنطوق والمفهوم
How much perfumed, sealed nectar
How much sealed, fragrant nectar
in cups of stated and inferred meaning
In the cups of the spoken and the understood
قدindeed سقاهاhe served it أبوAbu (father of) خُرَيْصٍKhurays مُدَامَاwine
قد سقاها أبو خُرَيْصٍ مُدَامَا
أَطْرَبَتْهُمit enraptured them بسِرِّهاwith its secret المكتومhidden
أَطْرَبَتْهُم بسِرِّها المكتوم
has Abu Khurays served as wine,
Abu Khurays has made it flow abundantly
enrapturing them with its hidden secret!
Enchanting them with its concealed secret
فيin دروسٍlessons أنوارُهاtheir lights ساطعاتٌradiant
في دروسٍ أنوارُها ساطعاتٌ
فيin سماءthe sky of النّهىreason بِحُسْنthrough excellence of فُهومinsights
في سماء النّهى بِحُسْن فُهوم
In lessons whose lights shine brightly
In lessons whose lights are radiant
in the sky of reason, through fine insights.
In the sky of prohibition with the beauty of comprehension
طالعُthe ascendant of السّعدgood fortune قالsaid ذاكthat محلّيmy abode
طالعُ السّعد قال ذاك محلّي
لاnot يحيطcircles عنaway from قطبهاits pole المعلومknown
لا يحيط عن قطبها المعلوم
The ascendant of good fortune said, 'That is my abode';
The rising of Sa'd said that is my rise
it does not circle away from its well-known pole.
The known does not encompass its pole
أحمدٌAhmad جامعُgatherer of الجوامعthe compendia طرّاًall together
أحمدٌ جامعُ الجوامع طرّاً
سيّدٌa master فيin الكمالperfection غَيْرُnot مرومwithin reach
سيّدٌ في الكمال غَيْرُ مروم
Ahmad, gatherer of all the compendia,
Ahmad the gatherer of totalities, excellent
a master in perfection, beyond all reach.
A master in perfection, not flawed
عضدsupport of الدّينthe faith حجّةproof of اللهGod فخرa glory
عضد الدّين حجّة الله فخر
فيin سبيلthe path of الهدىguidance وبثّand spreading العلومthe sciences
في سبيل الهدى وبثّ العلوم
A pillar of the faith, God's proof, a glory
Supporter of the religion, proof of God, pride
in the path of guidance and the spreading of the sciences.
On the path of guidance and disseminating knowledge
أيُّwhat بَحْرٍsea فيin العلمknowledge لمdid not يَجْرِflow منهfrom him
أيُّ بَحْرٍ في العلم لم يَجْرِ منه
أيّwhat طامsurging flood منfrom رأيهhis judgment مختومsealed
أيّ طام من رأيه مختوم
What sea of knowledge has not flowed from him?
What sea of knowledge has he not drawn from
What surging flood from his judgment lies sealed?
What tall building of opinion is sealed by him
ذكرُهhis remembrance المسكُmusk فيin الآفاقthe horizons عبيرٌfragrance
ذكرُه المسكُ في الآفاق عبيرٌ
قدرُهhis stature دُونَهُbeneath it مجاريthe courses of النّجومthe stars
قدرُه دُونَهُ مجاري النّجوم
His remembrance is musk, a fragrance across the horizons;
His mention is musk fragrance in the horizons
his stature—the courses of the stars lie beneath it.
His worth is the course of the stars
صِيتُهُhis renown الشّمسُthe sun شهرةًin fame فيamong البراياcreated beings
صِيتُهُ الشّمسُ شهرةً في البرايا
فيin ثناءٍpraise كاللّؤلؤlike pearls المنظومstrung together
في ثناءٍ كاللّؤلؤ المنظوم
His renown is the sun, famed among creation,
His name the sun in fame in the lands
amid praise like pearls strung together.
In praise like well-strung pearls
ثمthen لبّىhe answered لماwhen دعاهhe called him المناديthe caller
ثم لبّى لما دعاه المنادي
لِقَضاءٍto a decree علىupon الورىall creation محتومinevitable
لِقَضاءٍ على الورى محتوم
Then he answered when the caller summoned him
Then he answered when the caller called him
to a decree inevitable for all mortals.
To a decree over mankind made inescapable
سكنhe dwelt in القبرَthe grave بعدafter تلكthose المعاليlofty honors
سكن القبرَ بعد تلك المعالي
يَاalas لَحِصْنٍfor a fortress منof الهدىguidance مهدومdemolished
يَا لَحِصْنٍ من الهدى مهدوم
He dwelt in the grave after those lofty honors—
He settled in the grave after those glories
alas for a fortress of guidance demolished!
Oh what a fortress of guidance demolished
إنّindeed هذاthis المصابَloss خطبٌa calamity جسيمgrave
إنّ هذا المصابَ خطبٌ جسيم
بَاذِلُone who gives up الرّوحِlife فيهover it غيرnot ملومblamed
بَاذِلُ الرّوحِ فيه غير ملوم
Truly, this loss is a grievous calamity;
Verily this disaster is a tremendous misfortune
one who gives up his life over it is not to blame.
He who sacrificed himself in it is not blamed
غَيْرَbut أنَّthat المصيرَthe passage للفضلto grace كفٌّa hand
غَيْرَ أنَّ المصيرَ للفضل كفٌّ
تغرسplants الصّبرpatience فيin الفؤادthe heart الكريمnoble
تغرس الصّبر في الفؤاد الكريم
Yet the passage to grace is a hand
Except that the outcome for excellence is enough
that plants patience in the noble heart.
Patience plants in the generous soul
ياO إمامَimam of الهُدَىguidance عليكupon you سلامٌpeace
يا إمامَ الهُدَى عليك سلامٌ
منfrom رؤوفٍOne most kind بالعالَمِينto all worlds رحيمmerciful
من رؤوفٍ بالعالَمِين رحيم
O imam of guidance, peace be upon you
O Imam of guidance peace be upon you
from One kind and merciful to all worlds.
From One Compassionate to the worlds, Merciful
رحمةًa mercy فيin الحياةlife كُنْتَyou were ونوراًand a light
رحمةً في الحياة كُنْتَ ونوراً
أيّwhat جَهلignorance منfrom بعدهاafter it مركومheaped up
أيّ جَهل من بعدها مركوم
In life you were a mercy and a light;
You were mercy in life and light
what ignorance lies heaped up in its wake!
What ignorance after it is dependent
فحقيقٌso fitting قوليmy words متيwhenever قلتI said أرّخrecord the date
فحقيقٌ قولي متي قلت أرّخ
كسفتwere eclipsed بعدهاafter it بدورfull moons of علومlearning
كسفت بعدها بدور علوم
So my words are fitting when I say, 'Mark the date:'
So my word is true when I dated and said
The full moons of learning were eclipsed thereafter.
After it times of knowledge have waned
قاضيjudge of المنيّةِdeath نافذُeffective in الأحكامrulings
قاضي المنيّةِ نافذُ الأحكام
عدلjust القضاin judgment حتىeven علىupon الحُكّامthe judges
عدل القضا حتى على الحُكّام
Death's judge, whose rulings are binding,
Judge of mortality, enforcer of rulings
is just in judgment, even toward judges.
Just arbitrament even over rulers
ماnot الفضلexcellence يمنعهholds him back ولوeven if بلغhe attained الفتىthe man
ما الفضل يمنعه ولو بلغ الفتى
فيin الفضلexcellence مجتهداًstriving diligently أجلَّthe loftiest مَقَامِstation
في الفضل مجتهداً أجلَّ مَقَامِ
Excellence cannot bar him, though a man should attain
What excellence prevents even if the youth reaches
the loftiest station in excellence through striving.
In excellence the highest station
انظرlook إلىat هذاthis الإمامimam وماand what حوىhe possessed
انظر إلى هذا الإمام وما حوى
كيفhow انْطَوَىhe was enfolded فيin تربةearth ورُجامand stones
كيف انْطَوَى في تربة ورُجام
Look at this imam and all that he possessed:
Look at this Imam and what he comprised
how he was enfolded in earth and stones.
How he folded into dust and bones
غرَبتset محاسنُهhis virtues وكانتand they were للورىfor all creation
غرَبت محاسنُه وكانت للورى
سَرْجَlamps of الظّلامdarkness وزينةَand the adornment of الأيّامdays
سَرْجَ الظّلام وزينةَ الأيّام
His virtues have set; for all creation they had been
His beauties became strange though to the world they were
lamps in the darkness and the adornment of days.
Lantern of darkness and ornament of days
ولفقدهand for his loss يبكيweeps القضاءthe judiciary كماas بَكَتْwept
ولفقده يبكي القضاء كما بَكَتْ
مُقَلُeyes of الأراملِthe widows بَعْدُafterward والأيتامِand the orphans
مُقَلُ الأراملِ بَعْدُ والأيتامِ
And justice weeps for his loss, as have wept
And for his loss jurisprudence weeps as weep
the eyes of widows and orphans ever since.
The bereaved widows and orphans after
للّهto God ياO مختارُMukhtar ماwhat قدّمتَهyou sent it ahead
للّه يا مختارُ ما قدّمتَه
منof صالحٍgood deeds ذُخْراًas a treasure لِنَيْلfor attaining مَرَامِa goal
من صالحٍ ذُخْراً لِنَيْل مَرَامِ
To God, O Mukhtar, belongs what you sent ahead
To God O Chosen what you put forth
of good deeds, a treasure toward attaining your goal.
Of righteousness a treasure to attain hopes
ولكand to you الهناءُjoy بِطِيبِfor the sweetness of ماwhat خلّفتَهyou left it behind
ولك الهناءُ بِطِيبِ ما خلّفتَه
منof حُسْنِgoodness of ذكرٍremembrance فيamong البريّةcreation نَامِflourishing
من حُسْنِ ذكرٍ في البريّة نَامِ
And joy be yours in the sweetness of what you left behind,
And for you is blessing in the good you left behind
of fair remembrance, flourishing among creation.
Of beautiful mention dormant in the wilderness
فبقبرهso at his grave قِفْstand واعتبرand take heed مُسْتَنْشِقاًinhaling
فبقبره قِفْ واعتبر مُسْتَنْشِقاً
منfrom نشرهhis fragrance روضاa garden كمِسكlike musk خِتامthe close
من نشره روضا كمِسك خِتام
So stand beside his grave and take heed, inhaling
So stand at his grave inferring, inhaling
a garden of his fragrance, like musk at the close.
From its flowers the scent of musk seal
وانشُدْand recite لدىbeside هذاthis الضريحtomb مؤرّخاmarking the date
وانشُدْ لدى هذا الضريح مؤرّخا
أَكْرِمْhow noble بمثوىis the resting place حلّهhe settled in it بسلامin peace
أَكْرِمْ بمثوى حلّه بسلام
And recite beside this tomb, marking the date:
And chant at this tomb dating it
How noble the resting place where he settled in peace!
Honor his resting place, let him rest in peace
Sol 6.1