شَرَفُthe glory of الورىhumankind ياO دَهْرُTime كيفhow هَدَمْتَهُyou demolished him
شَرَفُ الورى يا دَهْرُ كيف هَدَمْتَهُ
وقصدتَand you targeted عَمْداًdeliberately للهُدَىat guidance فردمتَهthen you buried it
وقصدتَ عَمْداً للهُدَى فردمتَه
The glory of humankind, O Time—how have you torn him down?
O Time! How you've destroyed the glory of the world,
And deliberately assailed guidance, then buried it.
And intentionally demolished the path to guidance.
ياO لَيْتَwould that أنكthat you والمُنىwhile wishes ممنوعةٌare denied
يا لَيْتَ أنك والمُنى ممنوعةٌ
تَلْوِيyou turn علىto نَقْضِundoing الذيwhat أبرمتَهyou bound it fast
تَلْوِي على نَقْضِ الذي أبرمتَه
If only you—though wishes are denied—
If only you and death were forbidden,
Would turn to undo what you have bound fast!
From violating what you have affirmed.
لمdid not تَأْلُspare any effort فيin سَوْقِdriving الخِيَارthe finest إلىto الرّدىdeath
لم تَأْلُ في سَوْقِ الخِيَار إلى الرّدى
ياO ليتwould that شعريmy knowing هلwhether بذاby this أكرمتَهyou honored him
يا ليت شعري هل بذا أكرمتَه
You spared no effort in driving the finest to death.
You did not refrain in the market of the virtuous from deceit,
Would that I knew: is this how you honored him?
If only I knew, is this how you honored him?
أَفَلَمْdid not, then? يَغِبْvanish بغروبwith the setting of شمسِthe sun of محمّدٍMuhammad
أَفَلَمْ يَغِبْ بغروب شمسِ محمّدٍ
فَضلٌexcellence سماrose high عنbeyond أنthat تكونَyou should be علمتَهyou knew it
فَضلٌ سما عن أن تكونَ علمتَه
Did there not vanish, with the setting of Muhammad's sun,
Did the setting of Muhammad's sun of glory not disappear?
An excellence too lofty for you ever to have known?
Overflowing in knowledge you have taught him.
والعلمand learning لوif كانتthere were لقلبكin your heart رقّةtenderness
والعلم لو كانت لقلبك رقّة
لبكيتَهyou would have wept for it منfrom بعدهafter him ورحمتَهand pitied it
لبكيتَه من بعده ورحمتَه
And learning—had your heart any tenderness—
If your heart had any tenderness,
You would have wept for it after his passing, and pitied it.
You would have wept for him after him and had mercy on him.
لاَno غَرْوَwonder إنْif تُنْثَرْare scattered لآلِيpearls of أَدْمُعٍtears
لاَ غَرْوَ إنْ تُنْثَرْ لآلِي أَدْمُعٍ
وبِفَقْدِهِand through losing him عَقْدُthe necklace of العلومthe sciences فصمتَهyou snapped it
وبِفَقْدِهِ عَقْدُ العلوم فصمتَه
No wonder if pearls of tears are scattered,
It is no wonder if tears of sorrow are shed,
When, through his loss, you have snapped the necklace of the sciences.
And by his absence, the chain of knowledge is muted.
ياO مَنْyou who الىtoward نورthe light of الكتابِthe Book وسرِّهand its secret
يا مَنْ الى نور الكتابِ وسرِّه
يسعىstrives لقدindeed أَخْفَقْتَyou have failed فيماin what رُمْتَهyou sought it
يسعى لقد أَخْفَقْتَ فيما رُمْتَه
O you who, toward the Book's light and its secret,
O you who aspires to the light of the Scripture and its secret,
Strive—you have indeed failed in what you sought.
You have failed in what you have aimed for.
كشّافُthe revealer of أسرارthe secrets of البلاغةeloquence قدalready مضىpassed away
كشّافُ أسرار البلاغة قد مضى
ولسانُand the tongue of تلخيصthe epitome of البيانrhetoric عدمتَهyou lost him
ولسانُ تلخيص البيان عدمتَه
The revealer of eloquence's secrets has passed away;
The unveiler of the secrets of rhetoric has passed away,
And you have lost the tongue of rhetoric's epitome.
And the eloquent tongue is silenced.
مَنْwho للكلامfor theology إذاwhen بَدَتْappear ياO فخرَهits pride
مَنْ للكلام إذا بَدَتْ يا فخرَه
مِنfrom مُبْطِلٍan advocate of falsehood شُبُهٌdoubts بهwith it كلَّمتَهyou wounded him
مِن مُبْطِلٍ شُبُهٌ به كلَّمتَه
Who will defend theology when there arise—O its pride—
When false controversies about his words appear,
Doubts from an advocate of falsehood, whom you wounded with it?
Who will refute them and speak to its speaker?
ومتىand whenever أتىcame بوساوسٍwith insinuations متفلسفٌa would-be philosopher
ومتى أتى بوساوسٍ متفلسفٌ
أَرْهَقْتَهُyou overwhelmed him وهُدَىand the guidance of الإلهGod أَقَمْتَهُyou upheld it
أَرْهَقْتَهُ وهُدَى الإله أَقَمْتَهُ
And whenever a would-be philosopher came with insinuations,
And when a pretentious philosopher comes up with suspicions,
You overwhelmed him and upheld God's guidance.
You overwhelmed him, and guided him to God’s guidance.
وَلَوَand if أنّthat أفلاطونَPlato ساعدهfavored him اللّقاthe meeting
وَلَوَ أنّ أفلاطونَ ساعده اللّقا
لدرىhe would have known بأنّthat العِلْمَknowledge ماwhat عَلَّمتَهyou taught it
لدرى بأنّ العِلْمَ ما عَلَّمتَه
And had Plato been granted a meeting with you,
If Plato were aided by inspiration,
He would have known that knowledge is what you taught.
He would know that the knowledge you taught cannot be learnt.
ياO مُحْيِيَreviver of الإِحياthe Ihya (Revival) لِيَهْنَكَmay it gladden you مَغنماًas a gain
يا مُحْيِيَ الإِحيا لِيَهْنَكَ مَغنماً
عُمُرٌa lifetime بإحياءby reviving العلومthe sciences ختمتَهyou concluded it
عُمُرٌ بإحياء العلوم ختمتَه
O reviver of the Ihya, may this be a blessed gain for you:
O reviver of revival, may you be rewarded,
A lifetime you concluded by reviving the sciences.
A life spent in reviving knowledge has ended.
لهَفيmy anguish عليكfor you ولستُand I am not فيهin it بمُفْرَدٍalone
لهَفي عليك ولستُ فيه بمُفْرَدٍ
ياO مُفْرَداًpeerless one جَمْعُthe whole الكلامof theology نَظَمْتَهyou set it in order
يا مُفْرَداً جَمْعُ الكلام نَظَمْتَه
My anguish for you—and I am not alone in it—
I long for you, and in this I am not alone,
O peerless one, you put the whole of theology in order.
O unique one, the prose and poetry composed by you.
شمسٌa sun بفاسٍin Fez أشرقتrose وبتونسٍand in Tunis
شمسٌ بفاسٍ أشرقت وبتونسٍ
غَرَبَتْset فياso O أسفاًgrief عليكfor you ضرمتَهyou set it ablaze
غَرَبَتْ فيا أسفاً عليك ضرمتَه
A sun rose in Fez, and in Tunis
A sun rose in Fez and set in Tunis,
Set—ah, how you have kindled grief at your loss!
Alas for you, whose light has faded.
قَسَماًI swear بمنby Him who أعطاكgave you خلقاًcharacter كاملاperfect
قَسَماً بمن أعطاك خلقاً كاملا
وثباتَand steadfastness of حِلمforbearance فيamong الأنامhumankind عزمتَهyou resolved upon it
وثباتَ حِلم في الأنام عزمتَه
I swear by Him who gave you perfect character
I swear by the One who gave you perfect wisdom,
And steadfast forbearance among mankind, which you resolved to uphold:
And the firmness of patience among people you determined.
لوif تُفْتَدَىyou could be ransomed لَفَدَاكَwould ransom you مَنْwhoever تحتbeneath السماthe sky
لو تُفْتَدَى لَفَدَاكَ مَنْ تحت السما
وبَقِيتَand you would remain حيّاًalive ماwhatever span تشاءُyou wished أقمتَهyou lived it out
وبَقِيتَ حيّاً ما تشاءُ أقمتَه
Were you redeemable, everyone beneath the sky would ransom you,
If you could be ransomed, whoever is under the sky would pay it,
And you would stay alive, living out whatever span you wished.
And you would remain alive as long as you desire.
لكنّbut ماwhat تلقاهyou receive منof حُسنِthe graciousness of القِرىhospitality
لكنّ ما تلقاه من حُسنِ القِرى
خَيْرٌbetter وأَبْقَىand more enduring والذيand what قدّمتَهyou sent it ahead
خَيْرٌ وأَبْقَى والذي قدّمتَه
But the gracious hospitality you receive
But what you have attained is better and everlasting,
Is better and more enduring; and what you sent ahead—
And what you have put forward is what you have gained.
فلهso to it دَعَاcalled داعيthe summoner of الورىhumankind فأجبتَهso you answered him
فله دَعَا داعي الورى فأجبتَه
وجميلand the goodness of ظنّكyour expectation بالرّجاthrough hope أحكمتهyou made it firm
وجميل ظنّك بالرّجا أحكمته
To that the summoner of humankind called, and you answered him.
For it, the Caller of mankind called you, and you answered Him,
And through hope you made your good expectation firm.
And your good expectation in hope has proven sound.
واللّهَand God أرجوI hope أنthat ينيلكHe grants you كلّall ماthat which
واللّهَ أرجو أن ينيلك كلّ ما
بجميلwith the goodness of ظنّكyour expectation فيin الضميرthe heart كتمتَهyou concealed it
بجميل ظنّك في الضمير كتمتَه
And I hope that God will grant you all that
I hope in God that you attain all that,
You kept hidden in your heart, in your good expectation.
In your conscience, you have concealed of good expectation.
وَحَرٍand it is fitting لمجدكfor your glory أنthat يناديَshould cry out زائرٌa visitor
وَحَرٍ لمجدك أن يناديَ زائرٌ
ومؤرّخand a chronicler وَارَمْسُO grave! كيفhow ضَمَمْتَهyou enfolded him
ومؤرّخ وَارَمْسُ كيف ضَمَمْتَه
And it befits your glory that a visitor should cry,
If only a visitor would call out your glory,
And a chronicler: 'O grave, how have you enfolded him?'
And a biographer, how you have brought it together.
Sol 6.1