رأَيتُ البَرايا بينَ فانٍ يُجدَّدُ

رأَيتُ البَرايا بينَ فانٍ يُجدَّدُ

وَبَينَ جَديدٍ بالفنا يتبدَّدُ

وَبَينَ جَديدٍ بالفنا يتبدَّدُ

I saw all creatures between those that perish and are renewed

I saw the desert between a vanishing past

and those newly made, dispersed by extinction.

And a new future that fades into non-existence

نَعيشُ لكي نَفني وَنَفني لاجلما

نَعيشُ لكي نَفني وَنَفني لاجلما

يَعيشُ الَّذي من بعدنا يتولَّدُ

يَعيشُ الَّذي من بعدنا يتولَّدُ

We live to perish, and perish so that

We live to fade away, and fade away for what

whoever is born after us may live.

Comes after us to live on and be born

ولادتنا والموت سيّانِ عندنا

ولادتنا والموت سيّانِ عندنا

اذا كانَ في الامرين لَيسَ لنا يَدُ

اذا كانَ في الامرين لَيسَ لنا يَدُ

Our birth and death are alike to us,

Our birth and death are equal to us

if we have no hand in either matter.

Since we have no hand in either

وانَّ التَساوي بيننا هُوَ فيهما

وانَّ التَساوي بيننا هُوَ فيهما

وَبَينَهما فينا التَفاوتُ يوجدُ

وَبَينَهما فينا التَفاوتُ يوجدُ

And our equality lies in those two,

And that equality between us is in them both

while between them our differences are found.

While the difference between them is in us, manifest

خليليَّ ان كانَ الزَمان كَما ارى

خليليَّ ان كانَ الزَمان كَما ارى

فَحسبيَ يَومي وليكن لكما غدُ

فَحسبيَ يَومي وليكن لكما غدُ

My two friends, if time is as I see it,

My friend, if time is as I see it

then my day is enough for me; let tomorrow be yours.

Then my day is enough for me, and tomorrow will be for you

رمَتني اللَيالي بالنوائب يافعاً

رمَتني اللَيالي بالنوائب يافعاً

تَقولُ انتبه هَذا الَّذي انتَ توعَدُ

تَقولُ انتبه هَذا الَّذي انتَ توعَدُ

The nights hurled calamities at me while I was young,

The nights have pelted me with adversities in my youth

saying, “Take heed: this is what you are promised.”

Saying 'Awaken, this is what you were promised'

يعوزُكَ صَبرٌ في زمانك فاِقتصِد

يعوزُكَ صَبرٌ في زمانك فاِقتصِد

بِهِ وادَّخرهُ مُنذُ ما انتَ امردُ

بِهِ وادَّخرهُ مُنذُ ما انتَ امردُ

You need patience in your time, so be sparing

Patience fails you in your time, so be sparing with it

with it, and store it up from your beardless youth.

And hoard it ever since you were a child

فرحتُ وَبي جرحٌ من الدهر مؤلمٌ

فرحتُ وَبي جرحٌ من الدهر مؤلمٌ

كأَنيَ غمدٌ وَالزَمان مهنَّدُ

كأَنيَ غمدٌ وَالزَمان مهنَّدُ

So I went on, bearing a painful wound from time,

I rejoiced while still nursing a painful wound from fate

as though I were a scabbard, and time an Indian-steel sword.

As if I'm a scabbard and time an unsheathed sword

اذا لم يكن غمد الحسام كنصلِهِ

اذا لم يكن غمد الحسام كنصلِهِ

شَديداً فَراهُ نصلُهُ وَهو مغمَدُ

شَديداً فَراهُ نصلُهُ وَهو مغمَدُ

If the sword’s scabbard does not match its blade

If the scabbard of a sword isn't like its blade

in strength, its blade cuts through it while sheathed.

Keen-edged, its naked blade shows while sheathed

سَلامٌ من اللَه العليّ وَرَحمَةٌ

سَلامٌ من اللَه العليّ وَرَحمَةٌ

عَلى من ثوت معهُ قُلوبٌ واكبدُ

عَلى من ثوت معهُ قُلوبٌ واكبدُ

Peace from God Most High, and mercy,

Greetings from God Most High, and mercy

upon him with whom hearts and livers lie buried.

Upon those whose hearts stood firm with Him

سَلامٌ عَلى وجه الخَليل وَنارُهُ

سَلامٌ عَلى وجه الخَليل وَنارُهُ

عَلى فقدِهِ طيَّ القلوب تَوقَّدُ

عَلى فقدِهِ طيَّ القلوب تَوقَّدُ

Peace upon the dear friend’s face; the fire of grief for him

Greetings upon the face of the Friend, though his fire

burns at his loss within the folds of hearts.

Still blazes in hearts for his loss

مَضى من اذا عُدَّ الرجال فانهم

مَضى من اذا عُدَّ الرجال فانهم

كَثيرون الّا انهُ المتفرّدُ

كَثيرون الّا انهُ المتفرّدُ

He has passed away; when men are counted, they are

He who, when the men were counted, stood alone

many, yet he alone is peerless.

For they were many, but he was peerless

تجرَّدَ لِلَّهالعليّ فَلَم يَزَل

تجرَّدَ لِلَّهالعليّ فَلَم يَزَل

بطاعَتِهِ من وصمةٍ يتجرَّدُ

بطاعَتِهِ من وصمةٍ يتجرَّدُ

He devoted himself wholly to God Most High, and never ceased

He stripped himself for God, and never ceased

through obedience to Him, stripping himself of every stain.

To be clothed by His obedience from any blemish

فَتَبكي لَهُ التقوى باجفان أَهلها

فَتَبكي لَهُ التقوى باجفان أَهلها

وَباللُسن تروي فَضلُهُ وتعدّدُ

وَباللُسن تروي فَضلُهُ وتعدّدُ

So piety weeps for him with the eyelids of its people,

So piety weeps for him with the lids of its people

and through their tongues recounts and enumerates his excellence.

And with tongues recounts his merits extensively

عَلى قدم الاحسان قد سار سالِكاً

عَلى قدم الاحسان قد سار سالِكاً

من الطرقِ ما يُفضي الى حيث يقصدُ

من الطرقِ ما يُفضي الى حيث يقصدُ

He walked in the footsteps of benevolence, taking

He walked the path of benevolence, seeking

from the paths the one that leads to his intended goal.

The roads that lead where he purposed to go

وَلما رأَى الدنيا طَريقاً الى البقا

وَلما رأَى الدنيا طَريقاً الى البقا

تزوَّد منها خيرَ ما يُتَزوَّدُ

تزوَّد منها خيرَ ما يُتَزوَّدُ

And when he saw this world as a road to eternity,

And seeing the world as a path to eternity

he took from it the best provisions one can take.

He took from it the best provisions to load

تَلقى البلايا لم تُبد كَنزَ صبرِهِ

تَلقى البلايا لم تُبد كَنزَ صبرِهِ

وَلَو بَقيت دَهراً لما كانَ ينفَدُ

وَلَو بَقيت دَهراً لما كانَ ينفَدُ

He faced afflictions; they did not destroy his treasure of patience,

Hardships unveiled no treasure of his patience

and had they lasted an age, it would not have run out.

And even if prolonged forever, it would not be spent

وَقَد أَثَّرت في الجسمِ منهُ بُعَيدَ ما

وَقَد أَثَّرت في الجسمِ منهُ بُعَيدَ ما

تفلَّل عجزاً سيفها المتجرّدُ

تفلَّل عجزاً سيفها المتجرّدُ

And they did leave their mark on his body, shortly after

Their blades had little effect on his body

their unsheathed sword grew blunted through helplessness.

While their frustration turned back blunted

فوَلَّت وَفي احشائها منهُ حسرَةٌ

فوَلَّت وَفي احشائها منهُ حسرَةٌ

نعم وَلَهُ منها ثوابٌ مؤَبَّدُ

نعم وَلَهُ منها ثوابٌ مؤَبَّدُ

So they retreated, with anguish over him in their entrails;

But he has an endless reward from them

yes, and from them he has an everlasting reward.

And settled into a shrine of precious gems

وحلَّ ضَريحاً صارَ معدنَ جوهرٍ

وحلَّ ضَريحاً صارَ معدنَ جوهرٍ

لانَّ بِهِ بيضَ الفَضائِل تُنضَدُ

لانَّ بِهِ بيضَ الفَضائِل تُنضَدُ

And he dwelt in a tomb that became a mine of jewels,

For in it the eggs of all virtues are incubated

for within it the white jewels of virtue are arrayed.

The corner of sorrow gave him the tears of joy

سَقاهُ بطرف الحزن من قد بكى لَهُ

سَقاهُ بطرف الحزن من قد بكى لَهُ

دموعَ سرورٍ فهيَ اندى وابردُ

دموعَ سرورٍ فهيَ اندى وابردُ

May whoever wept for him with sorrow’s eye water it

To drink, so they became the most refreshing and cool

with tears of joy, for they are moister and cooler.

They mourn his dead body, but truly

عَلى جسمِهِ ميتاً يُناح وإِنَّما

عَلى جسمِهِ ميتاً يُناح وإِنَّما

يُسَرُّ لَهُ حيّاً بِنَفسٍ تخلَّدُ

يُسَرُّ لَهُ حيّاً بِنَفسٍ تخلَّدُ

His dead body is mourned, but

They would rejoice for him, alive with an eternal soul

one rejoices for him, alive with a soul made immortal.

He traveled a path we all walk

مَضى في طَريقٍ كلنا سالِكٌ بِهِ

مَضى في طَريقٍ كلنا سالِكٌ بِهِ

فاِعجَلُنا في ذلك السيرِ اسعدُ

فاِعجَلُنا في ذلك السيرِ اسعدُ

He went along a road that all of us tread;

So let us hasten along it most prosperously

so the swiftest of us on that journey is the happiest.

And our bodies that escorted us on it

واجسامُنا اللآئي لنا سَلَكَت بِهِ

واجسامُنا اللآئي لنا سَلَكَت بِهِ

قَديماً فَكَيفَ اليوم لا تَتعوَّدُ

قَديماً فَكَيفَ اليوم لا تَتعوَّدُ

And our bodies, which traveled it for us

Long ago - how do they not grow accustomed?

long ago—how can they not grow used to it today?

We all forget death in negligence

نَرى كلَّنا يَنسى المنيَّة غافِلاً

نَرى كلَّنا يَنسى المنيَّة غافِلاً

فيهتمُّ في هذي الحياة ويجهَدُ

فيهتمُّ في هذي الحياة ويجهَدُ

We see each of us heedlessly forgetting death,

Consumed in this life, striving away

so he worries and toils in this life.

And at death's arrival, forget our lives

وَعند مجيءِ الموت يَنسى حياتَهُ

وَعند مجيءِ الموت يَنسى حياتَهُ

فَما عُمرُهُ الّا دَقيقَةُ يُفقَدُ

فَما عُمرُهُ الّا دَقيقَةُ يُفقَدُ

And when death comes, he forgets his life;

As if their span was but a minute, vanished

so his lifetime is but a moment in which he is lost.