سَقاكَ من الحيا صوبُ العِهادِ

سَقاكَ من الحيا صوبُ العِهادِ

بِدَمعٍ سالَ مِن مُقَلِ الغوادي

بِدَمعٍ سالَ مِن مُقَلِ الغوادي

May the downpour of recurring rains water you,

You were led from life to the abode of eternity

with tears that flowed from the eyes of morning rainclouds.

With tears that flowed from the eyelids of the valleys

وَحلَّ عَلى ضَريحك كلَّ يَومٍ

وَحلَّ عَلى ضَريحك كلَّ يَومٍ

رضى اللَه العليّ على التَمادي

رضى اللَه العليّ على التَمادي

And may there rest upon your tomb each day

And upon your tomb descends every day

the favor of God Most High, forevermore.

God's supreme satisfaction with your persistence

لِيَومكَ في الورى ذكرٌ عَظيمٌ

لِيَومكَ في الورى ذكرٌ عَظيمٌ

كذكركَ عند محتضرٍ وَبادِ

كذكركَ عند محتضرٍ وَبادِ

Your day is greatly remembered among humankind,

For your day in existence there is great renown

as you are remembered by townsman and nomad.

As is the remembrance of you by one facing death

وَما يُغني اذكارُك غيرَ دَمعٍ

وَما يُغني اذكارُك غيرَ دَمعٍ

تشُبُّ بِهِ الصبابَةُ في الفؤادِ

تشُبُّ بِهِ الصبابَةُ في الفؤادِ

And recalling you yields nothing but tears,

And nothing avails your remembrance but tears

with which longing flares within the heart.

With which youth is kindled in the heart

وَمثلك لا يفيهِ صَوبُ عينٍ

وَمثلك لا يفيهِ صَوبُ عينٍ

وَلَو جرت المَدامعُ بالسوادِ

وَلَو جرت المَدامعُ بالسوادِ

And an eye's downpour cannot do one like you justice,

And none can comprehend you but the glance of an eye

even if the tears ran black.

Even if tears flowed in torrents of blackness

وَما مثل يشكُهُ احدٌ بِضرٍّ

وَما مثل يشكُهُ احدٌ بِضرٍّ

لمن ابكي الاحبَّة والاعادي

لمن ابكي الاحبَّة والاعادي

And none complains of harm from such a man,

And none suffers loss like you from harm

for one who made loved ones and enemies weep.

For whom do I weep but loved ones and enemies?

وَمَن كانَت لَهُ التقوا شِعارا

وَمَن كانَت لَهُ التقوا شِعارا

وَمَن لم يشكُ ضرّا في العِبادِ

وَمَن لم يشكُ ضرّا في العِبادِ

And one whose watchword was piety,

And he who had piety for his banner

and one who never complained of harm among people.

And he who never harmed people

وَمَن كانَت خلائقُهُ عِظاتٍ

وَمَن كانَت خلائقُهُ عِظاتٍ

وَسُهدُ اللَيل من اهنا الوسادِ

وَسُهدُ اللَيل من اهنا الوسادِ

And one whose traits were moral lessons,

And he whose traits were lessons

and wakefulness at night was among the most comforting pillows.

And the vigils of night his pillows

عهدتكَ لا تُخيبُ نداءَ داعٍ

عهدتكَ لا تُخيبُ نداءَ داعٍ

بها يأتمُّ اربابُ الرشادِ

بها يأتمُّ اربابُ الرشادِ

I knew you never to disappoint a caller's plea,

I knew you would not disappoint the call of a supplicant

through them, the rightly guided take their example.

To whom the masters of guidance repair

وَكنتَ بغيرةٍ ناراً فما لي

وَكنتَ بغيرةٍ ناراً فما لي

فما لَكَ لا تجيبُ دعا منادِ

فما لَكَ لا تجيبُ دعا منادِ

And in your zeal you were a fire—so what ails me?

And you were a fiery zeal, so why do I

So why do you not answer a caller's plea?

Not respond to the call of a vocal summoner?

قد اتَّقدت زَماناً فيكَ حتىّ

قد اتَّقدت زَماناً فيكَ حتىّ

اراكَ اليومَ صرتَ الى الرمادِ

اراكَ اليومَ صرتَ الى الرمادِ

It blazed within you for a time, until

For a time you burned within me until

I see you today, turned to ashes.

I saw you today become ashes

وَكنتَ اذا تنادينا بوعظٍ

وَكنتَ اذا تنادينا بوعظٍ

غدت فينا لفقدكَ في اتقادِ

غدت فينا لفقدكَ في اتقادِ

And whenever you called to us with admonition,

And you used to call us with preaching

it came to blaze within us because we lost you.

But for missing you we are kindled

وَكانَ بِكَ الجمادُ يذوبُ حزناً

وَكانَ بِكَ الجمادُ يذوبُ حزناً

تمثِّل للملا يوم التَنادي

تمثِّل للملا يوم التَنادي

And through you, lifeless things would melt in sorrow,

And the inanimate would melt in sorrow for you

you would portray for the assembly the Day of Calling.

Enacting the day of mutual calling

وَكنتَ عمادَ فضلٍ في البَرايا

وَكنتَ عمادَ فضلٍ في البَرايا

فصرتَ اليوم من بعض الجمادِ

فصرتَ اليوم من بعض الجمادِ

And you were a pillar of virtue among humankind,

You were the pillar of superiority in the wilds

and today you have become part of lifeless matter.

But today you are some inanimate matter

وكنتَ أَجلَّ مَن يَرعى وداداً

وكنتَ أَجلَّ مَن يَرعى وداداً

فَباتَ الفَضلُ منهدَمُ العِمادِ

فَباتَ الفَضلُ منهدَمُ العِمادِ

And you were the noblest of those who cherished affection,

And you were more caring of affection

so virtue was left with its pillar fallen.

But excellence lies toppled of its pillar

سَتَبكي بعد جرجس آل عيسى

سَتَبكي بعد جرجس آل عيسى

فَما لَكَ لا تحنُّ الى الودادِ

فَما لَكَ لا تحنُّ الى الودادِ

The followers of Jesus will weep after Jirjis.

After George, the House of Jesus will weep

So why do you not yearn for affection?

So why do you not yearn for affection?

قَضى بِاللَه مرتحلاً اليهِ

قَضى بِاللَه مرتحلاً اليهِ

فادركَ عندَهُ اقصى المرادِ

فادركَ عندَهُ اقصى المرادِ

He passed away, by God, journeying to Him,

He passed away by God's decree

and attained in His presence his utmost desire.

So attain in His presence your ultimate desire

لعمرك تلك غايتنا اليها

لعمرك تلك غايتنا اليها

نَزُمُّ ركابنا والعمرُحادِ

نَزُمُّ ركابنا والعمرُحادِ

By your life, that is our destination; toward it

By your life, that is our goal toward which

we steer our riding camels, while life is the camel-driver.

We drive our mounts, though life wanes

وَما هذي الديارُ لَنا دياراً

وَما هذي الديارُ لَنا دياراً

أَلَم تَكُ في القَديمِ لِقَومِ عادِ

أَلَم تَكُ في القَديمِ لِقَومِ عادِ

And these dwellings are no dwellings of ours;

These abodes are not lasting for us

did they not once belong to the people of ʿAd?

Did they not belong to ?Ad in ancient times?

لَهونا بالحياةِ وَتِلكَ حلمٌ

لَهونا بالحياةِ وَتِلكَ حلمٌ

لاعيننا بجنحِ الليلِ بادِ

لاعيننا بجنحِ الليلِ بادِ

We have amused ourselves with life, yet it is a dream

Our delight with life is a dream

appearing to our eyes in the darkness of night.

When our eyes close in the wings of night

نُسَرُّ بِهِ وَنحسبهُ يَقيناً

نُسَرُّ بِهِ وَنحسبهُ يَقيناً

وَنَنسى ان ذلك في الرقادِ

وَنَنسى ان ذلك في الرقادِ

We delight in it and believe it certain,

We rejoice in it and deem it real

and forget that it is in sleep.

Forgetting that is in slumber

اذا شئتَ الثباتَ لدى المَنايا

اذا شئتَ الثباتَ لدى المَنايا

فكن متزوداً باجلّ زادِ

فكن متزوداً باجلّ زادِ

If you desire steadfastness in the face of death,

If you wish for constancy in death

then supply yourself with the noblest provisions.

Then be provided with amplest provisions

فَلَيسَ يُخافُ امرُ الموت الّا

فَلَيسَ يُخافُ امرُ الموت الّا

اذا ما خيفَ من امرِ المعادِ

اذا ما خيفَ من امرِ المعادِ

For the prospect of death is feared only

For the matter of death is feared only

when the prospect of resurrection is feared.

When the matter of the Return is feared