كُنْتَ في المَوْتِ وَالْحَيَاةِ كَبِيراً

كُنْتَ في المَوْتِ وَالْحَيَاةِ كَبِيراً

هَكَذَا المَجْدُ أَوَّلاً وَأخِيرَا

هَكَذَا المَجْدُ أَوَّلاً وَأخِيرَا

You were great in death and in life.

In life and death, you were great

Thus is glory, first and last.

Such is glory, first and last

ظَلْتَ في الْخَلْقِ راجِحَ الْخُلْقِ حَتَّى

ظَلْتَ في الْخَلْقِ راجِحَ الْخُلْقِ حَتَّى

نِلْتَ فِيهِمْ ذَاكَ المقَامَ الْخَطِيرَا

نِلْتَ فِيهِمْ ذَاكَ المقَامَ الْخَطِيرَا

Among people you remained preeminent in character, until

You excelled in creation, until

you attained among them that eminent station.

You attained that momentous station

فَوْقَ هَام الرِّجَالِ هَامَتُكَ الشـ

فَوْقَ هَام الرِّجَالِ هَامَتُكَ الشـ

ـمَّاءُ تَزْهُو عُلىً وَتَزْهَرُ نُورا

ـمَّاءُ تَزْهُو عُلىً وَتَزْهَرُ نُورا

Above the heads of men, your head—

Above the heads of men your lofty

lofty—glories in its height and blossoms with light.

Glory rises high, shining with light

عِبْرَةُ الدَّهْرِ أَنْ تَرَى بعْدَ ذَاكَ الْـ

عِبْرَةُ الدَّهْرِ أَنْ تَرَى بعْدَ ذَاكَ الْـ

ـجَاهِ في حَدِّ كُلّ حيِ مَصِيرَا

ـجَاهِ في حَدِّ كُلّ حيِ مَصِيرَا

Time's lesson is to see, after that

A lesson of fate, that after such

eminence, the fate that marks the end of every life.

Glory one sees in each living being an end

مَا حَسِبْنَا الزَّمَانَ إِنْ طَالَ مَا طَا

مَا حَسِبْنَا الزَّمَانَ إِنْ طَالَ مَا طَا

لَ مُزِيلاً ذَاكَ الشَّبابَ النَّضيرَا

لَ مُزِيلاً ذَاكَ الشَّبابَ النَّضيرَا

We never thought that time, however long it might

We did not think time, however long it lingered

last, would take away that blooming youth.

Could remove that bright youth

إِنَّ يَوْماً بَكَيْنا حَبِيباً

إِنَّ يَوْماً بَكَيْنا حَبِيباً

لَيسَ بِدْعاً أَنْ كَانَ يَوْماً مَطِيرَا

لَيسَ بِدْعاً أَنْ كَانَ يَوْماً مَطِيرَا

Indeed, the day we wept for a loved one—

Indeed one day we wept for a beloved

it is no wonder that it was a rainy day.

It's no wonder that day was rainy

يا له من عميد قوم تولى

يا له من عميد قوم تولى

لم يكن مزدهى ولا مغرورا

لم يكن مزدهى ولا مغرورا

What a leader of his people has departed!

O what a leader of his people he assumed

He was neither vain nor arrogant.

He was neither conceited nor arrogant

جعل الحلم دأبه وتوخى السلم

جعل الحلم دأبه وتوخى السلم

ما اسطاعه سماحا وخيرا

ما اسطاعه سماحا وخيرا

He made forbearance his habit and sought peace

He made forbearance his habit and pursued peace

as far as he could, with generosity and goodness.

As much as he could, graciously and with goodness

وهو من لا تنال منه الأعادي

وهو من لا تنال منه الأعادي

لو غدا بعضهم لبعض ظهيرا

لو غدا بعضهم لبعض ظهيرا

And he was one whom his enemies could not harm,

He whom adversaries could not reach

even were they to become one another's allies.

If some of them helped others

ناط بالعقل أمره كله والعقل

ناط بالعقل أمره كله والعقل

خير في كل حال مشيرا

خير في كل حال مشيرا

He entrusted all his affairs to reason, and reason

He based all his affairs on reason and reason

is the best counselor in every circumstance.

Is in every situation the best advisor

حزمه علم الضعيف إذا استبصر

حزمه علم الضعيف إذا استبصر

أنى بالحزم يغدو قديرا

أنى بالحزم يغدو قديرا

His firmness taught the weak, once they gained insight,

His prudence taught the weak, when he saw clearly

how, through firmness, they could become strong.

With prudence, how to become capable

فإذا ما استقاله عشرة الجد

فإذا ما استقاله عشرة الجد

عزيز أقال جدا عثورا

عزيز أقال جدا عثورا

And whenever he was asked to remedy a stumble of fortune

And when manhood's prime supported him

by someone dear, he righted a stumbling fortune.

Dear, he made the difficult easy

وإذا أعوز الوفي نصير

وإذا أعوز الوفي نصير

يدرأ الضيم كان ذاك النصيرا

يدرأ الضيم كان ذاك النصيرا

And when a loyal person lacked a defender

And when a loyal ally was in need

to ward off injustice, he was that defender.

He warded off harm, and was that ally

بلغ المنتهى من الحظ في الدنيا

بلغ المنتهى من الحظ في الدنيا

ثراء وصحة وسرورا

ثراء وصحة وسرورا

He attained the utmost good fortune in this world:

He reached the height of fortune in life

wealth, health, and joy,

Wealth, health and joy

وحياة مديدة ومن الأبتاء

وحياة مديدة ومن الأبتاء

شمسا مضيئة وبدورا

شمسا مضيئة وبدورا

and a long life, and, among his children,

And a long life, and from the righteous

a radiant sun and full moons.

A shining sun, with full moons

أسفي أن يقوض الرجل الباني

أسفي أن يقوض الرجل الباني

وإن ظل بيته معمورا

وإن ظل بيته معمورا

My sorrow is that the man who built should be torn down,

I grieve that man destroys what man builds

even though his house remains inhabited.

Though his house remains inhabited

أشكاة من الزمان ومن يعهده

أشكاة من الزمان ومن يعهده

في نهاية مشكورا

في نهاية مشكورا

A complaint against time? And who has ever known it

I complain of fate, and who would entrust it

to be thanked in the end?

In the end, with thanks

أيها المنتحي من الغيب دارا

أيها المنتحي من الغيب دارا

خل دار البكاء والق حبورا

خل دار البكاء والق حبورا

O you who have chosen a dwelling in the unseen,

O you who chose the abode of the grave

leave the house of weeping and find joy.

Leave the abode of weeping, and meet your ruin

أعلى الفانيات يؤسى وقد كنت

أعلى الفانيات يؤسى وقد كنت

عليما بها وكنت خبيرا

عليما بها وكنت خبيرا

Should perishable things be mourned, when you were

Over the ephemeral I grieve, and you had been

well aware of them and deeply acquainted with them?

Knowledgeable of it and had been wise

إن أشبالك الأعزاء أيقاظ

إن أشبالك الأعزاء أيقاظ

فنم عنهم أمينا قريرا

فنم عنهم أمينا قريرا

Indeed, your dear lion cubs are awake;

Indeed your beloved cubs are wakeful

so sleep, untroubled about them, secure and at peace.

So sleep soundly, serenely, as a trustee

كلهم عند ما تحب المعالي

كلهم عند ما تحب المعالي

خلقا نابها وفكرا منيرا

خلقا نابها وفكرا منيرا

All of them stand at the heights you love,

All of them, when you loved the heights

distinguished in character and luminous in thought.

Were of noble character and enlightened thought

يجد النبل أن يسر حزينا

يجد النبل أن يسر حزينا

ويرى الفضل أن يبر فقيرا

ويرى الفضل أن يبر فقيرا

Each finds nobility in gladdening someone sorrowful,

Nobility feels it should gladden the grieving

and sees virtue in showing kindness to someone poor.

And merit sees that it should aid the needy