فَتىً خَبُثَتْ لَهُ الدُّنْيَا وَطَابَا

فَتىً خَبُثَتْ لَهُ الدُّنْيَا وَطَابَا

فَعَاشَ مُعَاقَبَاً وَقَضَى مُثَابَا

فَعَاشَ مُعَاقَبَاً وَقَضَى مُثَابَا

A youth: the world was cruel to him, yet he was good;

A wicked youth enjoyed the world and its pleasures,

So he lived punished and died rewarded.

So he lived condemned and met his punishment.

وَفِي الأَجْدَاثِ مُتَّسعٌ لِفَضْلٍ

وَفِي الأَجْدَاثِ مُتَّسعٌ لِفَضْلٍ

إِذَا ضَاقَتْ بِهِ الدُّنْيَا رِحَابَا

إِذَا ضَاقَتْ بِهِ الدُّنْيَا رِحَابَا

And in the graves there is room for virtue,

The graves are spacious for a man of virtue,

When the world's broad spaces grow too narrow for it.

When the wide world is too narrow to contain him.

وَمَا سَاءَتْكَ ظَالِمَةٌ وَكَانَتْ

وَمَا سَاءَتْكَ ظَالِمَةٌ وَكَانَتْ

بَمَا سَاءَتْ تٌعِدُّ لَكَ الثّوَابَا

بَمَا سَاءَتْ تٌعِدُّ لَكَ الثّوَابَا

It was not unjust in harming you, for it was

No oppressor has ever wronged you but will be duly rewarded;

Preparing your reward through the harm it did.

Do not think the respite will last forever.

وَلَمْ تَعْتَدَّهَا دَاراً لِخُلْدٍ

وَلَمْ تَعْتَدَّهَا دَاراً لِخُلْدٍ

فِتَجْزَعَ مُزْمِعاً عَنْهَا اغْتِرَابا

فِتَجْزَعَ مُزْمِعاً عَنْهَا اغْتِرَابا

And you never deemed it a home for eternity,

Do not despair when it is time to leave this transient life,

That you should grieve when resolved to go into exile from it.

Grieve not over the inevitable parting.

وَسَرَّكَ هَجْرُهَا مِمَّا تَجَنَّتْ

وَسَرَّكَ هَجْرُهَا مِمَّا تَجَنَّتْ

وَقَدْ قَمِنَ الرَّدَى أَنْ يُسْتَطَابَا

وَقَدْ قَمِنَ الرَّدَى أَنْ يُسْتَطَابَا

And leaving it delighted you, because of its wrongs;

Be glad to abandon a world so filled with treachery,

And death had become worthy of being welcomed.

For death will rid you of all cares.

وَكُنَّا بِالَّذِي أَرْضَاكَ نَرْضَى

وَكُنَّا بِالَّذِي أَرْضَاكَ نَرْضَى

لَو أَنَّ الْبَيْنَ لا يُسْقِي الصِّحَابا

لَو أَنَّ الْبَيْنَ لا يُسْقِي الصِّحَابا

And we would have been content with what pleased you,

We were pleased with whatever pleased you,

Had parting not made the companions drink of grief.

If only distance did not sunder friends.

بَكَوْا مِنْكَ الوَفَاءَ وَكُنْتَهُ اسْماً

بَكَوْا مِنْكَ الوَفَاءَ وَكُنْتَهُ اسْماً

وَفِعْلاً واكْتِسَاباً وانْتِسَابَا

وَفِعْلاً واكْتِسَاباً وانْتِسَابَا

They mourned fidelity in you—you embodied it in name,

They bewailed your loyalty which was but a name,

And in deed, by attainment and by descent.

Not a deed or true belonging.

هُمُ يَبْكُونَ وَالمَكِيُّ فِيهِمْ

هُمُ يَبْكُونَ وَالمَكِيُّ فِيهِمْ

غَرِيبٌ لاَ جَوَابَ وَلاَ خِطَابَا

غَرِيبٌ لاَ جَوَابَ وَلاَ خِطَابَا

They weep, while al-Makki among them

They cry for you but in their midst,

Is a stranger, with no reply and no speech.

You are a stranger who answers not, speaks not.

فَمَنْ أَعْيَا لِسَانَكَ عَنْ بَيَانٍ

فَمَنْ أَعْيَا لِسَانَكَ عَنْ بَيَانٍ

وأَلْزَمَ نَصْلَ هِمَّتكَ القِرَابا

وأَلْزَمَ نَصْلَ هِمَّتكَ القِرَابا

Who, then, has made your tongue powerless to speak,

Who has wearied your tongue of eloquence

And confined the blade of your resolve to its sheath?

And confined your aspirations to your family?

وَلَمْ تَكُ فَاعِلاً إِلاّ جَمِيلاً

وَلَمْ تَكُ فَاعِلاً إِلاّ جَمِيلاً

وَلَمْ تَكُ قَائِلاً إِلاَّ صَوَابا

وَلَمْ تَكُ قَائِلاً إِلاَّ صَوَابا

And you never did anything but good,

You have done only good, spoken only truth.

And you never said anything but what was right.

Know that the virtues of the righteous remain

أَلاَ فِي ذِمَّة الرّحْمَنِ مَاضٍ

أَلاَ فِي ذِمَّة الرّحْمَنِ مَاضٍ

تَيَتَّمتِ الفَضَائِلُ حِينَ غَابَا

تَيَتَّمتِ الفَضَائِلُ حِينَ غَابَا

Behold, one departed is in the All-Merciful's care;

When they are gone.

The virtues were orphaned when he departed.