بِرغْمِdespite المُنَىthe hopes ذَاكَthat الخِتَامُthe end المُحَيِّرُbewildering
بِرغْمِ المُنَى ذَاكَ الخِتَامُ المُحَيِّرُ
كِتَابُكَyour book تطْوِيهِyou close it وَمَنْعَاكَand news of your death يُنْشَرُis spread
كِتَابُكَ تطْوِيهِ وَمَنْعَاكَ يُنْشَرُ
Despite all hopes, that bewildering end:
Despite the inevitability of that perplexing end
You close your book, while news of your death is spread.
Your book is folded while your prohibition spreads
دَهَاكَstruck you الرَّدَىdeath فِيamong الرائِحِينَthose departing at evening فَرَاعَناso it startled us
دَهَاكَ الرَّدَى فِي الرائِحِينَ فَرَاعَنا
كَأَنَّكas though you غَادٍsetting out in the morning فِيin الصِّباyouth فَمُبَكِّرُand departing early
كَأَنَّك غَادٍ فِي الصِّبا فَمُبَكِّرُ
Death struck you among those departing at evening, and startled us,
Your loss among the two dear ones alarmed us
As though you were setting out at dawn in youth, so early.
As if you were a youth returning early in the morning
يَرَاعُكَyour reed pen فِيin الْيُمْنَىthe right hand وَذِهْنُكَand your mind حَاضِرٌalert
يَرَاعُكَ فِي الْيُمْنَى وَذِهْنُكَ حَاضِرٌ
وَعَزْمُكَand your resolve ذَاكَthat same الْعَزْمُresolve وَالْعُودُand the bough أَنْضَرُmore verdant
وَعَزْمُكَ ذَاكَ الْعَزْمُ وَالْعُودُ أَنْضَرُ
Your reed pen in your right hand, your mind alert,
It keeps you on the right while your mind is present
And your resolve that same resolve, the bough more verdant.
And your resolve is that resolve, and the freshness greener
أَعَنْwas it from سَبْقِprior إِحْسَاسٍfeeling بِمَاof what كَانَwas مُضْمِراًconcealing
أَعَنْ سَبْقِ إِحْسَاسٍ بِمَا كَانَ مُضْمِراً
زَمَانُكَyour time آثَرْتَyou preferred النَّوَىdeparture حِينwhen تُؤْثِرُyou choose
زَمَانُكَ آثَرْتَ النَّوَى حِين تُؤْثِرُ
Was it through a premonition of what was being concealed
Was it a sense of what was secretly harbored beforehand?
By your time that you chose departure when you did,
Your time, you preferred determination when you make up your mind
فَبِنْتَso you departed وَلَمَّاand not yet يُرْهِقِburden النَّاسpeople دَهْرُهُمْtheir age
فَبِنْتَ وَلَمَّا يُرْهِقِ النَّاس دَهْرُهُمْ
بِنَكْبَاءَwith a gale لاَnot يُحْصِيreckons أَذَاهَاits harm التَّصَوُّرُimagination
بِنَكْبَاءَ لاَ يُحْصِي أَذَاهَا التَّصَوُّرُ
And left before their age had burdened people
So you built, and when the people are burdened by their fate
With a gale whose harm imagination cannot reckon?
With adversities beyond imagination
أَمِor اْلأَجَلُthe appointed term الْمَحْتومُinevitable حَلَّarrived وَلمْand not تكنyou were
أَمِ اْلأَجَلُ الْمَحْتومُ حَلَّ وَلمْ تكن
بِماطِلِone who defers حَقٍa rightful claim يُقْتَضَىis demanded فَتُؤَخِّرُso you postpone
بِماطِلِ حَقٍ يُقْتَضَى فَتُؤَخِّرُ
Or had the inevitable appointed hour arrived, and you were not
Or was it the predetermined death that came and you were not
One to delay a rightful debt when claimed, and so defer it?
Stalling a rightful claim that had to be delivered?
فَوَلَّيْتَso you departed لَمْnot يَعْصِمْكَprotect you مُدَّخَرُstored reserves of الْقُوَىstrength
فَوَلَّيْتَ لَمْ يَعْصِمْكَ مُدَّخَرُ الْقُوَى
ولمْand not يَتَمَالَكْhold firm حِلمُكَyour forbearance المُتَوقِّرُdignified
ولمْ يَتَمَالَكْ حِلمُكَ المُتَوقِّرُ
So you departed; your reserves of strength did not protect you,
So you left, your hoarded powers did not protect you
Nor could your dignified forbearance hold firm.
Nor did your vast patience restrain itself
وَلَمْand not يغْنِavail مِنْكَfrom you الْعِلْمُknowledge وَالفَضْلُand virtue سَاعَةًfor an hour
وَلَمْ يغْنِ مِنْكَ الْعِلْمُ وَالفَضْلُ سَاعَةً
فَيَاso, O عُذْرَexcuse منْone who بِالعِلْمِin knowledge وَالفَضْلِand virtue يكْفُرُdisbelieves
فَيَا عُذْرَ منْ بِالعِلْمِ وَالفَضْلِ يكْفُرُ
Nor did knowledge and virtue avail you for an hour;
And knowledge and merit did not avail you one moment
So what an excuse for one who disbelieves in knowledge and virtue!
So pardon he who denies knowledge and merit!
أَلاَindeed إِنَّنيindeed I غالَيْتُI went too far فِيمَاin what شَكَوْتُهُI lamented it
أَلاَ إِنَّني غالَيْتُ فِيمَا شَكَوْتُهُ
ولَكِنَّbut فِيin نَفْسِيmy soul أَسىًsorrow يَتَفَجَّرُbursts forth
ولَكِنَّ فِي نَفْسِي أَسىً يَتَفَجَّرُ
Indeed, I have gone too far in what I lamented,
Oh no! I have exaggerated what I complained of
But in my soul a sorrow bursts forth.
But in my soul there is sorrow that bursts forth
لَقَدْindeed أَرْخَصَcheapened الْغَالِينَthe dearly valued مَوْتُthe death of جُمُوعِهِمْtheir multitudes
لَقَدْ أَرْخَصَ الْغَالِينَ مَوْتُ جُمُوعِهِمْ
وفقْدُكَand your loss مَهْمَاhowever much يَعْمُمِbecomes widespread الْخَطْبُthe calamity يَكْبُرُgrows greater
وفقْدُكَ مَهْمَا يَعْمُمِ الْخَطْبُ يَكْبُرُ
Indeed, the death of their multitudes has cheapened precious lives,
Indeed, the death of the masses made the lives of the elite cheap
And your loss grows greater, however widespread the calamity.
And losing you, however grave matters become, is even graver
قِفِstand الآنَnow وَانْظُرْand look مَاwhat بِإِثْرِكَin your wake مِنَof سَنىًradiance
قِفِ الآنَ وَانْظُرْ مَا بِإِثْرِكَ مِنَ سَنىً
كَذَاكَthus تَشِعُّshine الشُّهبُmeteors إِذْas تَتكَوَّرُcurl into a ball
كَذَاكَ تَشِعُّ الشُّهبُ إِذْ تَتكَوَّرُ
Stand now and see what radiance follows in your wake;
Stop now and see the legacy that follows you
Thus meteors shine as they curl upon themselves.
Thus do meteors shine when they grow faint
قِفِstand الآنَnow وَاسْمَعand hear وَقْعَthe sound of منْعَاكَnews of your death شَائِعاًspreading
قِفِ الآنَ وَاسْمَع وَقْعَ منْعَاكَ شَائِعاً
كَرَجْعِlike the reverberation of الصَّدَىthe echo عَنْfrom شَامخٍa lofty peak يَتَهوَّرُcrashing down
كَرَجْعِ الصَّدَى عَنْ شَامخٍ يَتَهوَّرُ
Stand now and hear the sound of your death notice spreading,
Stop now and listen to the echo of your prohibition resounding
Like an echo from a lofty peak crashing down.
Like the reverberation of echoes off a lofty summit
لقَدْindeed عَثَرَstumbled البَنَّاءُthe builder عَنfrom أَوْجِthe summit of صَرْحِهِhis edifice
لقَدْ عَثَرَ البَنَّاءُ عَن أَوْجِ صَرْحِهِ
لَدُنْjust when كَادَalmost مِنْfrom أَعْلاَهُits summit بِالنجْمِthe star يَظْفَرُattain
لَدُنْ كَادَ مِنْ أَعْلاَهُ بِالنجْمِ يَظْفَرُ
Indeed, the builder stumbled from the summit of his edifice,
The builder has stumbled at the peak of his palace
Just when, from its height, he nearly grasped the star.
He almost grasped the stars from its summit
فَوَارَاهُso it concealed him قَبْرٌa grave لاَnot بَعِيدٌdeep قَرَارُهُits bottom
فَوَارَاهُ قَبْرٌ لاَ بَعِيدٌ قَرَارُهُ
وَلاَand not سَقْفُهُits roof فَوْقَabove الثَّرَىthe earth مُتكَبِّرُproudly towering
وَلاَ سَقْفُهُ فَوْقَ الثَّرَى مُتكَبِّرُ
So a grave concealed him, its bottom not deep,
So a grave covered him, not far his rest
Nor its roof rising proudly above the earth.
Nor is its roof above the soil pretentious
وَكَانand he was أَبَرَّmost dutiful of النَّاسِpeople بِالأَهْلِto kin وَالْحِمىand the homeland
وَكَان أَبَرَّ النَّاسِ بِالأَهْلِ وَالْحِمى
وَبِالْقَوْمِand to the people لاَnot يَجْفُواgrows aloof وَلاَand not يَتَغَيَّرُchanges
وَبِالْقَوْمِ لاَ يَجْفُوا وَلاَ يَتَغَيَّرُ
And he was the most dutiful of men to kin and homeland,
He was the most righteous of people to family and protectors
And to his people, neither aloof nor fickle.
And to the people he neither shunned nor changed
ونِعْمَand excellent is الأَخُthe brother الْوَافِيfaithful إِذَاwhen مَاever تَنَكَّرَتْturned hostile
ونِعْمَ الأَخُ الْوَافِي إِذَا مَا تَنَكَّرَتْ
لِصاحِبِهِto his friend الأَيَّامُthe days لاَnot يَتَنَكَّرُturns hostile
لِصاحِبِهِ الأَيَّامُ لاَ يَتَنَكَّرُ
And what a faithful brother! Whenever hostility came
What a faithful brother when days betray his companion
To his friend from the days, he never turned hostile.
He does not betray!
لَحِقتَyou joined بِمَنْthose whom أَرَّخْتَهُمْyou chronicled them فكَأَنَّهمْso as though they
لَحِقتَ بِمَنْ أَرَّخْتَهُمْ فكَأَنَّهمْ
لِدَاتٌcoevals لِعَهْدٍof one era لَمْnot تُفَرِّقْهُdivide it أَدهُرُages
لِدَاتٌ لِعَهْدٍ لَمْ تُفَرِّقْهُ أَدهُرُ
You joined those you chronicled, so it is as though they were
You have joined those you chronicled, as if they
Peers of one era that ages had not divided.
Were contemporaries from an era no times differentiated
عَلَىfor الْحَيِّthe living دُونَrather than الميْتِthe dead تُحسَبare reckoned أَحْقُبٌepochs
عَلَى الْحَيِّ دُونَ الميْتِ تُحسَب أَحْقُبٌ
تَوَالَتْfollowed one another وتُحْصَىand are counted فيin التَّعَاقُبِsuccession أَعْصُرُages
تَوَالَتْ وتُحْصَى في التَّعَاقُبِ أَعْصُرُ
For the living, not the dead, are reckoned the epochs
To the living, not the dead, eras are counted
That followed one another, and ages are counted in succession.
Succeeding and counted in the succession of epochs
وَرُبَّand many a عَلِيمٍlearned man لَمْnot يجِيءْcame مُتَقَدِّماًearly
وَرُبَّ عَلِيمٍ لَمْ يجِيءْ مُتَقَدِّماً
أَتمَّperfected عُلاَهُhis eminence أَنَّهthat he is مُتأَخِّرُa latecomer
أَتمَّ عُلاَهُ أَنَّه مُتأَخِّرُ
And many a learned man who did not come early
And many a knowledgeable one did not come earlier
Had his eminence perfected by coming late.
Completing his ascent, yet he is late!
إِذَاif عَاقَهُمْhindered them عَنْfrom شُكْرِكَthanking you اليَوْمَtoday عائِقٌan obstacle
إِذَا عَاقَهُمْ عَنْ شُكْرِكَ اليَوْمَ عائِقٌ
وَتَدرِيهِand you know it فَالأَعْقَابُthen posterity لِلْفَضْلِfor merit تَشْكُرُgives thanks
وَتَدرِيهِ فَالأَعْقَابُ لِلْفَضْلِ تَشْكُرُ
If some obstacle keeps them from thanking you today,
If something prevents them today from thanking you
And you know it—then posterity will give thanks for merit.
Then successive generations will thank you for the merit
لَقَدْindeed بِتَّyou have become مِنْهُمْamong them فِيin المقَامِthe station الَّذِيwhich بِهِin it
لَقَدْ بِتَّ مِنْهُمْ فِي المقَامِ الَّذِي بِهِ
إِذَاwhen ذُكِرَare mentioned الأَفْذاذُthe exceptional ones فِيamong الخَلْقِmankind تُذْكَرُyou are mentioned
إِذَا ذُكِرَ الأَفْذاذُ فِي الخَلْقِ تُذْكَرُ
Indeed, you now hold among them that place in which
Indeed, you have lasted among them in the position whereby
When the exceptional among mankind are named, you are named.
When prominent ones are mentioned, you are mentioned!
أَلاَbehold فِيin سَبِيلِthe cause of اللّهِGod حِكْمَتُكَyour wisdom الَّتيwhich
أَلاَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ حِكْمَتُكَ الَّتي
جَلاَهَاrevealed it هِلاَلٌHilal (crescent) مَالِيءُfilling الكَوْنِthe universe مُقَمِرُshedding moonlight
جَلاَهَا هِلاَلٌ مَالِيءُ الكَوْنِ مُقَمِرُ
Behold, in God's cause is your wisdom, which
By God, the wisdom you made plain, which
Hilal, a crescent filling the universe with moonlight, revealed;
A radiant crescent filled the universe and made it luminous
وجِدٌّand diligence بِهِwith it رُضْتَyou tamed الصِّعابَhardships فَمَاso not كبَاstumbled
وجِدٌّ بِهِ رُضْتَ الصِّعابَ فَمَا كبَا
إِلىuntil أَنْthat دَهَاهُstruck it جَدُّكَyour fortune المُتعَثِّرُstumbling
إِلى أَنْ دَهَاهُ جَدُّكَ المُتعَثِّرُ
And diligence, with which you tamed hardships, never faltered
And the seriousness you accepted with it, you never recoiled
Until your stumbling fortune struck it down;
Until your grandfather's seriousness faltered
وآدَابُand the refinement of نفسٍa soul لوْif توَزَّعَwere distributed حسْنُهَاits beauty
وآدَابُ نفسٍ لوْ توَزَّعَ حسْنُهَا
عَرَاءٌa barren waste لأَضْحَىwould become وَهْوَand it كالرَّوْضِlike a garden مُزهِرُblooming
عَرَاءٌ لأَضْحَى وَهْوَ كالرَّوْضِ مُزهِرُ
And a soul's refinement—were its beauty to be spread,
And the manners of a soul which if its goodness was dispersed
A barren waste would blossom like a garden;
It would adorn the barrens until they became like a blossoming meadow
وَأَخْلاَقُand virtues of إِحْسَانٍkindness وَعفْوٍand forgiveness وَرِقَّةٍand tenderness
وَأَخْلاَقُ إِحْسَانٍ وَعفْوٍ وَرِقَّةٍ
رَوَائِعُwonders يُخْفِيهاconceals them اتّضاعٌhumility وَتظهَرُand appear
رَوَائِعُ يُخْفِيها اتّضاعٌ وَتظهَرُ
And virtues of kindness, forgiveness, and tenderness—
And the morals of benevolence, pardon, and gentleness
Wonders humility conceals, yet they reveal themselves;
Wondrous secrets hidden by modesty yet they appear
وأَشْتَاتُand diverse forms of تخِريجٍinterpretation تُحَارُare bewildered بِهَاby them النُّهَىminds
وأَشْتَاتُ تخِريجٍ تُحَارُ بِهَا النُّهَى
وَآياتُand marvels of تدْبِيجٍfine writing تَرُوعُawe وتَبْهَرُand dazzle
وَآياتُ تدْبِيجٍ تَرُوعُ وتَبْهَرُ
And varied interpretations that leave minds bewildered,
And perplexing inferences you deduce thereby confounding analogies
And marvels of fine writing that awe and dazzle.
And amazing compositions that shake and dazzle
عَليْكَupon you سَلاَمُpeace of اللّهِGod قَدْalready بِتَّyou have become هَانِئاًcontent
عَليْكَ سَلاَمُ اللّهِ قَدْ بِتَّ هَانِئاً
وَأَكْبَادُناand our livers مِنْfrom حَسْرَةٍgrief تَتَسَعَّرُblaze
وَأَكْبَادُنا مِنْ حَسْرَةٍ تَتَسَعَّرُ
God's peace be upon you; you now rest content,
Upon you is God's peace, you have lasted content
While our livers blaze with grief.
While our livers burn from sorrow
Sol 6.1