أَجدّك هَذا مضجعُ الفخرِ والمجدِ

أَجدّك هَذا مضجعُ الفخرِ والمجدِ

وَمَأوى الكمالِ الفردِ والسؤدد العدِّ

وَمَأوى الكمالِ الفردِ والسؤدد العدِّ

Is it true—this is the resting place of pride and glory,

I find you here a place of pride and glory

and the abode of peerless perfection and great nobility?

And home to perfection rare and unmatched nobility

أَجدّكَ قد ضمّ التراب مكارماً

أَجدّكَ قد ضمّ التراب مكارماً

بِها عنقُ العلياءِ قَد كان ذا عقدِ

بِها عنقُ العلياءِ قَد كان ذا عقدِ

Is it true that the dust has embraced noble qualities

I find you, the dust has gathered virtues

that once adorned the neck of greatness as a necklace?

With which the necks of the exalted were once adorned

أَجدّك يهوي البدرُ مِن أفقِ العلى

أَجدّك يهوي البدرُ مِن أفقِ العلى

إِلى منزلٍ في الأرضِ دان على البعدِ

إِلى منزلٍ في الأرضِ دان على البعدِ

Is it true that the full moon falls from the horizon of exaltation

I find you, the full moon has plunged

to a dwelling in the earth, near despite its remoteness?

From the horizon of Highness to an abode low in the earth

أَجدّكَ ما عاينتَ ليسَ توهُّماً

أَجدّكَ ما عاينتَ ليسَ توهُّماً

فَما في حياةٍ لأمري بعد من قصدِ

فَما في حياةٍ لأمري بعد من قصدِ

Is it true—what you have seen is no illusion?

I find you, what you have witnessed is no illusion

Then no purpose remains for me in life.

So nothing in life for my matter remains after intent

أَلا فجّعتنا الحادثاتُ بِمَن بهِ

أَلا فجّعتنا الحادثاتُ بِمَن بهِ

عَلى حادثاتِ الدهرِ نعدو وَنَستعدي

عَلى حادثاتِ الدهرِ نعدو وَنَستعدي

Ah, calamities have bereaved us of the one through whom

Alas! Events have saddened us with one whose like

we assailed the calamities of time and sought aid against them.

Measured against the events of time, we count and prepare

فَقدناهُ فقدَ الشمسِ في ساعةِ الضّحى

فَقدناهُ فقدَ الشمسِ في ساعةِ الضّحى

وَفقد زلالٍ طابَ باليمن والرفدِ

وَفقد زلالٍ طابَ باليمن والرفدِ

We lost him as one loses the sun at midmorning,

We lost him, and lost the sun in the bright dawn

and as one loses clear water, sweet with blessing and bounty.

And lost a fresh stream, wholesome in Yemen and plenty

عَهِدناهُ نسراً لَيس تدركهُ الدلا

عَهِدناهُ نسراً لَيس تدركهُ الدلا

فَكيفَ حَوت أبراجهُ حضرة اللحدِ

فَكيفَ حَوت أبراجهُ حضرة اللحدِ

We knew him as an eagle no buckets could reach;

We knew him an eagle, no snakes can reach

how, then, has the precinct of the grave contained his towers?

So how did his bier contain him in the mortuary?

وَكانَ سريعاً للصريخِ جوابهُ

وَكانَ سريعاً للصريخِ جوابهُ

فَما بالُهُ ما إن يعيد ولا يبدي

فَما بالُهُ ما إن يعيد ولا يبدي

His answer to a cry for help was swift;

He was quick to answer the call

what ails him, then, that he neither repeats a word nor utters one?

So why does he not repeat or initiate?

محمّدُ عبّاس غَدا الدهر عابساً

محمّدُ عبّاس غَدا الدهر عابساً

تَبدّلَ مِن بعد البشاشة ذا وجدِ

تَبدّلَ مِن بعد البشاشة ذا وجدِ

Muhammad Abbas, time has turned sullen;

Muhammad Abbas, time has turned gloomy

after its cheerfulness, it has become grief-stricken.

Transformed after cheerfulness, now frowning

كَأن لَم تكُن تاجاً عَلى هامة العلى

كَأن لَم تكُن تاجاً عَلى هامة العلى

وَلا غرّةً في جبهة العلم والزهدِ

وَلا غرّةً في جبهة العلم والزهدِ

As though you had never been a crown upon the head of greatness,

As if you were not a crown on the forehead of Highness

nor a radiant mark upon the brow of learning and asceticism;

Nor a gem on the brow of knowledge and devotion

كَأن لَم تَكن أعتاب بابك ملجأ

كَأن لَم تَكن أعتاب بابك ملجأ

لأهلِ النهى والفضلِ في الحل والعقدِ

لأهلِ النهى والفضلِ في الحل والعقدِ

as though your doorway’s thresholds had never been a refuge

As if your doorstep were not refuge

for people of reason and virtue in resolving and deciding affairs;

For people of grace and merit in ease and hardship

كأن لَم تَكُن في مسندِ الدرسِ عائماً

كأن لَم تَكُن في مسندِ الدرسِ عائماً

وَأَلفاظكَ الأصداف للجوهر الفردِ

وَأَلفاظكَ الأصداف للجوهر الفردِ

as though you had never been a swimmer in the teaching chair,

As if you were not floating in the seat of lesson

and your words were shells for the peerless pearl;

And your words pearls for the unique gem

كَأن لَم تكن في مَجلسِ الحكم صارماً

كَأن لَم تكن في مَجلسِ الحكم صارماً

يصمّمُ في أغراضه ماضيَ الحدِّ

يصمّمُ في أغراضه ماضيَ الحدِّ

as though you had never been a sword in the council of judgment,

As if you were not harsh in the council of judgment

cleaving clean through its targets, keen of edge;

Resolute in your goals, exceeding limits

كَأن لَم يكُ التنزيل من فيكَ يَكتسي

كَأن لَم يكُ التنزيل من فيكَ يَكتسي

غلائلَ مِن حسنِ الإبانَةِ والسردِ

غلائلَ مِن حسنِ الإبانَةِ والسردِ

as though the Revelation had never, from your mouth, donned

As if revelation did not dress itself in you

fine robes of beautiful exposition and recitation;

With strains of excellent delivery and ordering

كَأن لَم تَكن فوقَ المنابرِ قارعاً

كَأن لَم تَكن فوقَ المنابرِ قارعاً

قُلوباً غَدَت أَقسى من الحجر الصلدِ

قُلوباً غَدَت أَقسى من الحجر الصلدِ

as though you had never, from the pulpits, struck

As if you did not stand above pulpits

hearts that had grown harder than solid stone.

Striking hearts hardened like solid rock

لَئِن جرّعَت مِن كأسِ فقدك علقماً

لَئِن جرّعَت مِن كأسِ فقدك علقماً

فَيا طالَما جرّعتها خالص الشهدِ

فَيا طالَما جرّعتها خالص الشهدِ

Though they have been made to drink bitter colocynth from the cup of losing you,

If you have drunk deeply from the cup of your loss

yet, oh, how often you made them drink pure honey!

Oh, how often you offered it pure honey

لَقد كُنت لِلخضرا شهاباً فَأَينما

لَقد كُنت لِلخضرا شهاباً فَأَينما

تباعدُ عنها ماردَ الجنّ بالطردِ

تباعدُ عنها ماردَ الجنّ بالطردِ

You were indeed a meteor for al-Khadra; wherever you were,

Truly, you were a meteor for the green land

you kept the rebellious jinni far from her by driving him out.

Wherever you fended off the defiant jinn

تُحرّرُ لِلقربى منَ اللّه وحدهُ

تُحرّرُ لِلقربى منَ اللّه وحدهُ

رقاباً غَدَت في ربقةِ الأسر كالعبدِ

رقاباً غَدَت في ربقةِ الأسر كالعبدِ

You freed, seeking nearness to God alone,

You freed for kin, from God alone

necks that had become like slaves in captivity’s collar.

Necks that were shackled in the fetters of captives

تَبوّأتَ مِن حكمِ اِبن داوودَ منزلاً

تَبوّأتَ مِن حكمِ اِبن داوودَ منزلاً

لِغيركم ما إن يرى قط من بعدِ

لِغيركم ما إن يرى قط من بعدِ

You attained, in the judgment of David’s son, a station

You attained from the rule of the son of David

that no one else could ever behold, even from afar.

A status never glimpsed by others ever after

هَنيئاً لَكَ الأجرُ الّذي قد أوتيته

هَنيئاً لَكَ الأجرُ الّذي قد أوتيته

جِوارَ كريمٍ واسعِ الفضلِ والرفدِ

جِوارَ كريمٍ واسعِ الفضلِ والرفدِ

May you delight in the reward you have been granted:

Congratulations on the reward you were granted

nearness to a Generous One, vast in grace and bounty.

The neighborhood of the Benevolent, Abundant in Grace

فَإنّ عِبادَ اللّه جلّ عياله

فَإنّ عِبادَ اللّه جلّ عياله

وَهُم لجنانِ الخلدِ أجدر بالودِّ

وَهُم لجنانِ الخلدِ أجدر بالودِّ

For God’s servants—exalted is He—are His dependents,

For God's servants are all His dependents

and they are most deserving of love, for the sake of the gardens of eternity.

And most deserving of the gardens of eternity

فَها كلُّهم يَدعو بقولِ مؤرّخٍ

فَها كلُّهم يَدعو بقولِ مؤرّخٍ

محمّد عباس أنل جنّة الخلدِ

محمّد عباس أنل جنّة الخلدِ

So behold, they all pray in the words of a chronogram-maker:

So here they all pray in the words of a chronicler

Grant Muhammad Abbas the Garden of Eternity.

“Muhammad Abbas, attain Heaven's eternity.”