أَيا لَحدَ بَحرِ العِلمِ نعمانِ وَقتِهِ

أَيا لَحدَ بَحرِ العِلمِ نعمانِ وَقتِهِ

أَأَنتَ بِهِ تَدري وَهَل أَنتَ تَعلمُ

أَأَنتَ بِهِ تَدري وَهَل أَنتَ تَعلمُ

O tomb of the sea of learning—the Nu‘mān of his time!

O grave of the ocean of knowledge, the Nu‘man of his age,

Are you aware of him, and do you know?

Are you aware of him, and do you understand?

فَذاكَ إِمامُ العَصرِ في الدّهرِ أَحمد

فَذاكَ إِمامُ العَصرِ في الدّهرِ أَحمد

وَذاكَ هوَ البزري الإِمام المُقدَّمُ

وَذاكَ هوَ البزري الإِمام المُقدَّمُ

For that is Ahmad, the imam of the age in his day;

For he is Ahmad, the imam of the age in time's course,

and that is al-Bizri, the foremost imam.

And he is al-Bizri, the foremost imam.

دَعاهُ إِلى الفِردَوسِ مَولاهُ طالِباً

دَعاهُ إِلى الفِردَوسِ مَولاهُ طالِباً

فَسابَقه مِنهُ إِلَيها التقدُّمُ

فَسابَقه مِنهُ إِلَيها التقدُّمُ

His Lord summoned him to Firdaws, seeking him,

His Lord called him to Paradise, seeking him,

and, from within him, the impulse to advance raced him toward it.

So his advance toward it raced ahead of him.

فَطيبوا فَفي الفِردَوسِ حَلَّ وأرِّخوا

فَطيبوا فَفي الفِردَوسِ حَلَّ وأرِّخوا

بِمَنٍّ وَفي دارِ الخُلودِ ينعّمُ

بِمَنٍّ وَفي دارِ الخُلودِ ينعّمُ

So take heart: he has alighted in Firdaws. And record the date:

So rejoice, for he has settled in Paradise; and record the date:

“With Nu‘mān—in the Abode of Eternity, he lives in bliss.”

By grace, and in the abode of eternity he is granted bliss.