كَذَا فَلْيَكُنْ رُزْءُ العُلَى والْعَوَالِمِ

كَذَا فَلْيَكُنْ رُزْءُ العُلَى والْعَوَالِمِ

ومِنْ مِثْلِ ذا تَنْهَدُّ رُكْنُ الْمَعالم

ومِنْ مِثْلِ ذا تَنْهَدُّ رُكْنُ الْمَعالم

Such should be the loss to glory and the worlds;

So let the derision of the exalted and the worlds be thus,

And at such a loss the pillar of the landmarks crumbles.

And it is the likes of this that makes the pillars of ideals moan.

أَما آنَ للأَرْضِ التَّزَلْزُلُ بَعْدَما

أَما آنَ للأَرْضِ التَّزَلْزُلُ بَعْدَما

هَوَى جَبَلُ الْعِلْمِ الطَّويلُ الدَّعائِمِ

هَوَى جَبَلُ الْعِلْمِ الطَّويلُ الدَّعائِمِ

Has the time not come for the earth to quake, now that

Is it not time for the earth to shake after

The mountain of knowledge, with its lofty pillars, has fallen?

The mountain of knowledge, with its towering pillars, has fallen?

فكَيْفَ ثُبُوتُ الشُّهْبِ والْبَدْرُ قَدْ ثَوَى

فكَيْفَ ثُبُوتُ الشُّهْبِ والْبَدْرُ قَدْ ثَوَى

بِبَطْنِ الثَّرَى واغْبرَّ أُفْقُ الْمَكارِمِ

بِبَطْنِ الثَّرَى واغْبرَّ أُفْقُ الْمَكارِمِ

How, then, can the stars stand firm, when the full moon has come to rest

So how can the stars and moon remain fixed

In the earth's belly, and the horizon of noble virtues has turned dust-gray?

When he who was a sea of guidance lies buried in the belly of dust, and the horizon of virtues is clouded?

قَضَى العالِمُ النَّحْريرُ والسَّابِقُ الذي

قَضَى العالِمُ النَّحْريرُ والسَّابِقُ الذي

غَدَا مَوْتُهُ في النّاسِ إحْدَى الْعَظَائمِ

غَدَا مَوْتُهُ في النّاسِ إحْدَى الْعَظَائمِ

The consummate scholar has died, the foremost one whose

The eminent scholar and pioneer has passed away,

Death has become one of humanity's great calamities.

And his death has become one of the greatest calamities for people.

قَضَى البَحْرُ في كُلِّ المعارِفِ عَنْ يَدٍ

قَضَى البَحْرُ في كُلِّ المعارِفِ عَنْ يَدٍ

فَوَاهاً عَلَى بَحْرِ الْهُدَى المتَلاطِمِ

فَوَاهاً عَلَى بَحْرِ الْهُدَى المتَلاطِمِ

The ocean of every branch of knowledge has died at a stroke;

The sea of all branches of knowledge has died at the hands of

Alas for the surging ocean of guidance!

Destiny. Alas for the tumultuous sea of guidance!

فَمَنْ للتَّفاسِيرِ الْعَويصَاتِ بَعْدَهُ

فَمَنْ للتَّفاسِيرِ الْعَويصَاتِ بَعْدَهُ

إذا حَيَّرَتْ أبْحاثُها كُلَّ عالِمِ

إذا حَيَّرَتْ أبْحاثُها كُلَّ عالِمِ

Who will take on the difficult commentaries after him,

Who now can unravel the difficult exegeses

When their inquiries bewilder every scholar?

When their discussions perplex every scholar?

ومَنْ ذَا يُرْوِّي الطّالِبينَ بمَشْرَبٍ

ومَنْ ذَا يُرْوِّي الطّالِبينَ بمَشْرَبٍ

مِنْ السُّنَّةِ الْغَرّاءِ عِنْدَ التَّزاحُمِ

مِنْ السُّنَّةِ الْغَرّاءِ عِنْدَ التَّزاحُمِ

And who will quench the seekers' thirst with a draught

And who can quench the thirst of seekers

From the radiant Sunnah amid the throng?

With a drink from the radiant Sunnah during the crush?

ومَنْ ذَاك للأَصْلَيْنِ يَبْحَثُ فِيهما

ومَنْ ذَاك للأَصْلَيْنِ يَبْحَثُ فِيهما

مَباحِثَ نقّادِ الْبَصِيرَةِ فَاهِمِ

مَباحِثَ نقّادِ الْبَصِيرَةِ فَاهِمِ

And who will take up the two foundations, probing them

And who can now research the two fundamental sources,1

With the inquiries of a critic endowed with insight and understanding?

With the penetrating discussions of the discerning critics?

ومَنْ ذا إذَا عِلْمُ الْبَيانِ تَوَعَّرَتْ

ومَنْ ذا إذَا عِلْمُ الْبَيانِ تَوَعَّرَتْ

مسالِكُهُ يَرْقَى لَهُ بالسَّلالِمِ

مسالِكُهُ يَرْقَى لَهُ بالسَّلالِمِ

And who, when the science of eloquence grows rugged

And when the science of rhetoric becomes difficult,

In its paths, will ascend to it by ladders?

Who can now ascend its paths and ladders?

لِتَبْكِ عُلُومُ الْعَقْلِ والنَّقْلِ كُلُّها

لِتَبْكِ عُلُومُ الْعَقْلِ والنَّقْلِ كُلُّها

عَلَى فَرْدِها المخْتارِ بَيْنَ الْعَوالِمِ

عَلَى فَرْدِها المخْتارِ بَيْنَ الْعَوالِمِ

Let all the rational and transmitted sciences weep

Let all the sciences of reason and narration weep

For their peerless one, chosen among the worlds.

For their unique choice among the learned of the world.

ليَبْكِ عَلَيْهِ مَنْهَجُ الزُّهْدِ والْهُدَى

ليَبْكِ عَلَيْهِ مَنْهَجُ الزُّهْدِ والْهُدَى

ومَرْتَعُ أَرْبابِ الْهُدَى المتَقادِمِ

ومَرْتَعُ أَرْبابِ الْهُدَى المتَقادِمِ

Let the path of asceticism and guidance weep for him,

Let the path of asceticism and guidance weep for him,

And the age-old pasture of the masters of guidance.

As well as the pasture of the people of guidance and precedent.

فَلَهْفِي عَلَى ذاكَ التَّواضُعِ إنَّهُ

فَلَهْفِي عَلَى ذاكَ التَّواضُعِ إنَّهُ

تَعاظَمَ فيهِ الرُّزْءُ كُلَّ التّعاظُمِ

تَعاظَمَ فيهِ الرُّزْءُ كُلَّ التّعاظُمِ

Alas for that humility! Indeed,

So weep for that humility of his, as

The loss of it has grown great beyond measure.

Superiority was utterly humbled in him.

ولَهْفي عَلَى تِلْكَ الْخَلائِقِ إنَّها

ولَهْفي عَلَى تِلْكَ الْخَلائِقِ إنَّها

تَقَضَّتْ فكانَتْ شِبْهَ أَحْلامِ نائِمِ

تَقَضَّتْ فكانَتْ شِبْهَ أَحْلامِ نائِمِ

And alas for those virtues! Truly, they

And weep for those manners of his, as

Have passed away, becoming like a sleeper's dreams.

They have come to an end, becoming like the dreams of a sleeper.

أَشَيْخَ شُيُوخِ الْعَصْرِ كَيْفَ تَركْتَنا

أَشَيْخَ شُيُوخِ الْعَصْرِ كَيْفَ تَركْتَنا

عِطاشاً وأَنْتَ الْبَحْرُ يا بنَ الأكارِمِ

عِطاشاً وأَنْتَ الْبَحْرُ يا بنَ الأكارِمِ

O shaykh of the shaykhs of the age, how have you left us

O sheikh of the sheikhs of the age! How could you leave us

Thirsty, when you are the ocean, O son of the noble ones?

Thirsty when you were an ocean, O son of nobility?

أيا رِحْلَةَ الطّلاّبِ مَنْ ذاك يُرْتَجى

أيا رِحْلَةَ الطّلاّبِ مَنْ ذاك يُرْتَجى

لَحلِّ عُقُودِ المعْضِلاتِ الْعَظائِمِ

لَحلِّ عُقُودِ المعْضِلاتِ الْعَظائِمِ

O you to whom students journey, who can be looked to

O quest of the students! Who can now be hoped

To untie the knots of great, intractable problems?

To solve the complex, momentous problems?

سَقَى جَدَثاً أُنْزلْتَهُ صَوْبُ رَحْمَةٍ

سَقَى جَدَثاً أُنْزلْتَهُ صَوْبُ رَحْمَةٍ

وَجادَتْ عَلَيْهَ سافِحاتُ الْغَمائِمِ

وَجادَتْ عَلَيْهَ سافِحاتُ الْغَمائِمِ

May a downpour of mercy water the grave where you were laid,

Your grave was watered in a place of mercy,

And may the pouring clouds shower it generously.

And the rainclouds of favor poured upon it.

وَجازَاكَ مَنْ أَولاكَ عَنْ نَشْر دِينِهِ

وَجازَاكَ مَنْ أَولاكَ عَنْ نَشْر دِينِهِ

بِخَيْرِ جَزَاءِ نالَهُ خَيْرُ قادمِ

بِخَيْرِ جَزَاءِ نالَهُ خَيْرُ قادمِ

And may He who favored you reward you for spreading His religion

May He who enabled you to spread His faith

With the best reward received by the best of those who come to Him.

Reward you with the best reward gained by the noble.

فَأَنْتَ الّذي أَحْيَيْتَ سُنَّةَ أَحْمَدٍ

فَأَنْتَ الّذي أَحْيَيْتَ سُنَّةَ أَحْمَدٍ

وأطْلَعْتَها شَمْساً بِرَغْمِ الرَّواغِمِ

وأطْلَعْتَها شَمْساً بِرَغْمِ الرَّواغِمِ

For you are the one who revived Ahmad's Sunnah,

You are the one who revived the Sunnah of Ahmad2

And made it rise as a sun, despite those who begrudged it.

And made it a radiant sun despite the preventing forces.

ومِلْتَ إلى الإنْصافِ غَيْرَ مُراقِبٍ

ومِلْتَ إلى الإنْصافِ غَيْرَ مُراقِبٍ

وَلا خائِفٍ ما عِشْتَ لَوْمَ اللّوائِمِ

وَلا خائِفٍ ما عِشْتَ لَوْمَ اللّوائِمِ

And you inclined toward fairness, neither wary

You inclined toward fairness without self-interest

Nor fearful, throughout your life, of the reproach of reproachers.

Or fear of blame for as long as you lived.

وأعْرَضْتَ عَنْ كُلِّ الْمَطامِعِ رَاضِياً

وأعْرَضْتَ عَنْ كُلِّ الْمَطامِعِ رَاضِياً

بمَيْسُورِ عَيْشٍ لا بِعَيْشِ الْبَهائِمِ

بمَيْسُورِ عَيْشٍ لا بِعَيْشِ الْبَهائِمِ

And you turned away from all covetous aims, content

And you turned away from all temptations, pleased

With a modest living, not the life of beasts.

With a moderate livelihood, not the life of beasts.