كريمٌ قد تولاّهُ الكريمُ

كريمٌ قد تولاّهُ الكريمُ

برحمتهِ فدامَ لهُ النَّعيمُ

برحمتهِ فدامَ لهُ النَّعيمُ

A generous man has been taken into the All-Generous One's care,

A generous one whom the Generous has taken

through His mercy, so bliss endures for him.

With His mercy, so he enjoys bliss

رَجَونا أن يعيشَ لنا سليماً

رَجَونا أن يعيشَ لنا سليماً

ولكن ليسَ في الدُّنيا سليمُ

ولكن ليسَ في الدُّنيا سليمُ

We hoped he would live among us, safe and sound,

We hoped he would live safely for us

but no one in this world is unscathed.

But there is no one safe in this world

بلايا الدَّهرِ بينَ النَّاسِ شَتَّى

بلايا الدَّهرِ بينَ النَّاسِ شَتَّى

وأعظَمُها يُصابُ بهِ العظيمُ

وأعظَمُها يُصابُ بهِ العظيمُ

Time's calamities among people are manifold,

The calamities of fate are diverse among people

and the greatest of them strikes the great.

And the greatest befalls the greatest

تُفاجئُ حيثُ لم تَخطُر ببالٍ

تُفاجئُ حيثُ لم تَخطُر ببالٍ

ولم يَفطُنْ لَها الرَّجلُ الحكيمُ

ولم يَفطُنْ لَها الرَّجلُ الحكيمُ

They strike suddenly when they have not crossed one's mind,

They surprise where they did not occur to a mind

nor has the wise man foreseen them.

And the wise man did not notice them

إذا لم تأتِ جهراً من أمامٍ

إذا لم تأتِ جهراً من أمامٍ

أتَت من فوق خاطفةً تَحومُ

أتَت من فوق خاطفةً تَحومُ

If they do not come openly from the front,

If they do not come openly from the front

they come from above, swooping and circling.

They come from above, swooping, hovering

نسُدُّ طريقَها عنَّا فتجري

نسُدُّ طريقَها عنَّا فتجري

على طُرُقٍ إلينا تَستقيمُ

على طُرُقٍ إلينا تَستقيمُ

We bar their path to us, yet they run

We block their way from us so they flow

along paths that lead straight to us.

Through routes to us that are direct

لعَمرُكَ كلُّ ما في الأرض فانٍ

لعَمرُكَ كلُّ ما في الأرض فانٍ

وغيرُ جَلالِ ربِّكَ لا يَدومُ

وغيرُ جَلالِ ربِّكَ لا يَدومُ

By your life, all that is on earth must perish,

By your life, all that is on earth is vanishing

and nothing but your Lord's majesty endures.

And nothing endures but the majesty of your Lord

لكلِّ مَصائِبِ الدُّنيا خصوصٌ

لكلِّ مَصائِبِ الدُّنيا خصوصٌ

بهِ افتَرقَتْ وللموتِ العُمومُ

بهِ افتَرقَتْ وللموتِ العُمومُ

Each worldly calamity has its own particular character,

For every disaster of the present world specifics

by which they differ, while death is universal.

By which it parted and for death generality

سَيطرقُ كلَّ جسمٍ فيهِ روحٌ

سَيطرقُ كلَّ جسمٍ فيهِ روحٌ

فلا تَبقَى الحياةُ ولا الجُسومُ

فلا تَبقَى الحياةُ ولا الجُسومُ

It will visit every body that holds a soul,

Every body containing a soul will be rapped

so neither life nor bodies will remain.

So neither life nor bodies remain

ولو أنَّ النُّجومَ لها حَياةٌ

ولو أنَّ النُّجومَ لها حَياةٌ

لذاقتْ غُصَّةَ الموتِ النُّجومُ

لذاقتْ غُصَّةَ الموتِ النُّجومُ

And even if the stars had life,

And if the stars had life

the stars would taste the choking pang of death.

The stars would taste the agony of death

سَقَتْ نِعَمُ الإلهِ ثَرَى ضريحٍ

سَقَتْ نِعَمُ الإلهِ ثَرَى ضريحٍ

أجَلُّ مُسافِرٍ فيهِ مقيمُ

أجَلُّ مُسافِرٍ فيهِ مقيمُ

May God's blessings water the soil of a tomb

The blessings of God watered the soil of a grave

where the noblest traveler abides,

Of the most righteous traveller in it residing

فينبُتَ فوقهُ زَهرٌ رطيبٌ

فينبُتَ فوقهُ زَهرٌ رطيبٌ

ويَروَى تحتَهُ عظمٌ رميمُ

ويَروَى تحتَهُ عظمٌ رميمُ

so that fresh flowers may grow above it,

So flowers grow over it and it gets watered

and the moldering bones beneath it drink their fill.

And a feeble bone gets moistened under it

مضى عنَّا وقد غُلَّتْ يَداهُ

مضى عنَّا وقد غُلَّتْ يَداهُ

وقُطِّبَ ذلكَ الوجهُ الوسيمُ

وقُطِّبَ ذلكَ الوجهُ الوسيمُ

He departed from us with his hands already fettered,

He went from us though his hands were tied up

and that handsome face was drawn into a frown.

And that handsome face frowned

قدِ اختَطَفَتْهُ بارِقةُ المنايا

قدِ اختَطَفَتْهُ بارِقةُ المنايا

بليلٍ لم يَهُبَّ بهِ النَّسيمُ

بليلٍ لم يَهُبَّ بهِ النَّسيمُ

Death's lightning flash had snatched him away

The lightning bolt of demise snatched him away

on a night when no breeze stirred.

In a night not breezed by the gentle wind

دعوناهُ سليماً حين رُمنا

دعوناهُ سليماً حين رُمنا

سلامتَهُ فخالفَ ما نَرومُ

سلامتَهُ فخالفَ ما نَرومُ

We called him Salim when we sought

We bid him safety when we cast

his safety, yet he went against our wish.

His well-being but opposite of what we intend occurred

وصدَّ فما يُجيبُ ولو تَولَّى

وصدَّ فما يُجيبُ ولو تَولَّى

مَقامَ خِطابِهِ مَوسَى الكليمُ

مَقامَ خِطابِهِ مَوسَى الكليمُ

He turned away and gives no answer, even if

And he turned away so does not respond even if

Moses, who spoke with God, were to undertake addressing him.

Moses the Converser would assume his stance

عليهِ رحمةٌ في كلِّ يومٍ

عليهِ رحمةٌ في كلِّ يومٍ

يجدِّدُها لهُ المَلِكُ الرَّحيمُ

يجدِّدُها لهُ المَلِكُ الرَّحيمُ

May mercy be upon him every day,

May there be mercy upon him every day

renewed for him by the Merciful King.

Renewed for him by the Kind King

وتلكَ نِهايةُ الآمالِ يَسعَى

وتلكَ نِهايةُ الآمالِ يَسعَى

إليها من يُصلِّي أو يَصومُ

إليها من يُصلِّي أو يَصومُ

And that is the ultimate hope, pursued

And that is the goal of hopes which

by whoever prays or fasts.

Anyone who prays or fasts aspires to