أرَى فِتنَةَ الدُّنيا هي الآيةُ الكُبرَى

أرَى فِتنَةَ الدُّنيا هي الآيةُ الكُبرَى

يَضِلُّ بها الهادي فيلهو عن الأُخرَى

يَضِلُّ بها الهادي فيلهو عن الأُخرَى

I see that this world's temptation is the greatest sign;

I see the temptations of this world as the greatest sign,

through it the guide goes astray and is distracted from the hereafter.

Through which even the guide goes astray, distracted from the other.

غَفَلْنا بها عمَّا بها عن جَهالةٍ

غَفَلْنا بها عمَّا بها عن جَهالةٍ

فليسَ بما في البيتِ صاحبُهُ أدرَى

فليسَ بما في البيتِ صاحبُهُ أدرَى

In ignorance, we are distracted by it from what it holds;

We were heedless of what was in it due to ignorance,

so the house's owner is no wiser about what lies within.

So the owner of the house knows not what is in it more than others.

تَظَلُّ المنايا واقفاتٍ بمَرصَدٍ

تَظَلُّ المنايا واقفاتٍ بمَرصَدٍ

فمن فاتَ يُمناها تَلَقَّتْهُ باليُسرَى

فمن فاتَ يُمناها تَلَقَّتْهُ باليُسرَى

The fates of death stand ever in ambush;

Death stands waiting in ambush,

so whoever eludes their right hand is met by their left.

Whoever escapes its right hand, it takes him with the left.

نَراها على غير اعتبارٍ بما نرى

نَراها على غير اعتبارٍ بما نرى

كما الواو في عمروٍ تُخَطُّ ولا تُقرا

كما الواو في عمروٍ تُخَطُّ ولا تُقرا

We see them, yet take no lesson from what we see,

We see it without contemplation of what we see,

like the wāw in ʿAmr, written but not pronounced.

Like the letter Alif in the name Amr, it crosses but is not read.

يَظُنُّ الذي خلفَ الجِنازةِ أنَّهُ

يَظُنُّ الذي خلفَ الجِنازةِ أنَّهُ

أمينٌ فلا يجري على ذلك المَجرَى

أمينٌ فلا يجري على ذلك المَجرَى

The man who follows behind a funeral thinks that he

He who walks behind the funeral thinks that he

is safe, and will not travel that same path.

Is safe, not knowing he will meet the same fate.

ترى عينُهُ حُفَرَ الضَّريحِ وقلبُهُ

ترى عينُهُ حُفَرَ الضَّريحِ وقلبُهُ

هنالِكَ مشغولٌ بأنْ يبتني قَصْرا

هنالِكَ مشغولٌ بأنْ يبتني قَصْرا

His eye sees the pits of the grave, while his heart

His eyes see the grave being dug while his heart

is preoccupied there with building himself a palace.

Is preoccupied with building a palace.

غِشاءٌ من الدُّنيا علينا كأنَّها

غِشاءٌ من الدُّنيا علينا كأنَّها

عَلى حَدَقِ الأبصارِ قد كَتَبتْ سِحْرا

عَلى حَدَقِ الأبصارِ قد كَتَبتْ سِحْرا

A veil from this world lies over us, as though it

A covering from this world is upon us as if

had inscribed a spell upon the pupils of our eyes.

It has cast a spell upon the eyes.

لنا كلَّ يومٍ خُطبةٌ من جِنازةٍ

لنا كلَّ يومٍ خُطبةٌ من جِنازةٍ

ولكنَّ في الآذانِ عن صوتها وَقْرا

ولكنَّ في الآذانِ عن صوتها وَقْرا

Each day a funeral delivers us a sermon,

Every day we get a sermon from a funeral

but our ears are deaf to its voice.

But our ears are deaf to its message.

قدِ اندَكَّ في بَغدادَ طَوْدٌ فأجفَلَتْ

قدِ اندَكَّ في بَغدادَ طَوْدٌ فأجفَلَتْ

لهُ الشَّامُ حتى هزَّ من هَوْلِهِ مِصرا

لهُ الشَّامُ حتى هزَّ من هَوْلِهِ مِصرا

A mountain has crumbled in Baghdad, and in fright recoiled

An affliction has befallen Baghdad, laid waste,

Syria at its fall, till its terror shook Egypt.

Causing Syria to tremble and shaking Egypt.

أتاهُ رسولُ البينِ في حين غفلةٍ

أتاهُ رسولُ البينِ في حين غفلةٍ

وقد هابهُ جَهْراً فداهَمَهُ غَدْرا

وقد هابهُ جَهْراً فداهَمَهُ غَدْرا

The messenger of separation came to him in an unwary hour;

The messenger of separation came upon him unawares

he had feared to face him openly, so he assailed him treacherously.

When he felt secure, assailing him treacherously.

قد اختارهُ الباقي الذي هو عبدُهُ

قد اختارهُ الباقي الذي هو عبدُهُ

بليلٍ إليهِ في الطِّباقِ بهِ أسرَى

بليلٍ إليهِ في الطِّباقِ بهِ أسرَى

The Everlasting One, whose servant he is, has chosen him;

The Eternal chose him, His devoted servant,

by night He bore him to Himself through the layered heavens.

Taking him on a blessed night to be in His presence.

فكانَ لهُ في دارةِ الأرضِ مأتَمٌ

فكانَ لهُ في دارةِ الأرضِ مأتَمٌ

وفي العرشِ عيدٌ يجمعُ الفِطرَ والنَّحرا

وفي العرشِ عيدٌ يجمعُ الفِطرَ والنَّحرا

So for him, in the realm of earth, there was mourning,

For the world there was mourning,

and at the Throne a festival joining Eid al-Fitr and the Feast of Sacrifice.

While in the heavens there was celebration of Eid and sacrifice.

إمامٌ من الأفراد في أهل عصرِهِ

إمامٌ من الأفراد في أهل عصرِهِ

شمائلُهُ الغرَّاءُ قد زانت العَصْرا

شمائلُهُ الغرَّاءُ قد زانت العَصْرا

An imam, one of the peerless men of his age;

A peerless Imam of his time,

his radiant virtues adorned the age.

His noble qualities adorned the age.

أدَقُّ الوَرَى فِكراً وأكرمُهُم يداً

أدَقُّ الوَرَى فِكراً وأكرمُهُم يداً

وأفصَحُهم نظماً وأبلغُهم نَثرا

وأفصَحُهم نظماً وأبلغُهم نَثرا

The most subtle in thought of all mankind, the most generous of hand,

The most astute of creation in thought, the most generous of hand,

and the most fluent in verse, the most eloquent in prose.

The most eloquent in prose and poetry.

هوَ العُمَرِيُّ الباذخُ الشَّرفِ الذي

هوَ العُمَرِيُّ الباذخُ الشَّرفِ الذي

حباهُ بهِ الفاروقُ وهوَ بهِ أحرَى

حباهُ بهِ الفاروقُ وهوَ بهِ أحرَى

He is al-ʿUmari, towering in the honor that

He is Al-Umarī, eminent and noble,

al-Faruq bestowed upon him, and he is most worthy of it.

Bestowed with this by Al-Fārūq, and he is the most deserving.

جميلُ الثَّنا لا يقطعُ الدَّهرُ ذِكرَهُ

جميلُ الثَّنا لا يقطعُ الدَّهرُ ذِكرَهُ

صدقتُ ولكن ذِكرُهُ يقطعُ الدَّهرا

صدقتُ ولكن ذِكرُهُ يقطعُ الدَّهرا

Of fair renown: time cannot cut short his remembrance;

His beautiful praise, time will never erase,

I spoke truly—but his remembrance cuts through time.

I speak truly, but his remembrance will erase time.

لئن باتَ في أكفانهِ البيضِ مُدرَجاً

لئن باتَ في أكفانهِ البيضِ مُدرَجاً

ففي جَنَّةِ الخُلدِ ارتدَى سُندُساً خُضْرا

ففي جَنَّةِ الخُلدِ ارتدَى سُندُساً خُضْرا

Though he spent the night wrapped in his white shrouds,

If he now lies shrouded in his white garb,

yet in the Garden of Eternity he has donned fine green silk.

In Paradise he is clad in green silk.

وإن لم يَذُقْ في الأرضِ خمراً فقد سُقي

وإن لم يَذُقْ في الأرضِ خمراً فقد سُقي

هناكَ خموراً غيرَ مُعقبةٍ سُكرا

هناكَ خموراً غيرَ مُعقبةٍ سُكرا

And though he tasted no wine on earth, he has been given

If he tasted no wine on earth,

wines there that leave no drunkenness behind.

There he is given a drink with no aftermath of drunkenness.

لقد كُنتُ أجني الدُرَّ من لفظهِ وها

لقد كُنتُ أجني الدُرَّ من لفظهِ وها

أنا من ثناهُ اجتلي الأنجُمَ الزُّهرا

أنا من ثناهُ اجتلي الأنجُمَ الزُّهرا

I once gathered pearls from his speech, and here

I used to reap pearls from his words, now

I am, beholding the radiant stars in praise of him.

I reap stars in praising him.

وأذكرُ من ألطافِهِ ووِدادهِ

وأذكرُ من ألطافِهِ ووِدادهِ

بدائعَ شَتَّى لا أُطيقُ لها ذِكرا

بدائعَ شَتَّى لا أُطيقُ لها ذِكرا

And I recall, from his kindnesses and his affection,

I recall of his kindness and affection

wonders of many kinds that I cannot bear to recount.

Wondrous subtleties I cannot enumerate.

يَشُقُّ على قلبي رِثاءٌ أخُطُّهُ

يَشُقُّ على قلبي رِثاءٌ أخُطُّهُ

لهُ ودموعي أوشكت تُذِهبُ الحِبْرا

لهُ ودموعي أوشكت تُذِهبُ الحِبْرا

Heavy upon my heart is the elegy I write

Composing this elegy weighs heavy on my heart,

for him, while my tears nearly wash away the ink.

My tears are about to exhaust the ink.

وتُوشِكُ أن تُصلى الصَّحيفةُ في يدي

وتُوشِكُ أن تُصلى الصَّحيفةُ في يدي

فتُحرَقُ من تصعيدِ أنفاسِيَ الحَرًّى

فتُحرَقُ من تصعيدِ أنفاسِيَ الحَرًّى

And the page in my hand is almost set aflame,

Soon the page in my hand will ignite,

and burned by my scorching breaths as they rise.

From the intense sighs of grief rising from me.

سَقَى الله قبراً ضمَّ أعظُمَهُ وكم

سَقَى الله قبراً ضمَّ أعظُمَهُ وكم

فؤادٍ تمنَّى أن يكونَ لهُ قَبْرا

فؤادٍ تمنَّى أن يكونَ لهُ قَبْرا

May God water the grave that holds his bones—and how many

May God water a grave that contains his like,

hearts have wished to be his grave!

And how many hearts wish it were their grave!

ولو كانَ القبرُ يَملِكُ أمرَهُ

ولو كانَ القبرُ يَملِكُ أمرَهُ

لرَدَّ البِلَى عنهُ واحرَزَهُ ذُخرا

لرَدَّ البِلَى عنهُ واحرَزَهُ ذُخرا

And if the grave were master of its own affairs,

If the grave had power over its affairs,

it would repel decay from him and safeguard him as a treasure.

It would restore him from decay and treasure him.