يا أَيُّها القبرُ فيك النَّاسُ قد رَقَدوا

يا أَيُّها القبرُ فيك النَّاسُ قد رَقَدوا

مُنذُ القديمِ ولكن لم يَقُمْ أَحدُ

مُنذُ القديمِ ولكن لم يَقُمْ أَحدُ

O grave, within you the people have lain asleep

O grave, in you people have slept

Since ancient times, and yet not one has risen.

Since ancient times, yet no one has risen

فيا لهُ سَفَراً ما كانَ أَطوَلَهُ

فيا لهُ سَفَراً ما كانَ أَطوَلَهُ

ويالَها فُرقةً مِيعادُها الأَبَدُ

ويالَها فُرقةً مِيعادُها الأَبَدُ

So what a journey—how long it was!

What a long journey it has been

And what a parting, whose appointed term is eternity!

And what an eternal separation it is

قَدِ استَوَى العبدُ والمَولَى على قَدَر

قَدِ استَوَى العبدُ والمَولَى على قَدَر

تحتَ الثَّرَى فتَساوَى الدُّرُّ والبَرَدُ

تحتَ الثَّرَى فتَساوَى الدُّرُّ والبَرَدُ

Slave and master have come to equal standing

The servant and the master are now equal

Beneath the soil, so pearl and hailstone are alike.

Under the soil, so the pearl and gravel are the same

وليسَ يُعرَفُ مملوكٌ ولا مَلِكٌ

وليسَ يُعرَفُ مملوكٌ ولا مَلِكٌ

فلم تَكُنْ غَيرةٌ فيهمِ ولا حَسَدُ

فلم تَكُنْ غَيرةٌ فيهمِ ولا حَسَدُ

And neither slave nor king can be distinguished,

No slave or king can be recognized

So there was neither jealousy among them nor envy.

So there was no jealousy or envy among them

النَّاسُ في الجِسمِ أَشباهٌ قَدِ اتَّفَقَتْ

النَّاسُ في الجِسمِ أَشباهٌ قَدِ اتَّفَقَتْ

والفَرقُ في النَّفسِ إذ لا يُفرَقُ الجَسَدُ

والفَرقُ في النَّفسِ إذ لا يُفرَقُ الجَسَدُ

People are alike in body, their forms matching,

People's bodies may look alike

And difference lies in the soul, since bodies cannot be told apart.

But their souls are different since the corpse cannot be distinguished

كُنا نرى ابنَ عُبَيدٍ بينَنا رَجُلاً

كُنا نرى ابنَ عُبَيدٍ بينَنا رَجُلاً

لكنْ يساوي رِجالاً ما لَهُمْ عَدَدُ

لكنْ يساوي رِجالاً ما لَهُمْ عَدَدُ

We used to see Ibn Ubayd among us as one man,

We saw Ibn Ubayd among us as a man

Yet he was the equal of men beyond number.

Yet he equaled countless other men

كانُ التُّقى والنَّقا والحِلمُ مُجتمِعاً

كانُ التُّقى والنَّقا والحِلمُ مُجتمِعاً

في شَخصِهِ واصطناعُ الخَيرِ والرَشَدِ

في شَخصِهِ واصطناعُ الخَيرِ والرَشَدِ

Piety, purity, and forbearance were united

Piety, honesty and forbearance gathered

In his person, along with the practice of goodness and uprightness.

In his person, along with doing good and righteousness

فلم يكُنْ طِيبُ خُلقٍ لا نراهُ بهِ

فلم يكُنْ طِيبُ خُلقٍ لا نراهُ بهِ

ولم يَكُن فيهِ عَيبٌ حينَ يُنتَقَدُ

ولم يَكُن فيهِ عَيبٌ حينَ يُنتَقَدُ

So there was no good trait we did not see in him,

No good trait of character failed to manifest in him

And there was no flaw in him when he was scrutinized.

Nor any fault when he was criticized

قد كانَ غَوثَ اليَتامَى من مَكارِمِهِ

قد كانَ غَوثَ اليَتامَى من مَكارِمِهِ

فلا يُهَمُّ لفَقْدِ الوالِدِ الوَلَدُ

فلا يُهَمُّ لفَقْدِ الوالِدِ الوَلَدُ

He was the succor of orphans through his generosity,

He was the refuge of orphans with his virtues

So no child was distressed by the loss of a father.

So the son does not worry about the loss of his father

وكانَ كَهْفَ العُفاةِ اللائذينَ بهِ

وكانَ كَهْفَ العُفاةِ اللائذينَ بهِ

تُثنَى يدُ الدَّهرِ إذ تَمتَدُّ منهُ يَدُ

تُثنَى يدُ الدَّهرِ إذ تَمتَدُّ منهُ يَدُ

And he was a sheltering cave for suppliants seeking refuge with him;

He was the cave of the destitute who sought refuge in him

Time's hand was bent back whenever his hand reached out.

While the hand of fate extends from him, his hand retracts

فُؤادُهُ كزُلالِ الماءَ حينَ صفَا

فُؤادُهُ كزُلالِ الماءَ حينَ صفَا

وغَيرةٌ فيهِ مثلَ النَّارِ تَتَّقِدُ

وغَيرةٌ فيهِ مثلَ النَّارِ تَتَّقِدُ

His heart was like limpid water when it grew clear,

His heart was like the stillness of water when clear

And zeal within him blazed like fire.

And he had a zeal like a kindled fire

يبغي رضَى اللهِ مُهتمّاً بطاعتَهِ

يبغي رضَى اللهِ مُهتمّاً بطاعتَهِ

وفي مَنافعِ خَلقِ اللهِ يَجتهدُ

وفي مَنافعِ خَلقِ اللهِ يَجتهدُ

He sought God's pleasure, intent on obeying Him,

He sought the pleasure of God, intent on obeying Him

And strove for the welfare of God's creatures.

And strived in benefiting God's creation

هذا عَمُودٌ هَوَى من أوجِ رِفعِتِهِ

هذا عَمُودٌ هَوَى من أوجِ رِفعِتِهِ

على البَسيطةِ فاهتزَّتْ لهُ العُمُدُ

على البَسيطةِ فاهتزَّتْ لهُ العُمُدُ

This is a pillar that fell from the summit of its height

This pillar has fallen from the height of its glory

Onto the earth, so the pillars trembled for it.

And made the pillars of the simple mosque shake

قامَتْ لهُ ضجَّةٌ في مِصرَ فاندَفَعَتْ

قامَتْ لهُ ضجَّةٌ في مِصرَ فاندَفَعَتْ

بحيثُ لم يَخلُ من إرجافِها بَلَدُ

بحيثُ لم يَخلُ من إرجافِها بَلَدُ

An outcry arose for him in Egypt and swept forth,

An uproar rose for him in Egypt, spreading

So that no land was free of its tumult.

Until no country was devoid of its rumbling

مَضَى إلى اللهِ مسروراً بغايتِهِ

مَضَى إلى اللهِ مسروراً بغايتِهِ

وفي الدِّيارِ أَقامَ الحُزنُ والنَكَدُ

وفي الدِّيارِ أَقامَ الحُزنُ والنَكَدُ

He went to God, rejoicing in his destination,

He went to God content with his goal

And sorrow and misery took up residence in the homes.

While in the land grief and sorrow remained

من بَعدِهِ أَدمُعُ الأَجفانِ قد كَثُرَتْ

من بَعدِهِ أَدمُعُ الأَجفانِ قد كَثُرَتْ

وقَلَّ عِندَ القلوبِ الصبرُ والجَلَدُ

وقَلَّ عِندَ القلوبِ الصبرُ والجَلَدُ

Since his departure, the eyelids' tears have multiplied,

After him many tears flowed copiously

And patience and fortitude have dwindled in hearts.

And patience and composure diminished in hearts

هذا الطريقُ الذي لا بُدَّ يَسلُكُهُ

هذا الطريقُ الذي لا بُدَّ يَسلُكُهُ

جميعُ ما وَلَدَتْ أُنثَى وما تَلِدُ

جميعُ ما وَلَدَتْ أُنثَى وما تَلِدُ

This is the road that must be traveled

This is the path we all must tread

By all a female has borne and all she will bear.

Every female has given birth or will give birth

إذا طَلَبنا لجُرحِ القلبِ فائدةً

إذا طَلَبنا لجُرحِ القلبِ فائدةً

تَشفي فغيرَ جَميلِ الصَبرِ لا نَجِدُ

تَشفي فغيرَ جَميلِ الصَبرِ لا نَجِدُ

If we seek a remedy for the heart's wound

If we seek a remedy for the heart's wound

That heals, we find nothing but noble patience.

We find nothing better than graceful patience