الصَّبرُ أليَقُ نِعمَ أَجرُ الصابر
وَالشّكرُ أَجملُ نِعمَ فضلُ الشاكرِ
Patience is best, the reward of the patient is bountiful
Gratitude is finest, the merit of the grateful is plentiful
مَنْ ذا الّذي لا تَعتَريهِ مُصيبةٌ
ما إِنْ سَمِعت وَلَم أكُنْ بالناظرِ
Who is he that is not afflicted with calamity
I have not seen, though my eyes were observant
وَالأمثَلونَ الأَكثَرونَ مَصائِباً
وَالحامِدونَ بِكلِّ حالٍ صادرِ
The best of men most tried by calamities
The most thankful in every state proceeding
وَالمَوتُ لَيثٌ لَيسَ يرحَمُ حادِثاً
يَسطو عَلى الآجالِ سَطوةَ جائِرِ
And death is a voracious lion that spares no man
It violates lives with the tyranny of the unjust
ما فيهِ جَبرٌ لِلقُلوبِ وَإِنّما
لِقُلوبِنا قَد كانَ أَعظَمَ كاسِرِ
In this is no comfort for hearts, indeed
For our hearts it was the greatest breaker
شُلَّتْ يَداهُ حَيثُ مَدَّ يَمينَهُ
نَحوَ الفتى المَيمونِ عَبدِ القادرِ
His hands were paralyzed as he extended them
Toward the auspicious youth, Abd al-Qadir
نَجلِ الإِمامِ الأَوحدي المُعتلي
أوجِ المَعالي في الزَّمانِ الحاضِرِ
Son of the unique Imam, al-Awḥadī the Exalted
The loftiest of glories in the present time
الفاضِلِ النحريرِ وَالشّهمِ الّذي
وَرِثَ المَكارِمِ كابِراً عَن كابِرِ
The virtuous composer, the valiant one
Who inherited nobility, great from great
شَمسِ الحَقيقَةِ وَالمَعارِفِ في الوَرى
بَدرِ العُلى النّجمِ الزّهيِّ الزاهرِ
Sun of truth and knowledge in the world
Full moon of the sublime, the bright star
الجَهبَذِ الفَردِ الإِمامِ اللوذَعي
بَحرِ النّدى بحرِ العلومِ الزاخِرِ
The unique imam, the erudite ocean
Sea of dew, sea of abundant knowledge
السيّدِ البِزريِّ عالِمِ عَصرِهِ
شِبلِ المَحاسِنِ وَالكَمالِ الباهِرِ
My master al-Bizri, the sage of his time
Adolescent of beauties and manifest perfection
يا ذا الإِمامُ وَأَنتَ أَكمَلُ عارِفٍ
اِصبرْ على ما قد أُصِبت وصابِرِ
O Imam, you are the most perfect knower
Be patient for what has befallen you and endure
وَلَئِن أُصِبتَ بِما أُصِبتَ فَإِنَّما
بَينَ الأَماثِلِ أنت أجملُ صابِرِ
If you are afflicted with what afflicted you
Among the exemplars, you are the most handsomely patient
لا تَضجَرنَّ بِفَقدِك النّجلَ الّذي
في فَقدِهِ قَد كانَ شقُّ مرائِرِ
Do not fret for the loss of the son
Whose loss was most wrenching of agonies
ما كانَ في الدّنيا خُلودٌ لاِمرِئٍ
لَيسَ اِمرُؤٌ لِسوى المَماتِ بِصائِرِ
None in the world abides forever
No man but leads to the inevitability of death
وَالكلُّ في الدُّنيا الدّنيّةِ زائِرٌ
وإِلى الذّهابِ يَؤولُ أَمرُ الزّائِرِ
And all in the vile world are visitors
And the matter of visitors comes to leaving
أَنتَ المُعزّى لا أُصِبتَ بِمِثلِها
في الدّهرِ بِالنجلِ اللّبيبِ الماهِرِ
It is you who are consoled, not afflicted by his like
In the times with the intelligent, skillful son
مَنْ كانَ فينا دُرَّةً مَكنونَةً
تَعلو عَلى تَعديلِها بِجَواهِرِ
Who among us was a concealed pearl
Rising above the stringing of its likeness in gems
لَكِنَّ رَبَّ الخلقِ في هَذا قَضى
وَهوَ الحكيمُ وَلَم يَكُن بِالجائِرِ
But the Lord of creation in this decreed
And He is Wise and was not unjust
فَعَليهِ رِضوانٌ يَدومُ وَرَحمةٌ
ما اِهتزَّ غُصنٌ بِالنّسيمِ السّائِرِ
Upon Him are lasting approval and mercy
No branch trembled in the passing breeze
بَل ما اِبنُ فَتحِ اللَّهِ أَنشَد قائِلاً
الصّبرُ أَليَق نِعمَ أَجرُ الصابِرِ
Rather, not what the son of Fathallah recited saying:
Patience is best, the reward of the patient is bountiful
