لَقَدْ حُمِلَ الرَّائِسُ الْمُرْتَضَى

رَئِيسُ الْأَسَاتِيذِ فَوْقَ الرُّؤُوسْ

The esteemed leader was carried,

The chosen leader has been borne aloft,

The headmaster, held high above all other heads,

The master of teachers, carried upon the heads.

يَبْكِي لَهُ مِنْ نَفِيسٍِ مَضَى

تُشَيِّعُهُ لِلْقُبُورِ النُّفُوسْ

Weeping for his noble soul now departed,

Tears are shed for him, a precious soul departed,

His soul escorted by others to its grave.

As souls escort him to his grave.

وَكَانَ يُشَيِّعُهُ الطَّالِبُونْ

إِلَى الدَّارِ مِنْ حَلَقَاتِ الدُّرُوسْ

And the students would escort him

Whereas his students used to escort him

From the study circles back home,

Home from the circles of learning.

فَيَا رَبِّ فَارْحَمْهُ وَارْحَمْ بِهِ

وَأَلْبِسْهُ الْعَفْوِ أَسْنَى لَبُوسْ

So oh Lord, have mercy on him and for his sake,

O Lord, have mercy upon him, and bring mercy through him,

Dress him in the finest garments of pardon.

And clothe him in the brightest garment of forgiveness.

وَأَنْزِلْهُ فِي غُرُفَاتِ الرِّضَى

فَمَا حَلَّ تِلْكَ الْمَنَازِلَ بُوسْ

Admit him into the chambers of approval,

Settle him in the chambers of divine pleasure,

For none have attained such elevated stations,

For no misery can ever settle in those abodes.

وَأَجْزِلْ قِرَاهُ بِمَا قَدْ قَرَا

كِتَابَكَ لِلْمُعْتَفِينَ الْجُلُوسْ

And compensate his Quran recitals fully,

Grant him abundant hospitality for having recited

Recited while seated amongst the devoted.

Your Book to the seekers seated around him.

وَأَسْعِدْهُ بِالْخُلْدِ فِي جَنَّةٍ

فَقَدْ كَانَ يُسْعِدُ أَهْلَ النُّحُوسْ

And grant him eternal bliss in Paradise,

And grace him with the eternal bliss of Paradise,

For he brought joy to the gloomy souls,

For he brought happiness to those struck by misfortune.

جُزِيتَ أَبَا زَيْدٍ الْمُرْتَضَى

عَظِيمَ الزِّيَادَةِ بَعْدَ الأُسُوسْ

May you reward Abu Zaid Al-Murtaza abundantly,

May you be rewarded, O Abu Zayd, the well-pleasing,

With manifold increase beyond all measures.

With a great abundance built upon firm foundations.

وَوِرْداً مِنَ الْحَوْضِ حَوْضِ الرَّسُولْ

عَلَيْهِ الصَّلاَةُ بِأَسْنَى الْكُؤُوسْ

And a drink from the Pond, the Pond of the Messenger,

And with a drink from the Basin, the Basin of the Messenger—

Upon him the finest prayers and peace,

Peace be upon him—served in the most radiant cups.

وَأَنَّسَكَ الذِّكْرُ فِي حُفْرَةٍ

حَوَتْ مِنْكَ بَحْراً وَضَوْءَ الشُّمُوسْ

And let your remembrance console him in a grave,

May the Remembrance comfort you in a grave

That contains from you an ocean and the sun’s rays,

That now holds an ocean of yours, and the light of suns:

غَزَارَةَ عِلْمٍ وَإِشْرَاقَةَ وَجْهٍ

وَخَفْضَ جَنَاحٍ إِلَى لِينِ تُوسْ

Torrents of knowledge and a radiant face,

An abundance of knowledge and a radiant face,

And the folding of wings in gentle submission.

And a lowered wing of humility, with exquisite gentleness.

بَكَيْتُكَ لَمَّا مَضَيْتَ حَمِيداً

وَعِشْتَ غَنِيّاً بِدُونِ فُلُوسْ

I wept for you when you passed away with dignity,

I wept for you when you departed, praiseworthy,

You lived enriched without any riches,

Having lived a rich life, though without worldly wealth.

وَرُمْتَ وَلَمْ أَسْتَطِعْ خُلْدَكُمْ

أُخَلِّدُ ذِكْرَكُمُ فِي الطُّرُوسْ

And you passed away before I could immortalize you,

I sought your immortality but could not attain it,

But I immortalize your memory in poetry.

So I immortalize your memory upon these scrolls.

وَقُلْتُ لِطَالِبِ مِثْلِكُمُ

تَعَزَّ فَلاَ عِطْرَ بَعْدَ عَرُوسْ

And I said to students like you,

And I say to anyone seeking another like you:

“Be dignified, for there is no finer fragrance than virtue.”

'Console yourself: there is no perfume after the bride.'