هَل لحيّ مِن المَمات مفرُّ

هَل لحيّ مِن المَمات مفرُّ

وَلريب المَنون كرّ وَفرُّ

وَلريب المَنون كرّ وَفرُّ

Has any living soul an escape from death?

Is there any escape from death for a living soul?

The calamities of doom have their charge and retreat.

And can one charge and retreat against death's ravages?

هَذِهِ الدار وَهيَ دار ممرّ

هَذِهِ الدار وَهيَ دار ممرّ

لَيسَ فيها للعالمين مَقرّ

لَيسَ فيها للعالمين مَقرّ

This abode is but an abode of passage;

This abode, which is an abode of passage,

in it no creature has a lasting home.

Has no abiding place for humankind.

هِيَ إِن أَضحكت عَلى الفَور أَبكَت

هِيَ إِن أَضحكت عَلى الفَور أَبكَت

وَوَفاها لِمَن تَأمَّل غَدر

وَوَفاها لِمَن تَأمَّل غَدر

If it makes one laugh, at once it makes one weep;

If it makes one laugh, it makes one weep at once;

to anyone who reflects, its faithfulness is treachery.

And its faithfulness, to one who reflects, is treachery.

كَيفَ يَرجو البَقاء فيها اِبن أُنثى

كَيفَ يَرجو البَقاء فيها اِبن أُنثى

حَوله للفناء نهيٌ وَأَمر

حَوله للفناء نهيٌ وَأَمر

How can the son of woman hope to abide in it,

How can one born of woman hope to remain in it,

when annihilation hems him round with command and prohibition?

When all around him prohibitions and commands lead to extinction?

يا لِقَومي قَد غاضَ بَحر عُلوم

يا لِقَومي قَد غاضَ بَحر عُلوم

ضَمَّه وَهوَ زائد المَد قبر

ضَمَّه وَهوَ زائد المَد قبر

Alas, my people! An ocean of learning has ebbed away;

Alas, my people! An ocean of learning has ebbed away;

a grave enclosed it while its tide was still swelling.

A grave enclosed him while his tide was still rising.

وَهُوى كَوكب المَعارف إبرا

وَهُوى كَوكب المَعارف إبرا

هيم شَيخ الإِسلام وَهوَ الأَبرّ

هيم شَيخ الإِسلام وَهوَ الأَبرّ

And the star of learning has fallen—Ibra—

And the star of learning has fallen—Ibrahim,

—him, Shaykh al-Islam, the most righteous.

Shaykh al-Islam, the most righteous.

وَعَدمناه وَهوَ خَير إِمام

وَعَدمناه وَهوَ خَير إِمام

ما لِتأليفه المُهذَّب حَصر

ما لِتأليفه المُهذَّب حَصر

We have lost him, though he was the finest imam;

And we have lost him, the finest imam;

his polished writings are beyond all count.

His refined writings are beyond counting.

كَم لَهُ مِن رَسائل قَد تَحلَّى

كَم لَهُ مِن رَسائل قَد تَحلَّى

بِيواقيتها البَديعة صَدر

بِيواقيتها البَديعة صَدر

How many epistles of his have adorned

How many of his treatises have adorned

many a breast with their wondrous rubies.

A breast with their wondrous rubies!

كَم شُروح عَلى متون تَباهَت

كَم شُروح عَلى متون تَباهَت

بِحَواش لَها عَلى الفَخر فَخر

بِحَواش لَها عَلى الفَخر فَخر

How many commentaries upon texts have gloried,

How many commentaries on texts have gloried

with marginal glosses adding pride upon pride.

In glosses whose glory surpasses glory itself!

كَم لَهُ مِن مَناقب يَتمنى

كَم لَهُ مِن مَناقب يَتمنى

بِعضَها مَن لَهُ مِن الناس قَدر

بِعضَها مَن لَهُ مِن الناس قَدر

How many virtues were his—virtues of which

How many virtues he possessed, coveted—

anyone of standing among men would covet a part.

Even in part—by anyone of standing among men!

هُوَ شَمس المَعقول مِنهُ أَضاءَت

هُوَ شَمس المَعقول مِنهُ أَضاءَت

كُل أَرض وَأَشرَقَت مِنهُ مَصر

كُل أَرض وَأَشرَقَت مِنهُ مَصر

He was the sun of rational learning; through him were illumined

He is the sun of rational learning; through him shone

every land, and Egypt shone through him.

Every land, and through him Egypt grew radiant.

وَعُيون المَنقول جادَت عَلَيهِ

وَعُيون المَنقول جادَت عَلَيهِ

بِدُموع مدرارُها مُستمرّ

بِدُموع مدرارُها مُستمرّ

The eyes of transmitted tradition poured over him

And the eyes of transmitted learning shed over him

tears in an unceasing downpour.

Tears whose copious flow is unceasing.

وَغَدا الفقه نائياً عَن بِقاع

وَغَدا الفقه نائياً عَن بِقاع

كانَ فيها لَهُ مَقام وَسرّ

كانَ فيها لَهُ مَقام وَسرّ

Jurisprudence departed far from the regions

And jurisprudence has grown distant from places

where, through him, it had a station and a secret.

Where it once had a station and a secret.

وَنَعى فَقدَه صَحيحُ البخارى

وَنَعى فَقدَه صَحيحُ البخارى

وَعِن الرَوض قَد تحوّل نَهر

وَعِن الرَوض قَد تحوّل نَهر

Sahih al-Bukhari mourned his loss,

And Sahih al-Bukhari mourned his loss;

and from the Garden a river turned away.

And from the garden a river has turned away.

وَبكته مؤلفات عياضٍ

وَبكته مؤلفات عياضٍ

مذ تَوارت نُجومُها وَهيَ زُهر

مذ تَوارت نُجومُها وَهيَ زُهر

The writings of Iyad wept for him

And Iyad's writings wept for him,

when their stars, though radiant, disappeared.

Since their stars disappeared, though still radiant.

وَتَصانيف مسلم وَابن حزم

وَتَصانيف مسلم وَابن حزم

حارَ فيها لَمّا فَقدناه حبر

حارَ فيها لَمّا فَقدناه حبر

And the works of Muslim and Ibn Hazm—

And the writings of Muslim and Ibn Hazm—

in them, since we lost him, even a learned master is perplexed.

A scholar was bewildered by them when we lost him.

وَرُموز الكشاف في الدرس أَضحى

وَرُموز الكشاف في الدرس أَضحى

حلُّها فيه بَعدَما مات عسر

حلُّها فيه بَعدَما مات عسر

The symbols of al-Kashshaf in the lesson—their

And al-Kashshaf's cryptic allusions, in study, became

solution has grown difficult since he died.

Hard to unravel there after he died.

وَطَريق الإرشاد قَد ضَل فيها

وَطَريق الإرشاد قَد ضَل فيها

مِن سِواه لَدى المَباحث فكر

مِن سِواه لَدى المَباحث فكر

On the path of al-Irshad there has strayed

And on the path of al-Irshad has gone astray

in its inquiries every mind but his.

The thought of anyone but him amid learned inquiries.

هَل لِجَمع الجَوامع الآن ثان

هَل لِجَمع الجَوامع الآن ثان

كَيفَ هَذا وَإِنَّهُ فيهِ وتر

كَيفَ هَذا وَإِنَّهُ فيهِ وتر

Does Jamʿ al-Jawamiʿ now have a second like him?

Has Jam‘ al-Jawami‘ now another like him?

How could it, when in it he stood alone?

How could it, when he was unique in it?

يا سِهام الرَدى أَصبت إِماماً

يا سِهام الرَدى أَصبت إِماماً

دُونه في العُلوم زَيد وَعَمرو

دُونه في العُلوم زَيد وَعَمرو

O arrows of death, you struck an imam

O arrows of death, you have struck an imam,

beneath whom, in learning, stood Zayd and ʿAmr.

Below whom in learning stand Zayd and Amr.

يا صُروف القَضاء لَو رُمت مِنا

يا صُروف القَضاء لَو رُمت مِنا

فدية لافتداه عَبد وَحر

فدية لافتداه عَبد وَحر

O turns of fate, if you sought a ransom from us,

O vicissitudes of fate, had you sought from us

take for his redemption slave and free alike.

A ransom, slave and freeman would have ransomed him.

يا اِبن ادريسِ عَصرِه في فُنون

يا اِبن ادريسِ عَصرِه في فُنون

هَل لدرس مِن بَعد دَرسك ذكر

هَل لدرس مِن بَعد دَرسك ذكر

O Ibn Idris of his age in every art,

O Ibn Idris of his age in the branches of learning,

can any lesson be remembered after your teaching?

Can any lesson be mentioned after your teaching?

أَنتَ لا زالَ بَعدَ مَوتك يَزهو

أَنتَ لا زالَ بَعدَ مَوتك يَزهو

فيكَ بَينَ الأَحياء نَظم وَنَثر

فيكَ بَينَ الأَحياء نَظم وَنَثر

After your death, may there never cease to flourish

You—may there still flourish after your death

among the living, prose and verse about you.

Verse and prose in your praise among the living.

إِذ تَقاريرك المُفيدة للأش

إِذ تَقاريرك المُفيدة للأش

ياخ وَالطالبين بَعدك ذخر

ياخ وَالطالبين بَعدك ذخر

For your useful commentaries are, to the shay—

For your useful annotations are, for the shaykhs

—khs and seekers of learning, a treasure after you.

And students, a treasure after you.

أَنتَ لا زالَ في المَواقف مِنا

أَنتَ لا زالَ في المَواقف مِنا

لكَ يَزداد يا موفق شُكر

لكَ يَزداد يا موفق شُكر

You still remain among us in every gathering;

You—in al-Mawaqif, may our

for you, O favored one, gratitude keeps increasing.

Gratitude to you ever increase, O favored one.

أَنتَ يا بَهجة الوَرى لَيسَ يُطوَى

أَنتَ يا بَهجة الوَرى لَيسَ يُطوَى

لَكَ فَضل لَهُ مَدى الدَهر نَشر

لَكَ فَضل لَهُ مَدى الدَهر نَشر

O delight of humankind, never can be folded away

You, O joy of humankind—never shall be folded away

your merit, whose renown time spreads.

Your merit, spread abroad throughout all time.

أَنتَ يا إِبراهيم قَد كانَ يَبدو

أَنتَ يا إِبراهيم قَد كانَ يَبدو

كُلَّ وَقت في أُفقنا مِنكَ بَدر

كُلَّ وَقت في أُفقنا مِنكَ بَدر

O Ibrahim, there used to appear

You, O Ibrahim—there used to appear

at every moment in our sky a full moon from you.

At every moment on our horizon a full moon from you.

أَنتَ يا إِبراهيم مُذ غبت عَنا

أَنتَ يا إِبراهيم مُذ غبت عَنا

عيل منا عَلى فراقك صَبر

عيل منا عَلى فراقك صَبر

O Ibrahim, since you vanished from us,

You, O Ibrahim—since you vanished from us,

our patience at separation from you has run dry.

Our patience with parting from you has been exhausted.

أَنتَ يا إِبراهيم بَعدكَ كسر

أَنتَ يا إِبراهيم بَعدكَ كسر

لِقُلوب لَها بقربك جبر

لِقُلوب لَها بقربك جبر

O Ibrahim, after you there is a fracture

You, O Ibrahim—after you comes breaking

in hearts that nearness to you once mended.

For hearts that found mending in your nearness.

وَجنان النَعيم قَد طابَ فيها

وَجنان النَعيم قَد طابَ فيها

لَكَ يا كَعبة الهدى مُستقرّ

لَكَ يا كَعبة الهدى مُستقرّ

The gardens of bliss have become sweet; within them

And in the gardens of bliss, sweet indeed is

O Kaaba of guidance, you have found a dwelling.

Your resting place, O Kaaba of guidance.

وَتَحلَت لوصلك الحُور لَما

وَتَحلَت لوصلك الحُور لَما

زُرتَها وَاِنقَضى صُدود وَهَجر

زُرتَها وَاِنقَضى صُدود وَهَجر

The houris adorned themselves for union with you when

And the houris adorned themselves for union with you when

you visited them, and estrangement and desertion ended.

You visited them, and aversion and estrangement ended.

فَسَقى الغَيث رَوضة أَنتَ فيها

فَسَقى الغَيث رَوضة أَنتَ فيها

ما لأَهل التُقى تَضاعف أَجر

ما لأَهل التُقى تَضاعف أَجر

May rain water the meadow where you are,

So may rain water the garden where you dwell,

where the reward of the godfearing is multiplied.

As long as the reward of the devout is multiplied.

أَو رِضا اللَه عَنكَ لي قال أَرّخ

أَو رِضا اللَه عَنكَ لي قال أَرّخ

لَكَ يا إِبراهيم في الخُلد بر

لَكَ يا إِبراهيم في الخُلد بر

Or may God be pleased with you. It told me: “Mark the date—”

Or God's pleasure with you said to me: 'Record the date:

“For you, O Ibrahim, in eternity is blessedness.”

For you, O Ibrahim, there is goodness in eternity.'