أَلا للّه ما صنع الحِمامُ

أَلا للّه ما صنع الحِمامُ

وما وارَتْ بساحتها الرِّجامُ

وما وارَتْ بساحتها الرِّجامُ

Ah, by God, what death has wrought,

Behold what feats the dove has wrought

And what the grave-stones have hidden in their precincts!

What missiles its court has brought to naught

طوى مَن لا سبيلَ إلى لقاهُ

طوى مَن لا سبيلَ إلى لقاهُ

وإنْ جدّ التّطَلُّبُ والمَرامُ

وإنْ جدّ التّطَلُّبُ والمَرامُ

It has enfolded one whom there is no way to meet,

It has outstripped those with no access

Though the seeking and pursuit be earnest.

Though zeal and desire give valiant chase

وكيف لقاءُ مَن دهتِ اللّيالي

وكيف لقاءُ مَن دهتِ اللّيالي

وغرّبه صباحٌ أو ظلامُ

وغرّبه صباحٌ أو ظلامُ

And how can we meet one whom the nights have struck down,

For how to meet one the nights have veiled

And morning or darkness has banished?

Whom mornings tax and darkness curtailed?

وهيهات المطامعُ في أُناسٍ

وهيهات المطامعُ في أُناسٍ

أقاموا حيث لا يُغني المقامُ

أقاموا حيث لا يُغني المقامُ

And vain are hopes of reaching people

Vain are hopes of convening with souls

Who have settled where dwelling is of no avail.

Who've settled where meetings lose their roles

ثَوَوْا متجاورين ولا لقاءٌ

ثَوَوْا متجاورين ولا لقاءٌ

وناجَوْا واعظين ولا كلامُ

وناجَوْا واعظين ولا كلامُ

They lie side by side, yet never meet,

They've neighbored, sermoning sans a word

And whisper admonitions, yet utter no words.

Created for demise, though we're lured

خُلقنا للفناءِ وإنْ غُرِرْنا

خُلقنا للفناءِ وإنْ غُرِرْنا

بإيماضٍ من الدُّنيا يُشامُ

بإيماضٍ من الدُّنيا يُشامُ

We were created to perish, though we are beguiled

By lifetimes that we perceive and sense

By a flash from this world that we behold.

But heed not, as if deep in pretense

ونُبصِرُ مِلْءَ أعيننا فعالَ الر

ونُبصِرُ مِلْءَ أعيننا فعالَ الر

رَدى وكأنّنا عنه نِيامُ

رَدى وكأنّنا عنه نِيامُ

And before our very eyes we see the deeds of

That tastes life's sweetness, for one who'll drain

Death, yet we seem asleep to it.

Thereafter a cup of bitter bane

وتحلو مَذْقَةُ الدّنيا لحيٍّ

وتحلو مَذْقَةُ الدّنيا لحيٍّ

له من بعدها كأسٌ سِمامُ

له من بعدها كأسٌ سِمامُ

And the world's watered milk tastes sweet to a living man,

From its trysts, gloom; from its means, sorrow;

For whom, after it, waits a cup of deadly poison.

In joy or grief, we sleep till morrow

غمامٌ من مواعدها جَهامٌ

غمامٌ من مواعدها جَهامٌ

وأسبابٌ لِجدْواها رِمامُ

وأسبابٌ لِجدْواها رِمامُ

The cloud of its promises is rainless,

If doves but knew what we have seen

And the ropes to its bounty are rotten.

Of this world, disturbed they'd not careen

وما الأحزانُ والأفراحُ فيها

وما الأحزانُ والأفراحُ فيها

وَإِنْ طاوَلنَنا إلّا مَنامُ

وَإِنْ طاوَلنَنا إلّا مَنامُ

And the sorrows and joys within it,

God's peace on those, though without salaam,

However long they linger with us, are only a dream.

Who pass each day, serene and calm

وَلَو علم الحَمامُ كما علمنا

وَلَو علم الحَمامُ كما علمنا

من الدّنيا لما طَرِب الحَمامُ

من الدّنيا لما طَرِب الحَمامُ

And if the doves knew, as we do,

On graves' perfume, valleys' verdure green

Of this world, the doves would not sing for joy.

Though no clouds have wept pure and sheen

سلامُ اللَّه غادٍ كلَّ يومٍ

سلامُ اللَّه غادٍ كلَّ يومٍ

على مَن ليس يبلغه السّلامُ

على مَن ليس يبلغه السّلامُ

May God's peace go forth each morning

Vanished the vile with guilt pens inscribed

To one whom a greeting cannot reach.

Strange, when sins their scrolls have imbibed

على عَبِقِ الثّرى خَضِلِ النّواحي

على عَبِقِ الثّرى خَضِلِ النّواحي

وإنْ لم يُستَهلَّ له الغَمامُ

وإنْ لم يُستَهلَّ له الغَمامُ

Upon him whose soil is fragrant and whose surroundings are dewy,

Clean of pocket, absent of sin

Though no cloud is made to pour rain for him.

Too pure for ill-gotten worldly gain

مضى صِفْرَ الحقيبةِ من قبيحٍ

مضى صِفْرَ الحقيبةِ من قبيحٍ

غريباً في صحيفته الأثامُ

غريباً في صحيفته الأثامُ

He departed with his satchel empty of evil,

On feet walked gently, frugal folk

With sin a stranger in his record.

Whose merit invocations have spoke

نقيَّ الجيبِ عَفَّ الغيبِ بَرٌّ

نقيَّ الجيبِ عَفَّ الغيبِ بَرٌّ

حرامٌ ليس يألفه الحرامُ

حرامٌ ليس يألفه الحرامُ

Pure of heart, chaste in private, righteous,

Their mention is joy, their abode

Inviolable, one whom the forbidden never befriended.

Immortalized, as if here they trode

من القومِ الأُلى دَرَجوا خِفافاً

من القومِ الأُلى دَرَجوا خِفافاً

وزادُهُم صلاةٌ أو صيامُ

وزادُهُم صلاةٌ أو صيامُ

Of the people who passed on lightly laden,

Griefs befall you, Abu Ali

And whose provisions were prayer or fasting.

When respect they lack, worry not, be

لهمْ في كلّ مَأْثُرَةٍ حديثٌ

لهمْ في كلّ مَأْثُرَةٍ حديثٌ

كما طابتْ لناشقها المُدامُ

كما طابتْ لناشقها المُدامُ

In every noble deed there is a tale of them,

For no created thing lives safe from death

Sweet as wine to one who breathes its scent.

Once arrows for him fly your breath

مضوا وكأنّهمْ من طيبِ ذكرٍ

مضوا وكأنّهمْ من طيبِ ذكرٍ

تراه مخلّداً لهمُ أقامُوا

تراه مخلّداً لهمُ أقامُوا

They passed on, yet it is as though, through sweet remembrance

Unlike you, who condolences inspire

You see made eternal for them, they have remained.

And conversation of blameless fire

تعزَّ أبا عليٍّ فالرّزايا

تعزَّ أبا عليٍّ فالرّزايا

مَتى تَعدوك لَيسَ لها اِحتِرامُ

مَتى تَعدوك لَيسَ لها اِحتِرامُ

Take solace, Abu Ali, for calamities,

You shun reproach and perfect his appraisal

Whenever they pass you by, deserve no regard.

When creation itself would beckon for trial

وما صابتْ سهامُ الموت خلقاً

وما صابتْ سهامُ الموت خلقاً

إذا طاشتْ له عنك السّهامُ

إذا طاشتْ له عنك السّهامُ

Nor have death's arrows struck anyone,

If its arrows have flown wide of you.

وغيرُك مَن تُثقّفه التّعازي

وغيرُك مَن تُثقّفه التّعازي

ويعدِلُ من جوانبه الكلامُ

ويعدِلُ من جوانبه الكلامُ

It is someone other than you whom consolations refine,

And whose sides words straighten.

فإنّك مَن تَجافى العَتْبُ عنه

فإنّك مَن تَجافى العَتْبُ عنه

وأَعْوَزَ في خلائقه الملامُ

وأَعْوَزَ في خلائقه الملامُ

For you are one whom reproach shuns,

And in whose character no blame can be found.