مرت عليك الأربعون حدادا

مرت عليك الأربعون حدادا

ولقد قضينا الأربعين شدادا

ولقد قضينا الأربعين شدادا

The forty days have passed over you in mourning;

Forty days have passed over you in mourning,

and we have spent those forty in grievous hardship.

and we have indeed spent those forty grievous days.

يممت حلواناً لياليَ تبتغي

يممت حلواناً لياليَ تبتغي

فيها النجاة فكانت المِرصادا

فيها النجاة فكانت المِرصادا

Night after night you made for Helwan, seeking

You headed to Helwan, seeking through the nights

deliverance there—but it proved a fatal snare.

deliverance there, but it became a place of ambush.

ولقد لحقتُ بزائريك فلم أصل

ولقد لحقتُ بزائريك فلم أصل

وجهلت أنَّهم أتوا عوّادا

وجهلت أنَّهم أتوا عوّادا

I joined your visitors, yet never reached you,

And indeed I joined your visitors, but did not reach you,

not knowing they had come as visitors to the sick.

and did not know they had come to visit you in illness.

وأتيت أهديك السلام فلم أجد

وأتيت أهديك السلام فلم أجد

إلا وداعك حيث شئت ودادا

إلا وداعك حيث شئت ودادا

I came to offer you greetings of peace, but found

And I came to offer you greetings, but found

only farewell where I had wished for loving fellowship.

only a farewell to you where I had wished for affection.

أشكو ثرى حلوان شكوى جازع

أشكو ثرى حلوان شكوى جازع

ألف الأسى في جوها واعتادا

ألف الأسى في جوها واعتادا

I lament Helwan’s earth with a stricken mourner’s lament,

I lament the soil of Helwan as one distraught,

one grown accustomed to sorrow in its air and inured to it.

familiar with sorrow in its air and accustomed to it.

قد كنت تطلب من زمانك راحة

قد كنت تطلب من زمانك راحة

فهل اكتفيت من الزمان جهادا

فهل اكتفيت من الزمان جهادا

You had been seeking respite from your fate;

You had sought respite from your times;

have you now had enough of struggling against time?

have you, then, had your fill of struggling against time?

أولى بمثلك أن تطول حياته

أولى بمثلك أن تطول حياته

ليتمَّ فينا ما نوى وأرادا

ليتمَّ فينا ما نوى وأرادا

For one like you, life deserved a longer span,

One like you deserved a longer life,

that he might complete among us all he intended and desired.

to fulfill among us what he intended and desired.

ولقد أقمت وأنت أكرم سيرةً

ولقد أقمت وأنت أكرم سيرةً

وقد ارتحلت وأنت أطهر زادا

وقد ارتحلت وأنت أطهر زادا

You dwelt among us, noblest in conduct,

And indeed you lived, noblest in conduct,

and journeyed on, bearing the purest provision.

and departed with the purest provisions.

ولئن قضيت فإن في الذكرى التي

ولئن قضيت فإن في الذكرى التي

لك بيننا قبل المعاد معادا

لك بيننا قبل المعاد معادا

Though you have died, yet in the remembrance that

And though you have died, the remembrance that

is yours among us lies a return before the Resurrection.

you have among us holds a resurrection before the Resurrection.

يا ساكناً أكبادنا وقلوبنا

يا ساكناً أكبادنا وقلوبنا

أترى القلوب اليوم والأكبادا

أترى القلوب اليوم والأكبادا

O you who dwell within our livers and our hearts,

O you who dwell in our livers and our hearts,

can you see those hearts and livers today?

do you see our hearts and livers today?

أوحشت أهلاً لم يذوقوا مرة

أوحشت أهلاً لم يذوقوا مرة

في ظل جاهك فرقة وبعادا

في ظل جاهك فرقة وبعادا

You left desolate a family who had never once tasted,

You have left your kin desolate; never once had they tasted

under the shelter of your standing, separation or distance.

separation and estrangement in the shade of your prestige.

يا قائماً بالمال تقسمه ندىً

يا قائماً بالمال تقسمه ندىً

يحيي بلاداً تارة وعبادا

يحيي بلاداً تارة وعبادا

O steward of wealth, dividing it as largesse

O steward of wealth, distributing it as bounty

that brings now lands, now people, to life.

that gives life now to lands, now to people.

إن الذي ولاك واسع رفده

إن الذي ولاك واسع رفده

أمن الصروف عليه والآبادا

أمن الصروف عليه والآبادا

Indeed, He who appointed you—vast is His bounty—

Indeed, he who entrusted his ample bounty to you

is immune to fortune’s vicissitudes and to every rival.

feared for it neither fortune's turns nor the passing ages.

لولا تصرفك المنزه لم تسع

لولا تصرفك المنزه لم تسع

حسناته الروّادَ والورّادا

حسناته الروّادَ والورّادا

Were it not for your blameless stewardship, His benefactions would not have

Without your blameless stewardship, there would not have been enough

embraced all seekers and all who came to drink.

of his bounty for seekers and those coming to drink.

أرضيته جمعاً وصرفاً والرضى

أرضيته جمعاً وصرفاً والرضى

إحسانك الإصدار والإيرادا

إحسانك الإصدار والإيرادا

You pleased Him in collection and disbursement; His satisfaction

You pleased him in gathering and spending; his satisfaction

lay in your excellent handling of outflow and inflow.

lay in your good handling of outgoings and income.

وكأنما هو باختيارك واحد

وكأنما هو باختيارك واحد

ملكاً بأمته أبر جوادا

ملكاً بأمته أبر جوادا

It was as though, by your judgment, the two were one;

And it is as though, by choosing you, he were unrivaled

together they made you, among His people, the most dutiful and generous.

as a king, most benevolent and generous to his people.

ما مات من ترك الثراء مباركاً

ما مات من ترك الثراء مباركاً

للطيبات وأنجب الأمجادا

للطيبات وأنجب الأمجادا

He has not died who left behind wealth made blessed

He is not dead who left his wealth blessed

through good works, and brought forth deeds of glory.

for good works, and fathered noble offspring.

هذي سجاياك الكريمة خير ما

هذي سجاياك الكريمة خير ما

أورثته الأبناء والأحفاد

أورثته الأبناء والأحفاد

These noble qualities of yours are the finest thing

These noble qualities of yours are the best of what

you bequeathed to your sons and grandchildren.

you bequeathed to your children and grandchildren.

نعم التراث تركته لمحمد

نعم التراث تركته لمحمد

في ظل إخوته فطال وزادا

في ظل إخوته فطال وزادا

What a splendid inheritance you left to Muhammad,

What a fine legacy you left to Muhammad,

under his brothers’ sheltering shade—may he long thrive and grow.

in his brothers' shade; thus it grew and increased.

أولى بشمل القوم وهو كفيله

أولى بشمل القوم وهو كفيله

أن يستمر لهم وأن يتمادى

أن يستمر لهم وأن يتمادى

The family’s unity—with him its guarantor—well deserves

It is fitting that the family's unity, with him as its guardian,

to last for them and continue on.

should endure for them and continue onward.