جاورت يا لحدها في الشام يحياها

جاورت يا لحدها في الشام يحياها

وجاورت في عليين النبي طه

وجاورت في عليين النبي طه

O her tomb, you lie beside Yahya in Syria;

In Damascus she dwelt, may God preserve it,

and she dwells beside the Prophet Taha in Illiyyin.

And dwelt in 'Aliyyin near the prophet Taha.

أميرةٌ طيَّب الرحمن تربتها

أميرةٌ طيَّب الرحمن تربتها

فطيبت كل ملحودٍ برياها

فطيبت كل ملحودٍ برياها

A princess: the Merciful made her grave-soil fragrant,

A pure-wombed princess whose soil God blessed,

and she perfumed all the entombed with her fragrance.

So she perfumed all the scented ground that her rainwater refreshed.

كالورد يعطى من الجنَّان نهلتَه

كالورد يعطى من الجنَّان نهلتَه

فيشربُ الشوكُ منها حين يعطاها

فيشربُ الشوكُ منها حين يعطاها

Like a rose given its draught by the gardener,

Like a rose brought from gardens, so it offers its water even to thorns when it gives them drink.

so the thorn drinks from it when the rose receives it.

O her beauty! Happy are the people of the land neighboring her!

يا حسنها تربةً من نال جيرتها

يا حسنها تربةً من نال جيرتها

نال الهنا والغنا والعزَّ والجاها

نال الهنا والغنا والعزَّ والجاها

How beautiful her grave-soil! Whoever gains her neighborhood

They obtained bliss, riches, might, and glory through her.

gains joy, wealth, honor, and rank.

She won the best from God without fatigue or people's toil,

فازت من اللَه بالحسنى بلا نصبٍ

فازت من اللَه بالحسنى بلا نصبٍ

جسوم قومٍ وددنا لو حكوناها

جسوم قومٍ وددنا لو حكوناها

God's fairest reward was won without toil

We wished we had made her tribes our kin.

by the bodies of people we wish we could emulate.

O comrade, this life does not last,

يا صاح ما هذه الدنيا بباقيةٍ

يا صاح ما هذه الدنيا بباقيةٍ

فاعمل لدار البقا إن شئت تعطاها

فاعمل لدار البقا إن شئت تعطاها

O friend, this world does not endure;

So work for the abode of permanence if you want it to reward you.

so work for the everlasting abode, if you wish to be granted it.

Repent and follow guidance, for most of the nights have passed

وتب وفِقْ فالليالي مرَّ أكثرُها

وتب وفِقْ فالليالي مرَّ أكثرُها

ومرَّ ما قد حلا منها وحلاها

ومرَّ ما قد حلا منها وحلاها

Repent and awaken: most of the nights have passed,

And what was to come of them has come and gone.

and what was sweet in them has passed, along with their finery.

And plead to your Lord, for this life is but jewelry.

واضرع لربك فالدنيا جويريةٌ

واضرع لربك فالدنيا جويريةٌ

لا يرحم اللَهُ إلّا من تناساها

لا يرحم اللَهُ إلّا من تناساها

Supplicate your Lord, for this world is a little slave-girl;

God has no mercy except on him who forgets it.

God has mercy only on those who put her out of mind.

We court it in ignorance and seek it out,

حتام نخطبها جهلاً ونطلبها

حتام نخطبها جهلاً ونطلبها

ولا تجيب وإن نادت أجبناها

ولا تجيب وإن نادت أجبناها

How long shall we ignorantly woo and seek her,

Yet it does not answer even when we call it.

while she gives no answer, yet if she calls, we answer her?

We cultivate it, and it cultivates us with its adversities,

نربُّها وتربينا نوائبها

نربُّها وتربينا نوائبها

ولا نتوب ونخشى من بلاياها

ولا نتوب ونخشى من بلاياها

We nurture her, while her calamities school us;

Yet we do not repent or fear its tribulations.

yet we do not repent, though we fear her afflictions.

O how perplexed is the wandering soul seeking its guidance!

وا حيرة التائه الراجي هدايتها

وا حيرة التائه الراجي هدايتها

والخامل الجاهل الممتاح جدواها

والخامل الجاهل الممتاح جدواها

Alas for the bewilderment of the wanderer hoping for her guidance,

How foolish is the ignorant inactive man exaggerating its worth!

and the idle ignoramus drawing upon her bounty!

What glory, what virtue is in it? What purpose? What end

ما المجد ما الجدّ فيها والدلال وما ال

ما المجد ما الجدّ فيها والدلال وما ال

مآل إلّا لأجداثٍ عرفناها

مآل إلّا لأجداثٍ عرفناها

What is glory? What are fortune and indulgence in her? And what is the

Except to wither, as we have known them to do?

outcome but the graves we have known?

It is a vanishing illusion, whose luster charmed us when it shone,

آلٌ خيالٌ صفاها نور روقنها

آلٌ خيالٌ صفاها نور روقنها

ديجورةٌ إن سرى الساري به تاها

ديجورةٌ إن سرى الساري به تاها

Her clarity is a mirage, a phantom; the light of her splendor

An ignis fatuus if the ignorant man hastens towards it.

is deep darkness: if a night traveler journeys by it, he goes astray.

Nothing is uglier than it except its lover,

لا شيءٌ أقبح منها غير عاشقها

لا شيءٌ أقبح منها غير عاشقها

ينهاه خالقها عنها ويهواها

ينهاه خالقها عنها ويهواها

Nothing is uglier than her except her lover:

Whom its Creator forbids it yet he loves it.

her Creator forbids her to him, yet he loves her.

Neglectful, he abandoned the Hereafter and forgot it,

مغفَّلٌ ترك الأخرى وأهملها

مغفَّلٌ ترك الأخرى وأهملها

وراح يلتمس الدنيا فخلّاها

وراح يلتمس الدنيا فخلّاها

A fool, he abandoned the hereafter and neglected it,

And busied himself seeking the life of this world.

and went seeking this world, then left it behind.

As if he had been confident he would live in the world forever,

كأنه كان في الدنيا على ثقةٍ

كأنه كان في الدنيا على ثقةٍ

من الخلود فكفّاها ووفّاها

من الخلود فكفّاها ووفّاها

As though he had been certain, in this world,

So it sufficed him and he was content with it.

of immortality, so he satisfied her and gave her her due.

Say to the arrogant man whose origin is dust:

قل للمفاخر والفخّارُ معدنُهُ

قل للمفاخر والفخّارُ معدنُهُ

أنت الثرى وله رم غيره جاها

أنت الثرى وله رم غيره جاها

Say to the boaster, whose substance is earthenware:

You are but dust, and to it you will return without glory.

You are dust; seek honor for it elsewhere.

As for the mother of the Emir whose carpets were of silk,

أم الأمير التي كانت مفارشها

أم الأمير التي كانت مفارشها

من الحرير وكان التبر موطاها

من الحرير وكان التبر موطاها

The Emir's mother, whose bedding

And camphor her bedding,

was silk, and beneath whose feet was gold—

She gained nothing today from the house of delusion

أنالت اليوم من دار الغرور سوى

أنالت اليوم من دار الغرور سوى

هذا الضريح الذي بالغير ساواها

هذا الضريح الذي بالغير ساواها

has she gained today, from the abode of delusion, anything but

Except this tomb, leveled like others.

this tomb, which made her equal to others?

If this was the fate of the best of all people,

إن كان هذا لخير الناس قاطبةً

إن كان هذا لخير الناس قاطبةً

ماذا يكون من الدنيا لأشقاها

ماذا يكون من الدنيا لأشقاها

If this is the lot of the best of all people,

What will the world do to its most wretched?

what can this world offer its most wretched?

O heedless ones, does not death warn you

يا غافلون إلام الموت ينذركم

يا غافلون إلام الموت ينذركم

ولا تبالون منه راقبوا اللَه

ولا تبالون منه راقبوا اللَه

O heedless ones, how long? Death warns you,

While you pay it no mind? Be mindful of God!

yet you pay it no heed. Be mindful of God.

Recognize, from these remains, the slave from the master -

هذي الرفات اعرفوا المملوك من ملكٍ

هذي الرفات اعرفوا المملوك من ملكٍ

إن لم تكن صارت الأجساد أشباها

إن لم تكن صارت الأجساد أشباها

Here are the remains: distinguish the slave from the king,

If they were not the same, bodies would be distinct.

if the bodies have not become alike.

They perished and loved, then returned as they were taken -

بادوا ودادوا وعادوا مثل ما أُخذوا

بادوا ودادوا وعادوا مثل ما أُخذوا

منها وما أخذوا مالاً ولا جاها

منها وما أخذوا مالاً ولا جاها

They perished, became worm-eaten, and returned as they were taken

Without wealth or glory.

from her, taking neither wealth nor rank.

The turtle dove equals the glorious and the vile in worth,

ساوى الحمام أخا مجدٍ زكٍ بِغَبٍ

ساوى الحمام أخا مجدٍ زكٍ بِغَبٍ

يا أم خير أبٍ بالمجد ساواها

يا أم خير أبٍ بالمجد ساواها

Death made a virtuous man of glory equal to a fool,

O mother of the best father! It equaled her.

O mother of the finest father, who equaled her in glory.

As for bliss, not all souls are equal in it;

أما النعيم فما كل النفوس به

أما النعيم فما كل النفوس به

سوىً فأقربها للَه أتقاها

سوىً فأقربها للَه أتقاها

But in bliss, not all souls

The most pious of them are nearest to God.

are equal: those nearest to God are the most God-fearing.

Happy the soul whose essence is pure,

فيا سعادة نفس طاب عنصرها

فيا سعادة نفس طاب عنصرها

وطيب اللَه في الفردوس مأواها

وطيب اللَه في الفردوس مأواها

How blessed is a soul whose origin was pure,

And God perfumed it in Paradise.

and whose abode God made pleasant in Paradise:

The soul of the mother of my master Abdelkader -

نفس أم مولاي عبد القادر السمح ال

نفس أم مولاي عبد القادر السمح ال

بر التقي الذي بالعدل أرضاها

بر التقي الذي بالعدل أرضاها

the soul of the mother of my lord Abd al-Qadir, the generous, the

The generous, pious, just man who pleased her.

righteous, the devout, who pleased her through justice.

Noble woman who taught the elite of the nation

شريفة علمت أشراف أمتها

شريفة علمت أشراف أمتها

على السماح الذي أرضت به اللَه

على السماح الذي أرضت به اللَه

A noble woman, she taught the nobles of her people

Generosity by which she pleased God.

the generosity with which she pleased God.

My master, O paragon of the world and its guardian,

مولاي يا علم الدنيا ومولاها

مولاي يا علم الدنيا ومولاها

وخير من شق للرحمن أفواها

وخير من شق للرحمن أفواها

My lord, O beacon of the world and its master,

The best at opening his mouth in praise of the Merciful!

and the best of those who opened their mouths to the Merciful,

She who left your eyes flowing with tears

إن التي تركت عينيك معربةً

إن التي تركت عينيك معربةً

على راحتيك إذا فاضت نعاماها

على راحتيك إذا فاضت نعاماها

indeed, she who left your eyes speaking

When she rested beneath you, if her eyelids overflowed.

upon your palms when their tears overflowed—

She was not far removed from your sight for long,

ما غُرِّبَت شمسها عن ناظريك قلىً

ما غُرِّبَت شمسها عن ناظريك قلىً

لكنها آثرت قرب النبي طه

لكنها آثرت قرب النبي طه

her sun did not set beyond your gaze out of aversion;

But preferred being near the prophet Taha.

rather, she preferred nearness to the Prophet Taha.

And she, who draws his mercy down today

وهي التي تستمد اليوم رحمته

وهي التي تستمد اليوم رحمته

لأمةٍ أنت يا مولاي أتقاها

لأمةٍ أنت يا مولاي أتقاها

And she is the one who seeks his mercy today

For a nation whose most pious you are, my master!

for a community whose most God-fearing member you are, my lord.

The angels of the Creator served her,

قامت ملائكة الباري بخدمتها

قامت ملائكة الباري بخدمتها

عنا وعنك إله العرش أغناها

عنا وعنك إله العرش أغناها

The Creator's angels rose to serve her;

Sparing us and you - God sufficed her.

the God of the Throne has made her need neither us nor you.

How could the angels not serve a piece of one

وكيف لا تخدم الأملاك بضعة من

وكيف لا تخدم الأملاك بضعة من

قد كان في ليلة المعراج مولاها

قد كان في ليلة المعراج مولاها

And how could the angels not serve a part of him

Whose Master on the night of ascension was hers?

who was their master on the night of the Ascension?

Teach, by your patience, God-consciousness to our souls,

علِّم بصبرك تقوى اللَه أنفسنا

علِّم بصبرك تقوى اللَه أنفسنا

فطالما علَّم الأبطال مغزاها

فطالما علَّم الأبطال مغزاها

Teach our souls, through your patience, reverence for God,

For you have long taught heroes to bear calamities.

for heroes have long taught its meaning.

Stop, O heir of the highest traits, the wickedness of villains

كفاك يا خلف الأعلام منشئها

كفاك يا خلف الأعلام منشئها

كيد اللئام وأعمى عنك أعتاها

كيد اللئام وأعمى عنك أعتاها

May their Maker spare you, O heir of the great,

And blind them from you, make their plot recoil upon them.

the plotting of the base, and blind their most insolent to you.

May God not decree any lifespan for us

ولا قضى اللَه من أعمارنا أجلاً

ولا قضى اللَه من أعمارنا أجلاً

حتى نراك على عرش العدى شاها

حتى نراك على عرش العدى شاها

And may God bring none of our lives to an end

Until we see you ruling despots, their king!

until we see you a shah upon the enemies' throne.