سلوا برلين عمن حلّ فيها

سلوا برلين عمن حلّ فيها

يفتّتُ كبدهُ المرض العنيد

يفتّتُ كبدهُ المرض العنيد

Ask Berlin about the one who came to dwell there,

Ask Berlin about the man who lodged there:

his liver torn apart by stubborn illness.

the relentless illness tears his liver apart.

مضى يستوهب الأيام عمرا

مضى يستوهب الأيام عمرا

تتمّ به المساعى والجهود

تتمّ به المساعى والجهود

He went on begging the days to grant him life

He went, begging the days for a span of life

in which his endeavors and efforts might be fulfilled.

in which his endeavors and efforts might be completed.

فلم يذهب بعلته طبيبٌ

فلم يذهب بعلته طبيبٌ

ولم يكتب له عمرٌ جديدُ

ولم يكتب له عمرٌ جديدُ

But no physician could take away his illness,

But no physician took away his illness,

nor was a new span of life inscribed for him.

nor was a new span of life decreed for him.

وخرّ على السرير وحبُّ مصرٍ

وخرّ على السرير وحبُّ مصرٍ

على تبريح علته يزيد

على تبريح علته يزيد

He collapsed upon the bed, while love of Egypt

And he collapsed upon the bed, while his love for Egypt

added to the torment of his illness.

surpassed the torment of his illness.

فما ضمن البقاء له صديق

فما ضمن البقاء له صديق

ينادى لا عدمتك يا فريد

ينادى لا عدمتك يا فريد

No friend could guarantee that he would live,

So no friend could secure his survival,

calling, “May I never be bereft of you, Farid!”

calling, “May I never lose you, O Farid!”

فيالهفى عليك وأنت كهلٌ

فيالهفى عليك وأنت كهلٌ

غريبٌ عن أحبته بعبدُ

غريبٌ عن أحبته بعبدُ

Oh, my grief for you, while you are only middle-aged,

Alas, my grief for you, while you are in middle age,

a stranger, far from those you love.

a stranger, far from his loved ones.

تموت فلا ترى مثواك أمٌّ

تموت فلا ترى مثواك أمٌّ

ولا أختٌ ولا زوجٌ ودود

ولا أختٌ ولا زوجٌ ودود

You die, and no mother sees your resting place,

You die, and no mother sees your resting place,

nor sister, nor loving wife;

nor a sister, nor a loving wife.

ولا يروى ثراك أخٌ شقيقٌ

ولا يروى ثراك أخٌ شقيقٌ

بدمعته ولا طفلٌ وليدُ

بدمعته ولا طفلٌ وليدُ

no full brother waters the earth above you

Nor does a full brother water your grave's earth

with his tears, nor any newborn child.

with his tear, nor a newborn child.

فلا يشمت بمنعاك الأعادي

فلا يشمت بمنعاك الأعادي

ولا يفرح ببلواك الحسود

ولا يفرح ببلواك الحسود

Let no enemies gloat over the news of your death,

So let your enemies not gloat at the news of your death,

and let no envier rejoice in your affliction.

nor let the envious one rejoice in your affliction.

فتلك بليةٌ لم ينج منها

فتلك بليةٌ لم ينج منها

على إشراق عزته الرشيد

على إشراق عزته الرشيد

For that is a calamity from which

For that is a calamity not escaped

even the rightly guided, for all the splendor of his might, could not escape.

by al-Rashid, despite his radiant glory.

ومن يك مثلنا حسباً ومجداً

ومن يك مثلنا حسباً ومجداً

تشجّعهُ الصواعق والرعود

تشجّعهُ الصواعق والرعود

And whoever, like us, possesses lineage and glory

And whoever is like us in ancestral honor and glory—

is emboldened by thunderbolts and thunder.

thunderbolts and thunderclaps embolden him.

فإن يك سرّهم منعى فريدٍ

فإن يك سرّهم منعى فريدٍ

فكل غضنفرٍ منا فريدُ

فكل غضنفرٍ منا فريدُ

If the news of Farid’s death has pleased them,

So if the news of Farid's death has pleased them,

then every lion among us is a Farid—one of a kind.

then every lion among us is a Farid—peerless.