يَاO جَمِيلَbeautiful الصَّبْرِpatience لَبِّanswer مَنْthe one who دَعَاcalled
يَا جَمِيلَ الصَّبْرِ لَبِّ مَنْ دَعَا
قَبْلَbefore أَنْthat يَقْضِيَhe dies مِمَّاfrom what فُجِعَاhe was bereaved by
قَبْلَ أَنْ يَقْضِيَ مِمَّا فُجِعَا
O beautiful patience, answer the one who calls,
O beautiful patience, answer the one who calls out,
Before he dies of the loss he has suffered.
before he perishes from the tragedy that has struck him.
لَبِّanswer شَخْصاًa person جَزِعاًdistraught مِنْat مَوْتِthe death of مَنْone who
لَبِّ شَخْصاً جَزِعاً مِنْ مَوْتِ مَنْ
ذَابَmelted مِنْfrom خَشْيَةِfear of رَبِّيmy Lord جَزَعَاin anguish
ذَابَ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ رَبِّي جَزَعَا
Answer a man distraught at the death of one
Answer a soul distraught over the death of one who
Who melted in anguish from fear of my Lord.
melted away in profound awe and fear of my Lord.
وَالْزَمِيand cling to يَاO رَحْمَةَmercy of اللهِGod الذِيthe one who
وَالْزَمِي يَا رَحْمَةَ اللهِ الذِي
كَانَwas مِنْof رَحْمَتِهِHis mercy مُجْتَمِعَاcomposed
كَانَ مِنْ رَحْمَتِهِ مُجْتَمِعَا
And cling, O mercy of God, to him who
And cling, O mercy of Allah, to the one who
Was composed of His mercy.
was entirely composed of His boundless mercy.
وَاخْدُمَنْand serve يَاO عَفْوَpardon of رَبِّيmy Lord سَيَّداًa master
وَاخْدُمَنْ يَا عَفْوَ رَبِّي سَيَّداً
كَانَwas لِلْعَفْوِfor pardoning عَنِof الْجَانِيthe wrongdoer وَعَاa vessel
كَانَ لِلْعَفْوِ عَنِ الْجَانِي وَعَا
And serve, O pardon of my Lord, a master
And serve, O forgiveness of my Lord, a master
Who was a vessel for pardoning the wrongdoer.
who was a vessel of pardon for the wrongdoer.
وَاحْتَسِبْand bear loss seeking God's reward يَاO طَالِبَseeker of الْعِلْمِِknowledge امْرَأًa man
وَاحْتَسِبْ يَا طَالِبَ الْعِلْمِِ امْرَأً
مَاتَdied فِيهِin him الْعِلْمُknowledge وَالدِّينُand faith مَعَاtogether
مَاتَ فِيهِ الْعِلْمُ وَالدِّينُ مَعَا
And bear in hope of God's reward, O seeker of knowledge, the loss of a man
Seek your reward from Allah in grief, O seeker of knowledge, for a man
In whom knowledge and faith died together.
with whom knowledge and religion have died together.
وَانْبُذَنَّand cast aside الْخَلْقَmankind طُرّاًall بَعْدَafter مَنْthe one who
وَانْبُذَنَّ الْخَلْقَ طُرّاً بَعْدَ مَنْ
كَانَwas فِيهِin him الْخَلْقُmankind طُرّاًall جُمِعَاgathered
كَانَ فِيهِ الْخَلْقُ طُرّاً جُمِعَا
And cast aside all mankind after the one
And cast aside all of humanity after the one
In whom all mankind had been gathered.
in whom all the virtues of creation were gathered.
وَاقْتَصِرْand be content وَاللهِby God مَاnot نَعْلَمُwe know مِنْof
وَاقْتَصِرْ وَاللهِ مَا نَعْلَمُ مِنْ
أَحَدٍanyone قَدْhas سَدَّfilled مِنْهُof his مَوْضِعَاa place
أَحَدٍ قَدْ سَدَّ مِنْهُ مَوْضِعَا
And be content: by God, we do not know of
Cease your searching, for by Allah, we know of no one
Anyone who has filled a single place he held.
who could ever fill the void he left behind.
أَقْصَدَstruck fatally الْيُوسِيَّal-Yusi سَهْمٌa shaft مِنْof رَدَىdeath
أَقْصَدَ الْيُوسِيَّ سَهْمٌ مِنْ رَدَى
أَثْكَلَbereaved الْعَالَمَthe world فِيهِof him أَجْمَعَاall of it
أَثْكَلَ الْعَالَمَ فِيهِ أَجْمَعَا
A shaft of death struck al-Yusi down,
An arrow of death has struck Al-Yusi,
Bereaving the whole world of him.
bereaving the entire world of his presence.
ضَعْضَعَbrought low الْمَوْتُdeath الإِمَامَthe imam الأَرْوَعَاthe illustrious
ضَعْضَعَ الْمَوْتُ الإِمَامَ الأَرْوَعَا
أَيُّwhat a رُكْنٍpillar لِرَشَادٍof right guidance ضَعْضَعَاit brought low
أَيُّ رُكْنٍ لِرَشَادٍ ضَعْضَعَا
Death brought low the illustrious imam—
Death has brought down the magnificent Imam;
What a pillar of right guidance it brought low!
what a mighty pillar of guidance it has shattered!
حَجَّmade pilgrimage to مِنْهُin him بَيْتَa house عِلْمٍof learning إِثْرَjust after مَاthat
حَجَّ مِنْهُ بَيْتَ عِلْمٍ إِثْرَ مَا
حَجَّhe made pilgrimage to بَيْتَthe House of اللهِGod بَرّاًrighteous أَوْرَعَاmost devout
حَجَّ بَيْتَ اللهِ بَرّاً أَوْرَعَا
Death made pilgrimage to a house of learning in him, just after
Death visited a house of knowledge in him, right after
He had made pilgrimage to God's House, righteous and most devout.
he had visited the House of Allah, righteous and devout.
وَسِعَتْcontained حُفْرَةُa hollow قَبْرٍa grave ضَيِّقٍnarrow
وَسِعَتْ حُفْرَةُ قَبْرٍ ضَيِّقٍ
مَنْone who لِخَلْقِfor the creatures of اللهِGod طُرّاًall وَسِعَاhad room
مَنْ لِخَلْقِ اللهِ طُرّاً وَسِعَا
A narrow grave's hollow held
The pit of a narrow grave has now encompassed
One who had room for all God's creatures.
one whose heart once encompassed all of Allah's creation.
ضَاقَتِgrew cramped الأَرْضُthe earth بِنَاaround us وَهْيَthough it التِيwhich
ضَاقَتِ الأَرْضُ بِنَا وَهْيَ التِي
رَحُبَتْwas spacious لَمَّاwhen نَعَاهُannounced his death مَنْthe one who نَعَىannounced death
رَحُبَتْ لَمَّا نَعَاهُ مَنْ نَعَى
The earth closed in on us, though it was
The earth closed in upon us, despite its vastness,
Vast, when someone announced his death.
the moment the herald of death proclaimed his passing.
فَتَصَامَمْنَاso we feigned deafness وَهَيْهَاتَbut in vain فَمَاfor it does not
فَتَصَامَمْنَا وَهَيْهَاتَ فَمَا
يَنْفَعُbenefit الْمُثْكِلَthe bereaved أَنْthat لاَnot يَسْمَعَاhe hears
يَنْفَعُ الْمُثْكِلَ أَنْ لاَ يَسْمَعَا
So we feigned deafness—but in vain, for it does not
We feigned deafness, but alas, it is of no use—
Help the bereaved not to hear.
what good is it for the bereaved to refuse to hear?
بِأَبِيwith my father as ransom مَنْthe one who زَارَvisited قَبْرَthe grave of الْمُصْطَفَىthe Chosen One
بِأَبِي مَنْ زَارَ قَبْرَ الْمُصْطَفَى
بَعْدَafter مَاthat طَافَhe circumambulated وَلَبَّىand chanted 'At Your service' وَسَعَىand performed the ritual walk
بَعْدَ مَا طَافَ وَلَبَّى وَسَعَى
May my father be ransom for him who visited the Chosen One's grave,
May my father be a ransom for him who visited the Chosen One's tomb,
After he had circled the House, chanted 'At Your service,' and performed the ritual walk.
after circling the Kaaba, answering the divine call, and striving between the hills.
وَانْثَنَىand he returned تَكْنُفُهُsurround him أَنْوَارُهُhis lights
وَانْثَنَى تَكْنُفُهُ أَنْوَارُهُ
ثُمَّthen مَاscarcely سَلَّمَhe offered greetings حَتَّىbefore وَدَّعَاhe bade farewell
ثُمَّ مَا سَلَّمَ حَتَّى وَدَّعَا
And returned, his lights surrounding him,
He returned, enveloped by its radiant lights,
Then scarcely had he offered greetings before he bade farewell.
and scarcely gave his greeting of peace before bidding a final farewell.