مَعناكَyour essence فيin القَلبِthe heart كانَwas أَحلىsweeter
مَعناكَ في القَلبِ كانَ أَحلى
مِنَthan الأَمانِيِّhopes وَالأَمانِand safety
مِنَ الأَمانِيِّ وَالأَمانِ
Your image in my heart was sweeter
Your essence in my heart was sweeter
Your essence within the heart was sweeter than cherished hopes and safety itself.
than wishes and safety.
than hopes and safety.
I wailed alongside the mourning women until it was said the scholar and the maidens were alike.
نُحتُI wailed مَعَwith النائِحاتِthe mourning women حَتّىuntil
نُحتُ مَعَ النائِحاتِ حَتّى
قيلَit was said اِستَوىbecame alike الحَبرُthe scholar وَالغَوانيand the fair women
قيلَ اِستَوى الحَبرُ وَالغَواني
I wailed with the mourning women until
I wailed with the mourning women until
Scattering tears and composing verse filled with the essence of profound meaning.
it was said that scholar and beauties mourned alike—
it was said: the scholar and the fair women were alike.
His radiance and the beauty of his fine virtues revealed his grave.
نَثرُscattering دُموعٍtears وَنَظمُand stringing شِعرٍverse
نَثرُ دُموعٍ وَنَظمُ شِعرٍ
مَلآنfull مِنof جَوهَرِthe gems المَعانيmeanings
مَلآن مِن جَوهَرِ المَعاني
a scattering of tears and a stringing of verse,
A scattering of tears and a stringing of verse,
May God grant him bliss in His shelter, where the harvest of the two gardens hangs near.
brimming with the jewels of meaning.
full of the gems of meaning.
It suffices you to have such grace and dominion alongside the Prophets in the Gardens.
نَمَّgave a sign عَلىof قَبرِهِhis grave سَناهُhis radiance
نَمَّ عَلى قَبرِهِ سَناهُ
وَحُسنُand the beauty أَخلاقِهِhis character الحِسانِnoble
وَحُسنُ أَخلاقِهِ الحِسانِ
Over his grave, his radiance bore witness to him,
His radiance made his grave known,
Excellent is the reward He bestowed upon him for his beautiful patience during the trial.
as did the beauty of his noble character.
as did the beauty of his noble character.
The draining of blood, the ravage of illness, the distance from a mother, and the nearness of a foe.
نَعَّمَهُgranted him bliss اللَهُGod فيin ذراهُHis shelter
نَعَّمَهُ اللَهُ في ذراهُ
حَيثُwhere جَنىthe fruit الجَنَّتَينِthe two gardens دانِwithin reach
حَيثُ جَنى الجَنَّتَينِ دانِ
May God grant him bliss within His shelter,
God granted him bliss in His shelter,
Fate vied with him and outstripped him, as a mongrel might overtake a thoroughbred.
where the fruit of both Gardens hangs near.
where the fruit of the two gardens is within reach.
Growing in guidance, with a radiant face, true of intellect, and truthful of tongue.
ناهيكَenough for you مِنof نِعمَةٍa blessing وَمُلكٍand dominion
ناهيكَ مِن نِعمَةٍ وَمُلكٍ
مَعَwith النَبِيّينَthe prophets فيin الجِنانِthe gardens of Paradise
مَعَ النَبِيّينَ في الجِنانِ
What surpassing blessing and dominion,
What bliss and dominion—
You would not see him during his day but reciting the Remembrance and the Verses.
with the prophets amid the gardens of Paradise!
with the prophets in the gardens of Paradise!
Yes, even in illness, he would listen to it with his hearing and his heart.
نِعمَexcellent is الثَوابُthe reward الَّذيwhich جَزاهُHe rewarded him
نِعمَ الثَوابُ الَّذي جَزاهُ
بِحُسنِfor good صَبرٍpatience عَلىunder اِمتِحانِtrial
بِحُسنِ صَبرٍ عَلى اِمتِحانِ
Excellent is the reward with which He recompensed him
How excellent the reward He gave him
I have forgotten myself, yet I shall never forget your memory, O unique one of this age.
for noble patience under trial:
for his noble patience under trial:
Your calamity has overwhelmed me, revealing a burden heavy enough to crush Mount Aban.
نَزفُloss دَمٍblood وَاِنتِهاكand ravaging سُقمٍillness
نَزفُ دَمٍ وَاِنتِهاك سُقمٍ
وَبُعدُand distance أُمٍّa mother وَقُربُand nearness شانِan enemy
وَبُعدُ أُمٍّ وَقُربُ شانِ
the draining of blood and the ravages of illness,
blood loss and the ravages of sickness,
Your fragrance is near though you have ascended; grief remains though you have passed away.
a mother's distance and a foe's nearness.
and a mother far away, and an enemy close by.
نافَسَهُhe vied with him إِذwhen شَآهُhe outstripped him حَتّىuntil
نافَسَهُ إِذ شَآهُ حَتّى
عداattacked هَجينٌa mongrel عَلىupon هِجانِa thoroughbred
عدا هَجينٌ عَلى هِجانِ
He rivaled him when he surpassed him, until
He vied with him when he outstripped him, until
a mongrel attacked a purebred—
a mongrel attacked a thoroughbred.
ناميgrowing الهُدىguidance واضِحradiant المُحيّاthe countenance
نامي الهُدى واضِح المُحيّا
صَدقُsound الحِجاintellect صادِقُtruthful اللِسانِthe tongue
صَدقُ الحِجا صادِقُ اللِسانِ
ever-growing in guidance, bright of countenance,
Growing in guidance, radiant of countenance,
sound in judgment, truthful of tongue.
sound of mind, truthful of tongue.
نَهارهُhis daytime لاnot تَراهُyou see him إِلّاexcept
نَهارهُ لا تَراهُ إِلّا
مُرَتِّلَreciting in measured tones الذِكرِthe Remembrance (Qur'an) وَالمَثانيand the oft-repeated verses
مُرَتِّلَ الذِكرِ وَالمَثاني
By day you would see him only
All day, you would see him only
reciting the Remembrance and the oft-repeated verses.
reciting the Remembrance and the oft-repeated verses.
نَعَمyes وَفيand in السُقمِillness كانَwould يُصغيhe listens attentively
نَعَم وَفي السُقمِ كانَ يُصغي
إِلَيهِto it بِالسَمعِwith the ear وَالجَنانِand the heart
إِلَيهِ بِالسَمعِ وَالجَنانِ
Yes, and even in sickness he would listen
Yes, and even in sickness he would listen
to it with both ear and heart.
to it with ear and heart.
نَسيتُI forgot نَفسيmyself وَلَستُand I do not أَنسىforget
نَسيتُ نَفسي وَلَستُ أَنسى
ذِكرَكَyour memory ياO واحِدَpeerless one الزَمانِthe age
ذِكرَكَ يا واحِدَ الزَمانِ
I have forgotten myself, but I shall never forget
I have forgotten myself, but I do not forget
your memory, O peerless man of the age.
your memory, O peerless one of the age.
نَهنَهَنيsubdued me رُزؤُكَthe loss of you الَّذيwhich قَدindeed
نَهنَهَني رُزؤُكَ الَّذي قَد
أَبانَrevealed ثِقلاًa burden عَلىupon أَبانِAban (a mountain)
أَبانَ ثِقلاً عَلى أَبانِ
Your loss has checked me—the loss that has
Your loss has subdued me—the loss that has
laid bare a burden upon Mount Abān.
revealed a burden upon Mount Aban.
نَشرُكَyour fragrance دانٍnear وَأَنتَand you نامasleep
نَشرُكَ دانٍ وَأَنتَ نام
وَالثُكلand bereavement باقٍenduring وَأَنتَand you فانِgone
وَالثُكل باقٍ وَأَنتَ فانِ
Your resurrection draws near while you sleep;
Your fragrance is near, though you are asleep,
bereavement remains while you pass away.
and bereavement endures, though you are gone.
Partial English translation: 15 of 30 Arabic lines translated.