جَذَّ الردَى سَبَبَ الإسلامِ فَانْجذَمَا

جَذَّ الردَى سَبَبَ الإسلامِ فَانْجذَمَا

وهَدَّ شَامِخَ طَوْدِ الدِّينِ فَانْهدَما

وهَدَّ شَامِخَ طَوْدِ الدِّينِ فَانْهدَما

Death severed Islam's cord, and it was cut through,

The joints of Islam were severed, so they collapsed,

and toppled the lofty mountain of faith, and it collapsed.

And the towering pillar of religion was struck down, so it fell.

وَسَامَ طَرْفَ العُلا غَضّاً فأغمضَهُ

وَسَامَ طَرْفَ العُلا غَضّاً فأغمضَهُ

وفَلَّ غَرْبَ حُسَامِ المجْدِ فَانثَلَمَا

وفَلَّ غَرْبَ حُسَامِ المجْدِ فَانثَلَمَا

It forced the eye of eminence to lower its gaze, then closed it,

The heights of glory were blinded with sorrow and closed their eyes,

and blunted the edge of glory's sword, leaving it notched.

And the sword of glory fell in the west, so it was broken.

اللهُ أكبرُ ما أَدْهَاكِ مُرْزيةً

اللهُ أكبرُ ما أَدْهَاكِ مُرْزيةً

قَصَمْتِ ظهرَ التّقى والعلمَ فانقَصما

قَصَمْتِ ظهرَ التّقى والعلمَ فانقَصما

God is greatest! How dire a calamity you are!

God is greatest - how you laid waste, O cemetery!

You shattered the backbone of piety and learning, and both were broken.

You broke the backbone of piety and knowledge, so they were broken.

أَحْدثْتِ في الدينِ كَلْماً لو أُتيحَ لهُ

أَحْدثْتِ في الدينِ كَلْماً لو أُتيحَ لهُ

عِيسى بنُ مريمَ يأسُوهُ لما التَحَما

عِيسى بنُ مريمَ يأسُوهُ لما التَحَما

You opened a wound in faith; were it granted

You brought innovation to religion, which if

Jesus son of Mary to heal it, it still would not close.

Jesus son of Mary were to be acquainted with, he would despair.

أَيُّ امرئٍ وَيْكِ أَفْجعَتِ الأنامَ بهِ

أَيُّ امرئٍ وَيْكِ أَفْجعَتِ الأنامَ بهِ

فاسْتشعَرُوا بَعْدَه التَّزفارَ والألَما

فاسْتشعَرُوا بَعْدَه التَّزفارَ والألَما

What a man—alas for you!—you have bereaved humankind of!

Alas for the man whose passing grieved the people!

So after him they clothed themselves in sighing and pain.

So after him they felt distress and pain.

كلٌّ يُزيرُ ثَنَاياهُ أَنَامِلَهُ

كلٌّ يُزيرُ ثَنَاياهُ أَنَامِلَهُ

حُزْناً عليهِ ويُدْميها بهِ نَدَما

حُزْناً عليهِ ويُدْميها بهِ نَدَما

Each brings his front teeth to his fingertips,

Each wipes his fingers in grief over him

in grief for him, and bloodies them in regret on his account.

And with regret dyes them with his blood.

وينثرونَ وسلكُ الحُزْنِ ينظمُهم

وينثرونَ وسلكُ الحُزْنِ ينظمُهم

على الخُدُودِ عَقيقَ الدمعِ مُنْسَجِما

على الخُدُودِ عَقيقَ الدمعِ مُنْسَجِما

And they scatter, while sorrow's thread strings them together,

They string the beads of sorrow linking them,

upon their cheeks the streaming agate of tears.

Matching the red drops of tears on their cheeks.

لَهْفي وما لَهَفي مُجْدٍ عَلَيَّ على

لَهْفي وما لَهَفي مُجْدٍ عَلَيَّ على

مَجْدٍ تَفرَّقَ أشْتَاتاً فما التَأَمَا

مَجْدٍ تَفرَّقَ أشْتَاتاً فما التَأَمَا

Alas—and my grief avails me nothing—for

My longing - but why this longing for a lost

glory scattered into fragments, never reunited.

Glory, scattered into pieces, never to be pieced together!

لَهْفي على كَوكَبٍ حَلَّ الثرى وعلى

لَهْفي على كَوكَبٍ حَلَّ الثرى وعلى

بَدْرٍ تَبوَّأَ بعد الأبْرُجِ الرُّجُمَا

بَدْرٍ تَبوَّأَ بعد الأبْرُجِ الرُّجُمَا

Alas for a star that settled in the earth, and for

Longing for a star fallen to the ground,

a full moon that, after heaven's towers, took its place among grave-mounds.

And for a moon relegated after ascension to being stoned!

إيهٍ خَليليَّ قُومَا واسْعِدَا دَنِفاً

إيهٍ خَليليَّ قُومَا واسْعِدَا دَنِفاً

أصَابَ أَحْشاهُ رَامي الحُزْنِ حِينَ رمَى

أصَابَ أَحْشاهُ رَامي الحُزْنِ حِينَ رمَى

Come, my two friends, rise and aid a man sick with grief,

Alas my two friends - be glad and prosper!

whose entrails sorrow's archer struck when he shot.

The archer of grief has hit your innermost being as he shot.

نبكي خِضَمَّ عُلُومٍ جَفَّ زاخرُهُ

نبكي خِضَمَّ عُلُومٍ جَفَّ زاخرُهُ

وَغَاضَ طَامِيهِ لَمَّا فَاضَ والتطَمَا

وَغَاضَ طَامِيهِ لَمَّا فَاضَ والتطَمَا

We weep for an ocean of learning whose surging waters dried up,

We mourn the withering of abundant knowledge,

and whose swelling flood ebbed when it overflowed and churned.

Whose abundant wave overflowed then dried up.

نبكي فَتىً ما تخطَّى الضيمُ ساحتَهُ

نبكي فَتىً ما تخطَّى الضيمُ ساحتَهُ

ولا أَبَاحَ له غَيرُ الحِمامِ حِمَى

ولا أَبَاحَ له غَيرُ الحِمامِ حِمَى

We weep for a noble man whose domain oppression never crossed,

We mourn a youth whose domain injustice never entered,

nor did anything but death lay his sanctuary open to it.

Who allowed nothing but dove-like qualities.

ذا مَنْظَرٍ يُبْصِرُ الأعْمَى برؤيتِهِ

ذا مَنْظَرٍ يُبْصِرُ الأعْمَى برؤيتِهِ

هُدىً وذا مَنْطِقٍ يَسْتنطقُ البُكُمَا

هُدىً وذا مَنْطِقٍ يَسْتنطقُ البُكُمَا

One whose appearance, when beheld, lets the blind perceive

One whose sight makes the blind see,

guidance, and whose speech makes the mute speak.

Whose speech makes the mute speak!

لو عَلَّمَ الوَحْشَ ما يُنْشِيه من حِكَمٍ

لو عَلَّمَ الوَحْشَ ما يُنْشِيه من حِكَمٍ

لَرَاحَتِ الوحشُ من تعليمه عُلَما

لَرَاحَتِ الوحشُ من تعليمه عُلَما

Had he taught the wild beasts the wise sayings he composed,

If he taught the wild beasts what wisdom fills them,

the beasts would have left his teaching as scholars.

The beasts would gain knowledge from his teaching.

أو أسمعَ الأُسْدَ شيئاً من مَوَاعِظِهِ

أو أسمعَ الأُسْدَ شيئاً من مَوَاعِظِهِ

لظَلَّتِ الأُسْدُ خَوفاً تُكْرِمُ الغَنَما

لظَلَّتِ الأُسْدُ خَوفاً تُكْرِمُ الغَنَما

Or had he let the lions hear some of his admonitions,

Or made the lion hear some of his preaching,

the lions would have gone on honoring sheep out of fear.

The lions would honor the sheep in their fear!

لو أَنْصفَ الدهرُ أفَنَانا وخَلَّدَهُ

لو أَنْصفَ الدهرُ أفَنَانا وخَلَّدَهُ

وكانَ ذلكَ من أَفعَالِهِ كَرَمَا

وكانَ ذلكَ من أَفعَالِهِ كَرَمَا

Had time been just, it would have destroyed us and made him immortal,

If fate were just in annihilating us and making him eternal,

and that would have been a generous act on its part.

That would be of its kind deeds and favors!

ما راحَ حتّى حَشَا أسماعَنا دُرَراً

ما راحَ حتّى حَشَا أسماعَنا دُرَراً

من لَفْظِهِ وسَقَى أذْهَانَنا حِكما

من لَفْظِهِ وسَقَى أذْهَانَنا حِكما

He did not depart until he had filled our ears with pearls

He would not rest until he filled our hearing with pearls

from his words, and watered our minds with wisdom,

Of his words and watered our minds with wisdom,

كالغيثِ لم ينأَ عن أرضٍ ألمَّ بها

كالغيثِ لم ينأَ عن أرضٍ ألمَّ بها

حتّى يُغَادِرَ فيها النبتَ قد نَجَما

حتّى يُغَادِرَ فيها النبتَ قد نَجَما

like rain that did not leave a land it visited

Like rain that does not refrain from a land it afflicts

until it left the plants there already sprouting.

Until the plants it produces there thrive.

كأنَّهُ وضريحٌ ضَمَّ جُثَّتَهُ

كأنَّهُ وضريحٌ ضَمَّ جُثَّتَهُ

ذُو النُّونِ يونسُ لما أَنْ لَهُ التَقَما

ذُو النُّونِ يونسُ لما أَنْ لَهُ التَقَما

It is as though he, with a tomb embracing his body,

As if he were Jonah - God's prophet when swallowed

were the Man of the Fish, Jonah, when it swallowed him.

By the whale - in his tomb after being consumed!

يا قبرَهُ لا عَدَاكَ الدهرُ مُنسجماً

يا قبرَهُ لا عَدَاكَ الدهرُ مُنسجماً

من المدامِعِ هَامٍ يُخْجلُ الدِّيَمَا

من المدامِعِ هَامٍ يُخْجلُ الدِّيَمَا

O his grave, may you never, through all time, lack a stream

O his tomb! Time has shaped no thing equal to you

of pouring tears that put the steady rains to shame.

Weeping copious tears that put even the clouds to shame.

صَبراً بنِيهِ فإنَّ الصبرَ أجملُ بالْ

صَبراً بنِيهِ فإنَّ الصبرَ أجملُ بالْ

حُرِّ الكريمِ إذا ما فادحٌ دَهَما

حُرِّ الكريمِ إذا ما فادحٌ دَهَما

Patience, his sons, for patience best becomes the

Patience, my son! Patience is seemliest for the noble

freeborn, noble man when a crushing calamity strikes.

When faced with calamities that have engulfed him.

هِيَ النوائبُ ما تنفكُّ دَامِيةَ الْ

هِيَ النوائبُ ما تنفكُّ دَامِيةَ الْ

أنيابِ مِنَّا وما مِنْها امرؤٌ سَلِما

أنيابِ مِنَّا وما مِنْها امرؤٌ سَلِما

Such are calamities: forever bloodied are their

Misfortunes will not cease grinding

fangs with our blood; no one has escaped them unscathed.

Their teeth against us - no man lives without them.

فكمْ تخطَّفَ رَيْبُ الدهرِ من أُمَمِ

فكمْ تخطَّفَ رَيْبُ الدهرِ من أُمَمِ

فأصبحُوا تحتَ أطباقِ الثرَى رِممَا

فأصبحُوا تحتَ أطباقِ الثرَى رِممَا

For time's vicissitudes have snatched away so many peoples,

So many nations time's caprice snatched away!

so they became mouldering bones beneath layers of earth.

Beneath earth's layers they became decaying remains.

لو كرَّمَ اللهُ عن هَذَا الردَى أحداً

لو كرَّمَ اللهُ عن هَذَا الردَى أحداً

لكرَّمَ المصطفَى عن ذَاكَ واحْتَرَمَا

لكرَّمَ المصطفَى عن ذَاكَ واحْتَرَمَا

Had God honored anyone by sparing him this death,

Had God protected anyone from this corruption,

He would have spared the Chosen One from it and held him in honor.

He would have protected Al-Mustafa from it and shown reverence!

صَلَّى عليه إِلهُ العَرْشِ ما وَخَدَتْ

صَلَّى عليه إِلهُ العَرْشِ ما وَخَدَتْ

خُوصُ الركابِ تؤمُّ البيتَ والحرما

خُوصُ الركابِ تؤمُّ البيتَ والحرما

May the God of the Throne bless him as long as they stride,

May the God of the Throne shower prayers upon him as long as

the narrow-eyed riding camels bound for the House and the Sanctuary.

The Kaaba pigeons circle the House and the Sanctuary!

فابقُوا بقاءَ الليالي لا يغيّرُكم

فابقُوا بقاءَ الليالي لا يغيّرُكم

دهرٌ وشمْلُكُمُ ما زال منتظِما

دهرٌ وشمْلُكُمُ ما زال منتظِما

So live as long as nights endure; may you not be changed

So remain for the duration of nights - time will not change you -

by time, and may your fellowship remain forever united,

While your group remains coherently bound together.

ما استعبرتْ والهاتُ السُّحْبِ باكيةً

ما استعبرتْ والهاتُ السُّحْبِ باكيةً

حَيَاً وما افترَّ ثغرُ الزهرِ مُبتسِما

حَيَاً وما افترَّ ثغرُ الزهرِ مُبتسِما

as long as the distraught clouds shed tears, weeping

The eyes of dawn have not stopped weeping

life-giving rain, and as long as the mouth of blossoms parts in a smile.

Or the smile left the mouth of blossoms.