ذابَ قَلبي لِحادثٍ طَرَقَه

ذابَ قَلبي لِحادثٍ طَرَقَه

حينَ قالوا ماتَ الفَتى صَدَقَه

حينَ قالوا ماتَ الفَتى صَدَقَه

My heart melted at a calamity that befell it,

My heart melted at a calamity that befell it,

when they said, “The young man has died”—they spoke truly.

When they said, “The young man Sadaqah has died.”

وَجَرَت مُقلَتي عَلَيهِ دَماً

وَجَرَت مُقلَتي عَلَيهِ دَماً

فَهيَ صارَت في دَمعِها غَرِقَه

فَهيَ صارَت في دَمعِها غَرِقَه

And my eye streamed blood for him,

And my eye streamed blood for him;

so it became drowned in its own tears.

So it drowned in its tears.

لَهفَ نَفسي عَلَيهِ مِن رجُلٍ

لَهفَ نَفسي عَلَيهِ مِن رجُلٍ

كَأنَّ رَبّي مِن فِطنَةٍ خَلَقَه

كَأنَّ رَبّي مِن فِطنَةٍ خَلَقَه

Ah, my soul’s grief for him—what a man!

How my soul grieves for him—what a man,

As though my Lord had fashioned him from intelligence itself:

As though my Lord had created him from discernment!

ذو ذَكاءٍ يَحكي ذُكاءَ سَناً

ذو ذَكاءٍ يَحكي ذُكاءَ سَناً

وَحياءٍ مِنهُ نَدى حَدَقَه

وَحياءٍ مِنهُ نَدى حَدَقَه

possessed of an intelligence that matched the sun in brilliance,

Gifted with intelligence that mirrors Dhuka, the sun, in radiance,

and of a modesty that left the pupil of his eye dewy;

And modesty, from which his eyes grew moist;

وَاعتناءٍ بِالنَحو مشتغلٌ

وَاعتناءٍ بِالنَحو مشتغلٌ

لِخَفاياه في النُقول ثِقَه

لِخَفاياه في النُقول ثِقَه

devoted to grammar, wholly engrossed

And devoted to grammar, engrossed

in its subtleties, and in transmitted learning a trusted authority.

In its subtleties, trustworthy in transmitted texts.

حينَ زانَ العِذارُ وَجنَتَهُ

حينَ زانَ العِذارُ وَجنَتَهُ

وَكَساها رَيحانَةً وَرَقَه

وَكَساها رَيحانَةً وَرَقَه

When the first down of his beard adorned his cheek

When beard-down adorned his cheek,

and clothed it in basil and leaf,

And clothed it in a leafy basil sprig,

وَبَدا بَين صَحبهِ قَمراً

وَبَدا بَين صَحبهِ قَمراً

وَأَضاءَت أَنوارُه أفُقَه

وَأَضاءَت أَنوارُه أفُقَه

he shone among his companions like a moon,

And he appeared among his companions as a moon,

and his radiance lit the horizon.

And his radiance illuminated his horizon,

وَغَدا بَينَ أَهلِهِ عَلَما

وَغَدا بَينَ أَهلِهِ عَلَما

شَرَّفَ اللَهُ باسمِهِ فِرَقَه

شَرَّفَ اللَهُ باسمِهِ فِرَقَه

He became a renowned paragon among his people;

And he became a beacon among his kin—

God ennobled his circle through his name.

God had honored his groups through his name—

جا إِلَيهِ مِن رَبِّهِ قَدَرٌ

جا إِلَيهِ مِن رَبِّهِ قَدَرٌ

وَسَقاه حِمامَهُ رَنِقَه

وَسَقاه حِمامَهُ رَنِقَه

Then a decree came to him from his Lord,

A decree came to him from his Lord,

and death gave him its turbid draught.

And made him drink the murky draught of his death.

أَنا مَع صاحبيه في أَلمٍ

أَنا مَع صاحبيه في أَلمٍ

وَأَسىً وَالقُلوب محترِقَه

وَأَسىً وَالقُلوب محترِقَه

Together with his two companions, I am in anguish

I am with his two companions in pain

and sorrow, while hearts burn.

And sorrow, and our hearts are aflame.

صاحَبوني ثَلاثَةٌ نَسقاً

صاحَبوني ثَلاثَةٌ نَسقاً

في اجتهادٍ سنينَ مُتَّسِقَه

في اجتهادٍ سنينَ مُتَّسِقَه

Three companions kept me company in succession,

Three kept me company in succession,

through years of unbroken diligence.

In diligent study for successive years.

في كِتابِ التَسهيلِ بحثهُم

في كِتابِ التَسهيلِ بحثهُم

أَيُّ بَحثٍ فيهِ غَدوا طَبقَه

أَيُّ بَحثٍ فيهِ غَدوا طَبقَه

Their study was in the Book of al-Tashīl;

Their inquiry was into the book al-Tashil—

what a study! Therein they became a cohort of peers.

What inquiry! In it they became peers.

فَمَضى واحدٌ لطيَّتِهِ

فَمَضى واحدٌ لطيَّتِهِ

كانَ في الخَيرِ سالِكاً طُرُقَه

كانَ في الخَيرِ سالِكاً طُرُقَه

Then one of them departed on his destined way,

Then one departed for his destination;

having walked the paths of goodness.

He had walked the paths of goodness.

لَم يُؤخَّر عَن هالِكٍ أَجل

لَم يُؤخَّر عَن هالِكٍ أَجل

إِنَّ ذا عمرهُ الَّذي رُزِقَه

إِنَّ ذا عمرهُ الَّذي رُزِقَه

No doomed mortal’s appointed hour is postponed;

No appointed term is postponed for one who dies;

this, indeed, was the lifespan allotted him.

This was indeed the lifetime allotted to him.

إِن يَكُن جسمُهُ ثَوى جَدَثاً

إِن يَكُن جسمُهُ ثَوى جَدَثاً

فإلى عَدنِ روحُه سَبقَه

فإلى عَدنِ روحُه سَبقَه

Though his body has come to rest in a grave,

If his body has come to rest in a grave,

his spirit had gone before it to Eden,

Then his spirit has gone ahead of it to Eden,

في نَعيمٍ وَفي مَقرِّ عُلىً

في نَعيمٍ وَفي مَقرِّ عُلىً

بَينَ حورٍ لَهُنَّ فيهِ مِقَه

بَينَ حورٍ لَهُنَّ فيهِ مِقَه

amid bliss and in a dwelling on high,

In bliss and in an abode on high,

among houris who cherish love for him there.

Among houris who bear him love.

قَدَّسَ اللَهُ سِرَّ تُربَتِهِ

قَدَّسَ اللَهُ سِرَّ تُربَتِهِ

وَسَقاهُ مِن سُحبِهِ غَدقَه

وَسَقاهُ مِن سُحبِهِ غَدقَه

May God sanctify the mystery of his grave-dust,

May God sanctify the secret of his grave,

and water him abundantly from His clouds.

And water him with His abundant rain from His clouds.