مرتhave passed عليكover you الأربعونthe forty days حداداin mourning
مرت عليك الأربعون حدادا
ولقدand indeed قضيناwe spent الأربعينthe forty days شداداgrievous
ولقد قضينا الأربعين شدادا
The forty days have passed over you in mourning;
Forty days have passed over you in mourning,
and we have spent those forty in grievous hardship.
and we have indeed spent those forty grievous days.
يممتyou headed toward حلواناًHelwan لياليَfor nights تبتغيyou seek
يممت حلواناً لياليَ تبتغي
فيهاin it النجاةdeliverance فكانتbut it became المِرصاداthe place of ambush
فيها النجاة فكانت المِرصادا
Night after night you made for Helwan, seeking
You headed to Helwan, seeking through the nights
deliverance there—but it proved a fatal snare.
deliverance there, but it became a place of ambush.
ولقدand indeed لحقتُI caught up بزائريكwith your visitors فلمbut did not أصلarrive
ولقد لحقتُ بزائريك فلم أصل
وجهلتand I did not know أنَّهمthat they أتواhad come عوّاداas visitors to the sick
وجهلت أنَّهم أتوا عوّادا
I joined your visitors, yet never reached you,
And indeed I joined your visitors, but did not reach you,
not knowing they had come as visitors to the sick.
and did not know they had come to visit you in illness.
وأتيتand I came أهديكto offer you السلامgreetings فلمbut did not أجدfind
وأتيت أهديك السلام فلم أجد
إلاexcept وداعكfarewell to you حيثwhere شئتI wished for وداداaffection
إلا وداعك حيث شئت ودادا
I came to offer you greetings of peace, but found
And I came to offer you greetings, but found
only farewell where I had wished for loving fellowship.
only a farewell to you where I had wished for affection.
أشكوI lament ثرىthe soil of حلوانHelwan شكوىa lament of جازعone distraught
أشكو ثرى حلوان شكوى جازع
ألفgrew familiar with الأسىsorrow فيin جوهاits air واعتاداand grew accustomed
ألف الأسى في جوها واعتادا
I lament Helwan’s earth with a stricken mourner’s lament,
I lament the soil of Helwan as one distraught,
one grown accustomed to sorrow in its air and inured to it.
familiar with sorrow in its air and accustomed to it.
قدindeed كنتyou were تطلبseeking منfrom زمانكyour times راحةrest
قد كنت تطلب من زمانك راحة
فهلso, have you اكتفيتhad your fill منfrom الزمانtime جهاداstruggle
فهل اكتفيت من الزمان جهادا
You had been seeking respite from your fate;
You had sought respite from your times;
have you now had enough of struggling against time?
have you, then, had your fill of struggling against time?
أولىmore fitting بمثلكfor one like you أنthat تطولbe long حياتهhis life
أولى بمثلك أن تطول حياته
ليتمَّso he might fulfill فيناamong us ماwhat نوىhe intended وأراداand desired
ليتمَّ فينا ما نوى وأرادا
For one like you, life deserved a longer span,
One like you deserved a longer life,
that he might complete among us all he intended and desired.
to fulfill among us what he intended and desired.
ولقدand indeed أقمتyou lived وأنتwhile you were أكرمnoblest سيرةًin conduct
ولقد أقمت وأنت أكرم سيرةً
وقدand indeed ارتحلتyou departed وأنتwhile you were أطهرpurest زاداin provisions
وقد ارتحلت وأنت أطهر زادا
You dwelt among us, noblest in conduct,
And indeed you lived, noblest in conduct,
and journeyed on, bearing the purest provision.
and departed with the purest provisions.
ولئنand though قضيتyou died فإنthen indeed فيin الذكرىthe remembrance التيthat
ولئن قضيت فإن في الذكرى التي
لكof you بينناamong us قبلbefore المعادthe Resurrection معاداa resurrection
لك بيننا قبل المعاد معادا
Though you have died, yet in the remembrance that
And though you have died, the remembrance that
is yours among us lies a return before the Resurrection.
you have among us holds a resurrection before the Resurrection.
ياO ساكناًyou who dwell أكبادناour livers وقلوبناand our hearts
يا ساكناً أكبادنا وقلوبنا
أترىdo you see القلوبthe hearts اليومtoday والأكباداand the livers
أترى القلوب اليوم والأكبادا
O you who dwell within our livers and our hearts,
O you who dwell in our livers and our hearts,
can you see those hearts and livers today?
do you see our hearts and livers today?
أوحشتyou left desolate أهلاًa family لمdid not يذوقواthey taste مرةonce
أوحشت أهلاً لم يذوقوا مرة
فيin ظلthe shade of جاهكyour prestige فرقةseparation وبعاداand estrangement
في ظل جاهك فرقة وبعادا
You left desolate a family who had never once tasted,
You have left your kin desolate; never once had they tasted
under the shelter of your standing, separation or distance.
separation and estrangement in the shade of your prestige.
ياO قائماًone entrusted بالمالwith wealth تقسمهyou distribute it ندىًas bounty
يا قائماً بالمال تقسمه ندىً
يحييit gives life to بلاداًlands تارةat times وعباداand people
يحيي بلاداً تارة وعبادا
O steward of wealth, dividing it as largesse
O steward of wealth, distributing it as bounty
that brings now lands, now people, to life.
that gives life now to lands, now to people.
إنindeed الذيhe who ولاكentrusted you with واسعabundant رفدهhis bounty
إن الذي ولاك واسع رفده
أمنfelt secure against الصروفfortune's turns عليهconcerning it والآباداand the ages
أمن الصروف عليه والآبادا
Indeed, He who appointed you—vast is His bounty—
Indeed, he who entrusted his ample bounty to you
is immune to fortune’s vicissitudes and to every rival.
feared for it neither fortune's turns nor the passing ages.
لولاwere it not for تصرفكyour stewardship المنزهblameless لمwould not have تسعencompassed
لولا تصرفك المنزه لم تسع
حسناتهhis benefactions الروّادَthe seekers والورّاداand those coming to drink
حسناته الروّادَ والورّادا
Were it not for your blameless stewardship, His benefactions would not have
Without your blameless stewardship, there would not have been enough
embraced all seekers and all who came to drink.
of his bounty for seekers and those coming to drink.
أرضيتهyou pleased him جمعاًin gathering وصرفاًand spending والرضىand satisfaction
أرضيته جمعاً وصرفاً والرضى
إحسانكyour excellence in الإصدارpaying out والإيراداand bringing in
إحسانك الإصدار والإيرادا
You pleased Him in collection and disbursement; His satisfaction
You pleased him in gathering and spending; his satisfaction
lay in your excellent handling of outflow and inflow.
lay in your good handling of outgoings and income.
وكأنماand as though هوhe باختياركby choosing you واحدunrivaled
وكأنما هو باختيارك واحد
ملكاًas a king بأمتهtoward his people أبرmost benevolent جواداgenerous
ملكاً بأمته أبر جوادا
It was as though, by your judgment, the two were one;
And it is as though, by choosing you, he were unrivaled
together they made you, among His people, the most dutiful and generous.
as a king, most benevolent and generous to his people.
ماnot ماتhas died منone who تركleft الثراءwealth مباركاًblessed
ما مات من ترك الثراء مباركاً
للطيباتfor good works وأنجبand fathered الأمجاداthe noble ones
للطيبات وأنجب الأمجادا
He has not died who left behind wealth made blessed
He is not dead who left his wealth blessed
through good works, and brought forth deeds of glory.
for good works, and fathered noble offspring.
هذيthese are سجاياكyour qualities الكريمةnoble خيرthe best of ماwhat
هذي سجاياك الكريمة خير ما
أورثتهyou bequeathed it الأبناءthe children والأحفادand the grandchildren
أورثته الأبناء والأحفاد
These noble qualities of yours are the finest thing
These noble qualities of yours are the best of what
you bequeathed to your sons and grandchildren.
you bequeathed to your children and grandchildren.
نعمhow excellent التراثthe legacy تركتهyou left it لمحمدto Muhammad
نعم التراث تركته لمحمد
فيin ظلthe shade of إخوتهhis brothers فطالand so it grew وزاداand it increased
في ظل إخوته فطال وزادا
What a splendid inheritance you left to Muhammad,
What a fine legacy you left to Muhammad,
under his brothers’ sheltering shade—may he long thrive and grow.
in his brothers' shade; thus it grew and increased.
أولىmore fitting بشملfor the unity of القومthe family وهوwhile he is كفيلهits guardian
أولى بشمل القوم وهو كفيله
أنthat يستمرit endure لهمfor them وأنand that يتمادىit continue onward
أن يستمر لهم وأن يتمادى
The family’s unity—with him its guarantor—well deserves
It is fitting that the family's unity, with him as its guardian,
to last for them and continue on.
should endure for them and continue onward.
