نَبأnews عَظيمٌmomentous عَنهُfrom it قَدalready أَعرَضتُمُyou have turned away
نَبأ عَظيمٌ عَنهُ قَد أَعرَضتُمُ
أَوَand (questioning) لَيسَis not ياO قَومُpeople المُخاطَبُthe one addressed أَنتُمyou
أَوَ لَيسَ يا قَومُ المُخاطَبُ أَنتُم
Momentous news from which you have already turned away.
Great news you have turned away from
And are you not the ones addressed, O people?
Or are you not, O people, the one being addressed
كَلّاno! لَقَدindeed قَرَعَstruck المَسامِعَthe ears وَقعُهُits impact
كَلّا لَقَد قَرَعَ المَسامِعَ وَقعُهُ
وَدَناand drew near الرَحيلُdeparture فَأَينَso where أَينَwhere الأَحزُمthe most resolute
وَدَنا الرَحيلُ فَأَينَ أَينَ الأَحزُم
No! Its impact has indeed struck the ears,
Nay, its impact has surely struck the ears
and departure draws near—where, where is the most resolute?
And departure has drawn near, so where, where are the belts
هَذيthese الجِبالُmountains عَلىupon المَناكِبthe shoulders سُيِّرَتwere set moving
هَذي الجِبالُ عَلى المَناكِب سُيِّرَت
هَذاthis is ثَبيرٌThabir راحِلٌdeparting وَيَلَملَمُand Yalamlam
هَذا ثَبيرٌ راحِلٌ وَيَلَملَمُ
These mountains have been carried upon shoulders;
These mountains on the shoulders are moved
this is Thabir departing, and Yalamlam.
This is Thabir, a departing camel and gathering
هَذاthis is الَّذيthe one whom فَجَعَbereaved البَريَّةَcreation فَقدُهُhis loss
هَذا الَّذي فَجَعَ البَريَّةَ فَقدُهُ
مَنthe one whom قَدindeed عَرَفتُمyou have recognized فَضلَهُhis excellence وَعَلِمتُمُand you have known
مَن قَد عَرَفتُم فَضلَهُ وَعَلِمتُمُ
This is the one whose loss bereaved creation,
This one who has anguished the wilderness by his loss
whose excellence you have known and recognized.
One whose virtue and knowledge you have known
طَودٌa mountain أَشَمّlofty مُحَمَّدُMuhammad بنُson of الخُوجَةِal-Khoja الthe
طَودٌ أَشَمّ مُحَمَّدُ بنُ الخُوجَةِ ال
عَلَمُluminary الإِمامُthe imam الأَلمَعيّthe keen-witted الأَكرَمُthe most noble
عَلَمُ الإِمامُ الأَلمَعيّ الأَكرَمُ
A lofty mountain—Muhammad ibn al-Khoja, the
A perfume, Muhammad son of Al-Khuja the pillar
luminary, the keen-witted, most noble imam.
The flag, the shining, honorable imam
صَدرُforemost authority in الشَريعَةِsacred law شَيخshaykh of الإِسلامِIslam الَّذيwho
صَدرُ الشَريعَةِ شَيخ الإِسلامِ الَّذي
قَدindeed كانَused to عَنconcerning سِرِّthe inner meaning of الكِتابِthe Book يُتَرجِمُexpound
قَد كانَ عَن سِرِّ الكِتابِ يُتَرجِمُ
The foremost authority in sacred law, the shaykh of Islam, who
Breast of the Law, Shaykh al-Islām who
had indeed expounded the Book's inner meaning.
Was translating the secret of the Book
وَخَليفَةُand successor to النُعمانِal-Nuʿman وَالجُعفيand al-Juʿfi وَمَنand one whom
وَخَليفَةُ النُعمانِ وَالجُعفي وَمَن
تُلفيهyou find him فيin كُلِّevery العُلومِfield of learning يُقَدِّمُleads
تُلفيه في كُلِّ العُلومِ يُقَدِّمُ
And successor to al-Nuʿman and al-Juʿfi, and one
And successor of Al-Nu‘mān, Al-Ju‘fī and one who
whom you find leading in every field of learning.
You find foremost in all sciences
مَلأfilled المَنابِرَthe pulpits وَالمَحابِرَand the inkwells نورُهُhis light
مَلأ المَنابِرَ وَالمَحابِرَ نورُهُ
وَبِفَضلِهِand of his excellence كانَwas الجَميعُeveryone مُسَلِّمُacknowledging
وَبِفَضلِهِ كانَ الجَميعُ مُسَلِّمُ
His light filled pulpits and inkwells,
His light filled pulpits and conferences
and everyone acknowledged his excellence.
And by his merit all were submissive
حَلَفَswore الزَمانُTime ليأتيَنّit would surely come بِمِثلِهِwith his like
حَلَفَ الزَمانُ ليأتيَنّ بِمِثلِهِ
كَفِّرatone for يَمينِكَyour oath مُسرِعاًquickly ياO مُقسِمُoath-taker
كَفِّر يَمينِكَ مُسرِعاً يا مُقسِمُ
Time swore it would surely bring forth his like.
Time has sworn it will never bring his equal
Atone for your oath at once, O oath-taker!
Cancel your oath, swiftly O swearer
مَنwho لِلجَلالَةِfor majesty وَالمَهابَةِand awe بَعدَهُafter him
مَن لِلجَلالَةِ وَالمَهابَةِ بَعدَهُ
مَنwho لِلصَدارَةِfor preeminence صَرّحواspeak plainly أَوor جَمجِمواmumble
مَن لِلصَدارَةِ صَرّحوا أَو جَمجِموا
Who will embody majesty and awe after him?
Who after him for magnificence and awe
Who will hold the foremost rank? Speak plainly or mumble.
Who for precedence, speak up or ponder
مَنwho لِلبَراعَةِfor mastery وَاليَراعَةِand the pen راعَهاterrified it
مَن لِلبَراعَةِ وَاليَراعَةِ راعَها
صَرفُthe blow of الردىdeath وَأقيمَand was held فيهاin it المأتَمُthe mourning assembly
صَرفُ الردى وَأقيمَ فيها المأتَمُ
Who will uphold mastery and the pen? It was terrified
Who for competence and alertness will keep alert
by death's blow, and a mourning assembly was held for it.
The misfortune turned away and mourning was installed
مَنwho لِلعَويصاتِfor intractable questions الصِعابِthe difficult يَحُلّهاwill solve them
مَن لِلعَويصاتِ الصِعابِ يَحُلّها
مَنwho لِلقَضاياfor the cases قَدmay يُشيرُoffer counsel فَيُبرِمand thus decide conclusively
مَن لِلقَضايا قَد يُشيرُ فَيُبرِم
Who will solve the difficult, intractable questions?
Who will solve the most difficult, complex issues
Who can offer counsel on cases and settle them decisively?
Who will issue rulings and decisive judgments
مِنfor ثُلثِa third of قَرنٍa century ذاthis man وَخَمسٍand five years قَدindeed قَضىhe judged
مِن ثُلثِ قَرنٍ ذا وَخَمسٍ قَد قَضى
بِهُدىًwith guidance وَأَفتىand issued fatwas والدراسَةَand study يَلزَمُhe keeps to
بِهُدىً وَأَفتى والدراسَةَ يَلزَمُ
For a third of a century and five years, this man judged
Of thirty and five years he has spent
with guidance, issued fatwas, and remained devoted to study.
Guiding, issuing fatwas and persisting in study
ياO راحِلاًdeparting one وَالصَبرُand patience يَذهَبُdeparts إِثرَهُin his wake
يا راحِلاً وَالصَبرُ يَذهَبُ إِثرَهُ
وَالدَمعُand tears يَكتُبُwrite كَيفَhowever شاءَthey wished وَيَرسُمُand draw
وَالدَمعُ يَكتُبُ كَيفَ شاءَ وَيَرسُمُ
O departing one, in whose wake patience vanishes,
O you who depart as patience follows you
and tears write and draw however they please.
And tears write however they wish and draw
وَالأَرضُand the earth رَجَّتshook وَالقُلوبُand the hearts تَصَدَّعَتwere shattered
وَالأَرضُ رَجَّت وَالقُلوبُ تَصَدَّعَت
وَالأُفقُand the horizon يُظلِمُdarkens وَالجوانِحُand the ribs تُضرَمُare set aflame
وَالأُفقُ يُظلِمُ وَالجوانِحُ تُضرَمُ
And the earth shook, and hearts were shattered,
The earth shook and hearts cracked
and the horizon darkens, and breasts are set aflame.
The horizon darkens and feelings ignite
أَبشِرrejoice بِرِضوانِin the favor of الإِلَهِGod بِمَضجَعٍin a resting place
أَبشِر بِرِضوانِ الإِلَهِ بِمَضجَعٍ
حَيّاكgreeted you فيهِin it السائِلونَthe questioners وَسَلَّمواand wished peace
حَيّاك فيهِ السائِلونَ وَسَلَّموا
Rejoice in God's favor, in a resting place
Receive good tidings of God’s pleasure in an abode
where the questioners greeted you and wished you peace,
Where the askers greeted you, alive, and bid peace
وَأَروكَand they showed you قَصرَكَyour palace فيin الجِنانِthe Gardens مُشَيَّداًloftily built
وَأَروكَ قَصرَكَ في الجِنانِ مُشَيَّداً
وَالروحَand repose وَالريحاَنَand sweet basil حَولَكَaround you نَظَّمواthey arrayed
وَالروحَ وَالريحاَنَ حَولَكَ نَظَّموا
and showed you your lofty palace in the Gardens,
And saw your palace erected in the Gardens
and arrayed repose and sweet basil around you.
With spirits and delights arranged around you
وَتَرَكتَand you left مِنof أَرجِthe fragrance of الثَناpraise ماthat which سارِspread فيthrough الthe
وَتَرَكتَ مِن أَرجِ الثَنا ما سارِ في ال
آفاقِhorizons يُنجِدُtravels to Najd عاطِراًfragrant أَوor يُتهِمُtravels to Tihama
آفاقِ يُنجِدُ عاطِراً أَو يُتهِمُ
And you left a fragrance of praise that spread through the
And you left behind a scent in horizons giving help or accusing
horizons, fragrant as it journeys to Najd or Tihama.
And the greatness of your loss has reached such extent that history has composed:
وَعَظيمُand the immensity of فَقدِكَyour loss عَمّwas felt everywhere حَتّىuntil أَنشَدَsang الthe
وَعَظيمُ فَقدِكَ عَمّ حَتّى أَنشَدَ ال
تاريخُchronogram ليto me فُقِدَhas been lost الإِمامُthe imam الأَعظَمُthe greatest
تاريخُ لي فُقِدَ الإِمامُ الأَعظَمُ
And your immense loss was felt by all, until the
The Greatest Imam is lost.
chronogram sang to me: 'The greatest imam is lost.'
Partial English translation: 37 of 38 Arabic lines translated.