وفيand in حفرةٍa grave حَتفthe doom of الأُسودِthe lions مُوَسَّدُpillowed
وفي حفرةٍ حَتف الأُسودِ مُوَسَّدُ
وتحتَand beneath صَفيحٍstone slabs ذُوthe bearer of الصَّفيحةِthe sword blade مُلْحَدُinterred
وتحتَ صَفيحٍ ذُو الصَّفيحةِ مُلْحَدُ
And in a grave, the doom of lions lies pillowed.
And beneath stone slabs, the bearer of the blade is interred.
وأوحَدُand the unmatched one among هذاthese النّاسpeople فيin العلمknowledge والهُدىand guidance
وأوحَدُ هذا النّاس في العلم والهُدى
وَحيدٌalone وفَردُand the peerless one in البأْسvalor والجودِand generosity مُفرَدُleft solitary
وَحيدٌ وفَردُ البأْس والجودِ مُفرَدُ
And the one unmatched among these people in knowledge and guidance
is alone; and the peerless in valor and generosity is left solitary.
فتىًa young man خلَّدَmade immortal الذِّكْرَthe renown الجميلَgood لعلمِهbecause he knew
فتىً خلَّدَ الذِّكْرَ الجميلَ لعلمِه
بأنَّthat أخاone belonging to الدُّنياthis world بهاin it لاnot يُخلَّدُis made immortal
بأنَّ أخا الدُّنيا بها لا يُخلَّدُ
A young man who made his good name immortal, for he knew
that a man of this world does not live forever in it.
محاسنُvirtues تُتلىare recounted منfrom محاسنَbeauties تَمَّحيare effaced
محاسنُ تُتلى من محاسنَ تَمَّحي
فللَّهso, praise be to God مَيْتٌa dead man بالبِلىthrough decay يتجَدَّدُis renewed
فللَّه مَيْتٌ بالبِلى يتجَدَّدُ
Virtues are recounted from beauties that fade away;
so, praise be to God for a dead man renewed through decay!
ولوand if كانwere ينجوto escape ذوone possessed of الكمالperfection منfrom الرَّدىdeath
ولو كان ينجو ذو الكمال من الرَّدى
إذاًthen لنَجاwould indeed have escaped منهfrom it النَّبيُّthe Prophet محمَّدُMuhammad
إذاً لنَجا منه النَّبيُّ محمَّدُ
And if one possessed of perfection could escape death,
then the Prophet Muhammad would indeed have escaped it.