عَزاءً أَولي الأَفضالِ في قُدوَةِ الهُدى

عَزاءً أَولي الأَفضالِ في قُدوَةِ الهُدى

حَليفُ النَدى بَحرُ العِظا هامِلُ الغَيثِ

حَليفُ النَدى بَحرُ العِظا هامِلُ الغَيثِ

Take solace, people of virtue, for the exemplar of guidance.

Solace of the virtuous in the model of guidance

Ally of generosity, a sea of bounty [uncertain reading], pouring rain.

Ally of dew, sea of glory, bearer of rain

عَلى السَنا رَبُّ التُقى نُخبَةُ المَلا

عَلى السَنا رَبُّ التُقى نُخبَةُ المَلا

أَديبُ الوَرى راقي النُهى المُنشِئِ اللَيثِ

أَديبُ الوَرى راقي النُهى المُنشِئِ اللَيثِ

High in radiance, master of piety, the choicest of the people.

Lord of piety atop the brilliance, elite of the assembly

Humankind’s man of letters, lofty in intellect—the writer, the lion.

Literate of land, elevating decorum, founder of audacity

قَضى نَحبَهُ في الفَخرِ وَالمَجدِ وَالرِضا

قَضى نَحبَهُ في الفَخرِ وَالمَجدِ وَالرِضا

وَخَلَقنا نَبكي عُلاهُ بِلا رَيثِ

وَخَلَقنا نَبكي عُلاهُ بِلا رَيثِ

He met his end amid honor, glory, and contentment.

His anguish ended in pride, glory, and pleasure

And he created us, weeping for his eminence without delay.

Yet He created us to weep endlessly for Him

وَلَو أَنَّهُ يُفدي لَكُنّا فِداهُ

وَلَو أَنَّهُ يُفدي لَكُنّا فِداهُ

وَلَكِن مَن يُنجيهِ مِن سَطوَةِ اللَيثِ

وَلَكِن مَن يُنجيهِ مِن سَطوَةِ اللَيثِ

And had he been redeemable, we would have been his ransom.

If ransom could save Him, we would ransom Him

But who can save him from the lion’s onslaught?

But who can save Him from the clutch of fate

وَقَد جاوَرَ الرَحمَنُ وَالحورُ أَرخَت

وَقَد جاوَرَ الرَحمَنُ وَالحورُ أَرخَت

وَرَبّي في عَدنٍ مُقيمٍ عَلى اللَيثي

وَرَبّي في عَدنٍ مُقيمٍ عَلى اللَيثي

And he has dwelt beside the Most Merciful, and the houris have recorded the date:

He has come to dwell with the Merciful and the maidens

And by my Lord, Ali al-Laythi abides in Eden.

While my Lord rests eternally in Eden