لا بَيتَ يُسْكنُ إلا فَارَقَ السَّكَنا

لا بَيتَ يُسْكنُ إلا فَارَقَ السَّكَنا

ولا امْتَلا فَرحاً إلا امْتَلا حَزَنا

ولا امْتَلا فَرحاً إلا امْتَلا حَزَنا

No house is inhabited but parts with its dwellers,

No home is inhabited except it becomes abandoned

and none fills with joy but fills with sorrow.

Nor any happiness fulfilled except it becomes sorrow

لهْفاً على ميِّتٍ ماتَ السرورُ بهِ

لهْفاً على ميِّتٍ ماتَ السرورُ بهِ

لو كان حَياً لأَحْيا الدِّينَ والسُّنَنا

لو كان حَياً لأَحْيا الدِّينَ والسُّنَنا

Alas for a dead man with whom joy died!

Yearning for a dead man, joy has died with him

Were he alive, he would revive the faith and its traditions.

If he were alive, he would revive faith and traditions

واهاً عليك أَبا بكرٍ مُردَّدةً

واهاً عليك أَبا بكرٍ مُردَّدةً

لو سكَّنَتْ وَلَهاً أو فتَّرتْ شَجَنا

لو سكَّنَتْ وَلَهاً أو فتَّرتْ شَجَنا

“Alas for you, Abu Bakr!”—a cry repeated,

Oh! For you Abu Bakr, I lament repeatedly

if only it could soothe anguish or ease sorrow.

If it calmed or lessened our agony

إذا ذكرتُكَ يوماً قلت واحَزَنا

إذا ذكرتُكَ يوماً قلت واحَزَنا

وما يَرُدُّ عليكَ القولُ واحَزَنا

وما يَرُدُّ عليكَ القولُ واحَزَنا

Any day I remember you, I cry, “Oh, my grief!”

Whenever I remember you I say, alas our sorrow

But what can the cry “Oh, my grief!” do for you?

And no words relieve our sorrow, alas our sorrow

يا سَيِّدي ومراحَ الرُّوحِ في بَدَني

يا سَيِّدي ومراحَ الرُّوحِ في بَدَني

هَلا دَنا الموتُ منّي حيثُ مِنكَ دنا

هَلا دَنا الموتُ منّي حيثُ مِنكَ دنا

O my master and haven of the soul within my body,

My master and respite of my soul in my body

why did death not draw near me when it drew near you,

Why doesn't death come to me as it came to you

حتى يعودَ بنا قَعرِ مُظلمةٍ

حتى يعودَ بنا قَعرِ مُظلمةٍ

لحْدٌ ويُلبسَنا في واحدٍ كَفَنا

لحْدٌ ويُلبسَنا في واحدٍ كَفَنا

so that to the depths of a dark pit we might be carried back

Until it takes us back to a dark depth

by a grave, and wrapped in a single shroud?

A grave, and dresses us in one shroud

يا أطيبَ الناسِ رُوحاً ضمَّهُ بَدَنٌ

يا أطيبَ الناسِ رُوحاً ضمَّهُ بَدَنٌ

أَستودعُ اللَّهَ ذاك الروحَ والبَدَنا

أَستودعُ اللَّهَ ذاك الروحَ والبَدَنا

O you, whose soul is the purest a body has ever held,

Oh the most fragrant soul in people, a body contained it

I entrust that soul and body to God.

I entrust God with that soul and body

لو كنتُ أُعطَى به الدُنيا مُعاوَضَةً

لو كنتُ أُعطَى به الدُنيا مُعاوَضَةً

منهُ لما كانتِ الدُّنيا له ثَمَنا

منهُ لما كانتِ الدُّنيا له ثَمَنا

Were I given the world in exchange for him,

If I were given the world in exchange for it

the world would not be a worthy price for him.

The world would not have been its price