العِلمُ بَعدَ أَبي العَلاءِ مُضَيَّعُ

العِلمُ بَعدَ أَبي العَلاءِ مُضَيَّعُ

وَالأَرضُ خالِيَةُ الجَوانِبِ بَلقعُ

وَالأَرضُ خالِيَةُ الجَوانِبِ بَلقعُ

Learning lies neglected after Abu al-Ala.

Knowledge after Abul 'Ala has gone to waste

And the earth is empty on all sides, a barren waste.

And the horizons of the earth are desolate and bare

أَودى وَقَد مَلَأَ البِلادَ غَرائِباً

أَودى وَقَد مَلَأَ البِلادَ غَرائِباً

تَسرِي كَما تَسرِي النُجُومُ الطُلَّعُ

تَسرِي كَما تَسرِي النُجُومُ الطُلَّعُ

He died, having filled the lands with marvels

He passed away having filled the lands with wonders

That travel by night as the rising stars travel.

That flow like the stars rising in the darkness

ما كُنتُ أَعلَمُ وَهوَ يُودَعُ في الثَرى

ما كُنتُ أَعلَمُ وَهوَ يُودَعُ في الثَرى

أَنَّ الثَرى فِيهِ الكَواكِبُ تُودَعُ

أَنَّ الثَرى فِيهِ الكَواكِبُ تُودَعُ

I did not know, as he was laid in the soil,

I did not know, as he was laid in the earth

That stars could be laid within the soil.

That the earth contained the stars that set

جَبَلٌ ظَنَنتُ وَقَد تَزَعزَعَ رُكنُهُ

جَبَلٌ ظَنَنتُ وَقَد تَزَعزَعَ رُكنُهُ

أَنَّ الجِبالَ الراسِياتِ تُزَعزَعُ

أَنَّ الجِبالَ الراسِياتِ تُزَعزَعُ

He was a mountain; when his foundation shook, I thought

A mountain, I thought, whose pillar was shaken

That firmly rooted mountains could be shaken.

That the mountains that stood firm could be shaken

وَعَجِبتُ أَن تَسَعَ المَعَرَّةُ قَبرَهُ

وَعَجِبتُ أَن تَسَعَ المَعَرَّةُ قَبرَهُ

وَيَضِيقُ بَطنُ الأَرضِ عَنهُ الأَوسَعُ

وَيَضِيقُ بَطنُ الأَرضِ عَنهُ الأَوسَعُ

And I marveled that al-Maʿarra could contain his grave,

And I wondered that the grave could contain him

Yet the earth's vastest depths were too narrow for him.

While the vast earth was too narrow for him

لَو فاضَتِ المُهَجاتُ يَومَ وَفاتِهِ

لَو فاضَتِ المُهَجاتُ يَومَ وَفاتِهِ

ما اِستُكثِرَت فِيهِ فَكَيفَ الأَدمُعُ

ما اِستُكثِرَت فِيهِ فَكَيفَ الأَدمُعُ

Had lifeblood poured forth on the day of his death,

Had hearts poured out on the day of his death

It would not have been deemed excessive for him—then what of tears?

Their tears would not have sufficed, so what of tears?

تَتَصَرَّمُ الدُنيا وَيَأتي بَعدَهُ

تَتَصَرَّمُ الدُنيا وَيَأتي بَعدَهُ

أُمَمٌ وَأَنتَ بِمِثلِهِ لا تَسمَعُ

أُمَمٌ وَأَنتَ بِمِثلِهِ لا تَسمَعُ

The world passes away, and after him will come

The world decays and ages come after him

Nations, yet you will hear of no one like him.

While you hear not the like of him again

لا تَجمَعِ المالَ العَتيدَ وَجُد بِهِ

لا تَجمَعِ المالَ العَتيدَ وَجُد بِهِ

مِن قَبلِ تَركِكَ كُلَّ شَيءٍ تَجمَعُ

مِن قَبلِ تَركِكَ كُلَّ شَيءٍ تَجمَعُ

Do not hoard the wealth at hand; be generous with it,

Amass not treasured wealth and spend it

Before you leave behind everything you gather.

Before you leave behind all you amassed

وَإِن استَطَعتَ فَسِر بِسِيرَةِ أَحمَدٍ

وَإِن استَطَعتَ فَسِر بِسِيرَةِ أَحمَدٍ

تَأمَن خَدِيعَةَ مَن يَغُرَّ وَيَخدَعُ

تَأمَن خَدِيعَةَ مَن يَغُرَّ وَيَخدَعُ

And if you can, follow Ahmad's way of life:

And if you can, live by Ahmad's way

You will be safe from the deceit of whoever beguiles and deceives.

You will be safe from the deceit of deceivers

رَفَضَ الحَياةَ وَماتَ قَبلَ مَماتِهِ

رَفَضَ الحَياةَ وَماتَ قَبلَ مَماتِهِ

مُتَطَوِّعاً بِأَبَرِّ ما يُتَطَوَّعُ

مُتَطَوِّعاً بِأَبَرِّ ما يُتَطَوَّعُ

He rejected life and died before his death,

He scorned life and died before dying

Willingly undertaking the most righteous of voluntary deeds.

Volunteering with the most noble volunteerism

عَينٌ تُسَهدُ لِلعَفافِ وَلِلتُقى

عَينٌ تُسَهدُ لِلعَفافِ وَلِلتُقى

أَبَداً وَقَلبٌ لِلمُهَيمِنِ يَخشَعُ

أَبَداً وَقَلبٌ لِلمُهَيمِنِ يَخشَعُ

An eye kept wakeful for chastity and piety

An eye that stays sleepless for chastity and piety

Always, and a heart that humbles itself before the Guardian.

Forever, and a heart humbled before the All-Dominant

شِيَمٌ تُجَمِّلُهُ فهُنَّ لِمَجدِهِ

شِيَمٌ تُجَمِّلُهُ فهُنَّ لِمَجدِهِ

تاجٌ وَلَكِن بِالثَناءِ يُرَصَّعُ

تاجٌ وَلَكِن بِالثَناءِ يُرَصَّعُ

Noble qualities adorn him; for his glory they are

Morals that adorn him, so for his glory

A crown, yet one studded with praise.

A crown, but with praise it is adorned

جادَت ثَراكَ أَبا العَلاءِ غَمامَةٌ

جادَت ثَراكَ أَبا العَلاءِ غَمامَةٌ

كَنَدى يَدَيكَ وَمُزنَةٌ لا تُقلِعُ

كَنَدى يَدَيكَ وَمُزنَةٌ لا تُقلِعُ

May a cloud water your soil, Abu al-Ala,

Your grave, O Abul 'Ala, was clouded

Like the bounty of your hands, and a raincloud that never ceases.

With dew at your hands and a ceaseless drizzle

ما ضَيَّعَ الباكِي عَلَيكَ دُمُوعَهُ

ما ضَيَّعَ الباكِي عَلَيكَ دُمُوعَهُ

إِن الدُمُوعَ عَلى سِواكَ تُضَيَّعُ

إِن الدُمُوعَ عَلى سِواكَ تُضَيَّعُ

The mourner for you has not wasted his tears;

He who weeps for you wastes not his tears

Indeed, tears for anyone else are wasted.

For tears for other than you are wasted

قَصَدَتكَ طُلّابُ العُلومِ وَلا أَرى

قَصَدَتكَ طُلّابُ العُلومِ وَلا أَرى

لِلعِلمِ باباً بَعدَ بابِكَ يُقرَعُ

لِلعِلمِ باباً بَعدَ بابِكَ يُقرَعُ

Seekers of learning sought you, and I see no

The students of knowledge sought you, and I see

Door to learning knocked upon after yours.

For knowledge no door after yours that is knocked

ماتَ النُهى وَتَعَطَلَّلَت أَسبابُهُ

ماتَ النُهى وَتَعَطَلَّلَت أَسبابُهُ

وَقَضى التَأدُّبُ وَالمَكارِمُ أَجمَعُ

وَقَضى التَأدُّبُ وَالمَكارِمُ أَجمَعُ

Reason has died, and its means have fallen idle,

Manners passed away, and its means failed

And refinement and all noble virtues have perished.

And refinement and all virtues passed away