ظَنَنَّا الَّذِي نادى مُحِقَّا بمَوْتِهِ

ظَنَنَّا الَّذِي نادى مُحِقَّا بمَوْتِهِ

لِعُظْمِ الَّذِي أَنْحَى منَ الرزءِ كاذِبَا

لِعُظْمِ الَّذِي أَنْحَى منَ الرزءِ كاذِبَا

We thought the man who truthfully announced his death

We thought the one who called out at his death a liar,

a liar, so immense was the bereavement that struck us.

Exaggerating the enormity of the calamity that befell him,

وخلْنا الصَّباحَ الطلقَ لَيْلاً وإِنَّما

وخلْنا الصَّباحَ الطلقَ لَيْلاً وإِنَّما

حَبَطْنا خُداريَّا مِن الحُزْنِ كارِبَا

حَبَطْنا خُداريَّا مِن الحُزْنِ كارِبَا

And we took the bright morning for night; in truth,

And we passed the bright morning as a night, though

we had encountered pitch-black gloom, oppressive with grief.

We were only grieved and downcast by sorrow.

ثَكِلْنا الدُّنا لما اسْتَقَلَّ وإِنَّما

ثَكِلْنا الدُّنا لما اسْتَقَلَّ وإِنَّما

فقَدْناكَ يا خَيْرَ البَريّةِ ناعِبَا

فقَدْناكَ يا خَيْرَ البَريّةِ ناعِبَا

We were bereaved of the world when he departed; yet in truth

We neglected worldly things when they became burdensome,

we lost you, O best of creation, crying like a raven.

For we had lost you, O best of humanity, mourning.

وما ذَهَبَتْ إِذ حَصَّلَ القَبْرُ نَفْسَهُ

وما ذَهَبَتْ إِذ حَصَّلَ القَبْرُ نَفْسَهُ

ولكِنَّما الإِسْلامُ أَدْبَرَ ذاهِبَا

ولكِنَّما الإِسْلامُ أَدْبَرَ ذاهِبَا

And it was not the world that departed when the grave claimed his soul;

You did not pass away when the grave took your soul,

rather, Islam itself turned away and departed.

Rather, it was Islam that retreated and departed.

ولمّا أَبَى إِلَّا التَّحَمُّلَ رائِحاً

ولمّا أَبَى إِلَّا التَّحَمُّلَ رائِحاً

مَنَحْناهُ أَعْناقَ الكِرامِ رَكائِبَا

مَنَحْناهُ أَعْناقَ الكِرامِ رَكائِبَا

And when he would accept nothing but taking his leave,

And when it refused anything but to bear the affliction,

we gave him the necks of noble men as mounts.

We gave it the necks of the generous as mounts.

يَسِيرُ به النَّعْشُ الأَغَرُّ وحَوْلهُ

يَسِيرُ به النَّعْشُ الأَغَرُّ وحَوْلهُ

أَباعِدُ راحُوا للمُصابِ أَقارِبَا

أَباعِدُ راحُوا للمُصابِ أَقارِبَا

The radiant bier bears him onward, and around him

The most splendid bier carries him, and around him

are strangers whom this calamity has made kin.

Are his closest relatives who came to the bereaved one.

علَيْهِ حَفِيف لِلْمَلائِكِ أَقْبَلَتْ

علَيْهِ حَفِيف لِلْمَلائِكِ أَقْبَلَتْ

تُصافِحُ شَيْخاً ذاكِر اللَّه تائِبَا

تُصافِحُ شَيْخاً ذاكِر اللَّه تائِبَا

Above him is the rustle of angels who have come

Upon it is the rustling of angels who came

to clasp hands with a sheikh remembering God, repentant.

To greet a shaykh remembering Allah, repentant.

تخالُ لَفِيفَ النَّاسِ حَوْلَ ضَريحِهِ

تخالُ لَفِيفَ النَّاسِ حَوْلَ ضَريحِهِ

خَلِيطَ قَطاً وافى الشَّرِيعَةَ هَارِبَا

خَلِيطَ قَطاً وافى الشَّرِيعَةَ هَارِبَا

You would think the throng of people around his tomb

You imagine the murmuring of people around his tomb

a mingled flock of sandgrouse that has fled to the watering place.

A mix of cats that shunned the law, fleeing.

إِذا ما امْتَرَوْا سُحْبَ الدُّمُوعِ تَفَرَّعَتْ

إِذا ما امْتَرَوْا سُحْبَ الدُّمُوعِ تَفَرَّعَتْ

فُرُوعُ البُكا عن بارِقِ الحُزْن لاهِبَا

فُرُوعُ البُكا عن بارِقِ الحُزْن لاهِبَا

When they milk the clouds of tears, there branch forth

When they pretend to shed tears, the branches

streams of weeping from grief's blazing lightning.

Of weeping, from the lightning flash of grief, ignite.

فمَن ذَا لِفَصْلِ القَوْلِ يَسْطَعُ نُورُهُ

فمَن ذَا لِفَصْلِ القَوْلِ يَسْطَعُ نُورُهُ

إِذا نحنُ نَاوَأْنَا الألَدّ المناوبَا

إِذا نحنُ نَاوَأْنَا الألَدّ المناوبَا

Who, then, will settle the argument with his shining light

So who is there whose light shines in this art?

when we confront the stubborn opponent who counters in turn?

When we moan over the most painful successive calamities.

ومَن ذا رَبيعُ المُسْلِمينَ يَقُوتُهُم

ومَن ذا رَبيعُ المُسْلِمينَ يَقُوتُهُم

إِذا النَّاسُ شامُوها بُرُوقا كَواذِبَا

إِذا النَّاسُ شامُوها بُرُوقا كَواذِبَا

And who will be the Muslims' spring, nourishing them

And who is the spring of the Muslims that nourishes them

when people watch lightning flashes that prove false?

When people experience deceptive flashes like lightning?

فيا لَهْفَ قَلْبي آهِ ذابَتْ حُشاشتي

فيا لَهْفَ قَلْبي آهِ ذابَتْ حُشاشتي

مَضى شَيْخُنا الدَّفَّاعُ عنَّا النَّوائِبَا

مَضى شَيْخُنا الدَّفَّاعُ عنَّا النَّوائِبَا

Alas for my heart! Ah, my life's last spark has melted!

Oh how my heart yearns! Ah my happiness melted away!

Our sheikh has gone, who tirelessly warded calamities off from us.

Our shaykh who defended us from misfortunes passed away.

وماتَ الَّذِي غابَ السُّرُورُ لمَوْتِهِ

وماتَ الَّذِي غابَ السُّرُورُ لمَوْتِهِ

فلَيْسَ وإِنْ طالَ السُّرَى منه آيِبَا

فلَيْسَ وإِنْ طالَ السُّرَى منه آيِبَا

And he has died whose death made joy disappear;

And he whose death caused happiness to disappear died,

so it will not return from its night journey, however long it lasts.

Though sorrows from him remain unabating.

وكانَ عَظِيماً يُطْرِقُ الجَمْعُ عِنْدَهُ

وكانَ عَظِيماً يُطْرِقُ الجَمْعُ عِنْدَهُ

ويَعْنُو له رَبُّ الكَتِيبةِ هائِبَا

ويَعْنُو له رَبُّ الكَتِيبةِ هائِبَا

And he was great: the assembly lowered its head before him,

He was great, at whose presence the group would bow down

and the commander of the battalion bowed to him in awe.

And for him the Lord of the regiment would anxiously plead.

وذا مِقْوَلٍ عَضْبِ الغرارَيْنِ صارِم

وذا مِقْوَلٍ عَضْبِ الغرارَيْنِ صارِم

يَرُوحُ به عن حَوْمَةِ الدِّينِ ضارِبَا

يَرُوحُ به عن حَوْمَةِ الدِّينِ ضارِبَا

And he possessed a tongue—a keen, double-edged sword—

And he whose severe words were like the cutting swords

with which he went forth striking in defense of faith's domain.

Against the transgressors, striking in defense of the faith.

أَبا حاتِم صَبْرَ الأَدِيبِ فإِنَّني

أَبا حاتِم صَبْرَ الأَدِيبِ فإِنَّني

رَأَيْتُ جَمِيلَ الصَّبْرِ أَحْلَى عَواقِبَا

رَأَيْتُ جَمِيلَ الصَّبْرِ أَحْلَى عَواقِبَا

O Abu Hatim, show a man of letters' patience, for I

Abu Hatim, have the patience of the wise, for I saw

have found gracious patience sweetest in its outcomes.

That patience in tribulation has the sweetest consequences.

وَما زِلْتَ فِيْنَا ترْهب الدَّهْرَ سطْوةً

وَما زِلْتَ فِيْنَا ترْهب الدَّهْرَ سطْوةً

وصَعْباً به نُعْي الخُطُوبَ المَصاعِبَا

وصَعْباً به نُعْي الخُطُوبَ المَصاعِبَا

And you remain among us, striking fear into Time with your might,

You never ceased to intimidate the days of time with strength

and a formidable one through whom we wear down stubborn calamities.

And hardness, lamenting the difficulties of misfortune.

سَأَسْتَعْتِبُ الأَيَّامَ فيكَ لَعَلَّها

سَأَسْتَعْتِبُ الأَيَّامَ فيكَ لَعَلَّها

لصِحَّةِ ذاك الجِسْمِ تَطْلُبُ طالِبَا

لصِحَّةِ ذاك الجِسْمِ تَطْلُبُ طالِبَا

I shall seek redress from the days for you; perhaps they

I will blame the days for you, perhaps

will seek someone to strive for that body's health.

They will seek for the health of that body a remedy.

لَئِنْ أَفَلَتْ شَمْسُ المكارِمِ عنكُمُ

لَئِنْ أَفَلَتْ شَمْسُ المكارِمِ عنكُمُ

لقد أَسأَرَتْ بَدْراً لها وكَواكِبَا

لقد أَسأَرَتْ بَدْراً لها وكَواكِبَا

If indeed the sun of noble virtues has set from your midst,

If the sun of glory has set on you,

it has surely left a full moon and stars of its own.

It has indeed risen with a moon and stars.