اسألِ الفوعةَ الشديدةَ حزْناً

اسألِ الفوعةَ الشديدةَ حزْناً

عنْ مُهنَّا هيهاتَ أينَ مُهَنَّا

عنْ مُهنَّا هيهاتَ أينَ مُهَنَّا

Ask al-Fu'ah, deep in grief,

Ask the intense grief, so sad,

About Muhanna—far beyond reach! Where is Muhanna?

About our glory - alas, where is our glory?

أينَ زينُ البلادِ عينُ البرايا

أينَ زينُ البلادِ عينُ البرايا

شيخُ أهلِ الزمانِ لفظاً ومعنى

شيخُ أهلِ الزمانِ لفظاً ومعنى

Where is the land's adornment, the choicest of humankind,

Where is the beauty of the country, the eye of the wilderness,

The master of the people of his time, in name and in truth?

The elder of the people of the age in word and meaning?

أينَ مَنْ كانَ أبهجَ الناسِ وجهاً

أينَ مَنْ كانَ أبهجَ الناسِ وجهاً

فَهْوَ أسمى منَ البدورِ وأسنى

فَهْوَ أسمى منَ البدورِ وأسنى

Where is he whose face was the most radiant of all,

Where is the one whose face delighted people,

For he is loftier than the full moons, and more radiant?

He is loftier than the full moons and more radiant?

أينَ حلفُ الصلاةِ والصومِ زهداً

أينَ حلفُ الصلاةِ والصومِ زهداً

مَنْ على مثلِهِ الخناصرُ تُثنى

مَنْ على مثلِهِ الخناصرُ تُثنى

Where is the ally of prayer and fasting in ascetic devotion,

Where is the oath of prayers and fasting in devotion

He whose like is counted by bending little fingers?

For whom loins were bent?

أين شيخي وقدوتي وصديقي

أين شيخي وقدوتي وصديقي

وحبيبي وكلُّ ما أتمنى

وحبيبي وكلُّ ما أتمنى

Where is my master, my exemplar, and my friend,

Where is my sheikh, my role model, my friend

And my beloved, and all I long for?

And my beloved, and all I wish for?

وأشدُّ الصحابِ عوناً وأوفا

وأشدُّ الصحابِ عوناً وأوفا

هم وقاراً وأضحكُ الناسِ سنَّا

هم وقاراً وأضحكُ الناسِ سنَّا

And the strongest of companions in help, and the fullest

The strongest of companions in support and loyalty

Of them in dignity, and the broadest-smiling of men?

Solemn yet making people laugh with his teeth.

يا لها مِنْ رزيَّةٍ ووفاةٍ

يا لها مِنْ رزيَّةٍ ووفاةٍ

طبقَتْ بالمصابِ سهلاً وحزنا

طبقَتْ بالمصابِ سهلاً وحزنا

Oh, what a calamity and a death,

Oh what a calamity and bereavement!

That engulfed plain and rugged land in affliction!

It made the plain and the mountain equal in grief.

كيفَ لا يعظمُ المصابُ لصدر

كيفَ لا يعظمُ المصابُ لصدر

نحنُ منهُ مودة وَهْوَ منَّا

نحنُ منهُ مودة وَهْوَ منَّا

How could the loss of a leader not be immense,

How could the heart not greatly grieve

To whom we belong in love, and who belongs to us?

When we had affection for him and he for us?

جعفريُّ السلوكِ والوضعِ حتى

جعفريُّ السلوكِ والوضعِ حتى

قالَ عَبْسٌ عنهُ مُهنَّا مهنا

قالَ عَبْسٌ عنهُ مُهنَّا مهنا

Ja'fari in conduct and bearing, so much so

Ja’fari in conduct and disposition until

That 'Abs said of him, 'Muhanna, Muhanna.'

Abs said: Our glory brought us glory.

أيُّ قلبٍ بهِ ولوْ كان صخراً

أيُّ قلبٍ بهِ ولوْ كان صخراً

ما يحاكي الخنساءَ نوحاً وحزنا

ما يحاكي الخنساءَ نوحاً وحزنا

What heart, at his loss, even were it stone,

What heart, even if it were rock,

Would not emulate al-Khansa' in lamentation and grief?

Would not resemble Al-Khansa’ in weeping and grief?

أذكرَتْنا وفاته بأبيه

أذكرَتْنا وفاته بأبيه

وأخيه أيامَ كانوا وكنَّا

وأخيه أيامَ كانوا وكنَّا

His death reminded us of his father,

His death reminded us of his father

And his brother, of days when they lived and we lived.

And his brother in the days when they and we were.

مِنْ عظيمِ البلاءِ فقدُ عظيمٍ

مِنْ عظيمِ البلاءِ فقدُ عظيمٍ

كان للسالكين ذخراً وركنا

كان للسالكين ذخراً وركنا

Among grievous trials is the loss of a great man

From the enormity of the affliction, for we lost

Who was a treasure and a pillar to those walking the path.

One who was a treasure and pillar for the adherents.

أصبحَ القلبُ بعدَهُ في جحيم

أصبحَ القلبُ بعدَهُ في جحيم

وَهْوَ حَبْرٌ في جنةٍ يتثنى

وَهْوَ حَبْرٌ في جنةٍ يتثنى

After him, the heart is now in hell,

The heart after him is now in hellfire

While he, a scholar, moves gracefully in Paradise.

While he is a sea serpent in Paradise twisting.

يا عيوني لم تنظري كمهنا

يا عيوني لم تنظري كمهنا

أسعديني بمدمعٍ ليس يفنى

أسعديني بمدمعٍ ليس يفنى

O my eyes, you have never seen anyone like Muhanna;

Oh my eyes that have not seen our glory,

Help me mourn with tears that never run dry.

Please me with a tear that will not vanish.

أظلمَتْ بعدَهُ البلاد وقالتْ

أظلمَتْ بعدَهُ البلاد وقالتْ

ما بَقِيْ مَنْ يقيم للزهدِ وزنا

ما بَقِيْ مَنْ يقيم للزهدِ وزنا

The land grew dark after him and said:

After him, the country darkened and said:

'No one remains who gives asceticism any weight.'

No one remains who will weigh piety and glory.

يا مهنَّا أنا المنغَّصُ وحدي

يا مهنَّا أنا المنغَّصُ وحدي

لا بل العالمونَ إنساً وجنَّا

لا بل العالمونَ إنساً وجنَّا

O Muhanna, I alone am embittered—

Oh Mahanna, I alone am distressed,

No, rather all beings, humans and jinn.

No - all mankind, jinn and humans!

فسأبكيكَ ما حييتُ وحقي

فسأبكيكَ ما حييتُ وحقي

أنني لا أقرُّ بعدَكَ جَفْنَا

أنني لا أقرُّ بعدَكَ جَفْنَا

So I shall weep for you as long as I live, and it is my right

So I will weep for you as long as I live, by my right,

To give no eyelid rest after you.

My eyelids will not settle after you.

كم حسبنا مِنَ الأمورِ ولكنْ

كم حسبنا مِنَ الأمورِ ولكنْ

ما حسبنا سريعَ بُعْدِكَ عنَّا

ما حسبنا سريعَ بُعْدِكَ عنَّا

How many things we had reckoned with, and yet

How much we assumed about matters, but

We had not reckoned on your swift departure from us.

We never assumed you would quickly leave us.

يا دفيناً قبلي ولو كان هذا

يا دفيناً قبلي ولو كان هذا

باختياري لكنْتُ قبلَكَ دَفْنَا

باختياري لكنْتُ قبلَكَ دَفْنَا

O you buried before me—had this been

Oh buried before me, if only this were

Up to me, I would have been buried before you.

By my choice, I would have been buried before you.

ليتني متُّ قبلَ هذا فإني

ليتني متُّ قبلَ هذا فإني

حاملٌ فيكَ ما شجاني وأضنى

حاملٌ فيكَ ما شجاني وأضنى

Would that I had died before this, for I

Would that I had died before this, for I

Bear, on your account, what has grieved and worn me down.

Carry in you that which saddened and grieved me.

سيدي أنتَ كنتَ تُؤْثِرُ هذا

سيدي أنتَ كنتَ تُؤْثِرُ هذا

زالَ ذاكَ الأذى وفارقْتَ سجنا

زالَ ذاكَ الأذى وفارقْتَ سجنا

My master, you used to prefer this;

My master, you would have preferred this -

That suffering has ceased, and you have left a prison.

That harm is gone and you left the prison,

ولقيتَ الكريمَ والمرتجى مِنْ

ولقيتَ الكريمَ والمرتجى مِنْ

فضلِه أنْ تنالَ ما تتمنى

فضلِه أنْ تنالَ ما تتمنى

And you have met the Generous One; what is hoped for from

And met the Benevolent, Desired One through

His bounty is that you attain all you desire.

His grace, to attain what you wish.

فاذكرِ العهدَ واحتفلْ بصديقٍ

فاذكرِ العهدَ واحتفلْ بصديقٍ

حسَّنَ الظنَّ فيكَ لا خابَ ظنا

حسَّنَ الظنَّ فيكَ لا خابَ ظنا

So remember the covenant, and cherish a friend

So remember the covenant and celebrate a friend

Who thought well of you—may he not be disappointed in his hope.

Who thought well of you - his assumption did not fail.

قدَّسَ اللهُ سرَّ قبرِ مهنا

قدَّسَ اللهُ سرَّ قبرِ مهنا

فَهْوَ مِنْ أطيبِ البقاعِ وأهنا

فَهْوَ مِنْ أطيبِ البقاعِ وأهنا

May God sanctify the secret of Muhanna's grave,

God sanctified the secret of Mahanna's grave -

For it is among the finest and most pleasant of places.

It is of the most pleasant spots and comforting.

وسقى قبرَ جدِّهِ وأبيهِ

وسقى قبرَ جدِّهِ وأبيهِ

وأخيهِ غيثاً تبسَّمَ مزنا

وأخيهِ غيثاً تبسَّمَ مزنا

And may He water his grandfather's grave and his father's,

And watered the grave of his grandfather, father,

And his brother's, with rain from smiling clouds;

And brother with a downpour that smiled gently.

ورعانا بجاههم وحمانا

ورعانا بجاههم وحمانا

بحماهُمْ وبدَّل الخوفَ أمنا

بحماهُمْ وبدَّل الخوفَ أمنا

And may He care for us through their standing, and protect us

And protected us through their status and sheltered us

With their sanctuary, and replace fear with safety.

With their protection, changing fear into safety.