بِمُلتَفَتَيهِ لِلمَشيبِ طَوالِعُ

بِمُلتَفَتَيهِ لِلمَشيبِ طَوالِعُ

ذَوائِدُ عَن وِردِ التَصابي رَوادِعُ

ذَوائِدُ عَن وِردِ التَصابي رَوادِعُ

At his temples, harbingers of gray are rising—

At his temples the first signs of gray appear,

stern warders barring the familiar path of youthful folly.

warding him from the watering place of youthful folly, restraining him.

تُصَرِّفنَهُ طَوعَ العنانِ وَرُبَّما

تُصَرِّفنَهُ طَوعَ العنانِ وَرُبَّما

دَعاهُ الصِبا فَاِقتادَهُ وَهو طائِعُ

دَعاهُ الصِبا فَاِقتادَهُ وَهو طائِعُ

The reins may turn him wherever they command; yet often

They steer him, obedient to the rein; yet sometimes

youth calls him, leads him away, and he obeys.

youthful passion calls him and leads him off, and he obeys.

وَمَن لَم يزِغهُ لُبُّهُ وَحَياؤُهُ

وَمَن لَم يزِغهُ لُبُّهُ وَحَياؤُهُ

فَلَيسَ لَهُ مِن شَيبِ فَودَيهِ وازِعُ

فَلَيسَ لَهُ مِن شَيبِ فَودَيهِ وازِعُ

Whoever is not restrained by reason and modesty

And one whom his reason and modesty do not restrain

will find no restraint in the grayness of his temples.

finds no restraint in the gray hair at his temples.

هَلِ النافِرُ المَدعُوُّ لِلحَظِّ راجِعٌ

هَلِ النافِرُ المَدعُوُّ لِلحَظِّ راجِعٌ

أَمِ النُصحُ مَقبولٌ أَمِ الوَعظُ نافِعُ

أَمِ النُصحُ مَقبولٌ أَمِ الوَعظُ نافِعُ

Will the fugitive, summoned back to his good fortune, return?

Will the one who shies away, though called to good fortune, return?

Will sincere counsel be accepted, or admonition prove useful?

Or is advice accepted, or admonition of any use?

أَم الهَمك المَهمومُ بِالجَمعِ عالِمٌ

أَم الهَمك المَهمومُ بِالجَمعِ عالِمٌ

بِأَنَّ الَّذي يَرعى مِنَ المالِ ضائِعُ

بِأَنَّ الَّذي يَرعى مِنَ المالِ ضائِعُ

Or does the man engrossed—preoccupied with amassing wealth—know

Or does the engrossed man, preoccupied with amassing, know

that the wealth he so carefully tends is doomed to vanish,

that the wealth he tends is bound to be lost,

وَأَنَّ قُصاراهُ عَلى فَرطِ ضَنِّهِ

وَأَنَّ قُصاراهُ عَلى فَرطِ ضَنِّهِ

فِراقُ الَّذي أَضحى لَهُ وَهوَ جامِعُ

فِراقُ الَّذي أَضحى لَهُ وَهوَ جامِعُ

and that its final end, despite his utmost hoarding,

and that his ultimate end, despite his extreme stinginess,

is separation from what became his, even while he gathers more?

is parting with what has become his, even as he gathers it?

وَيَخمُلُ ذِكرُ المَرءِ ذي المالِ بَعدَهُ

وَيَخمُلُ ذِكرُ المَرءِ ذي المالِ بَعدَهُ

وَلَكِنَّ جَمعَ العِلمِ لِلمَرءِ رافِعُ

وَلَكِنَّ جَمعَ العِلمِ لِلمَرءِ رافِعُ

The renown of the wealthy man fades after his death,

And the wealthy man's memory fades after he is gone,

but gathering knowledge raises a man in rank.

but gathering knowledge raises a man high.

أَلَم تَرَ آثارَ اِبنِ إِدريسَ بَعدَهُ

أَلَم تَرَ آثارَ اِبنِ إِدريسَ بَعدَهُ

دَلائِلُها في المُشكِلاتِ لَوامِعُ

دَلائِلُها في المُشكِلاتِ لَوامِعُ

Have you not seen the legacy of Ibn Idris after him?

Have you not seen the works Ibn Idris left behind,

Its proofs gleam brightly amid difficult questions:

their proofs gleaming amid perplexing questions?

مَعالِمُ يَفنى الدَهرُ وَهيَ خَوالِد

مَعالِمُ يَفنى الدَهرُ وَهيَ خَوالِد

وَتَنخَفِضُ الأَعلامُ وَهيَ فَوارِعُ

وَتَنخَفِضُ الأَعلامُ وَهيَ فَوارِعُ

landmarks that remain eternal while the ages pass,

Landmarks: time perishes, while they endure;

lofty standards that still tower when others sink,

and mountains sink low, while these remain lofty.

مَناهِجُ فيها لِلهُدى مُتَصَرَّفٌ

مَناهِجُ فيها لِلهُدى مُتَصَرَّفٌ

مَوارِدُ فيها لِلرَشادِ شَرائِعُ

مَوارِدُ فيها لِلرَشادِ شَرائِعُ

clear paths where guidance has ample room to roam,

Paths in which guidance has room to range;

watering places where right guidance has broad highways.

watering places with paths to right guidance.

ظَواهِرُها حِكَمٌ وَمُستَنبَطاتُها

ظَواهِرُها حِكَمٌ وَمُستَنبَطاتُها

لِما حَكَمَ التَفريقُ فيهِ جَوامِعُ

لِما حَكَمَ التَفريقُ فيهِ جَوامِعُ

Their plain teachings are wisdom, and their deductions

Their plain meanings are wisdom, and their deductions

comprehensive principles for whatever discernment must decide.

unite what division has set apart.

لِرَأيِ اِبنِ إِدريس اِبنِ عَمِّ مُحَمَّدٍ

لِرَأيِ اِبنِ إِدريس اِبنِ عَمِّ مُحَمَّدٍ

ضِياءٌ إِذا ما أَظلَمَ الخَطبُ ساطِعُ

ضِياءٌ إِذا ما أَظلَمَ الخَطبُ ساطِعُ

The judgment of Ibn Idris, cousin of Muhammad,

The judgment of Ibn Idris, Muhammad's cousin,

is radiant light whenever a grave matter grows dark.

has a shining radiance whenever trouble grows dark.

إِذا المُعضِلاتُ المُشكِلاتُ تَشابَهَت

إِذا المُعضِلاتُ المُشكِلاتُ تَشابَهَت

سَما مِنهُ نورٌ في دُجاهُنَّ لامِعُ

سَما مِنهُ نورٌ في دُجاهُنَّ لامِعُ

When tangled, perplexing questions resemble one another,

When intractable, perplexing questions look alike,

a gleaming light rises from him through their darkness.

a light from him rises, gleaming in their darkness.

أَبى اللَهُ إِلّا رَفعَهُ وَعُلُوَّهُ

أَبى اللَهُ إِلّا رَفعَهُ وَعُلُوَّهُ

وَلَيسَ لِما يُعليهِ ذو العَرشِ واضِعُ

وَلَيسَ لِما يُعليهِ ذو العَرشِ واضِعُ

God willed only to raise and exalt him;

God has willed only his elevation and exaltation;

none can lower what the Lord of the Throne raises.

and none can lower what the Lord of the Throne raises.

تَوَخّى الهُدى فَاِستَنقَذَتهُ يَدُ التُقى

تَوَخّى الهُدى فَاِستَنقَذَتهُ يَدُ التُقى

مِنَ الزَيغِ إِنَّ الزَيغَ لِلمَرءِ صارِعُ

مِنَ الزَيغِ إِنَّ الزَيغَ لِلمَرءِ صارِعُ

He sought true guidance, and the hand of piety rescued him

He sought guidance, so the hand of piety rescued him

from error—for error is a wrestler that fells a man.

from error; error indeed fells a man.

وَلاذَ بِآثارِ الرَسولِ فَحُكمُهُ

وَلاذَ بِآثارِ الرَسولِ فَحُكمُهُ

لِحُكمِ رَسولِ اللَهِ في الناسِ تابعُ

لِحُكمِ رَسولِ اللَهِ في الناسِ تابعُ

He took refuge in the Messenger’s traditions, so his judgment

And he took refuge in the Messenger's traditions, so his judgment

follows the judgment of God’s Messenger among humankind.

follows the judgment of God's Messenger among the people.

وَعَوَّلَ في أَحكامِهِ وَقَضائِهِ

وَعَوَّلَ في أَحكامِهِ وَقَضائِهِ

عَلى ما قَضى التَنزيلُ وَالحَقُّ ناصِعُ

عَلى ما قَضى التَنزيلُ وَالحَقُّ ناصِعُ

In his rulings and adjudications he relied

And in his rulings and judgments he relied

upon what Revelation decreed, while truth shone clear.

on what Revelation decreed, and the truth is clear.

بَطيءٌ عَنِ الرَأيِ المَخوفِ اِلتِباسُهُ

بَطيءٌ عَنِ الرَأيِ المَخوفِ اِلتِباسُهُ

إِلَيهِ إِذا لَم يَخشَ لبساً مُسارِعُ

إِلَيهِ إِذا لَم يَخشَ لبساً مُسارِعُ

Cautious in offering an opinion whose ambiguity he feared,

Slow to adopt an opinion whose ambiguity he fears,

yet swift to it whenever he feared no confusion.

he hastens to it when he fears no confusion.

جَرَت لِبُحورِ العِلمِ أَمدادُ فِكرِهِ

جَرَت لِبُحورِ العِلمِ أَمدادُ فِكرِهِ

لَها مَدَدٌ في العالَمينَ يُتابعُ

لَها مَدَدٌ في العالَمينَ يُتابعُ

The resources of his thought flowed into the seas of knowledge;

The tributaries of his thought flowed into the seas of knowledge,

for them an ever-renewed supply continues throughout the worlds.

their flow continually renewed among all peoples.

وَأَنشَا لَهُ مُنشيهِ مِن خَيرِ مَعدَنٍ

وَأَنشَا لَهُ مُنشيهِ مِن خَيرِ مَعدَنٍ

خَلائِقَ هُنَّ الباهِراتُ البَوارِعُ

خَلائِقَ هُنَّ الباهِراتُ البَوارِعُ

His Creator fashioned him from the choicest ore,

And his Maker fashioned for him, from the finest mine,

with radiant virtues that surpassed all others.

qualities dazzling and surpassing.

تَسَربَلَ بِالتَقوى وَليداً وَناشِئاً

تَسَربَلَ بِالتَقوى وَليداً وَناشِئاً

وَخُصَّ بِلُبِّ الكَهلِ مُذ هُوَ يافِعُ

وَخُصَّ بِلُبِّ الكَهلِ مُذ هُوَ يافِعُ

He clothed himself in piety as a child and growing youth,

He wore piety as his robe in infancy and youth,

and was given the understanding of a mature man while still a boy.

and was gifted with a mature man's reason from adolescence.

وهُذِّبَ حَتّى لَم تُشِر بِفَضيلَةٍ

وهُذِّبَ حَتّى لَم تُشِر بِفَضيلَةٍ

إِذا اِلتُمِسَت إلّا إِلَيهِ الأَصابِعُ

إِذا اِلتُمِسَت إلّا إِلَيهِ الأَصابِعُ

So refined that no virtue could be pointed out,

And he was so refined that, for any virtue,

when sought, without every finger pointing toward him.

whenever sought, fingers pointed to him alone.

فَمَن يَكُ عِلمُ الشافِعِيِّ إِمامَهُ

فَمَن يَكُ عِلمُ الشافِعِيِّ إِمامَهُ

فَمَرتَعهُ في باحَةِ العِلمِ واسِعُ

فَمَرتَعهُ في باحَةِ العِلمِ واسِعُ

Whoever takes al-Shafi‘i’s learning as his guide

Whoever takes al-Shafi'i's knowledge as his guide

has a spacious pasture in the court of knowledge.

has wide pasture in the open grounds of knowledge.

سَلامٌ عَلى قَبرٍ تَضَمَّنَ جِسمَهُ

سَلامٌ عَلى قَبرٍ تَضَمَّنَ جِسمَهُ

وَجادَت عَلَيهِ المُدجِناتُ الهَوامِعُ

وَجادَت عَلَيهِ المُدجِناتُ الهَوامِعُ

Peace upon the grave that holds his body;

Peace upon a grave that enfolds his body,

may streaming rainclouds pour their bounty upon it.

and may dark, pouring clouds shower it generously.

لَقَد غَيَّبَت أَثراؤُهُ جِسمَ ماجِدٍ

لَقَد غَيَّبَت أَثراؤُهُ جِسمَ ماجِدٍ

جَليلٍ إِذا اِلتَفَّت عَلَيهِ المَجامِعُ

جَليلٍ إِذا اِلتَفَّت عَلَيهِ المَجامِعُ

Its layers of earth have hidden the body of a noble man,

Its soil has indeed hidden the body of a noble man,

majestic whenever assemblies gathered around him.

venerable when assemblies gathered around him.

لَئِن فَجَعَتنا الحادِثاتُ بِشَخصِهِ

لَئِن فَجَعَتنا الحادِثاتُ بِشَخصِهِ

لَهُنَّ لِما حُكِّمنَ فيهِ فَواجِعُ

لَهُنَّ لِما حُكِّمنَ فيهِ فَواجِعُ

Though the turns of fate have bereft us of his person,

Though calamities have bereaved us of his person—

their decree against him was itself a grievous blow.

they indeed bring grief to whatever is placed under their rule—

فَأَحكامُهُ فينا بُدورٌ زَواهِرٌ

فَأَحكامُهُ فينا بُدورٌ زَواهِرٌ

وَآثارُهُ فينا نُجومٌ طَوالِعُ

وَآثارُهُ فينا نُجومٌ طَوالِعُ

Yet his rulings among us are radiant full moons,

his rulings among us are radiant full moons,

and his works among us are rising stars.

and his works among us are rising stars.