يميناً لقد جازَ الأسى منتهى الحَدِّ

يميناً لقد جازَ الأسى منتهى الحَدِّ

فيا لَيْتَ حُسْن الصّبْر في مِثْلِها يُجْدي

فيا لَيْتَ حُسْن الصّبْر في مِثْلِها يُجْدي

I swear, sorrow has passed beyond the utmost limit.

Alas! Grief has reached its utmost limit,

Ah, if only noble patience could avail in a calamity like this!

Would that forbearance in the like of it could avail!

مصابٌ به بانتْ من الدّهرِ عثْرةٌ

مصابٌ به بانتْ من الدّهرِ عثْرةٌ

وضلّتْ به الأيامُ عن سنَنِ الرُّشْدِ

وضلّتْ به الأيامُ عن سنَنِ الرُّشْدِ

A calamity that exposed a stumble on Time's part,

Afflicted with a catastrophe from the turns of fate,

and through it the days strayed from the path of right guidance.

And led astray by the days from the ways of right guidance.

هُو الدهرُ مَنْ أضحَى عميداً بغايةٍ

هُو الدهرُ مَنْ أضحَى عميداً بغايةٍ

تُصِبْهُ اللّيالي دونَ ذاكَ على عمْدِ

تُصِبْهُ اللّيالي دونَ ذاكَ على عمْدِ

Such is Time: whoever sets his heart upon a goal,

It is fate that has now become a leader to the utmost,

the nights deliberately strike him before he reaches it.

Bringing upon him beyond that intentionally by night.

وهل كان إلا النجْمَ أطْلعَ نيّراً

وهل كان إلا النجْمَ أطْلعَ نيّراً

ووجهُكَ صبْحٌ لاحَ في أفُقِ المجْدِ

ووجهُكَ صبْحٌ لاحَ في أفُقِ المجْدِ

And was he anything but a star brought forth in radiance,

Was it not for the star appearing brightly

while your face is dawn, shining on the horizon of glory?

And your face dawn shining on the horizon of glory?

فلا تعْجبوا لما بَدا من غروبِه

فلا تعْجبوا لما بَدا من غروبِه

أيَلتاحُ نجمٌ والضُحى نورُهُ يَهدي

أيَلتاحُ نجمٌ والضُحى نورُهُ يَهدي

So do not marvel that he has set:

So wonder not for what appeared of its setting,

can a star appear while morning's light guides the way?

Can a star shine while its light guides the dawn?

وكان كما تهْوَى المكارمُ قد بدَتْ

وكان كما تهْوَى المكارمُ قد بدَتْ

مخائِلُ من قيْسٍ عليهِ ومن سعْدِ

مخائِلُ من قيْسٍ عليهِ ومن سعْدِ

And he was as noble virtues wished; already there appeared

It was as virtues desire that appeared

upon him traits of Qays and of Sa'd.

The achievements of Qais and Sa’d in him.

وكان كما تبْغي الخلافةُ قد غدَتْ

وكان كما تبْغي الخلافةُ قد غدَتْ

على وجهِه سيمَا من الأبِ والجَدِّ

على وجهِه سيمَا من الأبِ والجَدِّ

And he was as the caliphate wished; already there had come to be

It was as the Caliphate desires that became

upon his face the likeness of his father and grandfather.

On his face a mark of the father and grandfather.

وقد كان منهُ المُلك هزّ مهنّداً

وقد كان منهُ المُلك هزّ مهنّداً

وشمّر منهُ النّصرُ عن ساعِدِ الجِدِّ

وشمّر منهُ النّصرُ عن ساعِدِ الجِدِّ

And through him sovereignty had brandished an Indian-steel sword,

And from him the kingdom shook a subduer

and through him victory had bared the forearm of resolve.

And the victory girded up the sleeves of struggle from him,

وهل هُوَ إلا السيفُ جُرِّدَ للعِدَى

وهل هُوَ إلا السيفُ جُرِّدَ للعِدَى

فلمّا تمادَى سَلْمُها رُدَّ في غِمْدِ

فلمّا تمادَى سَلْمُها رُدَّ في غِمْدِ

And was he anything but a sword unsheathed against the foes?

Is it not the sword unleashed against the enemies?

Then, when peace with them endured, it was returned to its sheath.

But when its peace lasted long it was returned to the scabbard,

وهل هُو إلا الرُّمْحُ أُشْرِعَ نصْلُهُ

وهل هُو إلا الرُّمْحُ أُشْرِعَ نصْلُهُ

فقصَّدَهُ دهْرٌ ثناهُ عن القَصْدِ

فقصَّدَهُ دهْرٌ ثناهُ عن القَصْدِ

And was he anything but a spear with its point leveled,

Is it not the lance whose blade was bared?

which Time then shattered, turning it from its aim?

But fate bent it from straightness.

وهلْ هُو إلا الطّرفُ أُرْسِلَ سابقًا

وهلْ هُو إلا الطّرفُ أُرْسِلَ سابقًا

إلى أمدِ العَلياءِ فارْتاحَ للرّدِ

إلى أمدِ العَلياءِ فارْتاحَ للرّدِ

And was he anything but a steed sent racing ahead

Is it not the gaze unleashed ahead

toward the goal of glory, then glad to be recalled?

To the utmost limit of highness, but then eased for the return?

وهل هوَ إلا الغيثُ أقلعَ إذ سَقى

وهل هوَ إلا الغيثُ أقلعَ إذ سَقى

معاهِدَنا من أفْقِه واكِفُ العَهْدِ

معاهِدَنا من أفْقِه واكِفُ العَهْدِ

And was he anything but rain that ceased once it had watered

Is it not the rain that set forth when it watered

our haunts from its horizon—a downpour true to its pledge?

Our covenants from its horizon, fulfilling the covenant?

ولمّا انقضَتْ غُرُّ الولائِم وانثنَتْ

ولمّا انقضَتْ غُرُّ الولائِم وانثنَتْ

وفودُ النّدى تُثْني على صيّبِ الرّفْدِ

وفودُ النّدى تُثْني على صيّبِ الرّفْدِ

And when the splendid feasts had ended, and back went

And when the rotation of misfortunes ended

the delegations of bounty, praising the downpour of gifts,

And the delegations of dew turned in praise of the growing youth,

جَرَى قدَرٌ فاستأثَرَ اللهُ ربُّهُ

جَرَى قدَرٌ فاستأثَرَ اللهُ ربُّهُ

بهِ وخَلَتْ منْ بدرهِ هالةُ المَهْدِ

بهِ وخَلَتْ منْ بدرهِ هالةُ المَهْدِ

fate took its course, and God, his Lord, claimed

Fate intervened, so Allah, his Lord,

him for Himself, and the cradle's halo was emptied of its full moon.

Monopolized him, and the halo of the cradle shone from him no more.

شِهابٌ تَوارَى في الثّرى بعدَ ما بدَا

شِهابٌ تَوارَى في الثّرى بعدَ ما بدَا

مَلاذاً لمُستَجْدٍ ونُوراً لمُسْتَهْدِ

مَلاذاً لمُستَجْدٍ ونُوراً لمُسْتَهْدِ

A blazing star vanished into the earth after appearing

A comet disappeared into the earth after appearing

as a refuge for one seeking alms and a light for one seeking guidance.

As a refuge for the distressed and a light for the guided,

فما غابَ إلا بعدَ ما نالتِ الهُدَى

فما غابَ إلا بعدَ ما نالتِ الهُدَى

ولا غاضَ إلا حينَ كفّت عن الورْدِ

ولا غاضَ إلا حينَ كفّت عن الورْدِ

So he vanished only after they had attained guidance,

So it disappeared only after the guidance was attained,

and ebbed only when they ceased coming to drink.

And declined only when ceasing to bloom.

وما ضمّهُ بطْنُ الضّريح وإنّما

وما ضمّهُ بطْنُ الضّريح وإنّما

تضمّنَ منهُ جوْهَراً صدَفُ اللّحْدِ

تضمّنَ منهُ جوْهَراً صدَفُ اللّحْدِ

And the tomb's belly did not enfold him; rather,

The belly of the tomb encompassed him not, but rather

the burial niche's shell enclosed him as a jewel.

Assimilated from him a jewel—the shell of the grave.

تعَزَّ أميرَ المُسلمين فإنّنا

تعَزَّ أميرَ المُسلمين فإنّنا

نَرى كُلّ شيءٍ في الوُجودِ إلى حدِّ

نَرى كُلّ شيءٍ في الوُجودِ إلى حدِّ

Take comfort, Commander of the Muslims, for we

Console the Commander of the Faithful, for we

see all things in existence bound for an end.

See everything in existence proceeding to an end.

تأَسّ أمير المسلمينَ فإنّما

تأَسّ أمير المسلمينَ فإنّما

هو القدَرُ المحْتومُ جاءَ إلى وَعْدِ

هو القدَرُ المحْتومُ جاءَ إلى وَعْدِ

Be consoled, Commander of the Muslims, for it is but

Console the Commander of the Faithful, for it

the inevitable decree, come at its appointed time.

Is the foreordained fate that has come to fulfillment.

بأفْعالِكَ الغُرِّ الكريمةِ يُقْتَدَى

بأفْعالِكَ الغُرِّ الكريمةِ يُقْتَدَى

فجمْعُ المَعالِي منكَ في العالَمِ الفَرْدِ

فجمْعُ المَعالِي منكَ في العالَمِ الفَرْدِ

Your illustrious, noble deeds are followed as examples;

You are imitated for your noble deeds,

for the union of lofty virtues in you is peerless in the world.

So all virtues in the unique world are through you.

فلا زِلتَ من ريْبِ الحوادِث آمِناً

فلا زِلتَ من ريْبِ الحوادِث آمِناً

تَنال المُنَى فيما تُعيدُ وما تُبْدي

تَنال المُنَى فيما تُعيدُ وما تُبْدي

May you ever be safe from the vagaries of fortune,

You have never ceased to be secure from the evil of events,

attaining your wishes in what you renew and what you bring forth.

Attaining the death in that you repeat and initiate.