أيلتذّ بالدّنيا منعَّمُ بالِ

أيلتذّ بالدّنيا منعَّمُ بالِ

وللموت في الأحشاء رَشقُ نِبَال

وللموت في الأحشاء رَشقُ نِبَال

Can one at ease of mind delight in this world,

I enjoyed the world deluded by its charm,

while death's volley of arrows strikes the vitals?

While death had arrows aimed at my heart's core.

عجبتُ وما الأيّامُ إلاّ عجائب

عجبتُ وما الأيّامُ إلاّ عجائب

ركونٌ إلى آلٍ وطيفُ خيال

ركونٌ إلى آلٍ وطيفُ خيال

I marvelled—and the days are nothing but marvels—

I wondered, for days are but wondrous things,

at reliance on a mirage and a phantom vision.

A leaning on kinship and a mirage's trace.

فهل وَاصَلَتْ إلاّ وِصالَ مُخادعٍ

فهل وَاصَلَتْ إلاّ وِصالَ مُخادعٍ

وهل أَرْضَعَتْ إلاّ لِبانَ فِصَال

وهل أَرْضَعَتْ إلاّ لِبانَ فِصَال

So has it ever offered union but a deceiver's union,

Did it connect me except to one who cheats?

and has it ever nursed with anything but the milk of weaning?

Did it nurture me except with sundered milk?

فإيّاك والإصغاءَ منها لزخرفٍ

فإيّاك والإصغاءَ منها لزخرفٍ

فما هو في التّحقيق غيرُ مِحال

فما هو في التّحقيق غيرُ مِحال

So beware of lending an ear to its gilded speech,

Beware listening to its vain trappings,

for in truth it is nothing but deceit.

For it is, in truth, nothing but impossibilities.

وشَمِّرْ لما تلقاه عن ساقِ جاهدٍ

وشَمِّرْ لما تلقاه عن ساقِ جاهدٍ

له هِمَمٌ في الصّالحات عوالي

له هِمَمٌ في الصّالحات عوالي

And gird yourself for what you face, baring a striver's shank,

Roll up your sleeves for the journey of one who strives,

whose aspirations in righteous deeds are lofty.

With lofty aspirations for righteous deeds,

وَعِظْ منك نفسا ما ارعوت لِمُذكِّرِ

وَعِظْ منك نفسا ما ارعوت لِمُذكِّرِ

ولا وَثِقَتْ من نَاصِحٍ بمقال

ولا وَثِقَتْ من نَاصِحٍ بمقال

And admonish your own soul, which has not heeded an admonisher,

And advise a soul whom you have pastured

nor trusted a word from an adviser.

But never trusted the words of an adviser.

وفي موت أهل العلم أَوْعَظُ واعظٍ

وفي موت أهل العلم أَوْعَظُ واعظٍ

لمن يَخْطُرُ الإيمانُ منه ببال

لمن يَخْطُرُ الإيمانُ منه ببال

And in the death of the learned lies the greatest admonisher,

In the death of scholars lies the greatest admonition

for anyone in whose mind faith stirs.

For one whose faith is sparked within his mind,

ولا سيّما من لم يزَلْ بِعُلومِه

ولا سيّما من لم يزَلْ بِعُلومِه

يحلّى نُحُورَ الطّالبينَ لآَلي

يحلّى نُحُورَ الطّالبينَ لآَلي

And especially one who, through his learning, never ceased

Especially one whose knowledge continuously

to adorn the students' necks with pearls,

Adorned the minds of students with gems,

وينشرها وهي العقود كأنّما

وينشرها وهي العقود كأنّما

تفوح بذاك النّشرِ منه غوالي

تفوح بذاك النّشرِ منه غوالي

and spread them—necklaces as they are—as though

Who spread it as if necklaces were diffusing

with that spreading, precious perfumes wafted from him.

From such dissemination their very scents,

وهل كان مثل الشيخ أحمدَ ناشر

وهل كان مثل الشيخ أحمدَ ناشر

على طول أيّام له وليالي

على طول أيّام له وليالي

And was there one who spread learning like Sheikh Ahmad,

Was there anyone like Sheikh Ahmad, who proliferated

over the long span of his days and nights?

Throughout his days and nights knowledge for all souls?

أبو عبدَة الأرْضَى الإمامُ ومَنْ له

أبو عبدَة الأرْضَى الإمامُ ومَنْ له

من العلم والتّوفيق أيّ خِلال

من العلم والتّوفيق أيّ خِلال

Abu Abda, the most esteemed imam, who possessed

Father of Abdallah Ardha, the Imam whom no one equals

such qualities of learning and divinely granted success!

In knowledge and divine support—who rivals him?

يروح لنفع الطّالبين ويغتدي

يروح لنفع الطّالبين ويغتدي

كما هطلت مُزْنُ السّما بزُلال

كما هطلت مُزْنُ السّما بزُلال

He goes forth evening and morning for the students' benefit,

He went to benefit students, attacking

as heaven's rainclouds pour down pure water.

Like pouring rain clouds with drizzling showers,

متى كَلَّ ذ وَجْهٍ جديدٍ فإنّه

متى كَلَّ ذ وَجْهٍ جديدٍ فإنّه

على كِبَرٍ لم يتّسِمْ بكلال

على كِبَرٍ لم يتّسِمْ بكلال

Whenever a fresh-faced man grew weary, he,

Whenever a new face arrived, he met it

despite his old age, bore no trace of weariness,

Unimpaired by age though time took its toll,

إلى أن غدا علمه الدّهر مطلعا

إلى أن غدا علمه الدّهر مطلعا

لِنَجْمٍ يُرى في دُجْنَةٍ وهلال

لِنَجْمٍ يُرى في دُجْنَةٍ وهلال

until his learning became, for all time, a rising-place

Until his knowledge illuminated the age

for a star seen in darkness, and a crescent moon.

Like a star seen in the darkness of night's crescent.

على فقده فَلْيَبْكِ درسٌ ودارسٌ

على فقده فَلْيَبْكِ درسٌ ودارسٌ

بِدَمْعٍ على وجه الطّروس مُذَالِ

بِدَمْعٍ على وجه الطّروس مُذَالِ

So let lesson and learner weep for his loss,

For his loss, let a lesson weep—and every student—

with tears shed upon the face of manuscript pages.

With tears flowing on faces like necklaces undone.

وفي مثله تأسى القلوب فإنّه

وفي مثله تأسى القلوب فإنّه

لها صيقل من رَانِها المتوالي

لها صيقل من رَانِها المتوالي

And for one like him hearts grieve, for he

In the like of him hearts despair, for he

is their polisher, removing their ever-accumulating rust.

Was their burnisher with his ever-renewing grace.

ولكنّه حيث النّعيمُ مصيرُه

ولكنّه حيث النّعيمُ مصيرُه

فكلُّ امْرِيءٍ ذو رحلة وزوال

فكلُّ امْرِيءٍ ذو رحلة وزوال

But his final home is where bliss abides,

But he has gone where bliss is his destination,

for every person has a journey and a passing away.

For every person has a journey and decline.

ومَنْ كان مِن قربى الرّسول وآله

ومَنْ كان مِن قربى الرّسول وآله

فَأَوْلَى بأن يَحْظى بخير مآل

فَأَوْلَى بأن يَحْظى بخير مآل

And whoever is of the Messenger's kin and household

Whoever was kin to the Prophet and his family

is all the more worthy of attaining a good end.

Is worthiest of attaining the best fate.

وَمَنْ كان للدّين الحنيفِّي ساعداً

وَمَنْ كان للدّين الحنيفِّي ساعداً

فَأَحْرَى بنزلٍ من رضى المتعالي

فَأَحْرَى بنزلٍ من رضى المتعالي

And whoever was a supporting arm of the upright faith

Whoever aided the pure religious way

is all the more deserving of hospitality from the Most Exalted's good pleasure.

Merits a place of God's supreme contentment.

فَزُرْ قبرَهُ واذْكُرْ مقال مُؤرِّخ

فَزُرْ قبرَهُ واذْكُرْ مقال مُؤرِّخ

سقى قبره الرّحمان مُزْنَ نَوَالِ

سقى قبره الرّحمان مُزْنَ نَوَالِ

So visit his grave and recall a chronicler's words:

Visit his grave and remember what the chronicler relates,

May the All-Merciful water his grave with rainclouds of bounty.

The Merciful watered his grave with pouring showers.