هلis ...? الحيُّthe living person إلاّexcept هَالِكٌdoomed to die وابنُand the son of هَالِكِone doomed to die
هل الحيُّ إلاّ هَالِكٌ وابنُ هَالِكِ
وعزُّand the glory of البقاeverlasting life للّهbelongs to God غَيْرَwithout مُشَارِكِa partner
وعزُّ البقا للّه غَيْرَ مُشَارِكِ
Is the living anything but one doomed to perish, the child of one who perished?
Is the living man anything but a mortal, the son of a mortal?
Everlastingness belongs in sovereign glory to God alone, without partner.
And the glory of everlasting life belongs to God alone, with no partner.
ولوand if أنّهthat it were so يبقىendures علىthroughout الدّهرِthe ages ماجدٌa noble man
ولو أنّه يبقى على الدّهرِ ماجدٌ
لكانthen it would be لنحريرٍfor a master scholar عزيزِdistinguished in المدارِكِunderstanding
لكان لنحريرٍ عزيزِ المدارِكِ
And if any noble man could endure through all the ages,
And were a noble man to endure through the ages,
such endurance would belong to a consummate scholar, rare in attainment—
it would be for a master scholar of rare insight,
كهذاlike this man الذيwho أمسىhas become الثّرىthe earth مُتَوَسِّداًtaking as a pillow
كهذا الذي أمسى الثّرى مُتَوَسِّداً
ونجمُand the star of الثّريّاthe Pleiades منهrelative to him تحتbeneath أرائِكِcouches
ونجمُ الثّريّا منه تحت أرائِكِ
like this man, who now lies with earth for his pillow,
like this man, who now takes the earth for his pillow,
while, measured against him, the star of the Pleiades lies beneath couches.
while the Pleiades’ star lies beneath his couches.
لقدindeed كانhe was سيفاًa sword فيin الشريعةthe sacred law صَارِماًsharp
لقد كان سيفاً في الشريعة صَارِماً
ونُورَand a light ظلامٍdarkness فيin الجهالةignorance حَالِكِpitch-black
ونُورَ ظلامٍ في الجهالة حَالِكِ
Indeed, he was a keen-edged sword in the Sacred Law,
He was indeed a sharp sword in the sacred law,
and a light amid the pitch-black darkness of ignorance.
and a light in ignorance’s pitch-black darkness.
إذاwhenever نشرhe unfolded التحقيقrigorous inquiry فيin روضthe garden of درسهhis lesson
إذا نشر التحقيق في روض درسه
فَيَاthen, oh لَكَfor you منof نشرٍfragrance منof المسكmusk صائكstrongly fragrant
فَيَا لَكَ من نشرٍ من المسك صائك
Whenever he unfolded exacting inquiry in the garden of his teaching,
Whenever he unfolded rigorous inquiry in the garden of his lesson,
what a fragrance arose—a waft of clinging musk!
oh, what a penetrating fragrance of musk!
ومهماand whenever دعاhe summoned فيin موقفthe arena of الفهمunderstanding باركاkneeling stubbornly
ومهما دعا في موقف الفهم باركا
علىupon غيرهsomeone other than him جاءتit came لهto him غيرnot باركkneeling
على غيره جاءت له غير بارك
Whatever recalcitrant matter he summoned in the arena of understanding,
Whenever, in understanding’s arena, he summoned a problem that lay kneeling
though it balked at another, came to him without balking.
upon others, it came to him no longer kneeling.
قضاياهhis judgments فيon جيدthe neck of القضاءِjustice قلائدnecklaces
قضاياه في جيد القضاءِ قلائد
فتاواهhis legal opinions تيجانٌcrowns لمذهبfor the school of مالكMalik
فتاواه تيجانٌ لمذهب مالك
His propositions, in the solemn work of judgment, were necklaces;
His judgments are necklaces on the neck of justice;
his fatwas were crowns for the school of Malik.
his legal opinions are crowns for Malik’s school.
إذاwhenever قالhe spoke إسماعيلIsmail فالكلُّthen everyone مُنْصِتٌlistening silently
إذا قال إسماعيل فالكلُّ مُنْصِتٌ
لأِجْزَلِto the richest معنىًmeaning منfrom صياغةthe craftsmanship of سابكa metal-caster
لأِجْزَلِ معنىً من صياغة سابك
Whenever Ismail spoke, everyone listened in silence
Whenever Ismail spoke, everyone listened in silence
to meaning richer than a metal-caster’s craft.
to the richest meaning wrought by a caster.
مشىtraveled ذكرُهhis renown فيthrough العَالَمِينَthe worlds كماas مَشَتْtraveled
مشى ذكرُه في العَالَمِينَ كما مَشَتْ
ذُكاءُDhukāʾ (the sun) ولكنand yet ذكرُهhis renown غيرُnot دَالِكِsetting
ذُكاءُ ولكن ذكرُه غيرُ دَالِكِ
His renown traveled throughout all creation, just as
His renown traveled through the worlds, as did
the sun travels—yet his renown never sets.
Dhukāʾ, the sun—but his renown never sets.
إلىinto رحمةthe mercy of المولىthe Lord مضىhe passed on وهوwhile he was آمِلٌhoping
إلى رحمة المولى مضى وهو آمِلٌ
لِمَقْعَدِfor a seat of صِدْقٍtruth عندwith أَكْرَمِthe most generous مَالِكِMaster
لِمَقْعَدِ صِدْقٍ عند أَكْرَمِ مَالِكِ
He passed into the Lord’s mercy, full of hope
He passed into the Lord’s mercy, hoping
for a seat of truth beside the most generous Sovereign.
for a seat of truth with the most generous Master.
ولمّاand when مضىhe departed أبكىhe made weep القلوبَthe hearts توجُّعاًin anguish
ولمّا مضى أبكى القلوبَ توجُّعاً
وإنْand although كانhe was ذاpossessed of وَجْهٍa face منwith الْبِشْرِcheerfulness ضاحِكِsmiling
وإنْ كان ذا وَجْهٍ من الْبِشْرِ ضاحِكِ
And when he departed, he made hearts weep in anguish,
And when he departed, he made hearts weep in anguish,
though his was a smiling face, radiant with good cheer.
though his face was smiling with cheer.
وعمّand spread everywhere الأسىgrief حتّىso much that لِسَاعةِat the hour of دَفْنِهِhis burial
وعمّ الأسى حتّى لِسَاعةِ دَفْنِهِ
بكىwept الْمُزْنُthe rain-clouds وَبْلاًa downpour بالدّموعwith tears السّوابكِstreaming
بكى الْمُزْنُ وَبْلاً بالدّموع السّوابكِ
Grief spread everywhere, until, at the very hour of his burial,
And grief spread so widely that, at the hour of his burial,
the rainclouds wept a torrent of cascading tears.
the rain-clouds wept a downpour of streaming tears.
لذاكfor that reason تأتّىbecame possible أنto يقولsay مُؤّرِّخa chronicler
لذاك تأتّى أن يقول مُؤّرِّخ
لِعَيْنِfor the eye of السّمَاthe sky جَرْيٌa flow علىupon قبرthe grave of مالكMalik
لِعَيْنِ السّمَا جَرْيٌ على قبر مالك
Thus a chronogram-maker was able to say:
For this reason a chronicler could say:
“Heaven’s eye streams over the grave of a master.”
Heaven’s eye streams upon Malik’s grave.
