فَلَمَّاso when دَعَاهُcalled him اللهُGod بَعْدَafter جهَادهِhis striving
فَلَمَّا دَعَاهُ اللهُ بَعْدَ جهَادهِ
إِلَىto الرَّاحَةِthe rest الكًبْرَىthe great وَقَدْand already بَاتَhad become مُجْهَدَاexhausted
إِلَى الرَّاحَةِ الكًبْرَى وَقَدْ بَاتَ مُجْهَدَا
So when God called him, after his striving,
When God called him after his jihad
to the great rest, exhausted as he had become,
To the great rest, exhausted from effort
تَوَارَىvanished وَملْءُand the fullness of النَّاظرَيْنَthe two eyes شُعَاعُهُhis radiance
تَوَارَى وَملْءُ النَّاظرَيْنَ شُعَاعُهُ
فَرَاعَand so awed مَغيباًin absence مثْلَlike مَاthe way رَاعَawed مَشْهدَاin presence
فَرَاعَ مَغيباً مثْلَ مَا رَاعَ مَشْهدَا
he vanished, his radiance still filling both eyes;
His brilliance disappeared from all eyes
he inspired awe in absence, as he had in presence.
His absence caused grief, as did his presence
ذَخْيرَةُa treasure قَوْمٍa people فُوجئُواwere surprised بضِيَاعهَاby its loss
ذَخْيرَةُ قَوْمٍ فُوجئُوا بضِيَاعهَا
فَمَاso not دَفَعَwarded off الحرْصُcare القَضَاءَfate وَمَاand not فَدَىransomed
فَمَا دَفَعَ الحرْصُ القَضَاءَ وَمَا فَدَى
A people's treasure, whose loss took them by surprise:
A people's treasure suddenly lost
care neither averted fate nor ransomed him.
Neither greed could prevent fate, nor ransom
فَأَيُّso what a أَديبٍman of letters اَلْمَعيٍّbrilliant طَوَىenfolded الثَّرَىthe earth
فَأَيُّ أَديبٍ اَلْمَعيٍّ طَوَى الثَّرَى
وَأَيُّand what a اجْتمَاعيٍّsocial thinker حَكيمٍwise تَغَمَّدَenveloped
وَأَيُّ اجْتمَاعيٍّ حَكيمٍ تَغَمَّدَ
What a brilliant man of letters the earth enfolded,
What cultured poet lies in the grave?
and what a wise social thinker it shrouded!
What wise community leader is shrouded?
وَأَيُّand what an اقْتصَاديٍّeconomist رَمَاهُshot him وَلَمْand did not يَبِنْbecome apparent
وَأَيُّ اقْتصَاديٍّ رَمَاهُ وَلَمْ يَبِنْ
لَهُin him مَقْتَلٌa vital spot رَامٍan archer خَفيٌّhidden فَأَقْصَدَاand so slew outright
لَهُ مَقْتَلٌ رَامٍ خَفيٌّ فَأَقْصَدَا
And what an economist was struck, with no visible sign
What economic planner aimed true though obscured
of a vital spot in him, by a hidden archer who slew him outright!
Limits matched his great virtues, multiplying
فَقيدٌa departed man عَلَىaccording to قَدْرِthe measure of المَعَاليlofty merits تَعَدَّدَتْmultiplied
فَقيدٌ عَلَى قَدْرِ المَعَالي تَعَدَّدَتْ
مَآتمُهُوَالرزْءُhis mourning rites and the bereavement فيهِconcerning him تَعَدَّدَاwas manifold
مَآتمُهُوَالرزْءُ فيهِ تَعَدَّدَا
A departed man whose lofty merits were matched by many
His bereavements, and sorrows multiplied
mourning rites, and whose loss was manifold.
In Egypt, nay the East, a family mourns
فَفيso in مِصْرَEgypt بَلْnay فِيin الشَّرْقِthe East أَحْزَانُsorrows أُسْرَةٍa family
فَفي مِصْرَ بَلْ فِي الشَّرْقِ أَحْزَانُ أُسْرَةٍ
عَلَىfor خَيْرِthe best أنْthat لَمَّgathered الشَّتاتَthe scattered وَوَحَّدَاand united
عَلَى خَيْرِ أنْ لَمَّ الشَّتاتَ وَوَحَّدَا
So in Egypt—indeed, throughout the East—is a family's grief
For one who united diversity's shards
for the finest, who gathered the scattered and made them one.
He left us, his days beyond counting
تَوَلَّىdeparted وَمَاand not خلْنَاهُwe thought him يُحْصَىis counted زَمَانُهُhis time
تَوَلَّى وَمَا خلْنَاهُ يُحْصَى زَمَانُهُ
عَلَيْهagainst him وَمَاand not خلْنَاwe thought امْرَءاًa man منْهُthan him أَسْعَدَاhappier
عَلَيْه وَمَا خلْنَا امْرَءاً منْهُ أَسْعَدَا
He departed; we had not thought his days were being numbered
Nor did we leave one happier in his departure
against him, nor imagined any man happier than he.
His remembrance grants him life everlasting
لَهُfor him منْfrom خُلُودِthe immortality of الذِّكْرِremembrance عُمْرٌa lifetime وَلَيْتَand would that مَنْone who
لَهُ منْ خُلُودِ الذِّكْرِ عُمْرٌ وَلَيْتَ مَنْ
يُرَجَّىis hoped for جَنَاهُhis fruit كَانَwere بالعُمْرِin life أُخْلدَmade immortal
يُرَجَّى جَنَاهُ كَانَ بالعُمْرِ أُخْلدَ
He has a lifetime in undying remembrance; would that one whose
Would that one so remembered lived on forever
fruit is hoped for were made immortal in life.
O kinsmen, does his company no longer cheer the home?
فَيَاso O آلَهُhis family هَلْcan? يُوحَشُis left desolate الدَّارِthe home أُنْسُهُhis comforting presence
فَيَا آلَهُ هَلْ يُوحَشُ الدَّارِ أُنْسُهُ
وَقَدْand indeed تَرَكَleft الذِّكْرَremembrance الجَميلَbeautiful المُؤَبَّدَاeverlasting
وَقَدْ تَرَكَ الذِّكْرَ الجَميلَ المُؤَبَّدَا
O his family, can the home be bereft of his comforting presence,
Though he left fair, lasting memory
when he has left a beautiful, everlasting remembrance?
May God grant you solace and his goodness
ليَمْنَحْكُمُmay grant you اللهُGod العَزَاءَconsolation وَخَيْرُهُand its best
ليَمْنَحْكُمُ اللهُ العَزَاءَ وَخَيْرُهُ
تَعَهُّدكُمْyour tending منْof مَجْدِهِhis glory مَاwhat تَعَهَّدَاhe tended
تَعَهُّدكُمْ منْ مَجْدِهِ مَا تَعَهَّدَا
May God grant you consolation; and the best of it is
As you perpetuate his glory, as he perpetuated
your tending the glory that he himself tended.
O inheritor, guardian of his legacy
وَيَاand O مَنْyou who تَوَلَّىassumed بَعْدَهُafter him رَعْيَthe care of مَاwhat بَنَىhe built
وَيَا مَنْ تَوَلَّى بَعْدَهُ رَعْيَ مَا بَنَى
لَقَدْindeed كُنْتَyou have been خَيْراًgood حَافِظاًa guardian وَموَطِّدَاand a consolidator
لَقَدْ كُنْتَ خَيْراً حَافِظاً وَموَطِّدَا
And you who assumed after him the care of what he built,
You were the best protector, solidifier
you have indeed been worthy, guarding and strengthening it.
Among the age's lofty figures, your place is secure
مَكَانُكَyour place فيمَنْamong those whom أَنْجَبَbrought forth العَصرُthe age بَاذخlofty
مَكَانُكَ فيمَنْ أَنْجَبَ العَصرُ بَاذخ
وَمَاand not زلْتَyou have ceased فيamong أَعْلاَمهits luminaries الشُّمtowering مفْرَدَاpeerless
وَمَا زلْتَ في أَعْلاَمه الشُّم مفْرَدَا
Your place among those the age has brought forth is lofty,
Never ceasing to be unique among its highest
and you remain peerless among its towering luminaries.
When Egypt's best are gone, eclipsed
إِذَاwhen مُنَيتْwas afflicted عَلياءُthe heights of مصْرَEgypt بفَرْقَدby a Farqad star
إِذَا مُنَيتْ عَلياءُ مصْرَ بفَرْقَد
تَغَيَّبvanished عَنْهَاfrom her أَطْلَعَmade rise اللهُGod فَرْقَدَاa Farqad star
تَغَيَّب عَنْهَا أَطْلَعَ اللهُ فَرْقَدَا
When Egypt's heights are bereaved of a Farqad star
The dawn God revealed will be eclipsed
that has vanished from her, God makes another Farqad rise.
Partial English translation: 27 of 28 Arabic lines translated.