بَنيO sons of خالدٍKhalid ماno one فيamong بَنيthe children of الدَهرtime خالِدُimmortal
بَني خالدٍ ما في بَني الدَهر خالِدُ
تَعزّواtake comfort فَفيfor in الصَبرpatience الجَميلgracious فَوائدُbenefits
تَعزّوا فَفي الصَبر الجَميل فَوائدُ
O sons of Khalid, none among the children of time lives forever.
O sons of Khalid, none in the sons of time are eternal,
Take comfort, for gracious patience has its benefits.
So console yourselves, for in beautiful patience there are benefits,
وَلاand do not تَحزنواgrieve إنّindeed الكِرامthe noble أَعزّةdignified
وَلا تَحزنوا إنّ الكِرام أَعزّة
إِذاwhen ماever (emphatic) دَهتهمassailed them بِالخطوبwith calamities الشَدائدُhardships
إِذا ما دَهتهم بِالخطوب الشَدائدُ
And do not grieve: the noble retain their dignity
And do not grieve, truly the generous are the most dignified,
whenever hardships assail them with calamities.
Whenever disasters afflict them with severe tribulations,
وَإِنّand indeed الَّذيthe one whom فارقتموهyou parted from him لواجدsurely finds
وَإِنّ الَّذي فارقتموه لواجد
كَريماًa Generous One لَهُhe has فيin كُلّevery فَضلbounty عَوائدُrecurrent favors
كَريماً لَهُ في كُلّ فَضل عَوائدُ
And the one you parted from surely finds
And the one whom you have lost will find
a Generous One whose favors recur in every bounty.
A generous man, for him in every virtue accustomed rewards,
أَحقّmost deserving بَنيthe children of الأَيّامthe days بالحُزنof grief وَالأَساand sorrow
أَحقّ بَني الأَيّام بالحُزن وَالأَسا
كَريمa noble soul عَلىin the face of الأَهوالterrors للصَبرof patience فاقدُbereft
كَريم عَلى الأَهوال للصَبر فاقدُ
Most deserving of grief and sorrow among the children of days
The most deserving of the days for sorrow and grief,
is a noble soul bereft of patience before terrors.
A generous man before terrors, bereft of patience,
وَفيماand in what يُرىis seen مِنof حادثa calamity of الدَهرtime فيamong الوَرىmortals
وَفيما يُرى مِن حادث الدَهر في الوَرى
دَليلevidence عَلىof أَنّthat المهيمنthe all-watchful Guardian واحدُOne
دَليل عَلى أَنّ المهيمن واحدُ
And in the calamities of time witnessed among mortals
And in what is seen of the occurrence of time in the world,
lies proof that the Guardian is One.
Evidence that the All-Powerful is One,
مُصابa calamity دهىstruck ماnot لِلقُلوبthe hearts have تَجلّدendurance
مُصاب دهى ما لِلقُلوب تَجلّد
عَلَيهِto bear it وَلَوeven if أَنّthat القُلوبthe hearts جَلامدُsolid rocks
عَلَيهِ وَلَو أَنّ القُلوب جَلامدُ
A calamity has struck: hearts have no endurance
An affliction that melted what hearts have endured,
to bear it, even were those hearts solid rock.
Even if the hearts were solid rocks,
مُصابa calamity تَداعىcrumbled الفَضلvirtue فاِنهدّthen collapsed ركنهits pillar
مُصاب تَداعى الفَضل فاِنهدّ ركنه
وَمِنand at دونِهِa level below it نجمthe star السُهاSuha وَالفَراقدُand the Farqad stars
وَمِن دونِهِ نجم السُها وَالفَراقدُ
A calamity: virtue crumbled, and its pillar collapsed,
An affliction where the pillar of excellence collapsed, its pillar gone,
with the star Suha and the Farqad stars beneath it.
And without it the star Suhail and other bright stars,
مُصابa calamity بِهِthrough it كَرّتcharged جُيوشarmies مِنof النَوىseparation
مُصاب بِهِ كَرّت جُيوش مِن النَوى
عَلَيناagainst us فَباتَتthen spent the night فيin القُلوبthe hearts تُطاردُpursuing
عَلَينا فَباتَت في القُلوب تُطاردُ
A calamity through which armies of separation charged
An affliction wherein armies of sorrows,
against us, then spent the night pursuing within our hearts.
Assailed us and stayed attacking our hearts,
هُوَit is الخَطبthe calamity كَمhow many أَعياbaffled خَطيباًan orator كَأَنَّماas though
هُوَ الخَطب كَم أَعيا خَطيباً كَأَنَّما
عَلىupon أَصغريهِhis two small organs: heart and tongue مِنfrom أَساthe sorrow of البينparting عاقدُone tying a knot
عَلى أَصغريهِ مِن أَسا البين عاقدُ
This is the calamity that has baffled so many an orator, as though
It is the ultimate disaster, how it has wearied an orator, as if
parting's sorrow had tied a knot around his heart and tongue.
Binding together the loved ones of the furthest parts,
فَكَمso how many سَبحتswam بِالدَمعin tears عَينٌan eye وَمُقلَةٌand an eyeball
فَكَم سَبحت بِالدَمع عَينٌ وَمُقلَةٌ
سبوحٌa strong swimmer لَهاit has مِنهاfrom itself عَلَيهاagainst itself شَواهدُwitnesses
سبوحٌ لَها مِنها عَلَيها شَواهدُ
How many an eye and orb have swum in tears,
So how many a crying eye and eyelid sobbed,
swimming freely, with witnesses from themselves testifying against themselves.
Witnesses for it, because of it, testifying,
وَكَمand how many سالَflowed دَمعtears مِنfrom جُفونeyelids قَريحةwounded
وَكَم سالَ دَمع مِن جُفون قَريحة
فَرُدَّthen was driven back بلوعاتby the burning pangs of الحَشاthe inner heart وَهوَwhile it was جامدُcongealed
فَرُدَّ بلوعات الحَشا وَهوَ جامدُ
And how many tears have flowed from wounded eyelids,
And how many a tear flowed from the eyelids of agony,
then were driven back, congealed, by the burning pangs within.
Repelled by the sorrows of desolation, and it is frozen,
قِفواpause ياO بَنيchildren of الدُنياthe world اِنظرواlook at حالthe state of دَهرِكُمyour age
قِفوا يا بَني الدُنيا اِنظروا حال دَهرِكُم
وَراعواand heed صُروفthe vicissitudes of الحادِثاتevents وَشاهِدواand witness
وَراعوا صُروف الحادِثات وَشاهِدوا
Pause, O children of this world; behold the state of your age,
Stand still, O sons of the world, and look at the state of your fate,
heed the turns of events, and bear witness.
And watch the turns of events and witness,
وَماand not الدَهرtime بِالجانيthe wrongdoer عَلَيكُمagainst you وَإِنَّماbut rather
وَما الدَهر بِالجاني عَلَيكُم وَإِنَّما
حبالthe cords of المَناياdeath لِلنُفوسfor souls مَصائدُsnares
حبال المَنايا لِلنُفوس مَصائدُ
And time is not the wrongdoer against you; rather,
Fate is not the perpetrator against you, rather,
the cords of death are snares for souls.
The ropes of death are traps for souls,
فَقَدناwe lost مِنamong الأَبرارthe righteous مَولىa master صِفاتهُhis qualities
فَقَدنا مِن الأَبرار مَولى صِفاتهُ
وَأَوصافهand his attributes الحُسنىthe finest نهىwisdom وَمَحامدُand praiseworthy deeds
وَأَوصافه الحُسنى نهى وَمَحامدُ
Among the righteous we have lost a master whose qualities
We have lost a master whose traits,
and finest attributes were wisdom and praiseworthy deeds.
And whose good descriptions - prohibitions and praise - are gone
مَضىhe departed وَلَهُand he has فيin كُلّevery فَضلvirtue مَناقبٌmerits
مَضى وَلَهُ في كُلّ فَضل مَناقبٌ
بَدَتappeared وَهيَand they are فيupon جيدthe neck of الزَمانtime قَلائدُnecklaces
بَدَت وَهيَ في جيد الزَمان قَلائدُ
He departed, with merits in every virtue,
He passed away, and for him in every virtue are merits,
that appeared as necklaces upon the neck of time.
Which appeared, adorning the neck of time like necklaces,
مَضىhe departed وَلَناand for us أَبقىleft مِنof الحُزنgrief بَعدهafter him
مَضى وَلَنا أَبقى مِن الحُزن بَعده
أَساًsorrow لاnot تُداويهِcure it الأساةthe healers الأَماجدُthe noble
أَساً لا تُداويهِ الأساة الأَماجدُ
He departed, leaving us after him such grief—
He passed away, and for us after him remains
a sorrow the noblest healers cannot cure.
Sorrow that no glorious sorrows can cure,
إِمامan imam بَكىwept مِنfrom وَعظهhis preaching كُلّevery مَسجدmosque
إِمام بَكى مِن وَعظه كُلّ مَسجد
وَماand not بَرحتceased حَتّىuntil بَكَتهُwept for him المَساجدُthe mosques
وَما بَرحت حَتّى بَكَتهُ المَساجدُ
An imam whose preaching made every mosque weep,
An imam who was made to weep by his sermon in every mosque,
and the weeping did not cease, until the mosques wept for him.
And they did not stop weeping until the mosques wept for him,
أَلاbehold فاِشهدواthen witness أَنوارهhis lights كَيفَhow تَنجَليshine forth
أَلا فاِشهدوا أَنواره كَيفَ تَنجَلي
بِنورby a light تَجَلّىwas revealed الحَقّthe Truth تِلكَthose المَشاهدُscenes
بِنور تَجَلّى الحَقّ تِلكَ المَشاهدُ
Behold, then, his lights—see how they shine forth,
Witness how his lights shine,
through a light in which the Truth was revealed in those scenes.
With the light with which the Truth manifested, those scenes,
فَياso O راحِلاًa departed one قَدindeed كانَwas مِنamong زادِهِhis provisions التُقىpiety
فَيا راحِلاً قَد كانَ مِن زادِهِ التُقى
وَلَيسَand there is none مِنthan التَقوىpiety عَلىto الزادthe provisions زائدُa greater addition
وَلَيسَ مِن التَقوى عَلى الزاد زائدُ
So, O departed one, whose provisions included piety,
O traveler, indeed piety was among his provisions,
and no addition to one's provisions surpasses piety.
And with piety there is no surplus in provisions,
نَزلتyou alighted بِساحاتin the courts of الكَريمthe Generous One فَجودهand so His bounty
نَزلت بِساحات الكَريم فَجوده
بِهِthrough it صلةa gift to المَوصولthe one welcomed وَالعَفوand pardon عائدُreturning
بِهِ صلة المَوصول وَالعَفو عائدُ
You have alighted in the courts of the Generous One, and His bounty—
It alighted in the courtyards of the generous one, his generosity,
through it comes a gift to the one welcomed, and pardon returns.
Through it the connection of joined and forgiveness returns,
فَطِبso be content واِهنand be happy عَبدAbd (servant of) اللهAllah (God) ياO نَجلson of خالدKhalid
فَطِب واِهن عَبد الله يا نَجل خالد
فَإِنَّكfor indeed you فيin دارthe abode of الكَرامةhonor خالدُeverlasting
فَإِنَّك في دار الكَرامة خالدُ
So rest content and rejoice, Abdullah, O son of Khalid,
Good tidings to you, son of Khalid, indeed,
for you abide forever in the abode of honor.
For you are in the abode of generosity, eternal,
عَلَيكَupon you سَلامthe peace of اللَهGod سرgo بِسَلامةٍin safety
عَلَيكَ سَلام اللَه سر بِسَلامةٍ
فأَنتَfor you عَلىto مَنthe One who جودهHis bounty الجودbounty itself وافدُan arriving guest
فأَنتَ عَلى مَن جوده الجود وافدُ
God's peace be upon you; go in safety,
Upon you is the greeting of God, go in safety,
for you arrive as a guest to Him whose bounty is bounty itself.
For you have come to one whose generosity is boundless.