أضاعَ الشبابَ والصّبا يتنقّلُ

أضاعَ الشبابَ والصّبا يتنقّلُ

من اسمٍ إلى اسمٍ علّه يتكمّلُ

من اسمٍ إلى اسمٍ علّه يتكمّلُ

He squandered his youth and boyhood, moving

He wasted his youth and prime moving

from name to name, hoping to become complete.

From one name to another hoping to perfect himself

وبعضُ الرّقابِ بالأساميّ أطولُ

وبعضُ الرّقابِ بالأساميّ أطولُ

وبعضُ أسامينا هباتٍ تُنوَّلُ

وبعضُ أسامينا هباتٍ تُنوَّلُ

And some necks are longer through names,

Some necks are too long because of names

and some of our names are gifts bestowed.

And some of our names are mere gifts we carry

وكلٌّ يرى في الإسمِ مرقاةَ سلّمٍ

وكلٌّ يرى في الإسمِ مرقاةَ سلّمٍ

إذا لم يعجّلْ بالصّعود يُنزّلُ

إذا لم يعجّلْ بالصّعود يُنزّلُ

And everyone sees in a name a rung of a ladder;

And everyone sees in the name a ladder

if he does not hasten to ascend, he is brought down.

To climb up, otherwise he will be made to descend

وكلّ الأساميْ للزّوالِ مصيرُها

وكلّ الأساميْ للزّوالِ مصيرُها

كحالِ من استغنَوْا بها وتجمَّلوا

كحالِ من استغنَوْا بها وتجمَّلوا

And all names are destined to perish,

And all names are destined to pass away

like those who grew rich through them and adorned themselves.

Like the state of those who became content and adorned themselves with them

خلا ما أنالتْهُ السّما لمنِ اصطَفتْ

خلا ما أنالتْهُ السّما لمنِ اصطَفتْ

لها خلْدُ من سُمّوا بها وتجلّلوا

لها خلْدُ من سُمّوا بها وتجلّلوا

Except what heaven bestowed upon those it chose:

Except those whom the heavens have granted

theirs is the immortality of those who bore them and cloaked themselves in them.

Immortality to those named by them and wore them like crowns

وللنّاسِ فيمنْ قد سبَقنا بذكرِهِ

وللنّاسِ فيمنْ قد سبَقنا بذكرِهِ

عظاتٌ إذا عنها لهَوْا في الورى عُلُوا

عظاتٌ إذا عنها لهَوْا في الورى عُلُوا

And in the one we have already mentioned, people have

And in those who preceded us there are lessons

lessons—if they neglect them, they are surpassed among humankind.

If in life we rise above vain desires

تبَخْترَ في الفضاءِ نجْمًا ضياؤهُ

تبَخْترَ في الفضاءِ نجْمًا ضياؤهُ

اسْمهُ، إذ تخيّلَ السّما بهِ تجْمُلُ

اسْمهُ، إذ تخيّلَ السّما بهِ تجْمُلُ

He strutted in space, a star whose radiance

A star shone in the sky whose light

was his name, as he imagined heaven became beautiful through it.

Was its name, as the heaven imagined it adorned

تزلزلَ إذْ رأى الفناءَ مصيرَه

تزلزلَ إذْ رأى الفناءَ مصيرَه

وأنْ لا اسمَ أحيا ربّه وهْو راحلُ

وأنْ لا اسمَ أحيا ربّه وهْو راحلُ

He was shaken when he saw that extinction was his fate,

It shook when it saw its fate was to perish

and that no name kept its bearer alive as he departed.

And that no name revived its Lord when He departed

وهل غاثَ نورٌ نجمَهُ وهو يأفلُ

وهل غاثَ نورٌ نجمَهُ وهو يأفلُ

وهل بقيتْ أنوارُه وهْو يسْفُلُ

وهل بقيتْ أنوارُه وهْو يسْفُلُ

And did any light rescue its star as it set?

Did the light of its star avail it as it set?

And did its lights remain as it sank?

Did its lights remain as it sank low?

تنزّلَ باحثًا عن اسمٍ يديمُ ذكْ

تنزّلَ باحثًا عن اسمٍ يديمُ ذكْ

رَه بعد موتِه وعنْه يجادلُ

رَه بعد موتِه وعنْه يجادلُ

He descended, seeking a name to perpetuate his remem-

It descended searching for a name to perpetuate

brance after his death and plead on his behalf.

Its memory after death and argue on its behalf

إلى أنْ قضى ابتغاءَ مرضاة ربّهِ

إلى أنْ قضى ابتغاءَ مرضاة ربّهِ

فصارَ لهُ اسمٌ للجبالِ يُزلزلُ

فصارَ لهُ اسمٌ للجبالِ يُزلزلُ

Until he died seeking his Lord's pleasure,

Until it fulfilled seeking its Lord's approval

and so he came to have a name that shakes the mountains.

And so it was given a name that shakes mountains

تبسّمَ إذْ رأى الجنانَ أمامهُ

تبسّمَ إذْ رأى الجنانَ أمامهُ

ومن خلفهِ الدّنيا قفارًا تُجَفِّلُ

ومن خلفهِ الدّنيا قفارًا تُجَفِّلُ

He smiled when he saw the gardens of Paradise before him,

It smiled when it saw paradise before it

and behind him the world lay a frightening wasteland.

And the world behind it a desolate wasteland

وقال لجهلٍ في الجوارِ يُولولُ

وقال لجهلٍ في الجوارِ يُولولُ

إليّ بنعشٍ دون غسلٍ وحمّلوا

إليّ بنعشٍ دون غسلٍ وحمّلوا

And he said to ignorance wailing nearby:

And it said to the ignorant wailing around:

"Bring me a bier, without washing me, and carry me."

"Bring me a bier without a shroud and carry me

وأثنى على رسْلِ السّما وهي تقبلُ:

وأثنى على رسْلِ السّما وهي تقبلُ:

إلى جنّةِ السّماء بالنّفسِ عجِّلوا

إلى جنّةِ السّماء بالنّفسِ عجِّلوا

And he praised heaven's messengers as they approached:

And praise the messengers of heaven as they come:

"Hasten with the soul to heaven's garden!

‘Hasten with my soul to the paradise of heaven

وما أخلدَ اسمًا اصْطفتْهُ السّماءُ لي

وما أخلدَ اسمًا اصْطفتْهُ السّماءُ لي

عساكم مع الأيّامِ ألّا تُبدّلوا

عساكم مع الأيّامِ ألّا تُبدّلوا

And how everlasting is the name heaven has chosen for me!

No name the heaven chose to immortalize me

May you not change it as the days pass."

I hope with time you will not change it

وإنّ شهيدَ الحقّ فينا لأكملُ

وإنّ شهيدَ الحقّ فينا لأكملُ

ونيل رضا الله بدنياك أجْملُ

ونيل رضا الله بدنياك أجْملُ

And surely the martyr for truth is the most complete among us,

And the martyr of truth among us is most perfect

and winning God's pleasure in your earthly life is more beautiful.

Attaining God’s approval with your life most beautiful."