1. رَيبُ المَنون بِسيفه المَشهورِ

    أَخنى عَلى المَجهول وَالمَشهورِ

    Death's ravages, with its unsheathed sword,

    have laid low the unknown and the renowned.

  2. وَلَكَم لَهُ في الفَتك صائبُ أَسهُمٍ

    تُصمي فُؤادَ مسامر وَسَمير

    And how many unerring arrows it has for slaughter,

    that fatally pierce the heart of nighttime talker and companion.

  3. وَلَهُ عَلَينا كُلَّ يَوم صَولةٌ

    لَم يُطفِ مِنها الدَمعُ حَرَّ زَفير

    And every day it launches an assault upon us,

    whose burning sigh no tears have quenched.

  4. لَم يَنجُ ذُو ضَعف وَلا ذُو قُوّة

    مِن هَول مَصرع بَطشه المَقدور

    Neither the weak nor the strong have escaped

    the terror of being felled by its ordained assault.

  5. وَلِكُل مَخلوق رَحيلٌ عاجلٌ

    أَو آجل يَأتي بِلا تَأخير

    And every creature has a departure, whether soon

    or late, that comes without delay.

  6. تَبّاً لِدُنيانا الَّتي غاراتُها

    لا تَنقضي وَتدلُّنا بِغُرور

    A curse upon our world, whose raids

    never cease, while it leads us on with deceit.

  7. إِن أَضحَكت أَبكَت وَإِن هِيَ سالمت

    غَدرت وَما تَنفك في تَدمير

    If it makes us laugh, it makes us weep; and if it makes peace,

    it betrays, and never ceases to destroy.

  8. ما تَحتَ عمرٍ طالَ فيها طائلٌ

    فَاربأ بِعمرك فَهيَ دار الزُور

    There is no benefit in a life prolonged within it;

    so safeguard your life, for it is the abode of falsehood.

  9. تَأَمينها خَوف وَراحَتُها عَنا

    وَالصَفو مِنها شِيبَ بِالتَكدير

    Its assurance of safety is fear, and its rest is toil,

    and its serenity is mingled with distress.

  10. فَإلامَ تَطمَعُ في البَقاء وَقَد مَضى

    شَيخُ التُقى عَن منبر وَسَرير

    Then how long do you hope to live on, when there has departed

    the sheikh of piety, leaving pulpit and couch—

  11. الجَوهريُّ محمدُ بن محمدٍ

    بَحرُ العَطاء الزاخر المَوفور

    al-Jawhari, Muhammad ibn Muhammad,

    a brimming, abundant sea of generosity,

  12. وَالعلمِ وَالمَجدِ المؤثَّل وَالذَكا

    وَالحَزمِ وَالإِقدام وَالتَدبير

    and learning, deep-rooted glory, and intelligence,

    and resolve, boldness, and planning,

  13. وَالحلم وَالشَرَف الرَفيع وَما بهِ

    يَمتاز بَين الناس كُل خَطير

    and forbearance, lofty honor, and all that

    sets every eminent man apart among the people?

  14. أَكرم بِهِ مِن مُرشدٍ وَخَليفةٍ

    لِلشاذلّي القطب ذي التَنوير

    How noble a guide and successor he is

    to al-Shadhili, the spiritual Pole endowed with illumination!

  15. وَأَجلّ مِن أَحيا مآثرَ جده

    بِوفور عزم في القِتال شَهير

    And he is the greatest reviver of his forebear's exploits,

    renowned for abundant resolve in battle.

  16. فَالجَد سَيف اللَه خالدٌ الَّذي

    بِثَباته قَد هان كُلُّ عَسير

    For his forebear was Khalid, the Sword of God, who

    by his steadfastness made every hardship easy,

  17. وَسَطا عَلى مَن صَدّ عَن دين الهُدى

    فَرماهمُ مِن سَيفه بِثبور

    and assailed those who turned away from the faith of guidance,

    then hurled ruin upon them from his sword.

  18. وَأَذلَّ مَن شَق العَصا وَأَعزَّ من

    نال المُنى وَأَطاع خَير بَشير

    And he humbled those who split the staff of unity, and exalted those who

    attained their desires and obeyed the best bearer of glad tidings.

  19. وَبِهِ اِقتَدى هَذا السَليل فسرَّهُ

    بِنَجاحه في سَعيه المَشكور

    And this descendant followed his example, and gladdened him

    through his success in his praiseworthy striving.

  20. وَسَما بِإِقبالٍ وَساد بهمةٍ

    مَصحوبة بِالعز وَالتَوقير

    And he rose with good fortune and gained eminence through resolve

    accompanied by honor and reverence.

  21. وَعَلى أَبيه لَقَد تَخرّج فائِقاً

    في علمه بِالسَبق وَالتَحرير

    And under his father he completed his training, truly excelling

    in his learning through distinction and precise exposition.

  22. وَقَد اِزدَهى بَينَ الوَرى بِكَرامة

    خَصَّت علاه بِحظوة وَسُرور

    And he shone among mankind with an honor

    that singled out his eminence for favor and joy.

  23. يا أَيُّها الشَيخ الَّذي حَسناته

    جلَّت عَن الإِحصاء وَالتَقدير

    O sheikh, whose good deeds

    surpass counting and reckoning,

  24. إِن الجِنان تَزخرفت لَكَ فَاِبتَهج

    وانعم وَدُم في لَذةٍ وَحبور

    indeed, the gardens of Paradise have adorned themselves for you; rejoice,

    and enjoy bliss, and abide in pleasure and joy.

  25. وَابلغ نِهاية ما تَروم ممتَّعاً

    فيها بِحُسن ختامك المَأجور

    And attain the utmost of what you desire, enjoying

    there the beauty of your rewarded end.

  26. وَعَليك رُضوان المهيمن ما دَعا

    لِلّه بِالتَهليل وَالتَكبير

    And may the All-Watchful's favor be upon you, as long as one calls

    to God with 'There is no god but God' and 'God is greatest,'

  27. أَو قالَ مَجدي في رثاك مؤرخاً

    بُشراي سُرَّ الجَوهري بِالحُور

    or Majdi says in your elegy, recording the date:

    'Glad tidings to me: al-Jawhari has been gladdened by the houris.'