شَلَّتْparalyzed مصيبةُthe calamity of موتِهاher death أركانيmy limbs
شَلَّتْ مصيبةُ موتِها أركاني
ماتَdied الكلامُspeech فماso ... not يقولُsays لسانيmy tongue
ماتَ الكلامُ فما يقولُ لساني
The calamity of her death has paralyzed my limbs.
Her death has shattered me to the core
Speech has died; my tongue says nothing
Speech has died, so my tongue says no more
غيرَexcept الذيwhat يُرضيpleases الإلهَGod لأنهُbecause He
غيرَ الذي يُرضي الإلهَ لأنهُ
مَنْwho قدindeed قضىdecreed هوHe صاحبُthe possessor of السلطانِsovereignty
مَنْ قد قضى هو صاحبُ السلطانِ
Except what pleases God, for He
Except that which pleases God, for He
Who decreed it is the possessor of sovereignty.
Is the Authority once decree is made
لاnot يستطيعُcan العبدُthe servant يسألُask ربَهُhis Lord
لا يستطيعُ العبدُ يسألُ ربَهُ
عنabout فعلِهِHis action فهوfor He العظيمُgreat الشانِin majesty
عن فعلِهِ فهو العظيمُ الشانِ
The servant cannot question his Lord
A servant cannot question what his Lord
About His action, for He is great in majesty.
Has ordained, for God is Great in might
كتبَHe ordained الفناءَmortality علىupon العبادِthe servants وإنهُand indeed He
كتبَ الفناءَ على العبادِ وإنهُ
حيٌEver-Living وقيومٌand All-Sustaining مدىthroughout الأزمانِthe ages
حيٌ وقيومٌ مدى الأزمانِ
He ordained mortality for His servants, and indeed He
To all mortals, death is surely writ
Is Ever-Living and All-Sustaining throughout the ages.
Yet the Lord lives on for eternity
كتبَHe ordained الفناءَmortality علىupon العبادِthe servants جميعِهمall of them
كتبَ الفناءَ على العبادِ جميعِهم
سبحانَglory be to ربىmy Lord ليسَis not قَطُّever بفانِperishing
سبحانَ ربى ليسَ قَطُّ بفانِ
He ordained mortality for His servants, all of them.
To all mortals, death is surely writ
Glory be to my Lord—He never perishes.
Glory to my Lord who knows no end
أخفىHe concealed المماتَdeath عنfrom العبادِthe servants لحكمةٍfor a wise purpose
أخفى المماتَ عن العبادِ لحكمةٍ
حتىso that يجدَّmight strive الغافلُthe heedless one المتوانىthe laggard
حتى يجدَّ الغافلُ المتوانى
He concealed death from His servants for a wise purpose,
He hid death to serve a purpose wise
So that the heedless laggard might strive.
That the heedless and slow be chastised
أماهُO mother قدindeed رحلتْshe departed فأظلمتso grew dark الدُناthe worlds
أماهُ قد رحلتْ فأظلمت الدُنا
تبكىweep الدِماblood لرحيلِهاfor her departure العينانِthe two eyes
تبكى الدِما لرحيلِها العينانِ
O mother! She has departed, so the worlds grew dark.
My mother left and darkness befell
Both eyes weep blood at her departure.
With blood, eyes weep for her farewell
أبكىI weep .. وأبكىand I weep العمرَall my life فَقْدَthe loss of حبيبتىmy beloved
أبكى .. وأبكى العمرَ فَقْدَ حبيبتى
وودتُand I wished لوthat هذاthis البُكاweeping أعمانيhad blinded me
وودتُ لو هذا البُكا أعماني
I weep, and will weep all my life for the loss of my beloved.
I cry, I mourn my lost lifetime’s love
And I wished this weeping had blinded me,
Would that crying make me blind thereof
كيso that لاnot ترىsee عينايَmy two eyes غيرَother than حبيبتيmy beloved
كي لا ترى عينايَ غيرَ حبيبتي
حتىuntil اللِقاthe meeting فيin العالمِthe world النورانيluminous
حتى اللِقا في العالمِ النوراني
So that my eyes might see none but my beloved,
That my eyes see none but my dear love
Until our meeting in the world of light,
Till reunion in the world above
فيin ظلِthe shade of رحمةِthe mercy of ربِّناour Lord فيin جنةٍa garden
في ظلِ رحمةِ ربِّنا في جنةٍ
فيهاin it الثمارُthe fruits كثيرةُnumerous الألوانِcolors
فيها الثمارُ كثيرةُ الألوانِ
In the shade of our Lord's mercy, in a garden
In God’s shade and mercy, in Heaven
Where the fruits are of many colors.
Fruits aplenty, of many a hue
حيثُwhere النعيمُbliss ولاand no نعيمَbliss سوىexcept الذىthat which
حيثُ النعيمُ ولا نعيمَ سوى الذى
فيin "يونُسٍYunus " قدindeed جاءَwas mentioned فيin القرآنِthe Qur'an
في "يونُسٍ " قد جاءَ في القرآنِ
Where there is bliss—no bliss except what
Where bounty is, and no bounty but
Is mentioned in Yunus in the Qur'an.
That mentioned in Surah Yunus
أبكىI weep علىfor رمزِthe symbol of الفضائلِvirtues والتُقىand piety
أبكى على رمزِ الفضائلِ والتُقى
ياO ليتَif only مثواهاher resting place الكريمnoble حوانيhad held me
يا ليتَ مثواها الكريم حواني
I weep for the symbol of virtues and piety;
I mourn the paragon of virtue
Oh, if only her noble resting place held me!
Would that her noble grave host me too
كانتْshe used to تُصلىpray فيin الدياجرِthe deep darkness دائماًalways
كانتْ تُصلى في الدياجرِ دائماً
تدعوshe supplicates دعاءَthe supplication of الخائفِthe fearful one الولهانِthe distraught one
تدعو دعاءَ الخائفِ الولهانِ
She would always pray in the deep darkness,
She prayed always in lonely night
Offering the supplication of one fearful and distraught.
Like fearful beseeching anchorite
كانتshe used to تصومُfast إذاwhen الهواجرُthe scorching noons أقبَلَتْcame
كانت تصومُ إذا الهواجرُ أقبَلَتْ
تخشىshe fears عقابَthe punishment of اللهِGod فيin النيرانِthe fires
تخشى عقابَ اللهِ في النيرانِ
She would fast when the scorching noons came,
She fasted too when dawn was nigh
Fearing God's punishment in the fires.
Fearing hellfire, with sobbing cry
واللهُand God فيin القرآنِthe Qur'an قالَsaid مُطَمئِناًoffering reassurance
واللهُ في القرآنِ قالَ مُطَمئِناً
الخوفُfear والجناتُand the Gardens مقرونانِare paired
الخوفُ والجناتُ مقرونانِ
And God said in the Qur'an, offering reassurance:
God assures in Quran, verily
Fear and the Gardens are bound together.
Fear and Heaven walk hand in hand
لوif كلُّall أشعارِthe poems of الثناءِpraise نظمتُهاI composed them
لو كلُّ أشعارِ الثناءِ نظمتُها
هيهاتَfar from possible تُوفيdo justice to قَدْرَهاher worth أوزانيmy poetic meters
هيهاتَ تُوفي قَدْرَها أوزاني
If I composed every poem of praise,
If I weave all poetry's threads
My metrical verses could never do justice to her worth.
It falls short of her merits, alas
أحببتُهاI loved her الحبَّthe love الذيthat لاnot ينتهيends
أحببتُها الحبَّ الذي لا ينتهي
أبداًever ويبقىand remains العمرَthroughout life فيin وجدانيmy heart
أبداً ويبقى العمرَ في وجداني
I loved her with a love that does not end
I loved her with endless amour
Ever, and remains in my heart throughout my life.
In my soul, until my last hour
نبعُa wellspring of الحنانِtenderness فماso ... is nothing الحياةُlife بدونِهاwithout her
نبعُ الحنانِ فما الحياةُ بدونِها
إلاbut المماتُdeath وأعظمُand the greatest الخُسرانِloss
إلا المماتُ وأعظمُ الخُسرانِ
A wellspring of tenderness—so life without her is nothing
She was kindness and life devoid it
But death and the greatest loss.
Naught but death and utter blow
قدindeed كانَused to يُكْرِمُنيhonor me الإلهُGod لأجلِهاfor her sake
قد كانَ يُكْرِمُني الإلهُ لأجلِها
ياO ربLord أصْلِحْset right بعدَهاafter her ليfor me شانيmy affairs
يا رب أصْلِحْ بعدَها لي شاني
God indeed used to honor me for her sake;
God honoured me for her eminence
O Lord, set my affairs right for me after her passing.
Now God help and improve my luck
ياO ربLord واجعلْهاand place her بأعلىin the highest جَنَّةٍa garden
يا رب واجعلْها بأعلى جَنَّةٍ
هيshe والنبىُّand the Prophet لديكَin Your presence يلتقيانِthe two meet
هي والنبىُّ لديكَ يلتقيانِ
O Lord, and place her in the highest Garden,
Place her God in Heaven's crest
Where she and the Prophet meet in Your presence.
Prophet and she, your glorious guests