يا قبرُ اهنأ بما أُوتيتَ من ظَفَرِ

يا قبرُ اهنأ بما أُوتيتَ من ظَفَرِ

فقد حَوَيتَ كرامَ البدوِ والحَضَرِ

فقد حَوَيتَ كرامَ البدوِ والحَضَرِ

O grave, rejoice in the triumph you have been granted.

O grave, congratulations on what you have been given of victory

For you have held the noble people of desert and town.

For you have contained the nobles of nomads and settlers

حَويتَ مَن هزَّ ركنَ العلم مَصرعهم

حَويتَ مَن هزَّ ركنَ العلم مَصرعهم

من بعد ما أَلبسوهُ أَفخَرَ الحَبرِ

من بعد ما أَلبسوهُ أَفخَرَ الحَبرِ

You have held those whose deaths shook the pillar of learning,

You contained those who shook the pillar of knowledge with their deaths

after they had clothed it in the finest robes.

After they had worn the most splendid attire

حَويتَ كنزاً ثميناً لو عرَفت لهُ

حَويتَ كنزاً ثميناً لو عرَفت لهُ

قدراً لفَاخرتَ فيهِ أَثمنَ الدُرَرِ

قدراً لفَاخرتَ فيهِ أَثمنَ الدُرَرِ

You have held a precious treasure; had you known its

You contained a precious treasure, if only you knew

worth, you would have boasted of it in rivalry with the costliest pearls.

Its value, you would have boasted about it, the most precious gems

يا قبرُ لم تحوِ أرضٌ ما حَويتَ من الـ

يا قبرُ لم تحوِ أرضٌ ما حَويتَ من الـ

آدابِ والخُلُق الغرَّآءِ فافتخرِ

آدابِ والخُلُق الغرَّآءِ فافتخرِ

O grave, no land has held what you have held of

O grave, no land contains what you contain

letters and radiant virtue—so take pride.

Of etiquette, morals and virtuous character, so pride yourself

ويحي على كلِّ فردٍ منهمُ وعَلَى

ويحي على كلِّ فردٍ منهمُ وعَلَى

ما ضمَّ ذا القبرُ من شمسٍ ومن قَمَرِ

ما ضمَّ ذا القبرُ من شمسٍ ومن قَمَرِ

Woe is me for each one of them, and for

And woe to me for every individual among them and for

the sun and moon this grave has enclosed.

What this grave contains of sun and moon

يا قبر قد عادَ ابراهيمُ واأسفَى

يا قبر قد عادَ ابراهيمُ واأسفَى

يُضوَى إلى أسرَةٍ من أَتعسِ الأُسَرِ

يُضوَى إلى أسرَةٍ من أَتعسِ الأُسَرِ

O grave, Ibrahim has returned—oh, my sorrow!—

O grave, Ibrahim has returned and mourned

to be gathered into one of the unhappiest families.

To the most wretched of families

فأَيُّ عينٍ لهذا الخطب ما نَزفَت

فأَيُّ عينٍ لهذا الخطب ما نَزفَت

دماً وأيُّ فؤَآدٍ غير مُنفَطرِ

دماً وأيُّ فؤَآدٍ غير مُنفَطرِ

Then what eye, at this calamity, has not shed

So which eye did not shed blood for this misfortune

blood, and what heart is not broken?

And which heart is not broken

وَيلاهُ من نكدِ الأيَّام كم فَتكَت

وَيلاهُ من نكدِ الأيَّام كم فَتكَت

بنا ولم تُبق لي صبراً ولم تَذَرِ

بنا ولم تُبق لي صبراً ولم تَذَرِ

Alas for the misery of days! How often they have ravaged

And woe to me from the setbacks of days, how they destroyed

us, leaving me no patience and sparing nothing.

Us and left me no patience or composure

يا قبرُ أكرم نزيلاً حلَّ فيكَ ولا

يا قبرُ أكرم نزيلاً حلَّ فيكَ ولا

تُمتَعنَّ البلى من جسمهِ النَّضرِ

تُمتَعنَّ البلى من جسمهِ النَّضرِ

O grave, honor the guest who has settled within you, and do not

O grave, honor your guest who settled in you

let decay take pleasure in his radiant body.

And do not let decay touch his fresh body

من لي بخط يراعٍ منكَ مُبتَكرٍ

من لي بخط يراعٍ منكَ مُبتَكرٍ

كيما اخطُّ رثاءً فيكَ مُبتَكَرِ

كيما اخطُّ رثاءً فيكَ مُبتَكَرِ

Who will grant me original writing from your pen,

I wish I had the pen of a sharp poet

that I may write an original elegy for you?

So I could eulogize you with spontaneous elegy

يا مَن تَناولَت الأَقطارَ شهرتُهُ

يا مَن تَناولَت الأَقطارَ شهرتُهُ

وعمَّ نورُ ضياهُ أَبعدَ الجُزُرِ

وعمَّ نورُ ضياهُ أَبعدَ الجُزُرِ

O you whose fame reached all lands,

O you whose fame reached all corners

and whose radiant light spread to the remotest islands;

And the light of your glow illuminated the farthest islands

مَن للمَحابر والأَقلامِ بعدَكُم

مَن للمَحابر والأَقلامِ بعدَكُم

وَمن لجمعِ صَحيح القول مُنتَثرِ

وَمن لجمعِ صَحيح القول مُنتَثرِ

who will care for the inkwells and pens after you,

After you who will bring eloquent words together

and who will gather the sound sayings that lie scattered?

Scattered and speak rightfully for platforms and pens

فأَيُّ فنٍ وَما كنتَ الخبيرُ بهِ

فأَيُّ فنٍ وَما كنتَ الخبيرُ بهِ

وايُّهُ لم تُعِرهُ صادقَ النَظَرِ

وايُّهُ لم تُعِرهُ صادقَ النَظَرِ

Then in what art were you not an expert,

Which art were you not an expert of

and to which did you not lend your discerning gaze?

And which did you not survey with truthful insight

يا مَن مَضَى وَجميلُ الصبر يتبعُهُ

يا مَن مَضَى وَجميلُ الصبر يتبعُهُ

هل من سبيلٍ إلى لقياك مُنتَظرِ

هل من سبيلٍ إلى لقياك مُنتَظرِ

O you who have gone, with gracious patience following you,

O you who passed away while beautiful patience follows him

is there any hope of a path to meeting you?

Is there a way to meet you while I longingly wait

قد كُنتَ مني مكان الروح من جَسَدي الـ

قد كُنتَ مني مكان الروح من جَسَدي الـ

ـمُضنَى وكُنت مَكانَ النورمن بَصَري

ـمُضنَى وكُنت مَكانَ النورمن بَصَري

You were to me what the soul is to my body—

You were to me like the soul to my grieving body

enfeebled—and you were what light is to my sight.

And like the light to my vision

إن كانت العين مني لاَ تراكَ فقد

إن كانت العين مني لاَ تراكَ فقد

يَراكَ قلبي وإن غيّبتَ عن نَظَرَي

يَراكَ قلبي وإن غيّبتَ عن نَظَرَي

If my eye does not see you, yet

If my eyes cannot see you, then my heart can see you

my heart sees you, though you are hidden from my sight.

Even if you disappear from my sight

عليكَ رحمةُ ربّ العرش ما عَبَقت

عليكَ رحمةُ ربّ العرش ما عَبَقت

لسنُ الدُهُور بريَّا ذكرك العطرِ

لسنُ الدُهُور بريَّا ذكرك العطرِ

May the mercy of the Lord of the Throne be upon you, as long as

Upon you the mercy of the Lord of the Throne for as long

the tongues of the ages exude the scent of your fragrant remembrance.

As the orbits of time your fragrant mention endured