1. Do not decay, O handsome youth,
Do not despair, O noble heart,
١. لا تَبِنْ أَيُّهَا المُحَيَّا الْوَسِيمُ
لا تَهُنْ أَيُّهَا الْفُؤَادُ الكَرِيمُ
2. Do not be erased, O devoted friend,
Never cease, O resident mourned one,
٢. لا تَمْحُ أَيُّهَا الصَّدِيقُ المُفَدَّى
لا تَزُلْ أَيُّهَا الفَقِيدُ المُقِيمُ
3. To be good mention, everlastingly, in our conscience,
And your image drawn in our thoughts,
٣. أَبَداً فِي ضَمِيرِنَا طِيبُ ذِكْرَا
كَ وَفِي الْفِكْرِ وَجْهُكَ المَرْسُومُ
4. Does my soul's yearning for you avail aught,
When destruction is so vile?
٤. لَهْفَ نَفْسِي عَلَيْكَ هَلْ ذَاكَ مُغْنٍ
مِنْ بَقَاءٍ إِنَّ الرَّدَى لَذَمِيمُ
5. No! By my life, we shall not deny fate
A favor ending thereat all worries,
٥. لا لَعمْرِي لا نَجْحَدَنَّ المَنَايَا
مِنَّةً تَنْتَهِي لَدَيْهَا الْهُمُومُ
6. Verily this life is a mocker
Fulfilling with toil, what a painful vessel!
٦. إِنَّ هَذِي الْحَيَاةَ سُخْرِيَةٌ تُق
ضَى بِجِدٍّبِئْسَ الطِّبَاقِ الأَلِيمُ
7. Oh, would that the separation be not,
While you are the wise one!
٧. آهِ لَوْى الْبَنُونَ مَا كَانَ أَرْضَا
كَ بِنَأْيٍ عَنْهَا وَأَنْتَ حَكِيمُ
8. Strong, then in an instant, weak,
Healthy, then in moments, sick,
٨. أَقَوِيٌّ وَبَعْدَ آنٍ ضَعِيفٌ
أَصَحِيحٌ وَفِي ثَوَانٍ سَقِيمٌ
9. Rising like a lion, then
Slaughtered piecemeal, a withered corpse.
٩. أَنَهُوضٌ كَاللَّيْثِ ثُمَّ لَقىً
يُبْضَعُ بَضْعاً فَجُثَّةٌ فَرَمِيمُ
10. Turn to God, there lies the greatest rest,
And therein is everlastingness, O delicate one,
١٠. صِرْ إِلَى اللهِ ثَمَّةَ الرَّاحَةِ الكُبْ
رَى وَثَمَّ الْخُلُودُ يَا نَعُّومُ
11. That, after misery and disease, is a house
Wherein for you are bloom and bliss.
١١. تِلْكَ بَعْدَ الشَّقَاءِ وَالدَّاءِ دَارٌ
لَكَ فِيهَا نَضَارَةٌ وَنَعِيمُ
12. A momentous affair has perished in your death,
An outstanding worker among his people.
١٢. إِنَّ أَمْراً دَهَى بِمَوْتِكَ أَحْيَا
عَامِلٍ بَيْنَ قَوْمِهِ لَجَسِيمُ
13. You have broken the hearts since you traveled away,
And they remain silent now, O perfect one.
١٣. كضمْ فُؤَادٍ كَسَرْتَهُ أَيُّهَا الْجَا
بِرُ مُنْذُ ارْتَحَلْتَ فَهْوَ كَلِيمُ
14. O my people! When we encourage
Each other with patience, the matter is outright.
١٤. يَا لَقَوْمِي إِنَّا إِذَا مَا تَوَاصَيْ
نَا بِصَبْرٍ فَالخَطْبُ خَطْبٌ عَمِيمُ
15. We have lost a noble, learned youth,
His nobility and learning magnified the loss.
١٥. قَدْ رُزِئْنَا فَتَى عُلًى وَعُلُومٍ
أَكْبَرَتْ رُزْءهُ العُلَى وَالْعُلُومُ
16.
A poet, a prose writer, obeyed by poetry,
١٦. شَاعِرٌ نَاثِرٌ يُطَاوِعُهُ المَنْثُو
رُ أَعْصَى مَا كَانَ وَالمَنْظُومُ
17. The most refractory, and the composed.
He chronicled news, nothing of new escaped him,
١٧. أَرَّخَ النُّوبَ لَمْ يَفُتْهُ حَدِيثٌ
مُسْتَفَادٌ وَلَمْ يَفُتْهُ قَدِيمُ
18. Nothing of old evaded him.
The relics of glory talked to him in the mount,
١٨. كَلَّمَتْهُ فِي الطورِ آثَارُ مَجْدٍ
خَرِسَتْ بَعْدَ أَنْ تَوَلَّى الكَلِيمُ
19. They fell silent after the trusted one passed away.
O my people! The brave one who would redeem
١٩. يَا لَقَوْمِي مَاتَ الشُّجَاعُ الَّذِي كَا
نَ يُفَدَى حِمَاهُ وَهْوَ مَضِيمُ
20. His protective pact though under duress, has died.
The benefactor, the defender from harm,
٢٠. صَانِعُ الخَيْرِ دَافِعُ الضَّيْرِ كَشَّ
افُ الظُّلامَاتِ إِنْ دَعَا المَظْلُومُ
21. The dispeller of darkness, if the oppressed called.
The most righteous companion, dutiful to his family,
٢١. أَلقَرِينُ الأَبَرُّ بِالأَهْلِ وَالخِ
لُّ الَّذِي عِنْدَهُ الوَفَاءُ الصَّمِيمُ
22. Sincere in his loyalty, and of strong conscience.
The rightly-guided father, whose moral traits in his children,
٢٢. أَلأَبُ الرَّاشِدُ الَّذِي فِي بَنِيهِ
خُلْقُهُ السَّمْحُ وَالضَّمِيرُ القَوِيمُ
23. Are kindness, and upright nature.
So console yourselves, O his family,
٢٣. فَعَزَاءً يَا آلَهُ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ
يَهِنُ العَزْم وَالمُصَابُ عِظَيمُ
24. Though resolve weakens, and the affliction is great,
The plentiful tears have watered his grave,
٢٤. سَقَتِ الأَدْمُعُ الغِزَارُ ثَرَاهُ
وَتَلَقَّاهُ فِي رِضَاهُ الرَّحِيمِ