مُصابٌ أَسال سوادَ المُقَل

مُصابٌ أَسال سوادَ المُقَل

وأَدمى القلوبَ غداةَ نَزل

وأَدمى القلوبَ غداةَ نَزل

A calamity made the dark pupils of eyes stream,

A calamity that set the eyes' blackness flowing,

and bloodied hearts on the morning it struck.

and made hearts bleed the morning it befell.

فما أَبصرتَ مصرُ من مثلهِ

فما أَبصرتَ مصرُ من مثلهِ

وقد فُجعَت في العصور الأُوَل

وقد فُجعَت في العصور الأُوَل

Egypt has never beheld his like,

For Egypt has never seen its like,

though she suffered bereavements in bygone ages.

though she has been bereaved in ages past.

أَلا ودعي يا نفوسُ المنى

أَلا ودعي يا نفوسُ المنى

فقد غار بعد الفقيد الأمل

فقد غار بعد الفقيد الأمل

Ah, bid farewell, O souls of hope:

Ah, O souls, bid farewell to wishes,

after the departed, hope itself has set.

for hope has ebbed since the departed's passing.

هوى من سماهُ فكان دويٌّ

هوى من سماهُ فكان دويٌّ

كما لو هوى في خضم جبل

كما لو هوى في خضم جبل

He plunged from his heaven, and a thunderous crash arose,

He fell from his sky, and a roar arose,

as though a mountain had fallen into the deep.

as though a mountain had fallen into a vast sea.

لقد ثكلتهُ الكنانةُ فذاً

لقد ثكلتهُ الكنانةُ فذاً

كما ثكلتهُ جميعُ النَحَل

كما ثكلتهُ جميعُ النَحَل

The Quiver—Egypt—has lost him, a peerless man,

Egypt, the Quiver, has indeed lost him, a peerless man,

as all creeds and communities have lost him.

as all faiths have been bereaved of him.

فيا لهفَ نفسي على راحلٍ

فيا لهفَ نفسي على راحلٍ

بعيدِ المراد قصير الأجل

بعيدِ المراد قصير الأجل

Alas for my soul's grief over one departed,

Ah, my soul's anguish for one departed,

far-reaching in purpose, short in life.

far-reaching in aspiration, short-lived.

فقدناه بحراً وفقدُ البحار

فقدناه بحراً وفقدُ البحار

عزيزٌ ولم يبقَ إِلاَّ الوشَل

عزيزٌ ولم يبقَ إِلاَّ الوشَل

We lost an ocean in him; and the loss of oceans

We lost him, an ocean; and the loss of oceans

is grievous when nothing but a scant trickle remains.

is grievous; only a trickle remains.

لقد كان أصفى من الفجر ذهناً

لقد كان أصفى من الفجر ذهناً

وقد ضربوا بذكاهُ المثَل

وقد ضربوا بذكاهُ المثَل

His mind was clearer than the dawn,

His mind was indeed clearer than dawn,

and his brilliance became proverbial.

and they made his intelligence proverbial.

ولو لم يكن كوكباً نيراً

ولو لم يكن كوكباً نيراً

لما أَلبس الشرقَ أَبهى الحُلَل

لما أَلبس الشرقَ أَبهى الحُلَل

Had he not been a radiant star,

Had he not been a radiant star,

he could not have clothed the East in its fairest robes.

he would not have clothed the East in the most splendid robes.

فكيف ثوى في ضريحٍ صغيرٍ

فكيف ثوى في ضريحٍ صغيرٍ

وقد كان دون مداهُ زُحَل

وقد كان دون مداهُ زُحَل

How, then, can he lie in a little tomb,

How, then, did he rest in a small tomb,

when even Saturn fell short of his reach?

though Saturn lay beneath his reach?

وكيف حوى التُربُ صدراً رحيباً

وكيف حوى التُربُ صدراً رحيباً

تضيق بهِ شامخاتُ القلَل

تضيق بهِ شامخاتُ القلَل

How can the earth contain so spacious a breast,

And how did the dust contain a spacious breast,

when the loftiest peaks were too narrow for it?

which towering summits were too narrow to hold?

لقد أَلِف الرُّشدَ منذ الصبا

لقد أَلِف الرُّشدَ منذ الصبا

وما عرفت قدماهُ الزَّلل

وما عرفت قدماهُ الزَّلل

From childhood he was intimate with right guidance,

He had indeed known sound judgment since youth,

and his feet never knew a stumble.

and his feet had never known a stumble.

وقد كان في عصره أَوحداً

وقد كان في عصره أَوحداً

فريدَ الخصال جليلَ العمَل

فريدَ الخصال جليلَ العمَل

He was peerless in his age,

In his age he was indeed peerless,

singular in qualities, magnificent in deeds.

unique in character, noble in deeds.

إذا أنت عاشرتهُ خلتهُ

إذا أنت عاشرتهُ خلتهُ

اخا الليثِ حيناً وحيناً حمَل

اخا الليثِ حيناً وحيناً حمَل

If you kept his company, you would take him for

When you kept his company, you would think him

the lion's brother at one moment, at another a lamb.

a lion's brother at times, and at times a lamb.

يُدير عليكَ الحديثَ سُلافاً

يُدير عليكَ الحديثَ سُلافاً

ويُنسيكَ وقت الحديث العسَل

ويُنسيكَ وقت الحديث العسَل

He served you conversation like vintage wine,

He would serve you conversation as choice wine,

and in converse made you forget honey.

and make you forget honey while he spoke.

عزيمتهُ ما نبا غربُها

عزيمتهُ ما نبا غربُها

وهمتهُ ما اعتراها ملل

وهمتهُ ما اعتراها ملل

The edge of his resolve never turned or blunted,

The edge of his resolve never failed,

and weariness never overtook his aspiration.

and weariness never overtook his zeal.

قضى العمرَ وهو جريء الجنان

قضى العمرَ وهو جريء الجنان

فما شعرت نفسهُ بالوجل

فما شعرت نفسهُ بالوجل

He spent his life bold-hearted,

He spent his life bold of heart,

and his soul never felt fear.

so his soul never felt fear.

وقد كان حرَّ الضمير ابيا

وقد كان حرَّ الضمير ابيا

نزيهَ الفؤاد بدون دخل

نزيهَ الفؤاد بدون دخل

He was free in conscience, too proud to yield,

And he was free in conscience, unbowed,

pure of heart, without a stain.

pure of heart, without guile.

وقد كان في نفسهِ دولةً

وقد كان في نفسهِ دولةً

تدين له في النضال الدول

تدين له في النضال الدول

He was a state unto himself,

And he was indeed a state unto himself,

before which nations bowed in struggle.

to whom states submitted in struggle.

وقد كان في رأيه جحفلاً

وقد كان في رأيه جحفلاً

يفل الجيوش بدون أَسل

يفل الجيوش بدون أَسل

In counsel he was a mighty host,

And in thought he was a mighty host,

routing armies without spears.

that shattered armies without spears.

وخيرُ الورى عالمٌ لا يُبارى

وخيرُ الورى عالمٌ لا يُبارى

وأَجدرهم بالثنا من بذل

وأَجدرهم بالثنا من بذل

The best of humankind is a scholar none can rival,

And the best of humankind is a scholar without rival,

and most deserving of praise is one who gives.

and worthiest of praise among them is one who gives.

فهل عرف الرمسُ ايَّ حكيمٍ

فهل عرف الرمسُ ايَّ حكيمٍ

طوى في ثراهُ وايَّ بطل

طوى في ثراهُ وايَّ بطل

Does the grave know what a sage

Did the grave, then, know what sage

it has enfolded in its earth—and what a hero?

it enfolded in its dust, and what hero?

وهل عرفت مصرُ ما نابها

وهل عرفت مصرُ ما نابها

وهل شعرت بالمصاب الجلل

وهل شعرت بالمصاب الجلل

And has Egypt grasped what has befallen her?

And did Egypt know what had befallen her?

Has she felt the immensity of the calamity?

And did she feel the grievous calamity?

يحقُّ لها ان تنوح عليه

يحقُّ لها ان تنوح عليه

بدمعٍ سخينٍ يُذيب المُقل

بدمعٍ سخينٍ يُذيب المُقل

She has every right to mourn him

She has every right to lament him

with scalding tears that melt the eyes.

with hot tears that melt the eyes.

فمن للحصافةِ من بعدهِ

فمن للحصافةِ من بعدهِ

ومن ذا يُعالج منَّا العلل

ومن ذا يُعالج منَّا العلل

Who will tend the press after him?

Who, then, will uphold discernment after him?

Who now will treat its maladies?

And who among us will remedy the ills?

ومن للجلال ومَن للمعالي

ومن للجلال ومَن للمعالي

ومَن للبيان ومَن للجدل

ومَن للبيان ومَن للجدل

Who will uphold grandeur and lofty ideals?

And who for grandeur, and who for lofty pursuits?

Who will uphold eloquence and debate?

And who for eloquence, and who for debate?

سيرثيه لبناننا كلما

سيرثيه لبناننا كلما

أُصيب ما تفشَّى وباءُ الخطلُ

أُصيب ما تفشَّى وباءُ الخطلُ

Our Lebanon will mourn him whenever

Our Lebanon will lament him whenever

it is afflicted, so long as folly's plague spreads.

it is stricken as the plague of folly spreads.

أيوسف من ذا يُعيدُ الرجاءَ

أيوسف من ذا يُعيدُ الرجاءَ

الينا ومن ذا يَقينا الفشل

الينا ومن ذا يَقينا الفشل

O Yusuf, who now will restore hope

O Yusuf, who will restore hope

to us, and who will shield us from failure?

to us, and who will shield us from failure?

ومَن ذا يسدُّ الفراغ الذي

ومَن ذا يسدُّ الفراغ الذي

تركتَ ومَن ذا يسد الخلل

تركتَ ومَن ذا يسد الخلل

Who now will fill the void that

And who will fill the void that

you left, and who now will mend the breach?

you left, and who will mend the breach?