1. I weep and the eye of the East weeps with me
For the eloquent, brilliant Arab writer
١. أَبكي وَعَينُ الشَرقِ تَبكي مَعي
عَلى الأَريبِ الكاتِبِ الأَلمَعي
2. The water of tears flowed for his sake
Increasing his generosity over the obedient
٢. جَرى عَصِيُّ الدَمعِ مِن أَجلِهِ
فَزادَ في الجودِ عَلى الطَيِّعِ
3. A loss for the East and its glory
The absence of the miraculous, creative genius
٣. نَقصٌ مِنَ الشَرقِ وَمِن زَهوِهِ
فَقدُ اليَراعِ المُعجِزِ المُبدِعِ
4. Egypt has no fortune among its men
Nor Syria among its most handsome
٤. لَيسَ لِمِصرٍ في رِجالاتِها
حَظٌّ وَلا لِلشامِ في أَروَعِ
5. An affliction for Sarrouf, an affliction for decorum
Let every heart that comprehends weep for him
٥. مُصابُ صَرّوفٍ مُصابُ النُهى
فَليَبكِهِ كُلَّ فُؤادٍ يَعي
6. Honored yesterday, today his shroud
Is woven by the fates for his demise
٦. كُرِّمَ بِالأَمسِ وَأَكفانُهُ
تَنسِجُها الأَقدارُ لِلمَصرَعِ
7. O maker of pearls, fashion them for his honor
To spare him from tears
٧. يا صائِغَ الدُرِّ لِتَكريمِهِ
صُغهُ لِمَنعاهُ مِنَ الأَدمُعِ
8. He adorned knowledge with his ethics
And lived full of insight and hearing
٨. قَد زَيَّنَ العِلمَ بِأَخلاقِهِ
فَعاشَ مِلءَ العَينِ وَالمَسمَعِ
9. Humility while arrogance was the habit of the lad
Devoid of merit, he did not benefit
٩. تَواضُعٌ وَالكِبرُ دَأبُ الفَتى
خَلا مِنَ الفَضلِ فَلَم يَنفَعِ
10. The humility of knowledge has a brilliance
At which the insolence of the pretentious crumbles
١٠. تَواضُعُ العِلمِ لَهُ رَوعَةٌ
يَنهارُ مِنها صَلَفُ المُدَّعي
11. The garb of merit has a insignia
More radiant than sword and cannon
١١. وَحُلَّةُ الفَضلِ لَها شارَةٌ
أَزهى مِنَ السَيفَينِ وَالمِدفَعِ
12. He satisfies those who gain his knowledge
Yet he was never sated from seeking it
١٢. يُشبِعُ مَن حَصَّلَ مِن عِلمِهِ
وَهوَ مِنَ التَحصيلِ لَم يَشبَعِ
13. Seeming a student from his early rising
Racing the dawn to the horizon
١٣. مُبَكِّرٌ تَحسَبُهُ طالِباً
يُسابِقُ الفَجرَ إِلى المَطلَعِ
14. Illnesses wasted his ribs
While his head was busy beyond his sides
١٤. قَد غالَتِ الأَسقامُ أَضلاعَهُ
وَالرَأسُ في شُغلٍ عَنِ الأَضلُعِ
15. He died with a sword still in his fingers
Unrelenting in combat and decisive arguments
١٥. ماتَ وَفي أَنمُلِهِ صارِمٌ
لَم يَنبُ في الضَربِ عَنِ المَقطَعِ
16. For fifty years his companion never
Broke a promise to him or was deceitful
١٦. صاحَبَهُ خَمسينَ عاماً فَلَم
يَخُن لَهُ عَهداً وَلَم يَخدَعِ
17. Successful, inspired wherever he went
Never straying from the path in his pursuits
١٧. مُوَفَّقاً أَنّى جَرى مُلهَماً
ما ضَلَّ في الوِردِ عَنِ المَشرَعِ
18. None guided him but his Lord
No ignorant or fraudulent person led him astray
١٨. لَم يَبرِهِ بارٍ سِوى رَبِّهِ
وَلَم يَحُزهُ جاهِلٌ أَو دَعي
19. In transmitting and authoring he surpassed
Ibn Bakr and al-Asma'i in scope
١٩. في النَقلِ وَالتَصنيفِ أَربى عَلى
مَدى اِبنِ بَحرٍ وَمَدى الأَصمَعي
20. What path of guidance did he not walk
What door did he not knock and open
٢٠. أَيَّ سَبيلٍ لِلهُدى لَم يَرِد
وَأَيُّ بابٍ مِنهُ لَم يَقرَعِ
21. He picks and chooses the flowers
Like bees, not neglecting the freshest
٢١. يَقتَطِفُ الزَهرَ وَيَختارُهُ
كَالنَحلِ لا يَعفو عَنِ الأَينَعِ
22. You'd think the readers were in a garden
Their minds grazing in its meadows
٢٢. فَتَحسَبُ القُرّاءَ في جَنَّةٍ
عُقولُهُم في رَوضِها تَرتَعي
23. Sarrouf, you have not gone far, it was not you
Laid down in that final resting place
٢٣. صَرّوفُ لا تَبعُد فَلَستَ الَّذي
يَطويهِ طاوي ذَلِكَ المَضجَعِ
24. Death silenced you but it did not
Silence your legacy in the academy
٢٤. أَسكَتَكَ المَوتُ وَلَكِنَّهُ
لَم يُسكِتِ الآثارَ في المَجمَعِ
25. Mention of you is ever connected
To the institute of knowledge and the factory
٢٥. ذِكراكَ لا تَنفَكُّ مَوصولَةً
في مَعهَدِ العِلمِ وَفي المَصنَعِ