أَجادَ مَطرانٌ كَعاداتِهِ

أَجادَ مَطرانٌ كَعاداتِهِ

وَهَكَذا يُؤثَرُ عَن قُسِّ

وَهَكَذا يُؤثَرُ عَن قُسِّ

Matran excelled, as is his custom,

The rain poured down as was its habit,

and so it is told of Quss.

And thus it chooses to fall gently.

فَإِن أَقِف مِن بَعدِهِ مُنشِداً

فَإِن أَقِف مِن بَعدِهِ مُنشِداً

فَإِنَّما مِن طِرسِهِ طِرسي

فَإِنَّما مِن طِرسِهِ طِرسي

So if I stand after him to recite,

If after it I stand reciting,

then my page is drawn only from his page.

I take from its dripping my dripping.

وَإِن رَأَيتُم في يَدي زَهرَةً

وَإِن رَأَيتُم في يَدي زَهرَةً

فَإِنَّها مِن ذَلِكَ الغَرسِ

فَإِنَّها مِن ذَلِكَ الغَرسِ

And if you see a flower in my hand,

And if you see in my hand a flower,

then it comes from that planting.

It is from that planting.

رَثى حَبيباً وَرَثى بَعدَهُ

رَثى حَبيباً وَرَثى بَعدَهُ

لِذَلِكَ الموفي عَلى الرِمسِ

لِذَلِكَ الموفي عَلى الرِمسِ

He mourned Habib, and afterward took pity

He eulogized a loved one and eulogized after him

on that man poised at the grave's brink.

That loyal one over the grave.

كانا إِذا ما ظَهَرا مِنبَراً

كانا إِذا ما ظَهَرا مِنبَراً

حَلّا مِنَ السامِعِ في النَفسِ

حَلّا مِنَ السامِعِ في النَفسِ

Whenever they both mounted a platform,

They were, whenever they took the pulpit,

they lodged in the listener's soul.

Solace to the hearts of the listeners.

فَأَصبَحا هَذا طَواهُ الرَدى

فَأَصبَحا هَذا طَواهُ الرَدى

وَذاكَ نَهبٌ في يَدِ البُؤسِ

وَذاكَ نَهبٌ في يَدِ البُؤسِ

Now, of the two, death has enfolded this one,

So they became - this one cloaked in dust

and that one is plunder in misery's hand.

And that one prey in the hand of misery.

لَولا سَليمٌ لَم يَقُل قائِلٌ

لَولا سَليمٌ لَم يَقُل قائِلٌ

وَلَم يَجُد مَن جادَ بِالأَمسِ

وَلَم يَجُد مَن جادَ بِالأَمسِ

Were it not for Salim, no speaker would have spoken,

If it were not for Suleiman, none would have said

nor would the one who gave yesterday have given.

Nor found one who was generous yesterday.

لِلَّهِ ما أَشجَعَهُ إِنَّهُ

لِلَّهِ ما أَشجَعَهُ إِنَّهُ

ذو مِرَّةٍ فينا وَذو بَأسِ

ذو مِرَّةٍ فينا وَذو بَأسِ

God be praised, how brave he is! He is

By God, how bold he is! He

a man of strength among us, and a man of valor.

Has in us carefulness and might.

يَقومُ في مَشروعِهِ نافِذاً

يَقومُ في مَشروعِهِ نافِذاً

كَأَنَّهُ عَنتَرَةُ العَبسي

كَأَنَّهُ عَنتَرَةُ العَبسي

He proceeds resolutely with his undertaking,

He stands in his project assured

as though he were Antarah al-Absi.

As if he were Antarah Al-Absi.

تَلقاهُ في الجِدِّ كَما تَبتَغي

تَلقاهُ في الجِدِّ كَما تَبتَغي

وَتارَةً تَلقاهُ في الهَلسِ

وَتارَةً تَلقاهُ في الهَلسِ

In serious matters, you find him just as you wish,

You meet him in earnest as you wish

and at times you find him jesting.

And at times you meet him in jest.

سَركيسُ إِن راقَكَ ما قُلتُهُ

سَركيسُ إِن راقَكَ ما قُلتُهُ

في مَعرِضِ الهَزلِ فَقُل مِرسي

في مَعرِضِ الهَزلِ فَقُل مِرسي

Sarkis, if you like what I have said

Sarkis, if you like what I said

in jest, then say 'merci'.

In the manner of jest, then say "throw."

أُقسِمُ بِاللَهِ وَآلائِهِ

أُقسِمُ بِاللَهِ وَآلائِهِ

بِعَرشِهِ بِاللَوحِ بِالكُرسِي

بِعَرشِهِ بِاللَوحِ بِالكُرسِي

I swear by God and His blessings,

I swear by God and his signs,

by His Throne, by the Tablet, by the Seat,

By his throne, by the tablet, by the seat,

بِالخُنَّسِ الكُنَّسِ في سَبحِها

بِالخُنَّسِ الكُنَّسِ في سَبحِها

بِالبَدرِ في مَرآهُ بِالشَمسِ

بِالبَدرِ في مَرآهُ بِالشَمسِ

by the stars that recede and hide as they swim,

By the hidden stars in their swimming,

by the full moon as it appears, by the sun,

By the moon in its reflection, by the sun,

بِأَنَّ هَذا عَمَلٌ صالِحٌ

بِأَنَّ هَذا عَمَلٌ صالِحٌ

قامَ بِهِ هَذا الفَتى القُدسي

قامَ بِهِ هَذا الفَتى القُدسي

that this is a righteous deed,

That this is righteous work

undertaken by this saintly young man.

Done by this young holy man.

ذَكَّرَنا وَالمَرءُ مِن نَفسِهِ

ذَكَّرَنا وَالمَرءُ مِن نَفسِهِ

وَعَيشِهِ في شاغِلٍ يُنسي

وَعَيشِهِ في شاغِلٍ يُنسي

He reminded us—though a man's concern for himself

He reminded us, while man is busy

and his livelihood keeps him busy and makes him forget—

With himself and his living, forgetting,

بِالواجِبِ الأَقدَسِ في حَقِّ مَن

بِالواجِبِ الأَقدَسِ في حَقِّ مَن

باعَتهُ مِصرٌ بَيعَةَ الوَكسِ

باعَتهُ مِصرٌ بَيعَةَ الوَكسِ

of the holiest duty owed to one

Of the most sacred duty to one

whom Egypt sold at a loss.

Whom Egypt sold in the sale of the cheated.

هَذا أَبو العَدلِ فَمَن خالَهُ

هَذا أَبو العَدلِ فَمَن خالَهُ

حَيّاً فَما خالَ سِوى العَكسِ

حَيّاً فَما خالَ سِوى العَكسِ

This is Abu al-Adl; so whoever thinks him

This is the father of justice, so whoever opposed him

alive has imagined only the opposite of the truth.

Alive, none opposed but the opposite.

كانَت لَهُ في حَلقِهِ ثَروَةٌ

كانَت لَهُ في حَلقِهِ ثَروَةٌ

مِن نَبرَةٍ تُشجي وَمِن جَرسِ

مِن نَبرَةٍ تُشجي وَمِن جَرسِ

He once had a treasure in his throat,

He had in his throat a wealth

of a poignant tone and a resonant sound.

Of tone that stirs and of sound that rings.

فَغالَها الدَهرُ كَما غالَهُ

فَغالَها الدَهرُ كَما غالَهُ

حَتّى غَدا كَالطَلَلِ الدَرسِ

حَتّى غَدا كَالطَلَلِ الدَرسِ

Then time ravaged it, as it ravaged him,

But time made it expensive, as it made him expensive,

until he became like a ruin worn away.

Until he became like the ruined traces.

فَاِكتَسِبوا الأَجرَ وَلا تَبتَغوا

فَاِكتَسِبوا الأَجرَ وَلا تَبتَغوا

شِراءَهُ بِالثَمَنِ البَخسِ

شِراءَهُ بِالثَمَنِ البَخسِ

So earn the reward, and do not seek

So gain the reward and do not seek

to buy it at a paltry price.

To buy it for a paltry price.

إِنّي أَرى التَمثيلَ في غَمرَةٍ

إِنّي أَرى التَمثيلَ في غَمرَةٍ

غامِرَةٍ تَدعو إِلى اليَأسِ

غامِرَةٍ تَدعو إِلى اليَأسِ

Indeed, I see the theater in a flood of distress,

I see the curtain in a flood

engulfing, beckoning toward despair.

Abundant, calling to despair.

لَم يَرمِهِ في شَرخِهِ ما رَمى

لَم يَرمِهِ في شَرخِهِ ما رَمى

لَو كانَ مَبنِيّاً عَلى أُسِّ

لَو كانَ مَبنِيّاً عَلى أُسِّ

What struck it would not have struck it in its prime,

It would not hurt him in his crack what it threw

had it been built upon a foundation.

Had it been built on a foundation.

أَكُلَّما خَفَّت بِهِ صَحوَةٌ

أَكُلَّما خَفَّت بِهِ صَحوَةٌ

مِن دائِهِ عوجِلَ بِالنَكسِ

مِن دائِهِ عوجِلَ بِالنَكسِ

Must it, whenever a spell of recovery lifts it

However much a clarity weakened him

from its illness, be struck at once by relapse?

From his illness, he was quickly bent.

إِن تُغفِلوا دارِسَ آثارِهِ

إِن تُغفِلوا دارِسَ آثارِهِ

عَفّى عَلَيها الدَهرُ بِالطَمسِ

عَفّى عَلَيها الدَهرُ بِالطَمسِ

If you neglect its fading traces,

If you neglect the tracker of his traces

time will sweep over them, obliterating them.

Time has obscured them with the blot.

أَعجَزَها النُطقُ فَجاءَت بِنا

أَعجَزَها النُطقُ فَجاءَت بِنا

نَنوبُ عَن أَلسُنِها الخُرسِ

نَنوبُ عَن أَلسُنِها الخُرسِ

Speech was beyond them, so they brought us

Speech has failed them, so they came to us

to stand in for their mute tongues.

We stand in for their muted tongues.