سِوى باكِيكَ مَنْ ينْهى الْعَذُولُ

وَغَيْرُ نَواكَ يَحْمِلُها الْحَمُولُ

None but the bereaved will forbid bereavement,

While none but the stricken one can endure it.

أَيُنْكَرُ يا مُحَمَّدُ لِي نَحِيبُ

وَقَدْ غالَتْكَ لِلأَيَّامِ غُولُ

O Muhammad, how can I not weep,

When destiny has afflicted you with its farces?

أذا الوَجْهِ الْجَمِيلِ وَقَدْ تَوَلَّى

قَبِيحٌ بَعْدَكَ الصَّبْرُ الْجَمِيلُ

That beautiful face has disappeared!

How disagreeable is beautiful patience after you!

رَحَلْتَ مُفارِقاً فَمَتى التَّلاقِي

وَبِنْتَ مُوَدِّعاً فَمَتى الْقُفُولُ

You departed parting company; when shall we unite?

And you left bidding adieu; when shall we return?

وَكنْتَ يَقِينَ مَنْ يَرْجُوكَ يَوْماً

فَأَنْتَ الْيَوْمَ ظَنٌّ مُسْتَحِيلُ

Once you were a certainty for those who hoped for you one day;

Today you are a futile assumption!

نَضَتْ بِكَ ثَوْبَ بَهْجَتِها اللَّيالِي

وَغالَ بَهاءَهُ الدَّهْرُ الْجَهُولُ

The nights have spoiled their attire of felicity through you,

While destiny eroded its beauty in obscurity.

وَلَوْ تَدْرِي الْحَوادِثُ ما جَنَتْهُ

بَكَتْكَ غَداةُ دَهْرِكَ والأَصِيلُ

And had the incidents known what they have made happen,

All creation on the morrow of your lifetime and the heir shall weep for you!

أَيا قَمَرَ الْعُلى بِمَنِ التَّسَلِّي

إِذا لَمْ تَسْتَنِرْ وَمَنِ الْبَدِيلُ

O moon of highness; who shall give solace

When you will not shine, and who shall replace you?

مَتى حالَتْ مَحاسِنَكَ اللَّواتِي

لَها في القَلْبِ عَهْدٌ لا يَحُولُ

When shall your delightful, graceful charms,

That in the heart exist a permanent pact, come again?

مَتى صالَ الْحِمامُ عَلى ابْنِ بَأْسٍ

بِهِ فِي كُلِّ مَلْحَمَةٍ يَصُولُ

When can the pigeon overcome the lion cub in conflict,

Wherein during each battle, it used to storm?

مَتى وَصَلَ الزَّمانُ إِلى مَحَلٍّ

إِلى دَفْعِ الزَّمانِ بِهِ الْوُصُولُ

When shall time reach a stage,

Where he through it can reach the relief?

سَأُعْوِلُ بِالْبُكاءِ وَأَيُّ خَطْبٍ

يَقُومُ بِهِ بُكاءٌ أَوْ عَوِيلُ

I shall bewail in weeping and what predicament

Can weeping or wailing fulfill?

فإِمّا خانَنِي جَلَدٌ عَزيزٌ

فَعِنْدِي لِلأَسى دَمْعٌ ذَلِيلُ

Either a firm nature deserted me,

So, for my agony I have a pliant tear.

وَما أُنْصِفْتَ إِنْ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبٌ

مِنَ الإِشْفاقِ أَوْ ذَهِلَتْ عُقُولُ

You were not done justice if some hearts became frightened

Out of apprehension or some minds got bewildered!

وَهَلْ قَدْرُ الرَّزِيَّةِ فَرْطُ حُزْنٍ

فَيُرْضِيَ فِيكَ دَمْعٌ أَوْ غَلِيلُ

Sufficing to compensate for your affliction,

Can a tear or a moan in your regard?

لَقَدْ أَخَذَ الأَسى مِنْ كلِّ قَلْبٍ

كَما أَخَذَتْ مِنَ السَّيْفِ الفُلُولُ

Sorrow has engulfed every heart,

Just as fleets engrossed the remnants of the sword!

وَما كَبِدٌ تَذُوبُ عَلَيْكَ وَجْداً

بِشافِيَةٍ ولا نَفْسٌ تسِيلُ

No liver melts away into grieving for you,

And no soul oozes out in sorrow!

فَيا قَبْراً حَوى الشَّرَفَ الْمُعَلَّى

وَضُمِّنَ لَحْدَهُ الْمَجْدُ الأَثِيلُ

So, O Grave, that preserved much loftiness,

Within its stones enclosed eternal glory!

أُحِلَّ ثَراكَ مِنْ كَرَمٍ غَمامٌ

وأُودِعَ فِيكَ مِنْ بَأْسٍ قَبِيلُ

Above your tomb, a bountiful cloud pours,

As if in you a triumphant tribe takes shelter!

حُسامٌ أَغْمَدَتْهُ بِكَ اللَّيالِي

سَيَنْحَلُّ فِيكَ مَضْرَبُهُ النَّحِيلُ

A sword that nights sheathed around you –

Its bright blade within you shall get unsheathed!

وَكانَ السَّيْفُ يُخْلِقُ كُلَّ جَفْنٍ

فَأَخْلَقَ عِنْدَكَ السَّيْفُ الصَّقِيلُ

Pigeons pecked at it, as well as other creations;

According to the rights of doves, this is lawful to them!

تَخَرّمَهُ الحِمامُ وَكُلُّ حَيٍّ

عَلَى حُكْمِ الْحِمامِ لَهُ نُزُولُ

So, O Allah, what a momentous occurrence!

Refined with Him, the momentous becomes trivial!

فَيا لِله أَيُّ جَلِيلِ خَطبٍ

دَقِيقٌ عِنْدَهُ الْخَطْبُ الْجَلِيلُ

Ah! What terror that it be dug open and thrown

Upon that beauty filthy soil!

أَما هَوْلٌ بِأَنْ يُحْثى وَيُلْقى

عَلَى ذاكَ الْجَمالِ ثَرىً مَهِيلُ

Ah! Were lances of writing broken in sorrow for you,

Or did writing pens get cut in pieces?

أَما انْدَقَّتْ رِماحُ الْخَطِّ حُزْناً

عَلَيْكَ أَما تَقَطَّعَتِ النُّصُولُ

Ah! Have castles been marked with sorrow, whereupon,

The stallions of champions and warriors got branded?

أَما وَسَمَ الْجِيادَ أَسىً فَتُحْمى

بِهِ غُرَرُ السَّوابِقِ وَالْحُجُولُ

Ah! Because of you, the full moons deteriorated,

Following your ever rise, came ever setting!

أَما ساءَ الْبُدُورَ وَأَنْتَ مِنها

طُلُوعٌ مِنْكَ أَعْقَبَهُ الأُفُولُ

Ah! I cry for trees have become green, for a branch

Resembling fragrant wood, withering soon befalls!

أَما أَبْكى الْغُصُونَ الْخُضْرَ غُصْنٌ

نَضِيرُ الْعُودِ عاجَلُه الذُّبُولُ

Oh! Has the time pitied upon an indisposed person

That regains health through his hope in the Physician?

أما رَقَّ الزَّمانُ عَلى عَلِيلٍ

يَصِحُّ بِبُرْئِهِ الأَمَلُ الْعَلِيلُ

Your rope with nights has been severed,

Thus is fate; it has no intimate companion!

تَقَطَّعَ بَيْنَ حَبْلِكَ وَاللَّيالِي

كَذاكَ الدَّهْرُ لَيْسَ لَهُ خَلِيلُ

And swiftly you migrated from lands

That after you level with wilderness to wilderness!

وَأَسْرَعْتَ التَّرَحُّلَ عَنْ دِيارٍ

سَواءٌ هُنَّ بَعْدَكَ وَالطُّلُولُ

The likes of you nights do not bestow,

But sometimes the miserly may show kindness!

وَمِثْلُكَ لا تَجُودُ بِهِ اللَّيالِي

وَلكِنْ رُبَّما سَمَحَ الْبَخِيلُ

You shamed living in any wicked homeland,

Where you saw that living therein means departing!

أَنِفْتَ مِنَ الْمُقامِ بِشَرِّ دارٍ

تَرى أَنَّ الْمُقامَ بِها رَحِيلُ

Good health has no benefit in a life

That is destined to lead to sickness!

وما خَيْرُ السَّلامَةِ فِي حَياةٍ

إِذا كانَتْ إِلى عَطَبٍ تَؤُولُ

Days are givers that take back what they give,

And foods they provide, provide for the glutton!

هِيَ الأَيّامُ مُعْطِيها أَخُوذٌ

لِما يُعْطِي وَمُطْعِمُها أَكُولُ

Incidents of each day pass by us

Wherein the slain are given the name “dead”!

تَمُرُّ بِنا وَقائِعُ كُلِّ يَوْمٍ

يُسَمّى مَيِّتاً فِيها الْقَتِيلُ

A stream showered you as it had showered before me clouds

That gather before their due site of downpour!

سَقاكَ وَمَنْ سَقى قَبْلِي سَحاباً

تُرَوَّضُ قَبْلَ مَوْقِعِهِ الْمَحُولُ

An obscuring haze that makes those wearing patched woolen jackets wander –

The sorrowful and the deserted plains lose their way in its obscurity!

غَمامٌ يُلْبِسُ الأهْضامَ وَشْياً

تَتِيهُ بِهِ الْحُزُونَةُ وَالسُّهولُ

As if the breeze of your fragrant breath is with it to guide

When the eastern scent-carrying wind passes by!

كَأَنَّ نَسِيمَ عَرْفِكَ فِيهِ يُهْدى

إِذا خَطَرَتْ بِهِ الرِّيحُ الْقَبُولُ

Like your generosity or your father’s bounty – A cloud

Profuse in drizzling, pouring forth heavy rain!

كَجُودِكَ أو كَجُودِ أَبِيكَ هامٍ

عَميمُ الْوَدْقِ مُنْبَجِسٌ هَطُولُ

Had it not been for a precedent with me for righteousness,

I would have said; a pure, flavorful, aromatic wine quenched you!

وَلَوْلا سُنَّةٌ لِلْبِرِّ عِنْدِي

لَقُلْتُ سَقَتْكَ صافِيَةٌ شَمُولُ

It made the envied realm’s patience violent and dry;

So, how can the way to patience remain?

أَعَضْبَ الدَّوْلَةِ الْمَأْمُولَ صَبْراً

وَكَيْفَ وَهَلْ إِلى صَبْرٍ سَبيلُ

You did not part from anyone that needs consolation, yet

Only lions that cubs’ departure grieves!

وَما فارَقْتَ مَنْ يُسْلى وَلكِنْ

سِوى الآسادِ تُحْزِنُها الشُّبُولُ

Branches perishing is no great ruin

If roots remain intact over all times!

وَما فَقْدُ الْفُرُوعِ كَبيرُ رُزْءٍ

إِذا سَلِمَتْ عَلى الدَّهْرِ الأُصُولُ

None shall solace you like your equal for an affliction

When pure pressed nectar contents you!

وَما عَزَّاكَ مِثْلُكَ عَنْ مُصابٍ

إِذا ما راضَكَ اللُّبُّ الأَصِيلُ

Your self-sufficiency appeases and your dispute decides,

While below what I say lies no significance!

سَدادُكَ مُقْنِعٌ وَحِجاكَ مُغْنٍ

وَدُونَكَ ما أَقُولُ فَما أَقُولُ

Your lofty glories have not diminished,

Nor shall time through them get prolonged!

فَلا قَصُرَتْ عَوالِيكَ الأَعالِي

وَلا زالَ الزَّمانُ بها يَطُولُ