روضا غرسته في الحياة نضيرا

عش رغم موتك يا أبي مشكورا

A garden you planted in life, lush and green—

Live on despite your death, my father, honored with gratitude.

علمتني معنى الحياة ببزك ال

أبوين فاسكن جنّة وحريرا

You taught me life's meaning through your devotion to the

two parents; so dwell in Paradise and wear silk.

أحسنت تربيتي فبت مراعيا

أحكام ما قررته تقريرا

You raised me well, so I became attentive

to the rules you had firmly laid down.

أوصيتني بالدين حتى خلتكم

محييه مذ شاهدت منك نظيرا

You counseled me in religion until I thought you

its reviver, since I saw in you a counterpart.

لم لا وصالح عصره ابن ملوكة

سماك منجيا فكان مشيرا

Why not? The righteous man of his age, Ibn Malluka,

called you a deliverer, thereby giving an indication.

كنت النزيه العرض حتى أن من

عادي أباك رأيت منه نصيرا

Your honor was so unstained that even someone who

had opposed your father—you found in him a supporter.

هذي الشهادة وحدها تكفي وهب

ما بعد ذلك لم يكن مذكورا

This testimony alone suffices; and suppose

what followed it had never been mentioned.

ذكروك بالحسنات في زمن الصبا

والعز لم تك وقتها مغرورا

They spoke of your virtues in the days of youth

and glory; you were not conceited then.

ورفضت دعوة من دعاك لخطة

عظمى وأرجعت الوظيف حقيرا

And you refused the invitation of one who offered you an office

of high rank, rejecting the post as trifling.

أظهرت بالشيم الكريمة عندها

شمما وإن كنت الصغير كبيرا

Through noble traits you showed, on that occasion,

lofty self-respect—great, though you were young.

تدري بأنك فوق كل وظيفة

شرفا وكنت ولا جدال جديرا

You knew you stood above every office

in honor, and were, beyond dispute, worthy.

من بيتك ارتفعت بيوت للورى

حتى استحقت بينها التصديرا

From your house rose households among the people,

until they deserved the foremost place among them.

الأم والأب في البلاد كلاهما

ركن المجادة لو غدوت فخورا

Mother and father, both in this land,

are pillars of nobility, if you wished to boast.

هذي من البيت الحسني درة

ضمت له الشرف المطهر نورا

She is a pearl from the Hasani house,

adding to it the light of purified honor.

وأبوك مخدوم الزمان وزيره

لو كان غدارا لبات أميرا

And your father was a master, with Time as his minister;

had he been treacherous, he would have become an emir.

وتقلبت فيك الليالي إنما

غالبتها فردا وكنت صبورا

And the nights turned upon you, yet

you battled them alone and remained patient.

لم تسط راحتها عليك ولم تحط

من قدرك الأسمى ولو قطميرا

Their palm did not overpower you, nor did they lower

your supreme worth, even by a date-stone's skin.

جاوزت حدا في العفاف كأنما

هو وجه من تهوى فعشت وقورا

You exceeded all measure in chastity, as though

it were your beloved's face; so you lived with dignity.

لم أنس زائرك الذي وافاك في ال

مرسى وكان إلى الحماة سفيرا

I have not forgotten your visitor, who came to you in

al-Marsa, an envoy to the protectors.

يدعوك للخطط الرفيعة يهتدي

بهداك فيها مرتضيك وزيرا

He called you to high offices, seeking guidance

from yours in them, choosing you as minister.

فرأيت والهادي اصطفاك لنفسه

إذ ذاك يحسب لو قبلت نفورا

You judged—al-Hadi having chosen you for himself—

that accepting then would be counted as turning away.

فشكرت معرضه ولست بمعرض

عنه فعاد وعدك المعذورا

So you thanked him for his offer, without turning away

from him; he returned and considered you excused.

وتخلصت للفضل نفسك حيث لم

تك جاهلا ما يلحق المأمورا

And your soul was wholly devoted to virtue, since you were not

ignorant of what befalls one under orders.

وقنعت منها بالشريط محليا

صدر الشريف فزدته تنويرا

And you were content with its ribbon, adorning

the noble breast, adding still more radiance.

هذي شمائلك التي خلدتها

تحيى بذكرك للنفوس شعورا

These are your qualities, which you made immortal;

they awaken feeling in souls through remembrance of you.

مهدت لي طرق النشيد وهذه

أنشودتي قد زدتها تعطيرا

You paved for me the paths of song, and this

is my song, whose fragrance you have deepened.

كنت الحريض على اكتسابه كلما

أنشدت بيتا منه بت قريرا

You were eager for its attainment; whenever

I recited a verse of it, you became content.

أبتي عليك غوادق الرحمات إذ

لا زلت أجني من رضاك زهورا

My dear father, may abundant mercies shower upon you, for

I never cease to gather flowers from your approval.

أبقيت لي وأخي بخطك دعوة

سطرتها لبرورنا تسطيرا

You left for me and my brother a prayer in your handwriting,

which you set down for our filial devotion.

هي أنفس الموروث عن ىبائنا

كنزا إلى يوم النشور وفيرا

It is the most precious inheritance from our fathers,

an abundant treasure until the Day of Resurrection.

هذا الوظثف إذا وهذا أمره

بين البرية لم يزل منشورا

This, then, is the litany, and this is its purport,

ever proclaimed among humankind.

لا زلت أشهد بالجميل مشاهدا

سر المبرة مطلقا وأسيرا

I still bear witness to goodness, beholding

the secret of filial devotion, free and captive.

تنهال كالديم الكوارث إنما

تنجاب عن شمس تريك النورا

Calamities pour down like steady rains, yet

they part before a sun that shows you the light.

أجني المحامد يا أبي بهداك لي

شكرا لربك فلتنم مأجورا

I reap praises, my father, through your guidance of me,

in thanks to your Lord; so sleep, rewarded.

قد كنت ترجو للبلاد غارفا

من بحر جدي لؤلؤا منثورا

You had hoped for one to draw, for the country,

scattered pearls from my grandfather's sea.

وتركت لي الآثار أخطو تلوها

منه وأفعمت الطروس بحورا

And you left me traces to walk in their wake,

from him, and filled the pages with seas.

تهدي بفكرك فلذة الكبد الذي

أعددته للصالحات خفيرا

You guide by your thought the piece of your liver whom

you prepared as a guardian of good deeds.

كنت المدرس لي بما أمليته

عني لتعبتث من بنيك بشيرا

You were my teacher through what you dictated

on my behalf, to send forth a herald from among your sons.

وترى الحوادث في الحياة مدارسا

أمعنت فيها بيننا التفكيرا

And you saw life's events as schools;

among us, you pondered them deeply.

ولذاك كنت الفرد مطلعا على

كنه الحقائق بالأمور خبيرا

And so you stood alone in knowing

the essence of realities, expert in affairs.

أخلصت لي في النصح حتى أصبحت

عندي بشيرا مهجتي ونذيرا

You were sincere in your counsel to me, until you became

to me, my soul's herald of good tidings and its warner.

علمتني معنى التجلد والوفا

بالعهد والتهليل والتكبيرا

You taught me the meaning of fortitude and fidelity

to a pledge, and of saying 'There is no god but God' and 'God is greatest.'

نفّرتني من كل ما توحيه لي

نفسي الخبيثة فاطهرت ضميرا

You made me recoil from all that is whispered to me by

my wicked soul; so you purified my conscience.

صغّرت لي الدنيا وأكبرت النهى

فيها وما أهدى العقول مسيرا

You made the world seem small to me and exalted reason

within it—and how well minds guide the journey!

كنت الغيور وتلك أشرف خلة

ما بالفتى من لم تجده غيورا

You were zealous, and that is the noblest quality;

no true young man is he whom you do not find zealous.

تنوي لقطرك كل خير ساخطا

عما به ترجو له التعميرا

You wished every good for your country, displeased

with what was in it, hoping for its flourishing.

ها أنت يا أبتي تجرّ على يدي

حير الإيالة غيبة وحضورا

Here you are, my father, bringing through my hand

good to the province, in absence and in presence.

أظهرت بين الناس ما أضمرته

زمنا لهم وأتيتهم موقورا

You revealed among the people what you had concealed

for them awhile, and came to them revered.

وبعثت بي للخير أسعى داعيا

أتلو عليهم ذلك التحريرا

And you sent me to strive for good, calling,

reciting that written declaration to them.

يا أيها المللأ اسمعو سفري وعوا

فإذا وعيتم تمنحوا الدستوار

O assembly, hear my book and understand;

then, when you understand, you will be granted the constitution.

سميت باسم أبي الحفيد تيمنا

باسميهما وتعطفا وبرورا

I named the grandson after my father, seeking blessing

through their two names, with affection and filial devotion,

ليكون بين المنجبين الشاذلي

يجني ثمار نجاته مسرورا

so that al-Shadhili might be among the distinguished,

joyfully reaping the fruits of his deliverance.