بكى الشرق يا خير الصدور الاعاظم

عليك بمنهل الدموع السواجم

The East wept, O best of the greatest souls

Upon you with a stream of pouring tears

أصابت سهام الحتف غرة وجهه

فعاد بوجه كاسف اللون قاتم

The arrows of fate struck his face by surprise

So he returned with a face downcast and gloomy

نعيت إليه فاتحالت ربوعه

مصابا ومادت أرضه بالمآتم

His death was announced, so its lands were devastated

In affliction, and its earth overflowed with calamities

الا ان سيف الامة اليوم غاله

حمام فلا ابتلت يمين بقائم

Except that today the sword of the nation has been neglected

A dove, so no prepared right hand took aim

وقد غاب ذاك الليث عن غاب عزه

على حين اردى كل ليث ضبارم

That lion has been absent from his den of might

While every fierce lion lies in wait

لئن أوحشت منه عرينة مجده

لقد رزئت منه بمردى الضراغم

If his den of glory has been lonely without him

I have been consoled by his lofty pillars

أصابوه في سلم واعظم آفة

على البطل المغوار غدر المسالم

They assailed him in peace – the greatest harm

Upon a hero is the treachery of the peaceful

يعدون قتل المصلحين غنيمة

وما هو الامن اجل المغارم

They consider the killing of reformers to be spoils

While it is nothing but a means to sins

فان يك قد أودى فان ليومه

جوى باقيا بين الحشى والحيازم

So if he has been slain, his day

Still lives on between resolve and determination

وان يك قد أودى فقد عاد فائزا

بحسن مباديه وحسن الخواتم

And if he has been slain, he returns victorious

With the goodness of his principles and ending

تحمل أعباء الوزارة ناصحا

يدبر أمر الملك تدبير حازم

Bearing the burdens of leadership, advising

Administering the affairs of the king with wisdom

فنعم وزير السيف يعطيه حقه

إذا ارعشت كف الجبان بصارم

So excellent the minister of the sword who gives him his due

When the coward’s hand trembles with the sword

ونعم وزير السيف والقلم الذي

تمج ثناياه سمام الاراقم

And excellent the minister of sword and pen

Whose gatherings the necks of pages frequent

مضى اليوم من كانت تشير بنانهم

إليه فقد عادوا بعض الأباهم

Today he who their fingers pointed to in counsel is gone

And they have returned confused and perplexed

فمن لمذاكي الخيل يلبسها الوغى

ومن للعوالي الراعفات اللهاذم

So who will adorn the glorious steeds of battle?

And who will ascend the towering summits?

ومن لثغور المسلمين يحوطها

ويكلؤها من كل باغ مهاجم

And who will guard the frontiers of the Muslims

And defend them from every aggressive invader?

أواسطة العقد الذي حاز عقده

به جوهراً ما حازه عقد ناظم

He was the central pearl of the necklace

That contained a gem no string could ever thread

فقدناك محمود المساعي مهذبا

من العيب لم تتبعك لومة لائم

We have lost you, Mahmud, refined of endeavors

No critic's blame ever pursued you

وفي كل ناد من مديحك والثنا

نسيم رياض أو شميم لطائم

In every club they still praise and commend you

A meadow breeze or a gentle morning dew

ويا أيها الناعي المعاتب من مضى

نعيت ولكن بالقوافي الاثائم

And you there, critic complaining of one gone

You blamed but with the most wretched rhymes

وان مقاما قد نزوت لنيله

منيع الذرى لا يرتقي بالسلالم

And though you have assumed a lofty station

Impregnable and unreachable by any ladder

عتبت على محمود شوكت ناقما

وما ضر محمودا ملامة ناقم

You blamed Mahmud Pasha resentfully

But Mahmud was not hurt by the blame of a critic

فدع منقذ الأوطان والفاتح الذي

له شهدت اعداؤه بالمكارم

So leave the savior of nations and conqueror

Whose enemies bore witness to his virtues

وقل سالكاً نهج الحقيقة إننا

فقدنا عظيما ناهضاً بالعظائم

And say, walking the path of truth, we

Have lost a towering pillar of great feats

تناسيت آثارا له ومساعياً

أضاءت نجوماً في الليالي الغواتم

You forgot his achievements and efforts

That illuminated stars in the darkest nights

وكان له يوم أغر محجل

يقيم له التاريخ اسنى المراسم

He had a day brighter than polished Indian swords

For which history will establish its highest customs

ألم يكشف الكرب الذي ضيق الفضا

على أمة باتت بقبضة ظالم

Did he not remove the anguish that choked the horizon

Of a nation that lived in the grip of an unjust ruler?

فشيد صرح العدل مذ هد سيفه

على يلدز الشماء صرح المظالم

He erected the castle of justice when his sword tore down

The citadels of despots, the castle of injustice

الم يبعث الحرب العوان مغامراً

بعزمة مرهوب السطا والعزائم

Did he not daringly unleash the army of volunteers

With a will whose might and determination shook mountains?

به الجيش قد اثرى عديداً وعدة

يراع بها قلب الجيوش الخضارم

With it the army was greatly strengthened in numbers and equipment

Frightening the hearts of the most ferocious armies

ولكن تولى أمره غير أهله

فنام وما البلقان عنه بنائم

But then one unfit assumed command over him

And he slept while the Balkans were not dormant about him

وهل كان بالتدبير مقتل ناظم

فتعزي إليه ظالماً قتل ناظم

Was the killing of the organizer by planning?

So you console the killer of an organizer

ولو لم يقاومهم لما ورد الردى

ولكنه لم يأل جهد المقاوم

Had he not resisted, destruction would not have occurred

But he did not stop resisting

فعارض سيل الانقلاب مخاطراً

بتيار ذاك الحادث المتفاقم

He confronted the torrent of upheaval with risk

Through the current of that escalating incident

الم ترهم لم يقتلوا الصدر كاملا

وقد كان فيهم مصدراً للجرائم

Did you not see them? They did not completely kill the leader

For he had been a source of crimes among them

على ان اخذ الثار قد حال دونه

حوادث لا تخفى على كل عالم

But taking revenge was prevented

By events not hidden from any knowledgeable person

وان هو لم يمنع تعاطي سياسة

فلذت مجانيها وطابت لطاعم

Even if he did not prevent engaging in politics

Whose free gift was sweet to the taster

فذاك بناء قد تأسس قبله

ومن بعده اعيى على كل هادم

That structure had been founded before him

And after him every destroyer was blinded