اِنهِلالُ الدُموعِ يَشفي الكَئيبا

إِن هِلالُ العُلا أَطالَ المَغيبا

The pouring of tears brings healing to the sorrowful,

Since the crescent of high glory has prolonged his absence.

كانَ فَألُ الهِلالِ فيهِ اِقتِراباً

فَمِنَ الحَقِّ أَن نعيبَ النَعيبا

The omen of that crescent seemed to promise his approach,

So it is only right that we wail our mournful cry.

غابَ في آبٍ عَن مَصلّاهُ مضنى

فَتَفاءَلتُ طامِعاً أَن يَؤوبا

In the heat of August, he vanished from his prayer-place, wasted by sickness,

Yet I held to optimism, hoping he would return.

تَعس الفَألُ في تَغَرُّبِهِ كا

نَ صَدوقاً وَفي الإِيابِ كَذوبا

Wretched was that omen in his departure; it was

Truthful in predicting loss, but a liar regarding his return.

ما حَسِبتُ القُبورَ تَستَودِعُ الأَق

مارِ فيها حَتّى دَفَنتُ الحَبيبا

I never thought the graves were made to be repositories for moons,

Not until the day I laid my beloved into the earth.

يا غروبَ الدُموعِ فيضي إِذا ما

الشَمسُ مَطلَعاً وَمَغيبا

O setting sun of tears, overflow when

The sun rises and when it descends to set.

كانَ عَبد الغنيّ لِلعَينِ نوراً

وَلِقَلبي هُدىً وَلِلعَيشِ طيبا

Abd al-Ghani was a light unto my eyes,

Guidance for my heart, and the sweetness of my life.

كانَ شيبي بِهِ شَباباً فَلَمّا

بانَ عَنّي رَدَّ الشَبابَ مَشيبا

Through him, my grey age felt like youth; but when

He departed from me, he turned youth back into greying age.

كُنتُ في غُربَتي كَأَنّي بِهِ في

وَطَني فَاِنقَضى فَعُدتُ غَريبا

In my exile, it was as if—through his presence—I was in

My own homeland; but he passed, and I became a stranger once more.

لَم يَدَع فَقدُهُ لِمَغنايَ مَعنىً

فَخَلا آهِلاً وَضاقَ رَحيبا

His loss left my dwelling place devoid of meaning,

Empty though filled with people, constricting though vast in space.

أَخَطَأَتني الخُطوبُ ما أَخطَأَتهُ

ثُمَّ أَنّي أُصِبتُ لمّا أُصيبا

Misfortunes missed their mark on me as long as they spared him,

But I was truly struck down the moment he was struck.

لَستُ أَنسى مَقامَهُ وَمَقامي

وَكِلانا مِثلُ القَتيلِ خَضيبا

I shall never forget where he stood, and where I stood,

Both of us like slain men, dyed in crimson blood.

أَنفُهُ يَنثُرُ العَقيقَ وَعَيني

تَنثُرُ الدَمعَ بِالعَقيقِ مَشوبا

His nose scattering red agate, while my eyes

Scatter tears mixed with the blood of grief.

ضَمَّني شاكِياً إِلَيَّ وَقَلبي

كُلَّما يَشتَكي يَطيرُ وَجيبا

He embraced me, pouring out his pain, while my heart

Fluttered and flew with terror at every word of his complaint.

فَكَأَنّي قَبَّلتُ مِنهُ هِلالا

وَكَأَنّي عانَقتُ مِنهُ قَضيبا

It was as if I were kissing a crescent moon,

And embracing a tender, slender bough.

وَبِوُدّي لَو اِحتَمَلتُ فِداءً

عَنهُ ذاكَ الضَنى وَتِلكَ الكُروبا

How I wish I could have borne, as his ransom,

That wasting illness and those crushing agonies.

لَم أطِق فيهِ حيلَةً غَيرَ أَنّي

مُذ قَضى نَحبَهُ أَلفتُ النَحيبا

I had no power to save him, no stratagem, save that

Since he met his end, I have taken weeping as my companion.

إِنَّ تَأبينَهُ الَّذي هُوَ دَأبي

حَرَّمَ المَدحَ بَعدَهُ وَالنَسيبا

Indeed, mourning him, which has become my sole occupation,

Has forbidden me from ever composing praise or love verses again.

قُل لِصيدِ المُلوكِ أَنقَضتُ ظَهري

في رِضاكُم مِمّا أَقولُ ذُنوبا

Tell the proud kings: I have broken my back

In seeking your favor, burdened by the sins of my words.

وَعَسى اللَهُ أَن يَتوبَ عَلى المُذ

نِبِ مِن قَبلِ مَوتِهِ لِيَتوبا

Perhaps God will turn in forgiveness towards the sinner

Before his death, granting him the grace to repent.

فَصِلوني لِحُرمَةِ العِلمِ أَو لا

تَصِلوني لا مَدحَ لا تَشبيبا

So maintain ties with me for the sake of knowledge, or do not

Maintain them at all—for I have no praise left to give, nor songs of love.

ماتَ مَن كُنتُ أَقطَعُ البيدُ جَرّا

هُ وَأَرجو المُنى وَأَخشى الخُطوبا

He has died—the one for whom I traversed the wild deserts,

Hoping for fulfillment, and fearing the strokes of fate.

وَعَظَتني الدُنيا مَواعِظَ شَتّى

وَأَقَلُّ العِظاتِ تَكفي اللَبيبا

The world has preached to me sermons of every kind,

And the slightest of sermons is enough for the wise.

فُصحاء الخِطاب في الخَطبِ تَعيا

وَكَفى أَعجَمُ الخُطوب خَطيبا

The most eloquent orators fall silent in the face of such calamity,

For the mute tragedy speaks louder than any orator.

أَبلغُ الوَعظِ أَن تَرى اليَومَ عَيني

خَلِقاً مَن رَأَتهُ أَمس قَشيبا

The most profound lesson is what my eye beholds today:

A worn, decaying form, who only yesterday was fresh and new.

مَن صَحا عَقلهُ وَصَحَّ سَلا عَن

حُبِّ دُنياهُ إِنَّهُ كانَ حوبا

He whose mind is clear and sound will turn away from

The love of this world, for truly it is a grievous sin.

زاهِدٌ في الحَياةِ أَفضَلُ عِندَ ال

لَهِ مِمَّن يَكونُ فيها رَغيبا

He who renounces life's pleasures is higher in the sight of God

Than he who chases its fleeting desires.

ما أَغَرَّ الحَياةَ لِلمَرءِ ما أَب

عَدَ آمالَهُ وَأَدنى شَعوبا

How deceiving is this life for man! How far

It places his hopes, while drawing Death so near.

ما أَقَلَّ الوَفاءَ ما أَضعَفَ الطا

لِبَ في ذا الزَمانِ وَالمَطلوبا

How scarce is loyalty! How weak is the one who seeks

And the one sought after, in these treacherous times.

هَل تَرى أَيُّها الشَموتُ بِرُزئي

آمِناً مِن زَمانِهِ أَن يَنوبا

Do you see, O you who gloat over my misfortune,

Anyone safe from Time striking them in turn?

قَدكَ هَب كُربَتي عِقاباً بِديني

أَبِتَقواكَ لَم تَمُت مَكروبا

Enough! Even if you assume my anguish is a punishment for my faith,

Does your piety guarantee you will not die in agony?

بَل عِبادُ الإِلهِ نَحنُ يُعافي

مُحسِناً ذا وَيَبتَلي ذا مُثيبا

Nay, we are all servants of God; He grants ease

To one, and tests another, rewarding both in His wisdom.

عَلِمَ اللَهُ كَيفَ عيشي

قَدَراً مِنهُ وَاِبتَلى أَيّوبا

God knows the state of my existence,

A decree from Him, just as He tested Job.

وَاِبتَلى يوسُفاً لِيَملِكَ مِصراً

وَشَفى بَعدَ حُزنِهِ يَعقوبا

And He tested Joseph that he might come to rule Egypt,

And healed Jacob's eyes after his long sorrow.

با حَبيبُ الإِلهِ لَولا المَنايا

لَشَفى مِنكَ ما أعلَّ الطَبيبا

O beloved of God, were it not for the destiny of death,

You would have been cured of what baffled the physicians.

يَومَ نادَيت فَرَّجَ اللَه كَربي

إِنَّني اِشتَقتُ مَسجِدي وَالأَديبا

The day you called out, 'God has relieved my pain!

I long for my mosque and my teacher.'

وَلِدات سَبَقتهُم لَحِقوني

صارَ مَن كانَ غالِباً مَغلوبا

'And my peers whom I surpassed—they have caught up to me,'

'Thus the victor became the vanquished.'

طالَ سُقمي فَاِرفَع دَواتي وَأَقلا

مي وَلا تَمحُ لَوحِيَ المَكتوبا

'My sickness is long, so take away my inkwell and pens,

But do not erase what I have written on my tablet.'

فَإِذا ما أَفَقتُ أَدرَكتُ مَن فا

تَ وَعادَت عَنقاؤُهُم عَندَليبا

'If I recover, I will catch those who went ahead,

And their mythical phoenix will become a singing nightingale again.'

وَلدي كَيفَ نَستَوي أَنا في حر

رِ الرَزيا وَأَنتَ في ظِلِّ طوبى

My son, how can we be equal? I burn in the heat

Of this tragedy, while you rest in the shade of Paradise's Tuba tree.

أَنتَ حَيثُ المُقَرَّبونَ فَأَبشِر

وَسَل اللَهَ أَن أَراكَ قَريبا

You are amongst the favored ones, so rejoice,

And pray to God that I may see you soon.

وَاِسقِني الماءَ يَومَ تروى وأصدى

نَصباً مِن خَطيئَتي وَلُغوبا

Give me water on the Day you drink your fill, while I thirst,

Exhausted and weary from the burden of my sins.

كَبِدي أَشفعُ لِسائِرِ الجِسمِ أَسلَم

مِن لَظى يَوم يَستَطيرُ لَهيبا

O piece of my liver, intercede for the rest of my body, that I may be safe

From the blazing fire of that Day when flames fly wild.

ما أَظُنُّ الكَريمَ يَرضى إِذا أَن

عَمَ بَعضي لِبَعضي التَعذيبا

I do not think the Generous Lord would be pleased, having blessed

A part of me, to consign the other part to torture.

كَم تَلَقَّيتُ في العروبَةِ ثَكلى

فَتَلَقَّيتَ أَنتَ بِكراً عَروبا

How often I met bereaved mothers among the Arabs,

While you have gone to meet a pure, loving companion in heaven.

رُقتَها وَالسَقام قَد فضَّ تَفضي

ضَ المحيّا وَأَذهَبَ التَذهيبا

You charmed her, even as sickness had shattered

The brightness of your face and stripped away its golden glow.

ثُمَّ قالَت دَعَوتَنا فَأَجَبنا

كَ وَلَسنا نُجيبُ إِلّا النَجيبا

Then she said: 'You called to us, and we answered you,

For we do not answer the call of any but the noble.'

فَتَبَوَّأ في الخُلدِ حَيثُ تَرى اللَ

هَ وَتَلقى نَبِيَّكَ المَحبوبا

So take your station in Eternity, where you shall see God,

And meet your beloved Prophet face to face.

حَيثُ وَفى نَصيبَكَ اللَه فَوراً

وَالمُنى أَن نُصيبَ فيكَ نَصيبا

There, God has granted your full portion without delay,

And our only wish is to be granted a share through you.

لَهف نَفسي عَلَيكَ يا غُصنَ بانٍ

خَرَّ يَبساً لمّا تَثنّى رَطيبا

My soul cries out for you, O slender branch of the Ban tree,

That fell withered to the ground just as it swayed with green life.

سَمتُهُ سَمتُ ذي تقىً وَعَفاف

لَو دَرى ما الهَوى أَنامَ الرَقيبا

He bore the mark of piety and pure chastity;

Had he known passion, he would have lulled the censor to sleep.

مِن بَني القَومِ مَن يَشُبُّ عَفيفاً

وَمِنَ القَومِ مَن يَشُبّ

Some among the people grow up pure and chaste,

And others among the people grow up...

يَقِظٌ عَدَّتِ العُقول ذُكاءً

قَبَساً مِن ذكائِهِ مَشبوبا

An alert mind—intellects considered his brilliance

To be but a kindled spark of his blazing wit.

قَبلَ أَن يَكتُبَ العُشورَ يَعيها

فَيَرى الناسُ مِنهُ أَمراً عَجيبا

Before he could even write the numbers, he mastered them,

And people witnessed in him a wondrous marvel.

وَلَقَد صُنتُهُ وَأَمسَكتُ عَن كُت

تابِهِ خَوفَ أَن يُعانَ دَؤوبا

I guarded him fiercely, and held him back from his books,

Fearing the envious eye might strike his diligence.

فَإِذا العَينُ أَثَّرَت فيهِ مِن قَب

لُ لِكَي يَظفَرَ العِدى وَأخيبا

Yet the Eye had already left its mark on him,

So that the enemy might triumph, and I be left in loss.

وَعَزيز عَلى العُلا أَن تَراهُ

أَنشَبَت فيهِ النائِباتُ نُيوبا

It weighs heavy on Glory to see him thus—

With the fangs of calamity sunk deep into his flesh.

كَم سَأَلتُ الأَديبَ رِفقاً وَكَم لُم

تُ عَلَيهِ فَقالَ لا تَثريبا

How often I begged his tutor for leniency, and how often I blamed him,

Yet he replied: 'There is no cause for reproach.

إِنَّ أَترابَهُ اِهتَدوا بِهُداهُ

فَتَحَلَّت أَخلاقُهُم تَهذيبا

His peers have found their way through his guidance;

Their characters have been adorned with refinement.

لا تَلُمني فَما ضَرَبتُ وَمَن ذا

يَضرِبُ الطائِرَ الذَكيّ الأَريبا

Do not blame me, for I never struck him—and who, indeed,

Would strike a bird so brilliant and so wise?'

خَضَعَت بَعدَهُ رِقاب لِدات

كانَ فيهِم مُعَظَّماً وَمَهيبا

After he passed, the heads of his peers bowed low;

For he was honored among them, and held in awe.

كانَ يَهدي قُلوبَهُم ثُمَّ وَلّى

فَعَموا الآنَ أَعيُناً وَقُلوبا

He used to guide their hearts, but now he has turned away,

Leaving them blind in their eyes and in their hearts.

يا اِبنَ تِسع يَحكي اِبنَ تِسعينَ رَأياً

وُنهوضا يَفوتهُ وَوُثوبا

O child of nine years, echoing the wisdom of ninety,

Surpassing age in your rising and your spirited leap.

حُقَّ لي أَن أَشُقَّ قَلبي ثُكلاً

لا أُوَفّيكَ إِن شَقَقتُ الجُيوبا

I have every right to tear my heart open in grief;

For tearing my garments would never be enough for you.