ما بعدَ يومكَ للمعنَّى المُدْنفِ
غيرُ العويلِ وحسرةِ المتأسّفِ
After your day, meaning has no substance,
Only lamentations and the regret of the remorseful.
ما أَجرأَ الحدثانِ كيف سطا على ال
أَسدِ المخوفِ سطا ولم يتخوَّفِ
How bold are the events! How they advanced
Upon the formidable lion without fear!
من ذا رأَى الأسَدَ الهصورَ فريسةً
أَم أَبصرَ الصبحَ المنيرَ وقد خَفي
Who has seen the lion as prey?
Or seen the brilliant dawn and it had vanished?
من ثابتُ دون الكُماةِ سواه إنْ
زلّتْ بهم أَقدامُهم في الموقفِ
None stands firm at times of tribulation except
Those whose feet do not slip at the final reckoning.
ما كان أَسنى البدءَ لو لم يستتر
ما كان أَبهى الشمسَ لو لم تكسفِ
It would not have been best for beginnings had glory not faded,
Nor would the sun be most radiant had it not been eclipsed.
ما كنتُ أَخشى أَن تُلم ملمةٌ
يوماًن وأَنتَ لكربها لم تكشفِ
Never did I fear reproach would blame you,
For you did not shy from its burden.
أيامُ عمرِكَ لم تزلْ مقسومةً
للّهِ بينَ تعبُّدٍ وتعرُّفِ
The days of your life were divided
By God between worship and knowing Him.
مُتهجِّداً لعبادةٍ أَو تالياً
من آيةٍ أَو ناظراً في مصحفِ
Devoted to acts of worship or reciting
Verses or looking into the Holy Book.
فُجِعَ النَّدا والبأسُ منك بحاتمٍ
وبحيدرٍ والحلمُ منك بأَحنفِ
Generosity and valor have been lost in you
As in Hatim and Heydar, and forbearance as in Ahnaf.
بالملكِ فُزتَ وحُزْنَهُ عن قُدرةٍ
ومضيتَ عنه بسيرةِ المتعفِّفِ
You triumphed with sovereignty but grieved
Over weakness, and withdrew with the grace of the high-minded.
ووُصفتَ يا أَسداً لدين محمدٍ
مدحاً بما مَلكٌ بهِ لم يُوصَفِ
You were described, O lion in the faith of Muhammad,
With a eulogy no ruler has been described.
وقفوتَ آثارَ الشّريعةِ كلّها
وقد اهتدى من للشريعةِ يقتفي
You embodied all the maxims of Holy Law,
And one who yearns for the Law followed your guidance.
أأنِفْتَ من دنياكَ حين عَرَفْتَها
فلويتَ وجهَ العارفِ المتنكفِ
Did you disdain your world when you recognized it?
Would that you had turned toward the aloof gnostic!
يا ناصرَ الدِّين استعذْ بتصَبُّرٍ
مُدْنٍ إلى مرضاةِ ربٍ مزلفِ
O defender of the faith, seek refuge in patience
Until you attain the pleasure of a Lord brought near.
وتَعَزّ نجمَ الدِّين عنه مُهنّأً
أَبدَ الزَّمانِ بمُلْكِ مصرَ ويوسفِ
May the star of faith be honored through you, triumphing
Forever with the rule of Egypt and Joseph.
لا تستطيعُ سوى الدَّعاءِ فكلُّنا
إلاّ بما في الوسعِ غيرُ مُكلّفِ
None of us can do more than supplicate,
Since none is burdened beyond their capacity.
