استنفدِ الدمعَ إنَّ الوَجْدَ قد فُقِدَا
لا يُحْسِنُ الدَّهْرُ رُزْءاً مِثْلَهُ أبَدا
Exhaust your tears, for ecstasy is lost,
Time will never mock it as before.
وَقُلْ لِصَرْفِ الزمانِ اختلْ على ثِقَةٍ
من السّباقِ فقد أحْرَزْتَ كلَّ مَدَى
And tell the fates in their relentless race,
"You have covered every stretch of road."
اليومَ حينَ لففتَ المجدَ في كَفَنٍ
نفسي الفداءُ على أنْ لاتَ حين فِدَا
Today when glory is shrouded in its winding sheet,
My soul is a sacrifice if it had not covered you earlier.
يا حسرةً نَشَأَتْ بين الضُّلوعِ جَوىً
ما ضرَّ لاعِجَها أنْ لا يكونَ ردى
Oh how sorrow sprouted in my breast an ember,
Nothing hurts it more than to persist.
في ذمَّةِ الله قَبْرٌ ما مَرَرْتُ به
إلا اختُلِسْت أسىً إنْ لم أمُتْ كمدا
By God's will, whenever I pass a grave,
I steal sorrow, even if I had not died as widely.
تَضَمَّنَ الدينَ والدُّنْيا بأَسرِهمَا
والعزمَ والحزمَ والإيمانَ والرَّشدا
It embodied religion and life in their entirety,
As well as determination, wisdom, faith and integrity.
والسؤددَ الضخمَ مضروباً سُرادِقُه
قد ودَّتِ الشمسُ لو كانتْ له عمدا
And flowing generosity spread like its canopy,
The sun would lean on it if it were a pillar.
ملء القلوب جلالاً والعيونِ سناً
والحرب بأساً وأكناف النديِّ ندى
Filled with majesty that filled eyes with light,
And war with courage and sides of the noble with bounty.
منْ لا يُقدِّمُ في غير العلا قدماً
ولا يمدُّ لغير المكرماتِ يدا
One who does not step forward unless for the lofty,
And does not extend his hand except for acts of grace.
أوْدى الزمانُ وكيف اسطاعَهُ بفتىً
قد طالَ ما راحَ في أتباعه وغدا
Time has waned, yet how could it subdue a knight
Who has wandered long in pursuit of its morrows and yesterdays.
كأنَّه كان ثأراً باتَ يَطْلُبُهُ
حتّى رآه فلم يَعْدِلْ به أحدا
As if he had a blood feud he sought by night,
Until he saw him, so none could match him.
يا يوْمَ مَنْعَى عبيد الله أيُّ أسىً
بينَ الجوانحِ يأبى أن يُجيبَ ندا
Oh day of Ubaidallah's death, what sorrow
Lies in my breast that refuses to answer a call!
وأي غرب مصاب لا يكو كفه
دمعي الهتون ولا أنفاسي الصعدا
And what abundant misfortune whose palm
Cannot restrain my abated tears and weary breaths.
ولا البلابلُ مِنْ مثنى وواحدةٍ
باتَتْ تُسلُّ سُيوفاً أو تُسنُّ مُدى
Nor can the doves in pairs and singles,
Who have drawn swords or sharpened blades the whole night.
ولا الهمومُ وقد أعْيت طوارقها
كأنما بِتنَ لي أوْ للدُّجَى رصدا
Nor can worries though their afflictions have wearied me,
As if they have conspired against me or against the darkness.
ألاَ لِتَبْكِ قَنَاةُ الدِّينِ حَطْمَتَها
لماجدٍ لم يَدَعْ في مَتْنِهَا أوَدَا
Alas the canal of faith is demolished,
When the glorious one left no tracks upon its surface.
مُهَذَّبٌ لم يهزَّ الحمدُ مِعْطَفَهُ
إلا تَهَلَّلَ مجداً واستهلَّ جدا
Well-mannered, glory never shook his cloak,
Except it fluttered with more glory and nobility.
تودُّ بيضُ الأماني كلَّما سَنَحتْ
لو حاسَنَ الحَلْيَ في أجيادها غَيدَا
The eggs of hopes always yearn,
If the steeds neighed among its broodnests.
قلْ للدُّجَى وقد التفَّتْ غَيَاهِبُهَا
فلو تَصَوَّبَ فيها الماءُ ما اطَّردا
Tell the darkness as its shadows have gathered,
Even if the downpour were aimed at it, it would not abate.
إنَّ الشّهابَ الذي كُنَّا نجوبُ به
أجوازَهخا قد خبا في التُّرْبِ أو خَمدا
Verily the meteor we used to kindle,
Its embers have faded in the soil or extinguished.
لهفي ولهف المعالي جار بي وبها
صَرْفُ الرَّددى وأرانا أيَّةً قَصَدا
My craving and the craving of the lofty haunt me,
The turns of fate have shown me a curious goal.
يا صاحبيَّ ولا يحبسْكُما ظمأٌ
طال الهُيَامُ وهذي أدْمُعي فَرِدا
Oh my companions, do not be detained by thirst,
Prolonged ecstasy, here are my tears to slake it.
وحدِّثانيْ عن العَلْيا وقد رُزِئَتْ
مسنونَها اللدنَ أو مصقولَها الفَرِدَا
And tell me of the lofty ones since they have been spurned,
Whether its familiar pillars or its unique columns.
أجِدَّها قد عداها بعد أوْبتِهِ
عن أنْ تهيمَ بذكراه وأن تَجِدَا
I find it has turned away from remembering it
After hoping that it would yearn and seek it.
واهاً وُتِرَتْهُ ثم قد عَلِمَتْ
أن لا تنالَ به عَقْلاً ولا قَوَدا
Alas it has lost its zest, then realized
That it cannot gain a mind or purpose from it.
ولم تزلْ حولها للحربِ أوديةٌ
تموجُ بالخيلِ فوْضى والقنا قِصَدا
And battle trenches have not ceased around it
To surge with steeds, chaos and the goal of spears.
هل نافعي والأماني كلُّها خُدَعٌ
قولي له اليومَ لا تَبْعَدْ وقد بَعُدا
Are my efforts and all my hopes lies?
Say to it today, "Do not distance, though you have distanced."
وهل أتاهُ وليست داره صَدَداً
أنّي أُداري عليه لوعةً صَدَدا
Does my circling sorrow reach it
When its home is not a refuge, distancing distancing?
وهل تَذَمَّمَ هذا الرزءُ من قَلَقٍ
قام المصابُ به أضْعافَ ما قعدا
Has it tasted this blight out of anxiety?
The affliction carried by it is manifold more than what settled.
أما ويَوْمش عبيدِ الله وهو اسى
لقد تخيّرَ هذا الموتُ وانْتَقدا
But, by the day you passed away Ubaidallah, and what sorrow,
Death has chosen you and taken you.
يا ماجداً أنجزَ العلياءَ مَوْعِدَها
أَليومَ انجزَ فيكَ الموتُ ما وعدا
O glorious one, you have fulfilled the promise of the lofty,
Today has death fulfilled in you what it promised?
إن الفؤادَ الذي مازلت تَعْمُرُهُ
قد رِيعَ بَعْدَكَ حتى صار مُفتأَدا
Verily the heart you dwelled
Has been deserted after you until it became desolate.
غادرتَ عينيَّ ملآوينِ من عِبَر
لا تَرْقُدَانِ ولا بؤسَى لِمنْ رَقَدا
You left my eyes brimming with tears
That do not sleep, though the one who slept suffers no harm.
شمسَ المعالي وقِدماً كنتَ شامتَهَا
فكمْ غضِبْتَ لها من أن تَظلْ سُدى
The sun of glory whose rising you were witness to,
How angry you were if it were to set fruitlessly!
إيذَنْ بجدواكَ تُدْرِكْنا وكيفَ با
وقد ضَمِنْتَ لنا أن لا نموتَ صدا
Alas, by your magnanimity you promised us
That we would not die while in your companionship.
هيهاتِ صَرَّحَ فيك الموتُ عنْ نبأٍ
كَنَى الزمانُ به عن نَقْضِ ما عَهِدَا
But no! Death has proclaimed your tale,
Sufficient for time to break what it pledged.
إذا وَنَتْ فيكَ خَيْلُ الدَّمْعِ جَدَّ بها
مُجْرٍ من الشَّوقِ لم يَحْدُدْ لها أمَدا
If the steeds of tears gallop forth with it,
An overwhelming ecstasy has no end to it.
وإنْ تراءى لها السُّلوانُ طَالَعَها
ضَنْكٌ من العيشِ سلَّ الروحَ والجسدا
And if the nightbirds appear to it,
It is miserable life that has wasted the soul and body.
يا ليت شعري وهل يَثني الرّدى جَزَعٌ
عاد التبلُّدُ في سَوْراته وَبَدَا
Oh how I wish I knew, can mourning temper fate
When numbness returns in its armor and appears?
وهل يعودُ على الماضي بعائدةٍ
إذ لا تجلُّدَ للباقي ولا جَلَدا
Can a recurrent stream return what has passed
When no resilience remains for what is to come?
متى تَكاثَرُ لوعاتُ الغرام به
يهَنيه إنْ ربمَّا كانتْ لها مَدَادا
When will the torments of love for him multiply?
It saddens him, though perhaps it could have ink for it.
يا غادياً لم يكن شيءٌ يقومُ له
إما تَوَقَّاكَ صَرْفُ الدهرِ حين عدا
O you who passed away when nothing could stand up to him,
Either fate has hastened you when you evaded.
تبكي عليكَ ولا عارٌ ولا حَرجٌ
هدايةٌ كنتَ من إعلامِهَا وهدى
I cry for you, though without shame or fault,
You were guidance whose marks and light I followed.
أبا الحسينِ ولا ادعو سوى وَزَرٍ
قد طال ما غاثَ أحباباً وغاظَ عِدَا
O Abu Hussein, I invoke none but the wearer
Of burdens, when he has helped loved ones and resisted enemies.
ويا أبا الحَكَمِ السَّامِي بهمَّتِهِ
إلى المكارمِ لا نِكْساً ولا جَمِدَا
And O exalted Abu Hakam in his ambition
To magnanimity, no retreat or hesitation.
ويا أبا القاسمِ الميمون طائرُهُ
في كلِّ ما ذمّ منه الدهرُ أو حَمَدا
And O felicitous Abu Qasim, his steed
Soaring through whatever time has blamed or praised.
عزاءَكم إنَّما الدنيا وزينَتُها
بحرٌ طَفوْنا على آذيهِ زَبَدا
Your condolence is that the world and its vanity
Is an ocean we have floated on its harmful foam.
واستشعرِوا الصبرَ عنه فارساً نَدِساً
لا تستطيعُ الليالي حلّ ما عَقَدا
And be patient with it, a vigorous and highborn horse
That nights cannot untie what it has knotted.
رزءٌ تداري المعالي فيه أنْفُسها
عن لوعةٍ ملأت أحشاءَها زُؤدا
An affliction that the lofty spurn in it
That has filled their breasts with agonizing torment.
جادتْ ثراهُ فروّتهُ مجلجلةٌ
تكادُ تروي صداهُ العيشةَ الرغدا
His wealth flowed abundantly, layered,
Almost filling with its cascades the valley of prosperity.
منْ كلِّ غاديةٍ ما باشرَتْ بلداً
إلا ترنَّحَ ضاحي تُرْبِهِ وشدا
Whoever beautiful one has inhabited a land,
Except the soil of his grave sighed and called him.
سَلِ المنايا على علمٍ وتَجْرِبَةٍ
في أيِّ شيءٍ بغى الإنسان أو حسدا
Ask death with knowledge and experience,
What thing did man desire or envy in it?
تَنافَسَ الناسُ في الدنيا وقد علموا
أن سوف تقتلُهُمْ لذّاتُهُمْ بددا
People compete in the world though they know
That its pleasures will kill them time and again.
تبادَرُوها وقد آدَنْهُم فَشلاً
وكاثرُوها وقد أحصتهمُ عددا
They covet it though decline has drawn near them
And vie for it though it has counted them.
قلْ للمحدِّثِ عنْ لقمانَ أو لُبَدٍ
لم يتركِ الدهرُ لقماناً ولا لبدا
Tell the one who speaks of Luqman or Lobed,
Time has left no Luqman or Lobed.
وَللَّذي هَمُّهُ البنيانُ يَرْفَعُهُ
إنّ الردى لم يغادرْ في الشَّرَى أَسَدا
And the one whose ambition is raising buildings,
Fate has surely left no lion in humankind.
ما لابنِ آدمَ لا تَفْنَى مَطَالِبُهُ
يَرْجُو غداً وعسى أنْ لا يعيشَ غدا
Nothing that the son of Adam desires is everlasting,
He hopes for tomorrow though perhaps he will not live till tomorrow.
