إِن كُنتَ تُشفِقُ مِن نُزوحِ نَواهُ

فَهُنَاكَ مَقبَرُهُ وَذا مَثواه

If you grieve for his departure

Apportion your time in lament or moral

قَسِّم زَمانَكَ عَبرَةً أَو عِبرَةً

وأَحِل تشوُّقَهُ على ذِكراهُ

And let your yearning be for his remembrance

Count him, for as long as you live, absent

واعدُدهُ ما امتدَّت حَياتُكَ غائِباً

أَو عاتِباً إِن لم يَزُر زُرناهُ

Or faultfinding, if he doesn’t visit us

Or asleep, overwhelmed by slumber

أَو نائِماً غَلَبَت عليهِ رَقدَةٌ

لِمُسَهَّدٍ لم تَغتَمِض عَيناهُ

On a pillow his eyes have not closed upon

Or an exceptional utterance whose script has turned

أَو لَفظَ نادرةٍ تَوَلَّى خَطُّها

وأَقامَ طيَّ صدورِنا مَعناهُ

And its meaning has resided in our breasts

Or a visitor, the north wind stinging with its cold

أَو عارِضاً حَدَتِ الشّمالُ بِمُزنِهِ

وَالأَرضُ مُلبَسَةٌ بُرودَ نَداهُ

And the earth clothed in the chill of its breeze

Or a planet, the feet gliding in its light

أَو كوكَباً سَرَتِ الرِّكابُ بِنُورِهِ

فَمَضى وَبلَّغَها المحلَّ سَناهُ

It passed and its beauty reached its destination

So when did he distance himself though souls love him

فمتى تبعَّدَ والنُّفوسُ تحبُّهُ

ومتى تغيَّبَ والقُلوبُ تَراهُ

And when was he absent though hearts see him

I didn’t know except after your day in the soil

لَم أَدرِ إِلَّا بَعدَ يَومِكَ في الثَّرى

أَنَّ الزَّمانَ وأَهلَهُ أَشباهُ

That time and its people are all similar

For the holiday is no master over another

فَالعيدُ ليسَ بِسَيِّدٍ لسواهُ

والعَبدُ ليسَ يفوتُهُ مَولاهُ

And the servant, his Master does not elude him

O One who has judged all fairly and set right

يا واحِداً عَدَلَ الجميعَ وأَصلَحَت

دُنيا الجميعِ وَدينَهُم دُنياهُ

The world of all and their faith, their world

And his effects have been eternalized and bounded

وَتَخَلَّدت آثارُهُ وتقيَّدَت

بالرّغمِ في إِنسان مَن عاداهُ

To the chagrin of whoever opposed him

Damascus is your Damascus, in your hands its reigns

الشَّامُ شامُكَ في يَدَيكَ زِمامُها

وَمَنِ ادَّعى لَم تُلتَفَت دَعواهُ

And whoever claimed otherwise, don’t heed his claim

Your torment in life was honored

طالَت أَذاتُكَ بِالحَياةِ كرامَةً

وَاللَهُ يُكرِمُ عَبدَهُ بِأَذاهُ

And God honors His servant through his torment

Until you were cleansed of sins like a polished

حَتّى خَلَصت مِنَ الذُّنوبِ كَمُرهَفٍ

أَبدى الفِرَند صقاله وَجَلاهُ

Sword that revealed its sheen and polish

There did death gently take you

فَهُناكَ وافَتكَ المنيَّةُ سَمحَةً

نَزعَ الكَرِيمِ عَنِ الكَريم قَذاهُ

Removing the eminent from the eminent his body

With a lucid mind and escorted heart

والذِّهن صافٍ والفُؤادُ مُشَيَّعٌ

لا تستفزُّ يَدُ الحِمام نُهاهُ

The hand of destiny does not provoke its prohibitions

The light of your witnessing to Divine Oneness seen

لِشهادَةِ التَّوحيدِ بَينَ لِسانِهِ

وَجَنانِهِ نورٌ يُرَى مَسراهُ

Between his tongue and soul, its radiance visible

And in his face a mark more brilliant than a bridled

وَبوَجههِ سِيمى أَغَرَّ مُحَجَّلٍ

مَهما بَدا لم تَلتَبِس سيماهُ

However much appeared, its symbol unmistakable

And it was as if he were tranquility in life

وكانه هو في الحياة سكينةٌ

لولا اهتزازٌ في النَّدى يَغشاهُ

If not for a stirring in the dew enveloping him

His eyes had lowered in contemplation

قد أطرقَت بتفكُّرٍ عَيناهُ

وتقلَّصَت لتبسُّمٍ شَفَتاهُ

And his lips narrowed in a smile

As if he saw the poor in distress

وكأنَّهُ لَحَظَ العفاة توجُّعاً

فتلازَمَت فَوقَ الفُؤادِ يَداهُ

So his hands clung atop his heart

Do you see him having entrusted concerns to fate?

أَتراهُ وكَّلَ بالعواقِبِ هَمَّهُ

حَسبُ الجوادِ الغَمرِ نَيلُ مَداهُ

The extent of the generous is the reach of his hand

And indeed you passed a scene that choked

ولَقَد مَضى لك مشهدٌ غَصَّت بِهِ ال

أَرضُ الفَضاءُ فَهالَهُم مرآهُ

The expanse of space, astonishing all who saw

They expressed God’s pleasure with you in their praise

أَبدى رضا الرَّحمن عَنكَ ثَناؤُهُم

إنَّ الثَّناءَ عَلامةٌ لِرِضاهُ

For praise is a sign of His satisfaction

All had their tears precede you

كلٌّ قَدِ استبَقَت عَلَيكَ دُموعُه

وَالوَجدُ يأمُرُه ولا يَنهاهُ

And ecstasy commands it though it doesn’t prohibit it

What has preoccupied hearts therewith

ماذا الَّذي شَغَلَ القلوبَ بهِ وذا

لا يرتجيه وَذاكَ لا يَخشاهُ

That one does not hope for it and that does not fear it

It is nothing but an immaculate branch

ما ذاكَ إلَّا أَنَّهُ فرعٌ زكا

وَسِعَ الجميعَ بِظلِّه وَجَناهُ

That shaded all and sheltered them

I have for you, while you are glory incarnate

عندي عَليكَ وأَنتَ مجداً مالِكٌ

حُزنٌ يَهُدُّ مُتَمِّماً أَدناهُ

A sorrow that lowers, fulfilling its depths

And your persona settles in the conscience loftily

وَتَحطُّ شَخصكَ في الضَّميرِ سَجيَّةٌ

غَرَّاء تَأتي البِرَّ مِن مَأتاهُ

Proud, bringing righteousness though remote

With qualities that reject baseness and all

وَخلائقٌ تَأبى القَبيحَ وكلُّ ما

يعتنُّ من حَسَنٍ فلا تَأباهُ

That upholds good and does not refuse it

Today has passed every one I loved

فَاليومَ أَودى كلُّ مَن أَحبَبتُهُ

ونعى إليَّ النَّفسَ مَن أَنعاهُ

And the self conveys to me the one it elegized

What does the tomb in Damascus hope for

ماذا يُؤمِّلُ في دِمَشقَ مُسَهَّدُ

قد كُنتَ ناظِرَ جَفنِهِ وَكَراهُ

When you had been its overseer and neighbor

It grows accustomed to your grave in sorrow for what

يعتادُ قبرَك للبُكا أَسفاً بِما

قَد كان أَضحَكَهُ الَّذي أَبكاهُ

Had made it laugh, the one who made it weep

O soil, the minister has made his burial ground you

يا تُربَةً حَلَّ الوَزيرُ ضَريحَها

سقَّاكِ بَل صلَّى عليكِ اللَهُ

Allah has watered you, rather sent prayers upon you

And spreading through you and from you a radiant mention

وَسَرى إليكِ وَمنكِ ذكرٌ ساطعٌ

كالمسكِ عاطرةً بهِ الأَفواهُ

Fragrant as musk to the mouths