هَيْهَاتِ ما تُغْنِي القَنَابِلُ والقَنَا
والمَشْرَفِيَّةُ في مُلاقاةِ المَنَى
Alas! Bombs and cannons are of no avail,
Nor palatial dwellings, against death's assail;
فَعَلاَمَ تُسْتَاقُ العِتَاقُ وإنْ جَرَى
وَجَرَيْنَ جَاهِدَةً وَنَيْنَ وما وَنَى
Why long for freedom, though with zeal we toil,
When fate irresistible the weak and mighty foil?
وعَلاَمَ تُجْتَابُ الدِّلاصُ فإنَّها
لَيْسَت مَوانِعَ سُمْرِهِ أَنْ تُطْعَنَا
Why seek deliverance from death's bitter cup?
No fortress strong his poison'd shaft can keep out.
إنَّ المَنِيَّةَ ليس يُدْرَكُ كُنْهُهَا
فَنَوَافِذُ الأَفْهَامِ قد وَقَفَتْ هُنَا
Death's nature is beyond all thought's ken;
Minds loftiest here must pause, their limits then.
في كلِّ شيءٍ للأَنَامِ مُحَذِّرٌ
ما كانَ حَذَرَهُ شُعَيْبٌ مَدِيَنَا
In everything a warning voice to man,
Like Shu'aib's to sinful Midian's tribe began:
وَحَيَاتُنَا سِفَرٌ وَمَوْطِنُنَا الرَّدَى
لَكِنْ كَرِهْنَا أَنْ نُحِلَّ المَوْطِنَا
Our life's a journey, and death is our home;
Yet leaving it we sorrow and mourn.
والعَيْشُ أَضْنَكُ إنْ تَعَذَّرَ مَطْلَبٌ
كم مِنْ ضِنَاكٍ في مَطَالِبِهِ ضَنَى
Grievous is life if wishes denied,
And many through fruitless cravings have died.
وَلَرُبَّما أَعْطَى الزَّمانُ مَقَادَهُ
لا تَيْأَسَنَّ فَرُبَّ صَعْبٍ أَمْكَنَا
Perchance stern fate may yet some solace provide.
Despair not, for the difficult hath been made easy.
لا بُدَّ أَنْ تَتْلُو الحياةَ مَنِيَّةٌ
مَنْ شَكَّ أَنَّ اليومَ يُزْجِي المَوْهِنَا
Death must ensue; who doubts the dying day
Will sweep all human grandeur away?
لا تَرْجُ إبقاءَ البَقَاءِ على امرئٍ
كُلُّ النُّفُوْسِ تَحِلُّ أَفْنيةَ الفَنَا
Hope not for any to escape death's rule;
All souls must taste mortality's doom full.
تَجِدُ الحياةَ نفيسةً ونُفُوْسُنَا
غُرَباءُ تَرْغَبُ عندها مُتَوَطَّنَا
Though life looks fair, strangers to it are we,
Who fain would make it our home, could it lasting be.
لَوْ أَنَّهَا شَعَرَتْ لها وَسَقَتْ دَرَتْ
أنَّ الوَفَاةَ هي الحَيَاةُ تَيَقُّنَا
Could life but feel, it then would surely know
Death is true life, did it but see this, I trow.
لكنَّها عَمِيَتْ ولم تَرَ رُشْدَهَا
ما كُلُّ مَنْ لَحَظَ الأمورَ تَبَيَّنَا
But blind is life; not all who see are wise,
Else would it Myriam's fate philosophize.
فَتَبَصَّرَنَّ مُصَابَ سَيِّدَةِ الوَرَى
تُبْصِرْ دَنَاءَةَ ذي الحياةِ وذي الدُّنَى
Consider well her glory's overthrow,
The nothingness of life and pomp below.
أَعْظِمْ به مِنْ حادثٍ جَبُنُوا له
ما ظَنَّ قَبْلُ شُجَاعُهُمْ أنْ يَجْبُنَا
Mightier than aught they dreaded hath been sent;
E'en boldest hearts are now with terror rent.
وَتَرُوا وما عَلِمُوا بِوِتْرٍ ضَائِعٍ
مَنْ ذا يُطَالِبُ بالتِّرَاتِ الأزْمُنَا
They've cast away their arms, nor further care
To seek midst future's ruins the arms they bare.
ذَابَتْ سُيُوفُهُمُ أَسىً فَظُبَاتُها
تَحْكِي المَدَامِعَ والجُفُوْنُ الأجْفُنَا
Gone are the swords that flashed so bright of yore,
Their sheaths now tell of grief and anguish sore.
وَتَقَصَّدَتْ أَرْمَاحُهُمْ إنْ لم تَكُنْ
شَجَراً وَشِيْكُ المَوْتِ منه يُجْتَنَى
Their spears are turned to rods, or soon will be
Like some dead tree whose branches fuel may see.
لم يَذْكُرُوا إحْسَانَهَا إلاَّ نَسُوا
حُسْنَ العَزَاءِ وبَعْدَهَا لَنْ يَحْسُنَا
They think not of her gracious deeds, but forget
Sweet solace; after her none shall comfort get.
فكأنَّما أنفاسُهُمْ وَمَقَالُهُمْ
نارٌ تُحَرِّقُ بَيْنَهُمْ عُوْدَ الثَّنَا
Their speech and breath like fire between them rage,
Consuming friendly bonds in passion's furnace.
وما جَفَّ مِنْ دَمْعٍ عليها مَدْمَعٌ
الحُزْنُ ما وَالَى الدَّمُوْعَ الهُتَّنَا
No tears in pity o'er her loss are shed,
Grief brooks no sympathy, its eyes are lead.
أَعَقِيْلَةَ الأَمْلاَكِ والمَلْكِ الذي
لَبِسَ السَّناءُ به جَلابِيْبَ السَّنَا
Peerless queen of angels and on earth,
With glory-robes the years for her gave birth.
فَسَقَاكِ مِثْلَ نَدَاكِ أَوْ كَدُمُوْعِنَا
مُزْنٌ يُعِيْدُ ثَرَاكِ رَوْضَاً مُحْزَنَا
Oh, may showers like your bounty, or our tears,
Give to your tomb an ever-verdant place!
إنْ كُنْتِ مِتِّ فَذَا ابنُكِ المَلِكُ الذي
يُحْيي البَرَايَا والعَطَايَا والمُنى
Sadness your garden make bloom again,
Should you be dead; else live, oh precious queen!
كَثُرَتْ مَحَامِدُهُ فَحَقَّ بها اسمُهُ
وَأَدامَ إحْياءَ المَكَارِمِ فاكتَنَى
Your son, the king, whom praises fail to tell,
Quickens dead wastes, and with good deeds doth excel.
فإذا بَنى الأعداءُ هَدَّمَ ما بَنَوا
والدَّهْرُ لا يَسْطِيعُ يَهْدِمُ ما بَنَى
Lauded by all, worthy he of his name,
Noble deeds e'er performing, he lives in fame.
يا أيُّها المَلِكُ الذي أوْصافُهُ
تُعْيي البليغَ ولا تُطِيْعُ الألْسُنَا
Foes build in hate, he demolishes all,
Time itself fails his structures great to appall.
إنْ كان عُظْمُ الرُّزْءِ أَصْبَحَ كافِراً
بِتَجَلُّدٍ لا تُمْسِ إلاَّ مُؤْمِنَا
O king, your virtues no eloquence paint!
Our tongues their limit here must represent.
صَبْراً وإنْ جَلَّ المُصَابُ وَسَلْوَةً
فَإِلَيْهِمَا حَكَمَ الحِجَى أنْ تَركُنَا
If grief now seems of faithlessness the sign,
Meet it with patience, longsuffering divine.
والدَّهْرُ أَهْوَنُ أنْ يَجيْءَ بحادثٍ
لم يَثْنِهِ حُسْنُ التَّجَلُّدِ أَهْوَنَا
To these the wise their solace recommend;
Griefs far more bitter time may yet send.
والبِرُ يَقْضِي أنْ تكونَ مُعَظِّماً
والحِجْرُ يقضِي أن تكونَ مُهَوِّنَا
Justice enjoins you should glory increase;
While sorrow whispers, Give away to grief's peace.
فَلَئِنْ صَبَرْتَ فإنَّ فضَْلَكَ باهِرٌ
ولَئِنْ حَزِنْتَ فَحُكْمُهُ أنْ تَحْزَنَا
Great is your merit if you patient prove;
Grief too may claim you, for you too can love.
