يميناً لقد جازَ الأسى منتهى الحَدِّ

فيا لَيْتَ حُسْن الصّبْر في مِثْلِها يُجْدي

Alas! Grief has reached its utmost limit,

Would that forbearance in the like of it could avail!

مصابٌ به بانتْ من الدّهرِ عثْرةٌ

وضلّتْ به الأيامُ عن سنَنِ الرُّشْدِ

Afflicted with a catastrophe from the turns of fate,

And led astray by the days from the ways of right guidance.

هُو الدهرُ مَنْ أضحَى عميداً بغايةٍ

تُصِبْهُ اللّيالي دونَ ذاكَ على عمْدِ

It is fate that has now become a leader to the utmost,

Bringing upon him beyond that intentionally by night.

وهل كان إلا النجْمَ أطْلعَ نيّراً

ووجهُكَ صبْحٌ لاحَ في أفُقِ المجْدِ

Was it not for the star appearing brightly

And your face dawn shining on the horizon of glory?

فلا تعْجبوا لما بَدا من غروبِه

أيَلتاحُ نجمٌ والضُحى نورُهُ يَهدي

So wonder not for what appeared of its setting,

Can a star shine while its light guides the dawn?

وكان كما تهْوَى المكارمُ قد بدَتْ

مخائِلُ من قيْسٍ عليهِ ومن سعْدِ

It was as virtues desire that appeared

The achievements of Qais and Sa’d in him.

وكان كما تبْغي الخلافةُ قد غدَتْ

على وجهِه سيمَا من الأبِ والجَدِّ

It was as the Caliphate desires that became

On his face a mark of the father and grandfather.

وقد كان منهُ المُلك هزّ مهنّداً

وشمّر منهُ النّصرُ عن ساعِدِ الجِدِّ

And from him the kingdom shook a subduer

And the victory girded up the sleeves of struggle from him,

وهل هُوَ إلا السيفُ جُرِّدَ للعِدَى

فلمّا تمادَى سَلْمُها رُدَّ في غِمْدِ

Is it not the sword unleashed against the enemies?

But when its peace lasted long it was returned to the scabbard,

وهل هُو إلا الرُّمْحُ أُشْرِعَ نصْلُهُ

فقصَّدَهُ دهْرٌ ثناهُ عن القَصْدِ

Is it not the lance whose blade was bared?

But fate bent it from straightness.

وهلْ هُو إلا الطّرفُ أُرْسِلَ سابقًا

إلى أمدِ العَلياءِ فارْتاحَ للرّدِ

Is it not the gaze unleashed ahead

To the utmost limit of highness, but then eased for the return?

وهل هوَ إلا الغيثُ أقلعَ إذ سَقى

معاهِدَنا من أفْقِه واكِفُ العَهْدِ

Is it not the rain that set forth when it watered

Our covenants from its horizon, fulfilling the covenant?

ولمّا انقضَتْ غُرُّ الولائِم وانثنَتْ

وفودُ النّدى تُثْني على صيّبِ الرّفْدِ

And when the rotation of misfortunes ended

And the delegations of dew turned in praise of the growing youth,

جَرَى قدَرٌ فاستأثَرَ اللهُ ربُّهُ

بهِ وخَلَتْ منْ بدرهِ هالةُ المَهْدِ

Fate intervened, so Allah, his Lord,

Monopolized him, and the halo of the cradle shone from him no more.

شِهابٌ تَوارَى في الثّرى بعدَ ما بدَا

مَلاذاً لمُستَجْدٍ ونُوراً لمُسْتَهْدِ

A comet disappeared into the earth after appearing

As a refuge for the distressed and a light for the guided,

فما غابَ إلا بعدَ ما نالتِ الهُدَى

ولا غاضَ إلا حينَ كفّت عن الورْدِ

So it disappeared only after the guidance was attained,

And declined only when ceasing to bloom.

وما ضمّهُ بطْنُ الضّريح وإنّما

تضمّنَ منهُ جوْهَراً صدَفُ اللّحْدِ

The belly of the tomb encompassed him not, but rather

Assimilated from him a jewel—the shell of the grave.

تعَزَّ أميرَ المُسلمين فإنّنا

نَرى كُلّ شيءٍ في الوُجودِ إلى حدِّ

Console the Commander of the Faithful, for we

See everything in existence proceeding to an end.

تأَسّ أمير المسلمينَ فإنّما

هو القدَرُ المحْتومُ جاءَ إلى وَعْدِ

Console the Commander of the Faithful, for it

Is the foreordained fate that has come to fulfillment.

بأفْعالِكَ الغُرِّ الكريمةِ يُقْتَدَى

فجمْعُ المَعالِي منكَ في العالَمِ الفَرْدِ

You are imitated for your noble deeds,

So all virtues in the unique world are through you.

فلا زِلتَ من ريْبِ الحوادِث آمِناً

تَنال المُنَى فيما تُعيدُ وما تُبْدي

You have never ceased to be secure from the evil of events,

Attaining the death in that you repeat and initiate.