ظَنَنَّا الَّذِي نادى مُحِقَّا بمَوْتِهِ

لِعُظْمِ الَّذِي أَنْحَى منَ الرزءِ كاذِبَا

We thought the one who called out at his death a liar,

Exaggerating the enormity of the calamity that befell him,

وخلْنا الصَّباحَ الطلقَ لَيْلاً وإِنَّما

حَبَطْنا خُداريَّا مِن الحُزْنِ كارِبَا

And we passed the bright morning as a night, though

We were only grieved and downcast by sorrow.

ثَكِلْنا الدُّنا لما اسْتَقَلَّ وإِنَّما

فقَدْناكَ يا خَيْرَ البَريّةِ ناعِبَا

We neglected worldly things when they became burdensome,

For we had lost you, O best of humanity, mourning.

وما ذَهَبَتْ إِذ حَصَّلَ القَبْرُ نَفْسَهُ

ولكِنَّما الإِسْلامُ أَدْبَرَ ذاهِبَا

You did not pass away when the grave took your soul,

Rather, it was Islam that retreated and departed.

ولمّا أَبَى إِلَّا التَّحَمُّلَ رائِحاً

مَنَحْناهُ أَعْناقَ الكِرامِ رَكائِبَا

And when it refused anything but to bear the affliction,

We gave it the necks of the generous as mounts.

يَسِيرُ به النَّعْشُ الأَغَرُّ وحَوْلهُ

أَباعِدُ راحُوا للمُصابِ أَقارِبَا

The most splendid bier carries him, and around him

Are his closest relatives who came to the bereaved one.

علَيْهِ حَفِيف لِلْمَلائِكِ أَقْبَلَتْ

تُصافِحُ شَيْخاً ذاكِر اللَّه تائِبَا

Upon it is the rustling of angels who came

To greet a shaykh remembering Allah, repentant.

تخالُ لَفِيفَ النَّاسِ حَوْلَ ضَريحِهِ

خَلِيطَ قَطاً وافى الشَّرِيعَةَ هَارِبَا

You imagine the murmuring of people around his tomb

A mix of cats that shunned the law, fleeing.

إِذا ما امْتَرَوْا سُحْبَ الدُّمُوعِ تَفَرَّعَتْ

فُرُوعُ البُكا عن بارِقِ الحُزْن لاهِبَا

When they pretend to shed tears, the branches

Of weeping, from the lightning flash of grief, ignite.

فمَن ذَا لِفَصْلِ القَوْلِ يَسْطَعُ نُورُهُ

إِذا نحنُ نَاوَأْنَا الألَدّ المناوبَا

So who is there whose light shines in this art?

When we moan over the most painful successive calamities.

ومَن ذا رَبيعُ المُسْلِمينَ يَقُوتُهُم

إِذا النَّاسُ شامُوها بُرُوقا كَواذِبَا

And who is the spring of the Muslims that nourishes them

When people experience deceptive flashes like lightning?

فيا لَهْفَ قَلْبي آهِ ذابَتْ حُشاشتي

مَضى شَيْخُنا الدَّفَّاعُ عنَّا النَّوائِبَا

Oh how my heart yearns! Ah my happiness melted away!

Our shaykh who defended us from misfortunes passed away.

وماتَ الَّذِي غابَ السُّرُورُ لمَوْتِهِ

فلَيْسَ وإِنْ طالَ السُّرَى منه آيِبَا

And he whose death caused happiness to disappear died,

Though sorrows from him remain unabating.

وكانَ عَظِيماً يُطْرِقُ الجَمْعُ عِنْدَهُ

ويَعْنُو له رَبُّ الكَتِيبةِ هائِبَا

He was great, at whose presence the group would bow down

And for him the Lord of the regiment would anxiously plead.

وذا مِقْوَلٍ عَضْبِ الغرارَيْنِ صارِم

يَرُوحُ به عن حَوْمَةِ الدِّينِ ضارِبَا

And he whose severe words were like the cutting swords

Against the transgressors, striking in defense of the faith.

أَبا حاتِم صَبْرَ الأَدِيبِ فإِنَّني

رَأَيْتُ جَمِيلَ الصَّبْرِ أَحْلَى عَواقِبَا

Abu Hatim, have the patience of the wise, for I saw

That patience in tribulation has the sweetest consequences.

وَما زِلْتَ فِيْنَا ترْهب الدَّهْرَ سطْوةً

وصَعْباً به نُعْي الخُطُوبَ المَصاعِبَا

You never ceased to intimidate the days of time with strength

And hardness, lamenting the difficulties of misfortune.

سَأَسْتَعْتِبُ الأَيَّامَ فيكَ لَعَلَّها

لصِحَّةِ ذاك الجِسْمِ تَطْلُبُ طالِبَا

I will blame the days for you, perhaps

They will seek for the health of that body a remedy.

لَئِنْ أَفَلَتْ شَمْسُ المكارِمِ عنكُمُ

لقد أَسأَرَتْ بَدْراً لها وكَواكِبَا

If the sun of glory has set on you,

It has indeed risen with a moon and stars.