عيلَ العَزاءُ وَخانَني صَبري
لَمّا نَعى الناعي أَبا بَكرِ
Grief overcame me and my patience failed me,
When the mourner announced the death of Abu Bakr,
وَرَأَيتُ رَيبَ الدَّهرِ أَفرَدَني
مِنهُ وَأَسلَمَ لِلعِدا ظَهري
And I saw the vicissitudes of time left me alone,
Abandoning me to my enemies' backs.
مِن طَيِّبِ الأَثوابِ مُقتَبِلٍ
حُلوِ الشَّمائِلِ ماجِدٍ غَمرِ
In fine garments, of sweet appearance, glorious,
He passed away to his destination, overtaken
فَمَضى لِوجهَتِهِ وَأَدركهُ
قَدَرٌ أُتيحَ لَهُ مِنَ القَدرِ
By a predetermined fate granted to him,
And I was left with only sorrow and a burning chest,
وَغَبَرتُ مالي مِن تَذَكُّرِهِ
إِلّا الأَسى وَحَرارَةُ الصَّدرِ
Yearning keeps returning to me, though little
Yearning and praise remain in me for him,
وَجَوىً يُعاوِدُني وَقَلَّ لَهُ
مِنّي الجَوى وَمَحاسِنُ الذِّكرِ
When men's hands cast him down,
Into the depths of a dusty grave.
لَمّا هَوَت أَيدي الرِّجال بِهِ
في قَعرِ ذاتِ جَوانِبٍ غُبرِ
I knew I would never see him again
Among people until the Gathering Day,
وَعَلِمتُ أَنّي لَن أُلاقِيَهُ
في الناسِ حَتّى مُلتَقى الحَشرِ
I nearly died from being parted from him, though
My soul did no wrong at the verge of his grave.
كادَت لِفُرقَتِهِ وَما ظلمَت
نَفسي تَموتُ عَلى شَفا القَبرِ
By the life of the Prophet who on the day
Of the Feast of Sacrifice was pinned by stakes of wood!
وَلَعَمرُ مَن حُبِسَ الهَدِيُّ لَهُ
بِالأَخشَبَينِ صَبيحَةَ النَّحرِ
If attaining immortality could save him,
You would have had no fear of death's vicissitudes.
لَو كانَ نَيلُ الخُلدِ يُدرِكُهُ
بَشَرٌ بِطيبِ الخيم وَالنَّجرِ
Excellent is the abode of the shrouded ones when
Drought strikes, and the rain clouds fail.
لغبرتَ لا تخشى المنون ولا
أودى بِنَفسِكَ حادِثُ الدَّهرِ
How often I lamented as my eyes
Poured forth their tears flowing down!
وَلنِعمَ مَأوى المُرمَلينَ إِذا
قحطوا وَأَخلَفَ صائِبُ القَطرِ
Where, which hero will stand by our side
When matters grow grave?
كَم قُلتُ آوِنَةً وَقَد ذَرَفَت
عَيني فَماءُ شُؤونها يَجري
To fend off a hostile opponent
And provide for an impoverished brother?
أَنّى وَأَيُّ فَتىً يَكونُ لَنا
شَرواكَ عِندَ تَفاقُمِ الأَمرِ
I know, though I pretend not to feel
The burning embers’ heat.
لدِفاع خَصمٍ ذي مُشاغبَةٍ
وَلعائِلٍ تَرِبٍ أَخي فَقرِ
No man can escape death
Or shield and hide himself from it.
وَلَقَد عَلِمتُ وَإِن ضُمِنتُ جَوىً
مِمّا أُجِنُّ كَواهِج الجَمرِ
ما لامرِئٍ دونَ المَنِيَّةِ من
نَفَقٍ فَيحرزُهُ وَلا سِترِ
