خَطبٌ له الدّينُ أرنى لحظَ مذعورِ
وَالناسُ ما بينَ مَبهوتٍ ومبهورِ
Religion mourned, showing me a moment of distress,
And people between stupefaction and confusion.
أَصمّ أقذى أجرّ اللسنَ فتّ بأع
ضاءِ البريّةِ أشجى كلّ حنجورِ
Deaf, most harmful, untying the tongues with calamities,
More painful than the wilderness, sadder than every lament.
بذّ القُوى وَالنهى فُجأً بِغاشيةٍ
فَلا تأسٍّ ولا صبر بمقدورِ
Goodness and restraint collapsed suddenly with overwhelming,
No consolation, nor patience within capability.
تَرى وجوهَ وجومٍ لا حراكَ بهم
كأنّما صُعِقوا مِن نفخةِ الصورِ
You see faces sullen, without movement in them,
As if they were struck by the blowing of the horn.
أَفدِح بهِ مِن قضاءٍ لا مردّ له
مقدّرٍ في كتابِ اللّه مسطورِ
Overwhelmed by a decree with no way to reverse it,
Predestined in God's Book, transcribed.
أَذكى على كلّ قلبٍ لوعةً وَحَشا
في كلِّ سامِعةٍ زلزالَ ناقورِ
It ignited in every heart grief, and in every hearing
The earthquake of the braying of camels.
خِضمُّ علمٍ غَدا غوراً فَفاضَ بهِ
خضمُّ دَمع بنارِ الحزن مسجورِ
The clamor of knowledge has faded, so its meteors poured out,
The clamor of tears of sorrow cooked.
وَشمسُ هديٍ توارَت وهيَ مُضحيةٌ
فَاِلتفَّ ديجورُ إفزاعٍ بديجورِ
The sun of guidance has set while it was shining,
So the lamps of terror mingled with lamps of terror.
تَصامَمتهُ وعاةٌ ثمّ لجّ به
تبّاعُ نعيِ نعاةٍ ذي زماجيرِ
The disobedient besieged him, then plunged at him
Successive news of the death of the owner of claws.
وَيحَ العلومِ خبَت شُهبانها وغدا
يبيخ مِنها العُرى نسج الأعاصيرِ
The lights of sciences have faded, and they have become
Ashamed of the nakedness of their weaving by storms.
ما أَنصَفَتنا الليالي في تمرّسها
بِكلّ عضبٍ مقيمِ الميلِ شمّيرِ
The nights have not been fair to us in their flow
With every lasting inclination, a burning brand.
لَقَد تقصّت مقالاتٍ وَما كَذَبت
إن أنشَبت ظفراً في خيرِ مظفورِ
It has certainly recounted sayings, and has not lied
If it sank its claws in the best of the buried.
في فاجعِ الفقدِ مرهوبٌ ومنتجعٌ
مغيّبُ الحينِ معروفٌ بمنكورِ
In the tragedy of loss terrified and seeking refuge,
The familiar is now unknown and denied.
قُل لِلمَنايا أَبعدَ الآن معتقبٌ
لا رزء مِن بعدِ رزءٍ باِبن عاشورِ
Tell death, is there comfort after
No comfort following comfort with Ibn Ashur?
أَردى فَتى الدين وَالدنيا الّذي سَبَرا
مِنهُ بِأبعدِ شأوٍ خير مظفورِ
It corrupted the best of religion and life
Whose goodness we have probed in the furthest enmity.
فَأَصبحَ اليوم قد رقّت جوانبهُ
كَآبةً وتغشّى ثوبَ مذعورِ
So today its aspects have softened
With sadness, and the garment of distress covers it.
وَأَمستِ الشهبُ في الخضراءِ حائرةً
لا تَعتدي وجهَ تشويفٍ وتغويرِ
The meteors in the green sky wander
Not transgressing the face of driving away and deception.
يا دهرُ وَيلك أَصميتَ الكرامَ به
فَهُم كعقدٍ هَوَت وسطاهُ منثورِ
O time, woe to you, you have deafened the generous through it
So they are like a necklace whose center has scattered.
ناشدتكَ اللّه هَل تَدري بتونسَ من
جيبٍ عَلى مثل فضلٍ فيه مزرورِ
I adjure you by God, do you know anyone in Tunis
From a pocket on the like of abundant virtue?
ردّد شمائلهُ إِن كنتَ مُمترئاً
وَاِنظر أَيَحظى فتى منها بقمطيرِ
Repeat its traits if you are a pretender
And see which young man among them is rained upon.
كَم صائلٍ يَستخفّ الشرع صيّرهُ
مُفلّلَ النابِ مقلومَ الأظافيرِ
How many questioners make the Law subservient,
Bald snakes, clipped talons.
وَخاملٍ قَد عَطا مِن حبلهِ سبباً
سَما بلحظٍ من الإقبالِ مشهورِ
And indolent ones who have given the rope of his rope a reason
Elevated by a look of prosperity known.
وَمُستمدّ فيوضٍ مِن عوارفهِ
أَمدّه بعطاءٍ غير معبورِ
And drawing floods from his gnosis
Provide him with a gift beyond reach.
يُجيب سائلهُ عرفاً ومعرفةً
بِما يفيدُ الغنا مِن غير تكديرِ
Answering his questioner with virtue and knowledge
With what benefits melody without disturbance.
مُستنزراً كثرةً للمنتمينَ له
مُستكثراً مِنهم متّاً بمنزورِ
Appointing many of those loyal to him
While having many composed poems with hidden meanings.
وَنسخةٌ مِن كمالٍ لَم تَكن نظَرت
عَين الزمانِ له منذ الدهاريرِ
An exemplar of perfection, the eye of time has not seen
Anyone like him since the early generations.
يا حَسرَتا هضبةٌ لِلعلمِ غيّبها
قَبرٌ وَطودُ وقارٍ ذو شماخيرِ
Oh what a loss, a hill of knowledge that a grave has hid
And the glory of dignity with minarets.
أَستغفرُ اللّه لَم يقبر سوى جسدٍ
كانَ الكمالُ بِه بَدراً بساهورِ
I ask God’s forgiveness, nothing but a body was buried
While perfection was in it, a full moon illuminating.
شَريعةُ كلّ مَن في الأرضِ واردُها
وَغايَة ما فتىً عَنها بمقصورِ
It is the law of all people and its destination,
And the limit of what a young man is restricted by.
قَد كانَ خافضَ عيشٍ في ذرى
مَرفوعةٍ نَصبَ ذيلٍ منه مجرورِ
He lowered a prestigious living with humility,
Raising the train of one debased and disgraced.
سَهلُ الخلائقِ فَضفاضُ الردا حولٌ
بِالأمرِ عيٌّ بِجمهورٍفجمهورِ
Easy with people, humble in responding, sometimes
Distracted with the affair, weak with the general public and the specific.
وَما تزيّل إلّا وهو في شرفٍ
مُستشرفٍ لعيونِ الفضل منظورِ
Nothing removes him except in an honorable state,
Anticipating the eyes of favor visible.
تُشيّعهُ أممٌ تهمي عوارفهُ
مِنهم ذوارفُ موقوذٍ وموتورِ
Nations eulogize his gnosis,
Among them the nostrils of a branded and castrated camel.
كلٌّ يقولُ وَأنفاسٌ مصعّدةٌ
في جارهِ وَدموعٌ ذات تحديرُ
Everyone speaks with breaths held back,
In his neighbor, and tears with pouches.
تغمّدَ اللّه بِالرضوانِ مضجعَ ذي
علمٍ أماليه إملاءُ الطواميرِ
May God cover with acceptance the resting place of one
With knowledge, inspired by the dictation of pens.
تغمّد اللّه بالرضوانِ مضجع ذي
فصاحةٍ لقفت إفكَ التساحيرِ
May God cover with acceptance the resting place of one
With eloquence, who refuted the greatest confusion.
تغمّد اللّه بالرضوانِ مضجع ذي
حلمٍ يلقّن إلقاءَ المعاذيرِ
May God cover with acceptance the resting place of one
With forbearance, who taught the finest excuses.
تغمّد اللّه بالرضوان مضجع ذي
بشرٍ يترجمُ عَن حسن المخابيرِ
May God cover with acceptance the resting place of one
With good tidings, who translated the best sermons.
يا طاهرَ القلبِ مِن غلٍّ ومن حسدٍ
ومكرم النفسِ عن ثوبٍ من الزورِ
O pure of heart from any hatred or envy,
And generous soul beyond any garment of falsehood.
وَعاليَ الهمِّ عَن تيهٍ وعن بطرٍ
وَعَن تكلّفِ خلقٍ غير مفطورِ
And lofty goal above confusion or nonsense,
And any affectation of an innate disposition.
وَصادقَ الذبّ ممقورَ الحَفيظة مع
سولَ الفكاهةِ بادي البشرِ والخيرِ
And truthful in play, sealed with
Easiness of humor, appearing with good and benevolence.
وَدارياً بِسياساتِ الزمانِ وما
يَملأُ المحاضرَ مِن علمٍ وتذكيرِ
And knowing the politics of time and what
Fills the records of knowledge and advice.
وَذا البيانِ الّذي يُفضي البنانُ به
مِن مقولٍ جهوريّ اللفظِ مجهورِ
And with the eloquence which the prominent pour out
Sayings majestic in wording and content.
واهاً لعهدكَ ما أوهى تصرّمه
تصرُّمَ الحلمِ عن روعٍ لمسرورِ
Oh what a time you have weakened with your absence,
The absence of wisdom from an enjoyable company.
لَهفاً عَلى معضلاتٍ لا أبا حسنٍ
لَها سواكَ بحلٍّ للصحاريرِ
Yearning for dilemmas that have no solution but you
O Abu al-Hasan with an answer to perplexities.
لَهفاً على مجلسِ الشرعِ الرفيع وقد
أَضحى مكانكَ منه غير معمورِ
Yearning for the sublime court of Islamic Law, so
Your position in it has become uninhabited.
لَهفاً فَلا عبقريٌّ حينَ تبصرهُ
يَفري برأيكَ في أمرٍ ومأمورِ
Yearning so no genius, when you see him,
Flees from your opinion in a matter and affair.
أَعزز عَلينا بأن تُدعى مبهّمةٌ
وَعضبُ رأيك فيها غيرُ مشهورِ
It grieves us that an ambiguous issue arises
While your angry opinion in it is not well known.
أَعزِز علينا بِأن تَجلو الدجى سرجٌ
وَما لصبحِ حجاكَ من تباشيرِ
It grieves us that you clear away the darkness, a burning brand,
While morning has no steeds like your investigations.
أَعزِز عَلينا بأن يَقوى ذُراك فلا
كفٌّ لعادٍ ولا إِعداد مفقورِ
It grieves us that your striking become weak so no palm
Suffices against an enemy or prepared perdition.
إِن تخلُ منكَ مقاماتٌ فَقد أرِجت
أَرجاؤُها بثناءٍ فيك معطورِ
If positions are devoid of you, then its corners have shone
With your praise, perfumed and fragrant.
أَبان فضلكَ فينا فقدهُ وكذا
كَ النفسُ زاهدةٌ في كلّ ميسورِ
Your favor upon us was shown by its loss, and so
The soul dislikes all ease.
لَم يقض حقّك مَن في أصغريه يرى
مَأوىً بِذكرك يوماً غير معمورِ
One who sees your mention as shelter
On a day not inhabited has not fulfilled your due right.
يا نائماً لا يُجيب اليوم داعيهُ
أَسهرتَ مَن لم يذُق طعماً لساهورِ
O you who today does not answer the caller
You made sleepless those who have not tasted the wine of wakefulness.
ما أَنصَفتك نفوسٌ لم تَفض لهفاً
وَأعينٌ غيّضت مِن بعد تفجيرِ
You were not done justice by souls that did not burst in yearning,
And eyes that did not overflow after your loss.
لَم يَتركنّا الأسى إن كان متّركاً
نعياً ولكن لِتجديدِ المحاذيرِ
Sorrow did not leave us if it did depart,
But to renew precautions.
مَهما عدا أعدلُ الصنوينِ تبعثهُ
فَلا تَخل أنّ صِنواً غير مهصورِ
No matter how many successors of the two eras come about,
Still, you think the successor is not pictured.
اللّه يَعلمُ أنّ الخطبَ جرّعنا
خَطباً لكأسٍ بصابِ اليأس منقورِ
God knows the affliction made us drink
A cup of the poison of despair engraved.
اللّه يَعلمُ أنّ البعدَ أَوحشنا
فَلا نَرى بعدُ شيئاً غير منفورِ
God knows separation has frightened us
So we see after nothing but the detested.
اللّه يعلمُ أنّ الفقدَ أزعجنا
فَلا قرارٌ وَلا أمنٌ بمحذورِ
God knows loss has disturbed us
So there is no stability or safety from caution.
اللّه يَعلم أن قَد راعَنا نبأٌ
نُبيؤهُ كلّ سمعٍ منه موقورِ
God knows startling news terrified us
That we report to every cautious and protected hearing.
أسىً إِذا حاوَلَت فيهِ القلوب أسى
شبّت عَليها التعازي لَفح تنّورِ
Sorrow, when hearts attempt it, sorrow ties to them
The heat of condolences like the baking of an oven.
تُسلى وَيأتي على ذكراكَ أزمنةٌ
إن كانَ ما عنكَ يُسلي غير محظورِ
It consoles - though your memory comes in eras -
If what consoles about you is not prohibited.
لا يبعدُ النأيَ مَن لم يقلُ صحبتهُ
طول التعاشرِ في يسرٍ ومعسورِ
Absence cannot remove one whose long companionship
In ease and prosperity was not brief.
وَكيفَ يُقلى اِمرؤٌ كانت سياسته
تَستنزلُ العصمَ من نيقٍ لتيهورِ
And how can one be burned whose policy
Brought down divine protection from misguidance and recklessness?
كانَت صدورُ النوادي منهُ حاليةً
وَمقولُ الشرعِ طلقاً غير مقصورِ
The hearts of clubs were inspired by him
And the sayings of Islamic Law fluent, not restricted.
وَاليومَ لا خُطّةٌ عن حطّةٍ سلِمت
وَلا حشاشةُ صدرٍ غير مصدورِ
Today there is no plan free of being beneath a plan,
Nor a cheerful chest without relief.
إنّ الّذي كانَ يندى في جَوانحنا
مِن بردِ ذِكرك أضحى فيح تسعيرِ
That which chilled our insides
From the cold of your mention has become the heat of stoking.
سَيعرفُ الناسُ منكَ اليومَ ما نكروا
وَيأبَهونَ لِسعيٍ منكَ مشكورُ
People will know today what they denied of you
And they will blame themselves for appreciated efforts from you.
وَيَذكرونكَ في بدءٍ وعاقبةٍ
مِن مستفزّينَ مرجوٍّ ومحذورِ
They will remember you at the start and end
From those made to covet, hoped for and cautioned against.
مَن كانَ رزؤك أجراً في صحيفتهِ
فَقَد حَوى الفوزَ أخذاً بالحذافيرِ
Whoever had your care as reward in his book
Then he has attained success, holding on to the claws.
فَلَيسَ يعدمُ منكَ النفع ذو مقةٍ
حيّاً وَميتاً لِمنقودٍ ومذخورِ
So one with loyalty will not lack your benefit
Alive or dead, intended or stored away.
إِن أَقصَدتك المنايا فهيَ مرصدةٌ
لكلّ مدّرعٍ بِالفضل مذكورِ
If death aimed for you, then it is aiming
For every one clothed in renowned virtue.
وَإِن عَدتك عنِ الدنيا مُعاجلةً
فَلَم تكن لكريمٍ دار تعميرِ
And if it hurried you from life unexpectedly,
Then it was no home to settle for the generous.
إنّ المَنايا لأهلِ الفضلِ تكرمةٌ
تَربو بِهم عن قراراتِ التكاديرِ
Death for the virtuous is an honorable act
In which they rise above the settlements of the insignificant.
سَمت بك الروحُ لمّا طُهّرت وَزَكت
عَن مركزٍ لمحيطٍ غير محصورِ
Your soul has ascended when it was purified and refined,
From a position for an unlimited ocean.
وَأَوفَدتك إلى دارٍ تكون بها
مَعَ الأحبّة مبرورٍ فمبرورِ
And dispatched you to a house in which you will be
With loved ones, devoted and devout.
دارٌ بِها جدّك الأسمى وشيعتهُ
صلّى عَليه الّذي أنشاه من نورِ
A house in which is your greatest grandfather and his followers
Prayers be upon him who created him from light.
فَاِهنَأ إذاً بِلقا الربّ الكريم وبال
جدّ الشفيعِ وجرّر ذيل بختيرِ
So congratulations on meeting the Generous Lord and the
Grandfather, the intercessor, and drag the train of your luck.
وَأَعظمَ اللّه أجرَ العالمين فَقد
دَهاهمُ فيك رزءٌ غير محسورِ
And may God magnify the reward of both worlds, for
A calamity in you, unbounded, has struck them.
طَووا بِلحدكَ نشرَ المكرُمات كما
يُطوى السجلُّ ليومِ النفخِ في الصورِ
They have folded at your grave the spreading of generosity
As the scroll will be folded on the day of blowing into the horn.
واروا علوماً يُنادي مَن يؤرّخُها
وَدائع العلمِ في قبرِ اِبن عاشورِ
And they have inherited sciences that the historian calls out
And deposits of knowledge in the grave of Ibn Ashur.
وَغرّةً جلّلت نوراً مؤرّخةً
ألا عَلى الطاهرِ المفتي حلى النورِ
And a wonderful first moment that immortalized a light,
Verily upon the pure scholar the ornaments of light.
