كذا تنقضي الأيّامُ حالاً على حالِ

وتنقرضُ الساداتُ بادٍ على تالي

Thus pass the days, one state after another,

And the chiefs perish, one after the other.

ويلحَقُ أبناءُ النبيِّ أباهُمُ

على مَهَلٍ من سيرِ عمرٍ وإعجالِ

And the sons of the Prophet follow their father

At a leisurely pace of lifetime and haste.

ضُحَى كلِّ يوم سالبُ من سَراتهم

بصيرَةَ عُمْيٍ أو هدايةَ ضُلَّالِ

Every morning takes away some of their elegance

With the insight of blindness or the guidance of misguidance.

إذا اخضرَّ فرعٌ منهم اغبرّ أصله

فصوّحَ حتى يتبعَ العاطلَ الحالي

When a branch of them turns green, its origin withers

So it inclines until it follows the one gone.

ويا وشْكَ ما تمسى الديارُ خليّةً

إذا ذهب الباقي ولم يعد الخالي

And how close is the time when the houses will be empty

When the remaining ones pass and the empty ones do not return.

مدارجُ تحت الأرض سوّتْ جسومَهم

وإن عَرَّجتْ أرواحهم أفْقَها العالي

Underground steps smoothed their bodies

And though their spirits mounted its heights.

سوى ما يُبَقِّي الدهرُ من بركاتهم

ضرائحَ أنوارٍ بها يسأل السالي

Except what time leaves of their blessings

Tombs of lights, about which the questioner asks.

ولا كضريح أمس هِلْنا ترابَه

على جسدٍ باقي العلا في النَّقا بالي

Not like the tomb yesterday, we packed its dust

On a body, eminent, high.

على الطاهر ابن الطاهرين وإنّه

لهالةُ بدرٍ منه بل غابُ رئبالِ

Upon the pure son of the two pure ones, and he

Is like the halo of a full moon that disappeared.

بأيّةِ نفسٍ ليلةَ السبت روَّحَتْ

يدُ الموت لم تنقد لها قودَ أخلالِ

With what soul on the eve of Saturday, did

The hand of death gesture without paying a price of sorrow.

تباشرتِ الأملاك ليلاً بقربه

وأصبح منها في قبيلٍ وفي آلِ

The angels gathered around him at night

And in the morning among a tribe and a family.

سُقِينا به ميْتا كما كان جاهُهُ

لدى الله حيّاً عام جدبٍ وإمحالِ

We were quenched by him dead as his status

Was alive with God in a year of drought and barrenness.

فلله نفس كان وقت ارتفاعها

إلى الله والغيثُ المنزّلُ في حالِ

To God belonged a soul whose time of ascent

Was to God while the sent rain was falling.

لئن بايعتنا المزنُ رُوحاً برُوحه

لقد غَبَنَتْناهُ من الثمن الغالي

If the deadly stroke made a pact with his soul

It cheated us of the expensive price.

قُنوطاً بني الحاجات إن نجاحها

بلا كافلٍ بعدَ الحسين ولا والي

Despairing of the hopes without a supporter after al-Husayn or an aide.

Gather the camels, it is a year of sitting.

أجِمّوا المطايا إنه عامُ قِعدةٍ

وفي غِيَرِ الأحوالِ تغييرُ أحوالِ

And in other states, the changing of states.

Stand and scatter your groups around his grave

قفوا فانفضوا أذوادَكم حولَ قبرهِ

فلا حظَّ في حَطٍّ عَداه وترَحالِ

No luck in descending after him and traveling.

He who fears blame and is in the prime of life passed away

مضى من يخاف العتبَ وهو بنجوةٍ

ويرعَى مصوناً سُبّة القيلِ والقالِ

And he who carefully protects himself from slander and gossip.

And he whose sea is raging and is sated by pretexts

ومن بحرهُ طامٍ ويُروَى تعلُّلا

ببلِّ اللَّهاةِ من نطافٍ وأوشالِ

With the urine of drunkards and leftovers.

O father Ahmad, you taught me to answer you

أبا أحمدٍ عوّدتني أن تُجيبني

فما وجهُ إعراضٍ زَوَى وجهَ إقبالِ

So what is the aspect of dislike that turned away the face of amiability?

I cried over you the splendid day with its heavy downpour

بكيتك لليوم الشريق بنقعه

وما رشَّ فيه الطعنُ من دمِ أوصالِ

In which slander did not sprinkle blood or wounds.

And the sword did not lack a flashing blade and ornament

وللسيفِ لم يعدَمْ مَضاءً وزينةً

بنصلٍ وجفنٍ جهدَ قيْنٍ ولا جالي

With sharp steel and eyelids that tired the fighter and warrior.

You passed away and the shoulders of a carrier could not be found

عُدِمْتَ فلم يظفَرْ بعاتق حاملٍ

يفرِّقُ حيناً بين شَنْفٍ وخَلخالِ

To sometimes separate between anklet and bracelet.

And the spear missed the spear after you to see

وللرمح فات الرمحُ بعدك أن يرى

شمائلَ عطّافٍ مع الطعن مياّلِ

The features of a charming one inclining with the stab.

And for the early bird carried from the back of a latecomer

وللسابق المنقول من ظهر لاحقٍ

إلى سبعة مما تنخّلها الفالي

To the seventh one filtered by the sifter.

The high back was protected by your descent to be seen

حَمَى ظهرَه العالي نزولُك أن يُرى

مقاماً لراجٍ أو مفازاً لجَوّالِ

As a place for one seeking refuge or an expanse for a wanderer.

It startled from its saddle and bridle

به نفرةٌ من سَرجه ولجامه

لفقدك مع لينٍ لديه وإسهالِ

From missing you with gentleness he possessed and diarrhea.

And blindness from the confusing roads meandered

وعمياء من طُرْقِ الحِجاج تلجلجتْ

بأصواتِ خُطّابٍ وأفواه نُقّالِ

With the voices of loud orators and big mouths.

It expanded, despite the narrowness of dissent in its valleys,

توسّعت مع ضيق الخصام بفلجها

وأوضحت منها كلَّ لَبْسٍ وإشكالِ

And elucidated from it every ambiguity and confusion.

And for the land, its soil lives though it is dead

وللأَرض يحيا تُربُها وهو ميِّتٌ

وإن لم يَجُدها صوبُ أسحمَ هطّالِ

Even if the torrents of pouring rain do not find it.

Through you its deserted quarter is enriched

بمالك أو يغنى بفقرك ربعُها

على قفره أو يَنْعَم الطللُ البالي

Or the ruins on its barrenness enjoy comfort.

And for the dark night you were its lamp

وللّيلة الظلماء قمتَ سراجَها

على رِجْلِ قوّالٍ مع الله عمّالِ

Standing on your feet serving God, an ideal worker.

And a house of prayers whose pillars you erected

وبيت صلاةٍ شدتَه فوقفته

على دعواتٍ صالحاتٍ وأعمالِ

With righteous supplications and deeds.

And for the inquiring intruder, if an intruder did not

وللطارق المعترِّ إن لمَّ طارقا

تجاوده في النفس والأهل والمالِ

Struggle with himself, his family and money.

He sought hospitality in every house he thought

لَجَا مستضيفاً كلَّ بيتٍ يظنّه

فلا سامرٌ ولا نُباحٌ ولا صالي

So there is no night chat or barking or prayers.

Until God shows him your fire, and he is guided

إلى أن أراه اللهُ نارَك فاهتدى

على ضلّةٍ أُكرمتَ يا مُوقدَ الضَّالِ

From misguidance, you honored, O kindler of the lost.

My greetings to every hopeful one, for I

على كلّ مأمولٍ سلامي فإنني

يئستُ وماتت يومَ موتك آمالي

Despaired and my hopes died the day you died.

For whom do poems give birth to the essence after you

لمن تَمخُضُ الأشعارُ بعدك زُبدةً

وتجمع بين الحاءِ والميم والدالِ

And gather between the H, M and D.

My fervor sufficed my heart and my eloquence fell short

وَفَى بالجوى قلبي وقصَّر منطقي

فأكثرُ قولي فيك أيسرُ أفعالي

So most of my words about you are the easiest of my deeds.

And you, if you could grant me a favor and grace

وإنك لو تسطيع منّاً ومُنَّةً

لداويت أوجاعي وداريت أوجالي

You would heal my sorrows and treat my wounds.

Then you would carry the grief from me with a

إذاً لحملتَ الحزنَ عني بكاهلٍ

ضعيفٍ على ما اعتاد من حمل أثقالي

Weak shoulder accustomed to bearing my burdens.

They say in alleviation of my sorrow he lived long,

يقولون تخفيفاً لحزني مُعمَّرٌ

نجا مِئَةً أو كاد مطلعَها العالي

Reached a hundred years or its heights nearly.

That is condolence for you if they understand it.

وذاك عزاءٌ عنك لو يعقلونه

أمدُّ لدمعي بل أشدُّ لإعوالي

It makes my tears flow more and intensifies my worries!

The extent of one's grief is proportional to his survival

بقدرِ بقاءِ المرء قدرُ الأسى له

وذكرُ نعيمٍ دام لي بك أشقى لي

And the memory of lasting bliss with you is most painful for me.

Man is not consoled for one he loves

وما دُهِيَ الإنسانُ فيمن يحبُّه

بفقدٍ كأخذٍ جاء من طول إمهالِ

By a loss that came from long reprieve.

Your cousin, whose loyalty and devotion to you weep over you,

رثاك نسيبٌ ودّه ولاؤه

مُحِقٌّ إذا زُنَّ القصيُّ بإبطالِ

Faithful, when the relative is tested with adversities.

And your master over you is as you stipulated

ومولاكُمُ فيكم على ما شرطتمُ

وإن بان عنكم في عُمومٍ وأخوالِ

Even if he parted from you in generality and relatives.

I wish your visitors do not miss the habit

فيا ليت لا يعدَمْ وفودُك عادةً

بشِبليْك من عطفٍ عليهم وإسبالِ

Of frequenting your Shibli with kindness and favor upon them.

No one who lived to take his place has died

فما مات من عاشا لسدّ مكانِهِ

ولا حضرا وموضعٌ منك بالخالي

And no present one while your place is empty.

And they did not leave you or oscillate about visiting you

وما غادَيا أو راوحاك زيارةً

نراك بها مستبشرا ناعمَ البالِ

Where we see you cheerful and serene.

If the two preventing did not forbid you

ولو ما أغبّاك الطُّروقَ كفتهما

خلافة جبريلٍ عليك وميكالِ

It would be like Gabriel's successorship over you and Michael's.