هوَ الدَهرُ لا يُصغي إلى مَن يُعاتِبُه

وَلو عَظُمَت هِمّاتهُ وَمَآربُه

Time is not one to heed the complaints of those who reproach it,

It is Fate, listening not to him who casts blame,

No matter how grand their ambitions and desires.

Even if his ambitions be vast and his purposes great.

لهُ كلَّ يَومٍ غارَةٌ بعدَ غارَةٍ

بِها يَترُكُ النادي تَرِنُّ نَوادِبُه

Each day it wages a new attack,

Every day it launches raid upon raid,

Leaving the club with its companions lamenting.

Leaving the gathering hall echoing with the wail of mourners.

وَيَعتامُ مِنا كلَّ أَبلَجَ ماجِدٍ

كَما اِعتامَ عِقدَ الجَوهَرِ الفَردِ جالِبُه

It dims the radiance of every mighty ancient hero,

It chooses from among us every radiant, glorious soul,

As the unique brilliant gem's necklace fades over time.

As a jeweler selects the rarest solitary pearl.

رُزئنا حَليفَ المُكرَماتِ اِبنَ قاسمٍ

جَميلَ المُحَيّا طاهِراتٍ مَذاهِبُه

We have lost the ally of honorable deeds, the son of Qasim,

We have been bereft of the ally of noble deeds, Ibn Qasim,

Pure of character, upstanding in his ways.

Beautiful of countenance, pure in his ways.

رُزِئنا فَتىً لا يَأمَنُ الضِدُّ بَأسهُ

وَلا يَحتَوي أَخلاقَهُ مَن يُصاحِبُه

We have lost a man whose enemies cannot feel secure from his might,

We mourn a knight whose might gave foes no peace,

Nor can his manners be contained by his companions.

Whose boundless virtues no companion could fully encompass.

رُزِئنا رَبيعَ الناسِ تَندي بَنانَهُ

إِذا اِغبَرَّ وَجهُ الأُفقِ وَازورَّ جانِبُه

We have lost the springtime of humanity, whose branches bloomed,

We mourn the Spring of men, whose fingers dripped with dew,

When the horizon was covered in dust and its sides grew dark.

When the horizon’s face grew dusty and the skies turned bleak.

سَما فَاِمتَطى شُمَّ المَعالي بِعَزمَةٍ

وَأَصلٍ كَريمٍ أَنجَبَتهُ مَناسِبُه

He mounted the heights of glory with determination,

He soared, mounting the towering peaks of glory with resolve,

And noble lineage that birthed his like.

Born of a noble root, sired by illustrious lineage.

اَناخَ بهِ من لَيسَ يُدفَعُ بِالقَنا

وَلا بِحَديدِ الهِندِ تَسطو مَضارِبُه

He made those beyond reach bow, not to be driven back,

That Visitor dismounted at his door, repelled not by spears,

Nor would Indian steel succeed against his blows.

Nor by the Indian steel where striking edges flash.

فَلَو كانَ من خَصمٍ أَلَدَّ لَدافَعَت

مَناياهُ عنهُ بِالسُيوفِ أَقارِبُه

If he had faced the bitterest foe, his family

Had it been a mortal foe of bitter enmity,

Would have defended him with their swords.

His kinsmen would have fended off his doom with swords.

وَلوكان يُفدى بِالنُفوس وَما عَلا

من المالِ لم تَعزِز عَليه مَطالِبُه

If he could be ransomed with souls and immeasurable wealth,

Were he to be ransomed by souls or heaps of gold,

His aspirations would not diminish against him.

No price asked would have been too dear to pay.

وَلكِن إِذا تَمَّ المَدى نَفَذَ القَضا

وَكلُّ أَبيِّ الضَيمِ فَالمَوتُ غالِبُه

But when one's time runs out, fate prevails,

But when the span is measured, the Decree takes effect,

And death overcomes even the staunchest men.

And death conquers even the proudest who scorns submission.

أَقولُ لِناعيهِ وَقد صَمَّ مِسمَعي

أَحَقّاً تَقولُ الصِدقَ أَم أَنتَ كاذِبُه

I say to the one who informed me, deafening my hearing,

I ask the bearer of his news, though my ears have gone deaf:

"Do you really speak the truth or are you lying?

"Do you truly speak the truth, or do you lie?"

نَعَيتَ اِمرَءً ما قارَفَ الدَهرَ سَوءَةً

نَعم لِلمَعالي وَالعَوالي مَكاسِبُه

You have declared dead a man who never did wrong in life,

"You have announced the death of one whom time never saw sin;

Rather, his virtues and nobility were his achievements."

Truly, his gains were in high honors and tall spears."

سَقاهُ منَ الغُفرانِ وَالعَفوِ وابِلٌ

تَزُفُّ إِلَيهِ بِالرِضاءِ سَحائِبُه

The heavens watered him with forgiveness and pardon,

May a heavy rain of pardon and forgiveness water him,

Its clouds raining down acceptance upon him.

Whose clouds drift toward him, laden with divine content.

عَزاءً بَني عَبدِ الرَحيمِ فَإِنَّما

بِحُسنِ العَزا يَستَوجِبِ الأَجرَ كاسِبُه

My condolences, O family of Abdul Rahim, for through

Take comfort, O sons of Abd al-Rahim, for truly,

Good condolences may the bereaved find reward.

It is through patient endurance that one earns the reward.

فَأَنتُم بَنو الأَقوامِ عِندَ حُلومِهِم

تَخِفُّ من الطَودِ الأَشَمِّ أَخاشِبُه

You are the sons of the best of peoples in their most charitable times,

You are sons of a people whose forbearance

When even the tallest palm trunks bow down low.

Outweighs the heavy crags of the towering mountain.

وَأَنتُم بَنو المَجدِ الصُراحِ الذي بهِ

أَنارَت بِأُفقِ المَكرُماتِ كَواكِبُه

You are the sons of glorious honor, which lit up

You are the sons of pure glory, through which

The horizon of all regions with its stars.

The stars of nobility have lit up the horizon.

وَإِن كُنتُمُ أَحداثَ سنٍّ فَحِلمُكُم

أَنافَ على من طالَ فيها تَجارِبُه

If you are youthful in your years, your wisdom

Though you be young in years, your wisdom

Surpasses those whose heads are white with experience.

Surpasses those who have lived long lives of experience.

وَإِنّي لأَرجو أَنَّكُم تَخلُفونَهُ

بِإِعلاءِ مَجدٍ شَيَّدَتهُ مَناقِبُه

I hope that you will succeed him,

I hold hope that you will succeed him well,

By upholding a glory built up through his virtues.

By raising high the glory his virtues established.

وَيَبقى لهُ ذكرٌ بِكُم يَملأُ الفَضا

وَيَشدو بهِ فَوقَ الغُرَيريِّ راكِبُه

Keeping his memory alive through you, filling the sky,

So his memory may remain through you, filling the void,

As the poet composes verses in remembrance.

Sung by the rider atop his camel across the wastes.

فَشُدّوا عِناجَ الإجتماعِ جَميعُكُم

وَإِيّاكُم واشٍ تَدِبُّ عَقارِبُه

So come together, all of you grasping the rope of unity,

So tighten the bond of unity among you all,

And beware any discord that would unravel it.

And beware the slanderer whose scorpions creep softly.

وَإِيّاكُم وَالإِفتراقَ فَإِنَّما

يَجيءُ بِتَخريبِ الدِيارِ عَواقِبهُ

Beware division, for it only brings

And beware of division, for truly

Destruction to homes in its wake.

Its consequences bring the ruin of great houses.

لكُم شَلَقَ أَرسَوا قَواعِدَ مجدهِمِ

بِأَيّامِ صِدقٍ يَلفِظُ الماءَ شارِبُه

You have inherited the legacy of those who established

In Shalaq, they anchored the foundations of their glory,

The foundations of their glory in days of sincerity.

In days of truth so fierce the drinker would spit out his water.

تَغَنّى بها في كُلِّ قُطرٍ حُداتهُ

وَيَنقُلها عن شاهِدِ الحالِ غائِبُه

Their virtues are sung of in every land,

The caravan singers chanted of it in every land,

Carried from witnesses to the absent.

And the absent tell of it from those who bore witness.

إذا ذُكِرَت هُزَّت رُؤوسُ رُواتِها

وَقيلَ كَذا فَليَسعَ لِلمَجدِ طالِبُه

When they are mentioned, heads bow down,

When told, the narrators shake their heads in awe,

And it is said: "Thus! Let the seeker of glory emulate them."

Saying, "Like this, let the seeker of glory strive."

عِظامُ المَقاري ما شكا الجَدبَ جارُهُم

وَيُثري بهِم مَن لَوَّحَتهُ سَباسِبُه

The bones of the Maqaris never complained of drought to their neighbors,

They possess great basins for guests; their neighbor never fears drought,

And their waving branches give fruit to those in their shade.

And the desert-scorched traveler grows rich through them.

أَلَيسَ أَبوكُم قاسِمٌ شَرُفَت بهِ

مَشارِقُ آفاقِ النَدى وَمَغارِبُه

Is not your father Qasim, whose nobility

Is not your father Qasim, through whom

Graced the horizons of dew in East and West?

The eastern and western horizons of generosity were honored?

وَعَمُّكُمُ مَن عَطَّرَ الأُفقَ مَجدهُ

وَطابَت به في كلِّ قُطرٍ هَبائِبُه

And your uncle whom glory scented the sky,

And your uncle, whose glory perfumed the horizon,

And whose gifts made every land fragrant?

Making the breezes sweet in every land?

هوَ النَدبُ عَبدُ اللَهِ أَمّا نِجارهُ

فَصافٍ وفي الأَدنَينِ مَحضٌ ضَرائِبُه

This is the lament of Abdullah. As for its composer,

He is the noble champion, Abdullah; as for his lineage,

He is purehearted, sincere to friend and critic alike.

It is pure, and among his kin, his nature is unalloyed.

سَريعٌ إلى داعي النَدى مُتَحَبِّبٌ

إِلى زائِريهِ ما تَغِبُّ وَهائِبُه

Quick to answer the call to dew, beloved

Swift to answer the call of generosity, beloved

To both visitors and strangers.

To his visitors, his gifts never ceasing.

نَجيُّ المَعالي ما يُحَدِّثُ نَفسَهُ

بِغَيرِ النَدى أَو قَهرِ خَصمٍ يُشاغِبُه

He aspires to glory but never preoccupies himself

A confidant of high honors, he converses with his soul

With aught but generosity or defeating a hostile opponent.

Only of generosity or the conquering of a turbulent foe.

وَصَلّى إلهُ العالَمينَ عَلى الذي

أَشاد الهُدى قُرآنهُ وَكتائِبُه

And may the prayers of the God of the worlds be upon

And may the God of the Worlds send blessings upon him

Muhammad the rightly guiding and trusted, his family

Whose Qur'an and battalions established the Guidance—

محمدٍ الهادي الأمينِ وَآلهِ

وَأصحابهِ ما نَمَّقَ الطِرسَ كاتِبُه

And companions, so long as the writer flows his pen.

Muhammad, the Trustworthy Guide, and upon his Kin

And Companions, as long as a scribe adorns the scroll.