أَى سُهمٍ راشَه الدَّهرُ إِلى

ورَمانِي فَرَسَا فِي مُهجَتِي

Which arrow of fate did the universe aim at me

And threw at my heart a horse galloping rapidly

وعلَى صَرحِ نُبوغٍ قد سَطا

فَهَوى ما بَينَ صُبحٍ وعَشِي

It crashed onto a palace of genius I had erected

Plunging from dawn to dusk down speedily

ما سَطا الدهرُ علَيهِ وحدَهُ

بل سَطا الدَّهرُ عليهِ وَعَلي

Fate did not target just him alone

But both him and me equally

فمُصَابُ المَرءِ في نابِغَةٍ

هُوَ جُرحٌ في الحشَا غَير أسِي

So the affliction that befell a genius like him

Is a wound in my own heart deeply

فأنا المفجُوعُ قَلبا بِفَتى

عَبقرِيٍّ يا لَه مِن عَبقَرِي

I'm the one profoundly aggrieved for the loss of

A brilliant youth - how brilliant was he!

بَطلٌ مِن بطلٍ مِن بَطلٍ

وَسرِىٌّ مِن سِرىٍّ مِن سَرِي

A hero sprung from a long line of heroes

And a nobleman from a noble ancestry

بَين أحضَانِ العُلا قد قَصَفت

غُصنَه الرَّطبَ يدُ الدَّهرِ العَتِي

In the bosom of greatness, the hand of time, the destroyer

Snapped off his juicy branch pitilessly

استَلاَنَت عُودَه الموتُ وقد

كانَ صَلبَ العُودِ قد كان صَبِي

Death softened his sturdy wood till it bent

Though in life he was upright and steady

كيفَ لا نَرثي لِغُصنٍ نَاضِرٍ

إذ نرَى كَفَّ الردَى تلويه لَي

Why shouldn't we weep for a blooming branch

When we see the hand of fate twist it wrenchingly?

عَفَّرت تحتَ الثَّرى وجنتُه

وهَوَى بعدَ العُلاَ البدرُ السَّنِي

I covered his rosy cheeks in the earth

And the full moon fell after the heights reached loftily

لِقَضَاءِ اللهِ إنا خُضَّعٌ

كرِقابٍ تحتَ حدِّ المشرَفِي

To Allah's decree we are resigned in submission

Like necks under the sword blades coercively

إنَّها الأقدارُ فيهَا يَستَوِي

كلُّ حيٍّ مِن ضَعِيفٍ وَقَوِي

It's divine destiny; in it the weak and the strong

Are equal when their time comes eventually

أىُّ رُكنٍ للعلاَ يَهوِي به

بعدَما طاولَ شُهبا في الرُّقِي

Which pillar of glory could collapse from on high

After rising so high on the ladder of nobility?

بطلٌ فيمَا أَتاه لم يكُن

مِثلَ أبطالِ طعانٍ وغُزِي

A hero in his deeds was he, not like

The heroes of chivalry and battle ferociously

بل حياةٌ كاشَفَتهُ سِرَّها

فرَأَى مِن سرِّها كلَّ خَفِي

But life revealed its mysteries to him

And he saw its every hidden subtlety

ورأى كلَّ بقاءٍ آيلا

لِفَناءٍ ولقاءٍ لمُضِي

He saw how all existence inclines toward

Annihilation and to perishing inevitably

ورأى أنَّ خلُود المَرءِ في

ذِكره إِن هوَ بالذّكرِ عُنِي

He saw that man's eternity lies in

His legacy if he strives for it tirelessly

فخُلودُ الذِّكرِ عُمرٌ آخرُ

ليسَ يَفنَى إن يَكُ الجسمُ فَنِى

The eternity of legacy is another life

That will not end though the body dies fleetingly

وحَميدُ الذِّكرِ مَا ماتَ وإِن

جِسمُهُ عَن أعيُنٍ مِنَّا خَفِى

The praiseworthy legacy of one who passed persists

Though his body disappeared from our sight stealthily

فامتَطاها هِمَّةً وثَّابةً

ثُمَّ نادَى قَرِّبوا المجدَ إلَي

He resolved and kept steadfast to his principles

Then called out: "Bring glory closer to me!"

في سَبيلِ المجدِ والواجبِ أَن

ألقَ مَوتاً فأَنا بالموتِ حَي

"For glory and duty, I'm willing to welcome

Death - alive, I'm embracing death willingfully"

إنهُ الواجِبُ لا بدَّ لَه

مِن قضاءٍ عندَ ذي قَلبٍ أبِي

"It's the inescapable duty; I must fulfill it

With a willful heart and untiring zeal in me"

فلِهَذا في سبيل المجدِ آ

ثَرَ موتا بينَ رنَّات القِسِّي

For this - for glory - he chose to die

Amidst the boom and blaze of artillery

وكَسَيلٍ رُسُلُ الموتِ وما

صَدَّهُ عن عَزمِه السَّيلُ الأتِي

Foaming floods engulfed him, yet he

Was undeterred from his resolve staunchly

لهُ من نَارِ جَحِيمٍ حُمَمٌ

وله مِن قَاصِفِ الرَّعدِ دَوِي

Lightning and thunder erupted around him

And death itself recoiled from him dreadfully

وكأنَّ الموتَ قد أشفَقَ مِن

ه فَعنَّاه بجُرحٍ يأتَسِي

It seemed to spare him with one injury

A kinder fate for his body temporarily

فأبَى إلاَّ رُجوعاً لِلوغَى

بعدَما مِن ذلِك الجُرح شُفِي

But he refused, returning to battle

After recovering from his wound speedily

باسِما للموتِ منه هَازِئا

قائلاً لَم يَخشَ مِثلِي أىَّ شَي

Mocking death, undaunted, by name

Saying: "The likes of me have no fear steadfastly!"

أيها المَهدىُ يا رَمزَ البطو

لَةِ يا فخرَ الشبابِ العَرَبي

O Prince - emblem of heroism, pride

Of Arab youth! O, Kauma, called the lion, absent but nigh!

يا كَمِيَا ما سمِعنا مِثلَهُ

ليثُ غَابٍ قد يُنَادَى بِكَمِي

A trait inherited from his father, the Muhammedan light

O Mahdi! Rise to see how the hearts of people are in blight

صِفةٌ موروثة قد سُلسِلَت

مِن أبيهِ للنَّبيِّ القُرَشِي

See the red city don the robes of deepest sorrow's night

See their downcast eyes with tear drops raining outright

أيُّهَا المهدِيُّ قُم حتى تَرَى

كَيفَ قَلبُ الناسِ بالحُزنِ مُلي

See the sanctity and awe from a Maghrebi for his Maghrebi brother's plight

Hear it flow from their mouths like the scent of pure musk so bright

وترى مراكشَ الحمراءَ قد

لبِست ثوبَ الحدادِ الحندسي

See after you, how grief has gripped your brothers tight

A weeping neighbor or screaming "My brother! My brother!" in sad delight

وتراهم خُشَّعاً أبصارُهم

من سكونٍ تّذرِف الدمعَ السَّخي

See how the loyal miss their loyal departed knight

See the masses that filled the horizons outright

وترى التقديسَ والإعجابَ من

مغربيٍّ لأخيه المغربي

See the Atlas weeping for its lost cub delight

Tears flowing from all its children left in sad plight

وترى ذلك في الأفواه يَج

ري كما يجري شذا المسك الزكي

See all people, Arab or foreign, in similar sorrow's blight

We all lament the loss that afflicted our unifying might

وترى بعدكَ إخوانك كي

فَ كَوَت قلبَهُمُ الأحزانُ كَي

May profound grief be enough for those whose time is not ripe

With resignation to Allah's decree that no one can override

بين جارٍ ذَمعُه أو صَارخٍ

يا أُخَيِّي يا أُخَيِّي يا اُخَي

With forbearance and hope of reward, O father, for patience was your right

How not, when patience and faith were your heart's guiding light?

وتَرى كيفَ يَرى الخِلُّ الوفِي

يُ لدى فُقدَانِه الخِلَّ الوَفي

We knew you as a man whose heart with Allah was piled

To Him all matters referred, and with His pleasure you complied

وتَراهم مَلأُوا رَحبَ الفضَا

بوُفودٍ بينَ دانٍ وقًَصِي

For this, He granted you nobleness, sublime morality's height

And gifted you uniquely a heart pure and contrite

وتَرَى الأطلسَ يبكِي شِبلَه

ودُموعٌ منه أبنَاء بُكِي

So to Him thanks is due for His gifts outright

The gratitude of a servant seeking from His bounty infinite

وتَرى الناسَ جَميعا في الأسَى

قد تسَاوى العَجمِي والعَرَبي

May Allah quench your grave with abundant salutations and honor bright

And sustain your descendants and loved ones in welfare and might

كلُّنا نستمطِرُ الرُّحمَى علَى

نابغٍ عزَّ علينا ما لَقِي

وكفَى حُزنا لقلبِ فُرقةً

لا إلَى ميعَاد كَتبٍ أو لُقِي

فخُضوعا لقضَاءِ اللهِ لا

مِن مَرَدٍّ لقضَاءٍ أزَلِي

واصطِبارا وَاحتسَابا يا أبا

هُ فإنَّ الصَّبرَ مِن طَبع السَّرِي

كيفَ لاَ والصبرُ والإيمانُ مِن

قلبِك المَعمُورِ بالله العَلِي

ما عِلمنا فيكَ إلا رَجُلاً

قلبُه واللهِ باللهِ غَنِي

وإلَيه كلُّ أمرٍ مُوكَل

وبمَا يَرضَى به أنتَ رَضِي

ولِهذا خَصَّكُم مِن فضلِه

بالمزَايا الغُرِّ والخلقِ السَّوِي

وحَبا فيما حَبَا مِن مِنَحٍ

مِنحةً عُظمَى هِىَ القلبُ النَّقِي

فلَه الحَمدُ علَى أنعُمِهِ

حَمدَ عَبدٍ مُستَزيدٍ مُجتَدِي

وسقَى قبرَ فقيدِ المجدِ عَا

رِضُ رضوَانٍ غَزِيرٌ سَرمَدِي

ولتَدُم فى حِفظِه أنجالُكُم

وأراكُم مَن مَضَى فيمَن بَقِي