بِقِيَّةَ مَجدٍ وُدِّعتْ يَومَ وُدّعا
وَآمالُ عِزٍّ آنَ أَن تَتَقَطَّعا
A remnant of glory was bid farewell the day they bid adieu,
And hopes of honor were nearing their demise.
وَلَم تَنعَهُ الأَيّامُ إِلّا وَأَدمَجَت
مِنَ الشِرقِ شَطراً في مُنيَتِهِ مَعا
Fate allowed them nothing but intertwined
A part of the East into its death knell.
لَقَد جادَنا نَوءُ الزَمانِ مَصائِباً
يَلوحُ لَنا أَنَّ مُزنَها لَيسَ مُقَطَّعا
Indeed, the wheel of time has afflicted us with disasters,
Portending more of its sorrows are yet to ensue.
وَسُبحانَ مَن ساقَ الرَدى بِوُجوهِهِ
فَلَقى لَعَمري الجَمعَ وَالفَردَ مَصرَعا
Glory to He who destines mankind to catastrophes,
My people and I met our common, dire fate.
إِذا شَنَّ جَيشُ النَحسِ في القَومِ غارَةً
فَما أَجدَرُ الأَرزاءِ أَن تَتَنَوَّعا
When the army of misfortune raids a tribe,
It is apt for the noblest to meet a variety of ends.
وَما كُنتُ حَتّى اليَومَ أَحسَبُ دَهرَنا
إِذا ساءَ لا يَرتادُ لِلعُذرِ مَوضِعا
Never until now did I reckon our fate, when turned awry,
Would forgo excuses and show no virtue.
أَلَم يَكفِهِ ما غالَ مِن كُلِّ غايَةٍ
وَأَفسَدَ مِن مَعنى وَعَطَلَ مَرجِعا
Did it not suffice what extremes it reached,
Corrupting ideals and upending all order?
وَضيقُ الخَطبِ وَليَفدَحَ الأَسى
وَتَنقَلِبُ العُليا بِمارِنٍ أَجدَعا
With calamities looming, sorrows swelling,
And the lofty stumbling headlong in collapse?
أَجَلَّ وَيُجَلّي الدَهرُ النَوادِبُ عَبرَتي
عَلَيَّ فائَت وَليَنعَ دَهرُكَ مَن نَعى
Time compounds my sorrow as the bereaved lament,
My loss intensified while fate spares none who mourn.
فَهَيهاتَ ما إِن أَسطارٍ لِفاجِعٍ
إِذا كانَ مَن أَودى الأَمينَ المُشَيَّعا
Alas, no script for a tragedy,
Could do justice when the trusted meet their end.
أَحِبَّتَنا إِن قيلَ في الصَبرِ رُجلَةً
فَإِنّي فَتى أَبغي أَنوحُ وَأجَزَعا
My loved ones, some may cite composure in grief,
But I am one who wishes to weep and wail.
تَرَكتُ لَكُم فَضلِ التَصَبُّرِ صَبرَةً
وَقُلتُ لِطَرفي اليَومَ لا تَألُ مَدمَعا
Patience in grief I leave to you,
While I tell my eyes today, cease not your tears.
وَشَعشَعَ كُؤوسَ الدَمعِ بِالدَمِ ساقِياً
فَكُلُّ شَرابٍ زينُهُ أَن يُشَعشَعا
He poured tears blended with blood as drink;
Every draft adorned, stirred to fullness.
وَاِعتَدُّها نَحوَ الأَمينِ خِيانَةً
إِذا أَنا لَم أَشتَفَّ كاسَكَ مَترَعا
And I would count it a betrayal of the Trusted One
If I did not savor a cup as he did.
فَما كانَ وُدّي لِلأَعِزَّةِ ضائِعاً
وَما كانَ قَلبي مِن أَخي الوُدِّ بَلقَعا
Never did I neglect, even from afar, a friend,
As the stars watch over me, I watched over him in kind.
حَمَلتُ لَهُ بَينَ الضُلوعِ أَمانَةً
لَو اِحتَمَلتُها الشَمُّ مالَت تَصدَعا
If this soil has hidden away his moon,
Then neither will those stars beam their light.
وَأَصفَيتُهُ مِنّي إِخاءَ لَو أَنَّهُ
أَعارَ اللَيالي صَفوَهُ رُقنَ مَشرَعا
Nor will those lightning bolts shine, their beacons
That once illuminated, now extinguished.
وَما زِلتُ أَرعاهُ عَلى البُعدِ صاحِباً
وَقَبلي نُجومُ الأُفقِ مِثلِيَ مَن رَعى
In the pitched darkness looming, no illuminant
May shine radiant or gleam bright.
فَإِن يَكُ هَذا التُربُ غَرَّبَ بَدرَهُ
فَلا زَهَرَت تِلكَ الكَواكِبُ مَطلَعا
Today, the one who shepherded the righteous met his fate;
For it is the finest of men the people will mourn.
وَلا لَمَعَت تِلكَ البُروقُ وَقَد خَبَت
بُروقُ أَمانٍ كُنَّ بِالأَمسِ لَمَّعا
And death did not claim a single soul,
Rather it claimed, wholesale, the best of them.
أَما في دُجى الخَطبِ المُخَيِّمِ حاجِبٌ
لِكُلِّ مُنيرٍ أَن يُضيءَ وَيَسطَعا
It claimed the wise, the learned, the reasonable and bold,
The generous and revered, preserved from all vice.
قَضى اليَومَ مَن راعَ البَرِيَّةَ رُزؤَهُ
وَلَيسَ يُراعُ الناسُ إِلّا لِأَروَعا
No noble quality or trait remained unsullied,
Nor principles he upheld but to join him in repose.
وَلَم يَأتِ فيهِ المَوتُ مَصرَعَ واحِدٍ
وَلَكِنَّهُ كانَ المَصارِعُ أَجمَعا
Were intercession of avail before death’s arrival,
His exceptional traits would have sufficed as intercessors.
أَصابَ الحِجى وَالعِلمَ وَالحَزمَ وَالمَضا
وَصَدَّقَ المَبادي وَالذِمامِ المُمَنَّعا
Yet death’s caller is not swayed by bribes,
And none so lofty as to be above its grasp.
وَما بَقِيَت في المَكرُماتِ سَجِيَّةً
وَلا خُطَّةً إِلّا ثَوَت مَعَهُ مَضجَعا
It captured him suddenly, by betrayal’s hand,
As quick as a glance of the eye, or quicker yet.
فَلَو نَفَعَت عِندَ المَنونِ شَفاعَةً
كَفَتهُ فَريداتُ الخِصالِ مُشَفَّعا
A tragedy that shook all corners as news of it spread,
And nothing steadfast remained but was shaken.
وَدافَعَ عَن حَوبائِهِ طَيِّبُ الثَنا
وَخَلَّدَهُ لَو أَنَّ في الخُلدِ مَطمَعا
It humbled every eye, so that nothing held back its tears,
And volunteered its sorrows without reserve.
وَلَكِنداعي المَوتِ لا يَقبَلُ الرُشى
وَأَنفَسَ مِنهُ لَيسَ يَلقى وَأَرفَعا
Never have I witnessed a loss so far-reaching,
Or hearts so receptive, as if waiting for its advent.
تَصَيَّدَهُ عَن ساعِدِ الغَدرِ فَجأَةً
فَكانَ كَرَجعِ الطَرفَ أَو كانَ أَسرَعا
An eve where none possessed the will to mourn,
Only feigning their breast’s lament.
مُصابٌ لَهُ الأَقطارُ إِذ شاعَ زَلزَلَت
فَلا رُكنٌ لِلعَلياءِ إِلّا تَزَعزَعا
An eve where the people’s father was intoxicated, though
Never did he indulge until that night perversely.
أَذَلَّ إِباءَ الدَمعِ مِن كُلِّ جامِدٍ
فَلَم يَبقَ عاصٍ مِنهُ إِلّا تَطَوَّعا
An eve that left no mother figure to her grief,
Nor sorrowful soul but squandered its resolve.
وَلَم أَرَ في الأَرزاءِ أَبعَدَ غارَةٍ
وَلا مِن قُلوبِ الخَلقِ أَقرَبَ مَوقِعا
An eve where I saw the sun set on mankind,
As the sun itself darkened, refusing to rise over Joshua.
عَشِيَّةَ لا في الناسِ مالِكُ عَبرَةٍ
وَلا زَفَراتِ الصَدرِ إِلّا تَصَنُّعا
It was said the trusted one of glory knocked on the door,
As many a lip kept vigil at the threshold.
عَشِيَّةَ آبِ الناسِ سُكري وَإِنَّما
بِما لَم يَكُن يَوماً لَهُ الكَرَمُ مَنبَعا
If the Nile valley felt the loss,
Then no mountain in Levant but trembled in anguish.
عَشِيَّةَ لَم تُبقِ الفَجيعَةِ مُسكَةً
وَلا حَزَمَ لِلمَحزونِ إِلّا مُضَيَّعا
Noble is he who falls short describing the noble one,
When asked to describe the generous and virtuous.
عَشِيَّةَ وارى الناسَ شَمساً وَأَظلَمَت
لَها الشَمسُ حَتّى لا تَرُدَّ بِيوشَعا
The path of good he walked sincerely, as though
From cradle to grave he came but to benefit mankind.
وَقيلَ أَمينُ المَجدِ تَدُقُّ بِأُختِها
وَكَم شِفَةً باتَت تُجاوِرُ أُصبَعا
He possessed an easy disposition and ardent spirit,
While the very meadows paled before his sublime traits.
فَإِن يَكُ وادي النَيلِ أَشعِر فَقدَهُ
فَلا جَبَلٌ في الشامِ إِلّا تَضَعضَعا
Pens of honesty and loyalty eulogize him,
As the most prolific writer extolling his magnificence.
كَريمٌ بِهِ لَفظَ الكَريمِ مُقصِرٌ
إِذا قيلَ عَن قَومٍ كِرامٍ تَوَسُّعا
After Abdullah, he was next in succession,
But alas the scion is lost, though the tree may branch anew.
تَوَخّى طَريقُ الخَيرِ مَحَضّاً كَأَنَّهُ
مِنَ المَهدِ حَتّى اللَحدِ جاءَ لِيَنفَعا
And so it remained until the offshoot followed the root;
An era where even the noble are pursued relentlessly!
لَهُ خَلقٌ سَهلٌ وَنَفسٌ أَبِيَّةٌ
وَحَسُنَ خِلالَ دَونِها الرَوضُ مِمرَعا
And it remained until the people were bereft of their full moon,
Inflicting a grievous, sinister night.
وَأَقلامُ صِدقٍ راجِعٌ في وَلائِها
لِأَكتُبَ مَن أوتي الكِتابَ وَأَبرَعا
If the hands of mortality shrouded him,
Still the passing nights recount his memory in anguish.
وَمِن بَعدِ عَبدِ اللَهِ كانَ مُؤَمَّلاً
بِأَن لَم يَغِب ذا الأَصلُ إِلّا وَفَرَّعا
And if his shroud be unsullied white,
His gleaming reputation outshines it evermore.
فَما زالَ حَتّى أَتبَعَ الفَرعَ أَصلَهُ
زَمانٌ لِتَنقادَ الكِرامَ تَتبَعا
Noble friend! To divine decree we submit your affair,
As you were a resolute man who found success and repose.
وَما زالَ فَقَدَ البَدرَ لِلناسِ موجِعا
وَفي اللَيلَةِ الدَهماءِ أَنكى وَأَوجَعا
You have preceded us to a cistern, as if a filled pool
Feared the jostling of crowds and hurried ahead.
فَإِن تَطوِهِ أَيدي المَنونِ فَما طَوى
كُرورُ اللَيالي ذِكرُهُ المُتَضَوِّعا
You met your mortality boldly, without dread,
While the words of faith sufficed you as armor.
وَإشن تَكُنِ الأَكفانُ بيضاً نَواصِعاً
فَإِنَّ لَهُ مِن أَبيَضِ الذِكرِ أَنصَعا
I call out to you, hoping not for a reply, for you have gone,
Oh, how I wish to speak and you to hear!
أَلا في ذِمامِ اللَهِ سَيرَكَ إِنَّهُ
مُسَيَّرُ فَتى ماضٍ أَغذَ وَأَوضَعا
You have left, after your loss, a mouth longing,
And an eye wishing for sleep and rest.
سَبَقَت إِلى حَوضٍ كَأَنَّهُ ناهِلٌ
عَلى نَكظٍ خافَ الزِحامَ فَأَهرَعا
If only the withholders of the valley dwellings would toil
For what we expend in eulogizing you.
وَنازَلتَ قَرنَ المَوتِ لا مُتَهَيِّباً
وَحَسبُكَ أَلفاظُ الشَهادَةِ أَدرَعا
We hoped your return would restore our homelands
When they needed one to raise them from isolation and neglect.
أُناديكَ لا راجي الجَوابَ فَقَد مَضى
وَيا لَهفَ قَلبي أَن أَقولَ وَتَسمَعا
But the fleeting world betrayed us, and we knew not loyalty,
Witnessing only its cunning and deception.
أَخلَفتَ ثَغراً بَعدَ بُعدِكَ باسِماً
وَطَرفاً تَمَنّى أَن يَنامَ وَيَهجَعا
What is this abode which, for all its transience,
Men desire, contend for, and refuse to relinquish?
وَلَو ساكِناتِ الأَيكطِ يَعمَلنَ مَن ثَوى
لِما نَحنُ إِلّا في رِثائِكَ سَجَّعا
Some brief enjoyment, then an abode for the grave;
What then can man aspire to possess?
رَجَوناكَ لِلأَوطانِ أَحوَجَ ما غَدَت
إِلى مَن يَرقيها وَأَوحَشَ أَربُعا
فَلَم تَسمَحِ الدُنيا وَلَم نَعلَمِ الوَفا
وَلَم تَرَ إِلّا أَن تَغَرَّ وَتَخدَعا
وَما هَذِهِ الدارُ الَّتي لِفِنائِها
يُشُّ وَيَهوى أَن يُمالَ وَيَنزَعا
مَتاعٌ قَليلٌ ثُمَّ مَأوى لِحَفرَةٍ
فَماذا عَسى الإِنسانُ أَن يَتَمَتَّعا
