تَحَدَّري يا دُموعي بِالمَيازيبِ
وَعارِضي السُحبَ أَسكوباً بإسُكوبِ
Descend, O my tears, in sorrow
And, O clouds, pour in torrents upon torrents
وََأَدرِكي كَبِداً لَجَّ الأُوارُ بِها
عَن مارِجٍ في صَميمِ القَلبِ مَشبوب
And find a liver which the nights have wearied
With burning embers in the heart's core concealed
هَيهاتَ أَيُّ الرَزايا بَعدَ تَرمِضُني
وَأَيُّ داهِيَةٍ دَهياءَ تَلوي بي
Alas! After tribulation, what affliction yet –
What cunning mischief still contrives against me?
وَأَيُّ خَطبٍ مَلّى أَن أَقولَ لَهُ
يا عُمري اِنفَضَّ أَو يا مُهجَتي ذوبي
What ill news have I left to hear –
That my life is over or my essence melted away?
مَضى الَّذي كانَ فيهِ مُنتهى أَمَلي
وَمَن نَشَدَت لِتَعليمي وَتَهذيبي
Gone is he in whom my hopes were centered
He for whose guidance and training I yearned
وَمَن عَنِ الأَخذِ عَنهُ شَدُّ راحِلَتي
وَمَن لِلُقياهُ إِسآدي وَتَأويبي
At meeting whom I readied my mount to ride
And for whose encounter was my preparation and desire
شَعَرتُ إِن خِلتُ الدُنيا بِمَصرَعِهِ
لَم يَكفِني طولَ تَشريدي وَتَغريبي
I felt that, were he lost from life’s domain,
My exile and estrangement would not console me.
فَمَن أَناجيهِ بَعدَ اليَومِ في حَزَني
وَمَن أَرى بَثُّهُ بَثّي وَتَعذيبي
To whom shall I voice my sorrow after this day?
Who will share my sadness and torment with me?
واهاً عَلى حَجَّةِ الإِسلامِ حينَ خَبا
ذاكَ الشِهابُ بِلَيلاتٍ غَرابيبِ
Woe for the proof of Islam when it waned –
That celestial light during gloomy nights!
واهاً عَلى عِلمِ الأَعلامِ حينَ هَوى
فَلا تُصادِف قَلباً غَيرَ مَنخوبِ
Woe for the banner of banners when it fell,
Leaving no heart but stricken with links seared in!
هَوى وَكُلُّ جِبالِ العِلمِ دانِيَةٌ
عَن شَأوِهِ فَهيَ مِنهُ كَالأَهاضيبِ
He fell whilst all the mountains of knowledge bowed
Before his stature, like wandering dunes beside him.
أَينَ الَّذي كانَ إِن أَجرى يَراعَتُهُ
في أَيِّ فَنٍ أَتانا بِالأَعاجيبِ
Where is he whose ideas, in whatever art,
Brought us wonders and things most strange?
هَذا المُصابُ الَّذي كُنّا نُحاذِرهُ
نَظَلُّ نَلبِسُ مِنهُ جِلدَ مَرعوبِ
This disaster which we had feared to befall –
We now wear its skin, a nervously trembling hide.
مِن قَبلُ رَزناهُ فَقداً غَيرَ ذي عَوَضِ
وَكَم حَسِبناهُ صَدعاً غَيرَ مَرؤوبِ
Long before we had mourned it as loss without compensation
And imagined it a rift never to be mended.
حَتّى إِذا حَلَّ لَم تَعقِد مَناحَتُهُ
إِلّا عَلى حادِثٍ مِن قَبلُ مَرهوبِ
Until, when it came, its bonds could not be locked
Save by a prior moment fraught with fright.
قَضى الإِمامُ الَّذي كانَت مَكانَتُهُ
بَينَ الأَئِمَّةِ في أَعلى الشَناخَيبِ
The Imam passed away, whose status
Among the leaders was on glory's pinnacles.
لَو كانَ أَنصَفَهُ الإِسلامُ يَومَ ثَوى
لَبّاتٌ يَرفُلُ في سودِ الجَلابيبِ
Had Islam given him his proper due
On the day when he passed, long would be our mourning!
كانَ المُقَدَّمُ في عِلمٍ وَفي عَمَلِ
وَالجَمعُ ما بَينَ مَنسوبٍ وَمَكسوبِ
Foremost was he in knowledge and in deed,
Uniting the God-given gift with the acquired.
لَهُ شَمائِلَ أَمثالَ النَسيمِ سَرى
وَيَكرَهُ العَفوَ أَن يَأى عَنِ الحوبِ
He has qualities like the light breeze blowing,
And disdains amnesty when duty is forsaking.
لَم تَعرِفِ الحِقدَ في يَومِ سَريرَتُهُ
وَلا وَعى سِرُّهُ شَيئاً سِوى الطيبِ
Never did his inner self know rancour,
Nor was his secret aware of anything but goodness.
كَم قَد تَلَقّى أَعاديهِ وَقَدَ كَشَحوا
بِفَضلِ ذَيلٍ عَلى الآثامِ مَسحوبِ
How often he would tolerate his enemies
Though they targeted him with the tail of wrongs!
يَلقونَهُ حَملاً حَتّى إِذا عَبَثوا
بِالدينِ أَصبَحَ كَالبَزلِ المَصاعيبِ
They would burden him heavily until, having toyed
With the faith, he became like tattered shreds.
هُناكَ لا هُدنَةً يَدري وَلا خَصمِ
إِلّا سَيَأخُذُ مِنهُ بِالتَلابيبِ
There, he knows no truce nor opponent
But he will take him through his arguments.
هُناكَ أَعظِم بِفَحلٍ غَيرَ ذي نَكلِ
لَدى اللِقاءِ وَسَيفٌ غَيرَ مَقروبِ
There, mightier in powerful arms, unrelenting
In the moment of meeting, his sword never blunted.
يَصولُ صَولٌ عَلَيَّ في وَقائِعِهِ
فَلَيسَ يَعرِفُ قَرناً غَيرَ مَكبوبِ
He attacks fiercely in his battles,
Knowing no opponent save one subdued.
عَدا عَلى عَبقَرِ مَن لَيسَ ذا صِلَةٍ
مَعَها عَلى الرُغمِ مِن نَعتٍ وَتَلقيبِ
Save only the genius with whom he has no connection,
Despite linkage claimed and titles given.
فَالعَبقَرَيَّةُ وَصفٌ في رَشيدِ رِضا
وَالعَبقَرِيَّةُ لَيسَت بِالأَكاذيبِ
For genius is an attribute of rightly-guided ar-Rida
While genius is not through false claims obtained.
قِس كُلَّ صاحِبٍ فَضلٌ مَعَ رَشيدٍ رِضا
قَيسَ الرُهامِ إِلى الطَيرِ المَناسِبِ
Compare any man of merit beside ar-Riddha
As though comparing arrows with appropriate bows!
تَسمو المَنابِرُ إِعجاباً بِوَطأَتِهِ
لَها وَتَخضَعُ أَقواسَ المَحاريبِ
The pulpits are delighted at his stepping up to them,
Just as the archways of prayer niches bow down.
سُبحانَ مَن زادَهُ عِلماً وَأَلهَمَهُ
تِلكَ البَراهينِ في أَحلى الأَساليبِ
Glorified is He who increased him in knowledge
And inspired him with such proofs in the most eloquent styles.
رُبَّ الوَفاءِ الَّذي اضربى بِشُهرَتِهِ
حَقّاً عَلى مِثلٍ في العَهدِ مَضروبِ
How excellent the patron of faithfulness who blotted out his fame
Rightfully, against the example of an era known for breach of trust.
لَم يَدرِ بُغياً عَلى الإِخوانِ في زَمَنٍ
سادَت عَلى الجَمِّ فيهِ شيمَةُ الذيبِ
Never did he know tyranny against the brethren at a time
When in their gatherings the hyena's traits predominated.
لَهُ المَنارَ الَّذي كانَت تُنارُ بِهِ
سَفائِنُ القَومِ في لُجِّ التَجاريبِ
He possesses the beacon by which
The ships of the community sailed in the sea of trials.
مَقَلَّةً مِن أُصولِ الشَرعِ أَشرِعَةً
تَمشي مَعَ العَقلِ تِسيارُ الأَصاحيبِ
A probe from the principles of Sacred Law it navigates,
Moving with reason, the companions rowing steadily.
كانَ المَنارُ لِحِزبِ الحَقِّ مُعتَصِراً
يَهديهِم بِشُعاعٍ غَيرَ مَحجوبِ
The beacon was for the party of truth an extractor
Lighting their way with a ray unveiled.
غَدَت بِهِ مِلَّةُ الإِسلامِ حَجَّتَها
شَهباءَ في حازِبٍ مِنها وَمَحزوبِ
By it the nation of Islam became argumentative,
Its reasoning illuminated in opposing camps.
جَميعُ أَجزائِهِ تَأتي عَلى نَسقٍ
مِثلَ اِطِّرادِ العَوالي بِالأَنابيبِ
All its parts conform to a coherence
Like the rise and fall of waves in succession.
فيهِ الفَتاوي الَّتي يَرضى الجَميعُ بِها
فَلا تَرى حاجَةً في نَفسِ يَعقوبِ
In it are legal rulings which please all,
Leaving no soul in the mire of Jacob's doubt.
تَجري بِآذانٍ مَن يَصغي لِقارِئِها
لَحنَ السَريجي في سَمعِ المَطاريبِ
They flow into the hearing of whoever listens to its reader
Like the modulation of the warbler in the hearing of them that listen.
ما بِالمَنارِ ضِياءٌ غَيرَ مُقتَبَسِ
وَلَيسَ فيهِ هِلالٌ غَيرَ مَرقوبِ
The beacon has no borrowed illumination
And no crescent within it save one finely molded.
وَكَم كِتابٌ لَهُ غَيرَ النارِ غَداً
فَوقَ الكَتائِبِ في حَشدٍ وَتَكتيبِ
How many a book by him other than the lawcodes will rise
Above the scrolls thronged and registered!
في كُلِّ عامٍ تَآليفٌ يَجودُ بِها
كَالغَيثُ يُرسِلُ شُؤبوباً بِشُؤبوبِ
Every year, treatises flow from him
Like heavy rain sending down pour upon pour.
مَواقِفٌ لَن تَرى مَن يَستَقِلُّ بِها
وَلَن تَرى طامَعاً مِنها بِتَقريبِ
Crises the like of which none can undertake,
At which none gazes with covetous eye.
سَر نَحوَ رَبِّكَ مُبَكِّياً بِكُلِّ دَمٍ
قانٍ عَلى صَفحَةِ الخَدَّينِ مَصبوبِ
He set forth shedding every blood-drop
Poured out on the cheek's page, imploring his Lord.
وَاِنعَم لَدَيهِ بِما قَدَّمتُ مِن عَمَلٍ
وَفُز بِقِسطِكَ مِن بِرٍّ وَتَثويبِ
Be gracious with me for the actions I forwarded
And give me my ample share of righteousness and reward.
وَاِترُك ثَناءً كَنَفحِ الطيبِ لَيسَ يَنى
يَملَأُ البِلادَ بِتَشريقٍ وَتَغريبِ
Leave off praise that is like the wafted fragrance, unending,
Filling every region with diffusion and scattering.
قَد يَغلِبُ الحُزنَ أَقوامٌ بِصَبرِهِم
لَكِن حُزنُكَ عِندي غَيرَ مَغلوبِ
Grief may overwhelm men through their patient endurance,
But next to me your grief is not to be overcome.
أُبكيكَ ما دُمتَ في الدُنيا وَما بَقيتُ
إِلّا بَقِيَّةَ عَيشٍ غَيرَ مَحبوبِ
I shall weep for you as long as I live
And remain but a remainder of life which has no sweetness left.
لي مَعَكَ عَهدٌ فَآبى أَن أَخيسَ بِهِ
حَتى أَصيرُ إِلى لَحدٍ وَتَتريبِ
I have with you a pact I refused to break,
Until I come to the grave and crumbling away.
