ذُد بِالعَزاءِ الهَمَّ عَن طَلِباتِهِ
لا تُسخِطَنَّ اللَهَ في مَرضاتِهِ
Console sorrow for its wishes with consolation
Do not anger Allah in His pleasures
لَكَ مِن سَدادِكَ مُخبِرٌ بَل مُذكِرٌ
أَنَّ الزَمانَ جَرى عَلى عاداتِهِ
You have from your righteousness an advisor, nay, a reminder
That time has passed according to its habits
أَثكَلتَهُ أَحداثَهُ وَخُطوبَهُ
فَاِصبِر لَهُ إِن نالَ بَعضَ تِراتِهِ
It burdened him with its events and calamities
So be patient with it if he obtained some of its remains
صَدَعَ القُلوبَ بِما أَتى مُستَيقِناً
أَن لا يُذَمَّ وَأَنتَ مِن حَسَناتِهِ
It cracked the hearts with what came, assured
That it would not be blamed while you are among its virtues
إِنَّ الَّذي عَمَّ الأَنامَ مُصابُهُ
وَتَشَعَّبَت شُعَبُ المُنى بِوفاتِهِ
Indeed, the one whose affliction has spread among the people
And the paths of death have branched with his passing
أَمَلوا شَتاتَ الشَملِ خُيِّبَ ظَنُّهُم
أَنّى وَقَد مُلِّكتَ جَمعَ شَتاتِهِ
They hoped to reunite the dispersed, their assumption failed
How, when you have been made master of gathering its pieces?
لَمّا رَأَى أَنَّ الشَبيبَةَ لِلعُلى
وَزَرٌ وَبانَ الضَعفُ في حَرَكاتِهِ
When he saw that the youth are a burden for the exalted
And weakness appeared in his movements
وَلّاكَ مِنها ما تَوَلّى بُرهَةً
وَفَدى حَياتَكَ راضِياً بِحَياتِهِ
He spared you from it for a respite
And ransomed your life, satisfied with his own
فَلِذاكَ لاقى يَومَهُ مُستَبشِراً
حَتّى ظَنَنّا الَموتَ بَعدَ عُفاتِهِ
Thus he met his day cheerfully
Until we thought death was pleasant after its gentleness
وَقَضى عَليماً أَن تَقومَ مَقامَهُ
بَعدَ الفِراقِ فَلَم يَفُه بِوصاتِهِ
And he knew well that you would take his place
After parting, so he did not understand his commandments
مُلّيتَ ما وِرِّثتَهُ مِن عِزِّهِ
وَوُقيتَ بِالمَسموعِ مِن دَعَواتِهِ
You have been endowed with the honor he inherited
And protected by the supplications heard from his prayers
فَلَقَد مَضى تَرجو المَمالِكُ رَدَّهُ
فَتَسومُهُ وَتَخافُ مِن سَطَواتِهِ
Indeed, he passed away while kingdoms hoped for his return
So they would appease him and fear his might
فَبَكاهُ ثَغرٌ كانَ عِصمَةَ أَهلِهِ
وَمَعاذَ قاصِدِهِ وَعِزَّ وُلاتِهِ
The lips that were protection for his family wept for him
As well as the refuge of his seeker, his honor and governance
أَجناهُ رَبُّ العَرشِ غَرسَ فَعالِهِ
وَقَضى لَهُ بِالخُلدِ في جَنّاتِهِ
The Lord of the Throne spared him, growing his deeds
And destined for him eternity in His Gardens
بِالرِفقِ أَدرَكَ وادِعاً ما لَم يَنَل
أَنخى المُلوكِ بِكُمتِهِ وَكُماتِهِ
With gentleness, he attained while bidding farewell what he did not get
He softened the harshest kings with his silence and suppressions
حَتّى لَخِلناهُ نَبِيّاً مُرسَلاً
وَمَحاسِنُ الأَخلاقِ مِن آياتِهِ
Until we would think him a prophet sent
And the beauty of manners among his signs
فَاِملِك بِما مَلَكَ القُلوبَ مُكَذِّباً
مَن ظَنَّ أَنَّ مَماتَها بِمَماتِهِ
So possess what he possessed of hearts, belying
Whoever thought their deaths were with his own passing
مالي ذَلِلتُ مُنَبِّهاً ذا يَقظَةٍ
يَأتي مِنَ الإِحسانِ ما لَم آتِهِ
Why have I, worthless, advised one of vigilance
Who comes with benevolence I did not bring?
أَموالُهُ مَرفوضَةٌ كَعُداتِهِ
وَصِلاتُهُ مَفرودَةٌ كَصَلاتِهِ
His money is refused like his belongings
And his prayers discarded like his worship
وَإِذا أَزارَ الطِرسَ نِقسَ دَواتِهِ
أَيقَنتَ أَنَّ الفَضلَ مِن أَدَواتِهِ
And if he dons fine garments, he ruins their splendor
You would know virtue is not among his tools
مازالَ يَثني الدَهرَ عَن عَزَماتِهِ
فَيَفُلُّها وَيَجودُ في أَزَماتِهِ
Time kept foiling his resolves
So he fails them and is generous in his crises
تُمسي كِرامُ العَصرِ بَعضَ ضُيوفِهِ
وَيَبيتُ فِعلُ الخَيرِ مِن صَبَواتِهِ
The dignitaries of the time become some of his guests
And acts of good are from his nightly devotions
وَأَسَدُّ مَن أَسدى يَداً مَأثورَةً
مَن أَودَعَ المَعروفَ عِندَ ثِقاتِهِ
The most generous is one who gave a documented hand
Who entrusted kindness with his trusted ones
صَبراً جَلالَ المُلكِ تَحمَد غِبَّ ما
خوِّلتَهُ فَالصَبرُ مِن آلاتِهِ
Patience, pride of the kingdom, praise the absence of what
You were empowered with, for patience is among its tools
لا تُشعِرَنَّ الدَهرَ أَنَّكَ جازِعٌ
مِن فِعلِهِ فَيَلَجَّ في غَدراتِهِ
Do not let time know you are shaken
By its deeds, so it dares in its betrayals
فَلَأَنتَ مَجدُ مُلوكِ دَهرِكَ فَليَعُد
عَن قَولِهِ مَن قالَ مَجدُ قُضاتِهِ
For you are the glory of the kings of your time, so let
Who said the glory of its judges turn from his words
وَلَقَد عَلِمنا أَنَّ بَينَكُمُ الَّذي
لا تَرحَلُ العَلياءُ عَن حُجُراتِهِ
And we knew that the one between you, whom
The exalted do not travel from his chambers
وافاكَ مِنّي ذا الكَلامُ مُعَزِّياً
بَل راغِباً في الصَفحِ عَن زَلّاتِهِ
My words have come to you consoling
Rather, hoping to overlook its slips
قَولٌ أَتى عَن عِلَّةٍ وَفَجيعَةٍ
فَاِقبَلهُ مَستوراً عَلى عِلّاتِهِ
A saying came from illness and grief
So accept it, overlooking its defects
