رَفَعَت عَلَيكَ عَويلَها الأَمجادُ
وَجَفَت كَريمَ جَنابِكَ العُوّادُ
The glories raised their wailing for you,
And the generous guests' visits to you dried up.
وَتَكَنَّفَت شَكواكَ عَن خَطبٍ دَهى
هَدَّت لَهُ أَركانَها الأَطوادُ
Your complaints enveloped disasters,
Its pillars bowed down to them.
سَلَّت عَتادَ الصَبرِ فيهِ صَبابَةً
ما لي بِها غَيرَ الدُموعِ عَتادُ
The ornaments of patience discharged in it a flood,
I have nothing with me except tears as supplies.
لِلَّهِ أَيُّ خَليلِ صِدقٍ مُخلِصٍ
أَهوى بِهِ رُكنٌ وَمالَ عِمادُ
O Allah, which sincere, faithful, devoted friend
Leaned on and found support?
خَطَمَ القَضاءُ بِهِ قَريعاً مُصعَباً
فَاِنقادَ يَصحَبُ وَالحِمامُ قِيادُ
Fate condemned him to a difficult, wretched blow,
So he yielded and the doves led the way.
جارَيتُهُ طَلقَ الحَياةِ إِلى الرَدى
فَحَوى بِهِ قَصَبَ السِباقِ جَوادُ
His companionship was a loosening of the ties of life to ruin,
So the excellent steed of the race contained him.
كُنّا اِصطَحَبنا وَالتَشاكُلُ نِسبَةٌ
حَتّى كَأَنّا عاتِقٌ وَنِجادُ
We used to socialize while resemblance was kinship
As if we were a shoulder and bicep.
ثُمَّ اِفتَرَقنا لا لِعَودَةِ صُحبَةٍ
حَتّى كَأَنّا شُعلَةٌ وَزِنادُ
Then we parted with no return of companionship
As if we were a flame and flint.
يا أَيُّها النائي وَلَستَ بِمُسمِعٍ
سَكنَ القُبورُ وَبَينَنا أَسدادُ
O you who are distant and cannot hear!
Between us lies the stillness of graves.
ما تَفعَلُ النَفسُ النَفيسَةُ عِندَما
تَتهاجَرُ الأَرواحُ وَالأَجسادُ
What does the precious soul do when
Souls and bodies shun each other?
كُشِفَ الغِطاءُ إِلَيكَ عَن سِرِّ الرَدى
فَأَجِب بِما تَندى بِهِ الأَكبادُ
The veil was lifted before you about the secret of ruin
So answer with what melts the livers.
فَوَراءَ سِترِ اللَيلِ مُضطَرِمُ الحَشا
لايَستَقِرُّ بِهِ هُناكَ مِهادُ
Behind the veil of night with burning darkness
In which no bedstead can settle.
لَم يَدرِ إِلّا يَومَ مَوتِكَ ما الأَسى
فَكَأَنَّ مَوتَكَ لِلأَسى ميلادُ
Only on the day of your death I realized what sorrow is
As if your death was the birth of sorrow.
وَكفاهُ مَجداً أَن يَقولَ وَلِلدُجى
فَجرٌ لَهُ مِن دَمعِهِ أَمدادُ
And it was enough glory for him to say while in darkness
A torrent for him from his tears supplies.
حَتّامَ أَندُبُ صاحِباً وَشَبيبَةً
فَتَفيضُ عَينٌ أَو يَحِنُّ فُؤادُ
My eyes shall weep over a companion and youth
So an eye overflows or a heart grieves.
أَقصِر فَلا ذاكَ الخَليلُ بَآيِبٍ
يَوماً وَلا ذاكَ الشَبابُ يُعادُ
Restrain yourself, for neither that friend comes
Nor does that youth return.
فَقُصارُ مُجتَمِعُ الأَصاحِبِ فِرقَةٌ
وَمَحارُ أَنوارِ الشَبابِ رَمادُ
The gathering of companions is separation in brevity
And the radiance of youth is ashes.
فيمَ السُلُوُّ وَقَد تَحَمَّلَ صاحِبٌ
شَطَّت بِهِ دارٌ وَطالَ بُعادُ
Why persist when a companion has borne
A home from which he is exiled and remote?
أَتبَعتُهُ قَلباً لَهُ مِن لَوعَةٍ
زادٌ وَمِن عَينٍ تَفيضُ مَزادُ
I followed him with a heart full of anguish
Provisions and an eye pouring supplies.
فَذَّ تَبَسَّمَ عَنهُ صَدرُ المُنتَدى
طَرَباً بِهِ وَاِهتَزَّتِ الأَندادُ
So the breast of the loved one smiled from it
Agitated and the equals shook.
وَأَخٌ لِوُدٍّ لا أَخٌ لِوِلادَةٍ
وَأَمَسُّ مِن نَسَبِ الوِلادِ وِدادُ
A brother through affection not brotherhood
And dearer than descendants through birth.
مَلَكَتهُ غَشيَةُ نَومَةٍ لاتَنجَلي
وَلِكُلُّ عَينٍ نَومَةٌ وَسُهادُ
The swoon of a sleep that does not dissipate enveloped him
And for every eye there is a sleep and pillow.
وَدَّعتُهُ تَوديعَ مُكتَئِبٍ وَلا
غَيرَ المَعادِ لِلُقيَةٍ ميعادُ
I bid him farewell, gloomy, with no
Meeting again, just the farewell.
وَنَفَضتُ مِنهُ يَدي بِعِلقِ مَضَنَّةٍ
فُتَّت بِهِ الأَكبادُ وَالأَعضادُ
And I released my hand from him with clinging sorrow
With which livers and joints crumbled.
وَتَرَكتُهُ وَالمَجدُ يُرغِمُ أَنفَهُ
مُتَوَسِّداً حَيثُ التُرابُ وِسادُ
And I left him with glory subduing his unwillingness
Using the soil as pillow and mattress.
في مَوطِنٍ نَزَلتَهُ جُرهُمُ قَبلَهُ
وَتَحَوَّلَت إِرمٌ إِلَيهِ وَعادُ
In a land his noble ancestors settled before him
And caravans turned towards him and returned.
أُمَمٌ يَغُصُّ بِها الفَضاءُ طَوَتهُمُ
كَفُّ الرَدى طَيَّ الرِداءِ فَبادوا
Nations with which space was congested, their abundance
Was covered by the palm of ruin and perished.
سادوا وَقادوا ثُمَّ أَجلى جَمعُهُم
عَن وَحدَةٍ فَكَأَنَّهُم ماقادوا
They dominated and led then their assembled multitudes
Departed from glory as if they never dominated.
عَفَتِ البُناةُ عَلى اللَيالي وَالبُنى
وَتَلاحَقَ الأَمجادُ وَالأَوغادُ
The builders have perished over nights and buildings
And glories and rubbish succeeded each other.
وَلَرُبَّما ذَبّوا وَذادوا عَن حِمى
مَلِكٍ هَوى فَكَأَنّهُم ماذادوا
And perhaps they sacrificed and strived to protect
A king's sanctuary as if they never strived.
فَأَصِخ طَويلاً هَل تَعي مِن مَنطِقٍ
وَاِنظُر مَلِيّاً هَل تَرى ماشادوا
Then lament long - do you understand any language?
And observe closely - do you see what they built?
زُمَرٌ يُعَدُّ بِها الحَصى مِن كَثرَةٍ
وَلَرُبَّما فَنِيَت بِها الأَعدادُ
Groups that pebbles are counted due to their multitude
And sometimes numbers were eliminated by them.
أَلوى بِهِم وَلِكُلِّ رَكبٍ سائِقٌ
زَمَنٌ حَدا بِرِكابِهِم يَقتادُ
I bewail them and time controlled each group's journey,
An era that guided their mounts and herded them.
وَرَمى رَبيعَةَ بِالخُمولُ وَإِنَّما
كانوا بِعَبدِ اللَهِ فيهِم سادوا
It cast Rabee'ah with inertia though
With Abdullah among them they dominated.
بِأَغَرَّ وَضّاحِ الجَبينِ كَأَنَّهُ
تَحتَ الدُجُنَّةِ كَوكَبٌ وَقّادُ
With the bright, radiant-faced Ağar
As if beneath his dark hair a planet shone.
مُتَبَسِّمٌ في هِزَّةٍ فَكَأَنَّهُ
غُصنٌ تَفَتَّقَ نَورُهُ مَيّادُ
Smiling in a tremor as if he were
A blossoming branch whose light kindled wicks.
وَطِئَ السِماكَ بِهِ التَواضُعُ رِفعَةً
فَكَأَنَّما اِتِّهامُهُ إِنجادُ
Walking humbly raised him in rank
As if his humility were glory.
أَلقى الحِمامُ بِرَحلِهِ في مَنزِلٍ
نَزَلَت بِهِ الآباءُ وَالأَجدادُ
The doves alighted in an abode
Where his ancestors and forefathers settled.
يَعلو بِهِ نَفَسٌ وَتَدمَعُ مُقلَةٌ
فَيُراحُ طَوراً تُربُهُ وَيُجادُ
A soul rises and an eyelid waters
So its soil is sometimes fertile, sometimes barren.
فَوَقَفتُ أَندُبُ مِنهُ شِلواً داثِراً
ما إِن يُحِسُّ وَهَل يُحِسُّ جَمادُ
I stood there eulogizing him, collapsed in ruin,
Does he sense, does inanimate matter sense?
تَمحو صَحيفَةَ صَفحَتَيهِ يَدُ البِلى
عَبَثاً وَتَطوي ذِكرَهُ الآبادُ
The hand of time pointlessly erases his tablet
As ages fold away his mention.
فَخَلا بِرُغمِ المَجدِ مِنهُ مَنزِلٌ
مَلَأَت مَدامِعَها بِهِ الأَمجادُ
Despite the glory his abode is empty
Which glories have filled with their wailing.
لَوَتِ الضُلوعَ بِهِ الأَصادِقَ لَوعَةٌ
وَلَرُبَّما رَقَّت بِهِ الحُسّادُ
Sincere souls are tormented with anguish over him
And sometimes even the envious are compassionate.
مُتَقَلِّدٌ بِالدَمعِ حَلياً كُلَّما
عَطِلَت بِهِ مِن حَليها الأَجيادُ
Adorned with tears like jewelry whenever
His glories failed to adorn him.
يَبيَضَّ مُلتَحِماً وَيُظلِمُ وَحشَةً
فَكَأَنَّما ذاكَ البَياضُ حِدادُ
Gleaming associated and darkened isolated
As if that gleam were mourning.
فَبَكاكَ مِن قَبرٍ كَريمٍ عارِضٌ
زَجِلٌ لَهُ مِن رَنَّةٍ إِرعادُ
An elegist from a noble grave laments you
Whose wailing for you rumbles.
نُحِرَ العَزاءُ عَلَيهِ لَم تُنحَر بِهِ
إِبِلٌ وَلَم تُعقَر عَلَيهِ جِيادُ
Condolences were given for him, no camels slaughtered
And no steeds hamstrung in grief for him.
وَسَقاكَ وابِلُ رَحمَةٍ يَغشى بِها
جَنَباتِكَ الوُرّادُ وَالرُوّادُ
And the downpour of mercy inundated
Your sides, frequented by visitors and pilgrims.
تَهفو البُروقُ بِجانِبَيهِ كَأَنَّما
عُقِرَت بِها خَيلٌ عَلَيكَ وِرادُ
Lightning flashes by his sides as if
Horses seeking you were hamstrung.
فَبِطيبِ تُربِكَ أَيُّ بَيتِ قَصيدَةٍ
لَو أَنَّ ذاكَ البَيتَ كانَ يُعادُ
With the goodness of your soil, which verse of elegy
If that verse could be repeated!
لاتَلتَقي عَينٌ عَلَيهِ وَنَومَةٌ
لَيلاً وَلا جَنبٌ بِهِ وَمِهادُ
No eye meets another in slumber upon it at night
No side or pillow meets it.
وَاللَيلُ فُسطاطٌ هُناكَ مُطَنَّبٌ
ضُرِبَت لَهُ مِن أَنجُمٍ أَوتادُ
The night there is a pavilion propped
With stakes of stars driven in.
وَكَفى مَعاداً لِلتَلاقي في الكَرى
لَو كانَ يَسمَحُ بِالخَيالِ رُقادُ
And it would suffice as a meeting place in the grave
If imagination allowed one to settle there.
