شقّ الكمالُ عليه جيبَ سوادِه

وأفاضَ طرْفَ المجدِ ماءُ فؤادِهِ

Perfection split open his robe of darkness,

And the water of glory overflowed from his heart.

وتيقّنَتْ رُتبَ المفاخرِ أنها

خفضت وقد رفعوه في أعوادِه

The ranks of glories were certain that they

Bowed down though they had raised him on their poles.

وانهلّ دمعُ الغيثِ بعد مُصابِه

أسفاً عليه وكان من حُسّادِه

The rain clouds' tears poured down after his affliction,

Grieving for him though he was among their enviers.

واعتاضتِ الأطيارُ من تعريدِها

نوحاً يُبين الحزنَ في تَردادِه

The birds crowded together in their chirping,

Mournfully making evident the grief in their echoes.

ويدُ الدجى منذ استقلّ سريرَه

نفضَتْ على الإصباحِ صِبغَ حِدادِه

Since the night's hand took control of his throne,

It shook off on the dawn the dye of mourning.

خلعَ الشبابَ وما انقضتْ أيامُه

وأبى لباسَ الغصن من أبرادِه

He put off youth though his days were not yet done,

And the raiment of branches refused their freshness.

وأظنّهُ هزّ السماحَ بعطفِه

كرَماً فقسّمَهُ على عُوّادِه

I think he shook generosity with his kindness,

Nobly dividing it among the needy.

بدرٌ تغشّاهُ الكُسوفُ وطالما

ضاءَتْ سيادتُه بأفْقِ سوادِه

A full moon eclipsed though long his authority

Shone in the horizon with its darkness.

ومهنّدٌ ما كُنتُ أحسَبُ قبلها

أنّ التُرابَ يكونُ من أغمادِه

And a flashing sword - I had not thought before

That dust could come to be among its sheaths.

صالَتْ عليه يدُ الزمانِ ولم يزَلْ

بنَوالِه يحنو على أولادِه

Time saluted him and did not cease to fold

His swords' straps, grieving for his children.

وتحكمتْ فيه المنونُ وطالما

حكمتْ ببيضِ ظُباهُ في أضدادِه

Death judged him and often it had judged

In his brilliant youth over his peers.

بالأمس كنت أقولُ أُنشدُ مدحَه

وأرجّع النَغَماتِ في إنشادِه

Yesterday I would say I recite his praise

And move the tunes about in chanting him.

فبأي لفظٍ أستطيعُ رثاءَهُ

إن لم أمُتْ فخرِسْتُ عن إيرادِه

With what word can I lament him

If I do not die, I am muted from repeating it.

أما الزمانُ فقد تعطّلَ جيدُه

قُلْ من فرائدِه ومن إفرادِه

As for time, its necklace has been severed

- Say, which of its pearls and which of its solitary gems?

كم صارمٍ ملقًى بعاتقِ صارمٍ

بصُعودِه أو دافعٌ بصِعادِه

How many swords thrown to the shoulder of swords -

I fear for him, solace him, and solace his solace.

كم صارم ملقى بعاتق صارمٍ

أنخشى عليه ونجده ونجاده

Alas, no obstacle can turn back death

In its rising or ward it off in its attacking.

هيهاتَ أن يَثْني المنيّةَ مانعٌ

بصعوده أو دافع بصعاده

It tightened the slacking of fate from its bond,

And turned the slackening of the tribe from its wont.

شدّتْ فخلِّ الدهرَ عن شُدّادِه

وعدَتْ فخلِّ قبيلةً عن عادِه

A journey which all people are tested by,

And he succeeds in it who has piety as provision.

سفرٌ جميعُ الناسِ ممتحَنٌ به

ويفوزُ فيه من التُقى من زاده

Strange is one deluded with an abode of frivolity,

From what conveys him to an abode of guidance.

عجباً لمغرورٍ بدارِ سفاهةٍ

عما يبلّغُه لدارِ رشادِه

Does he see survival when he has seen what was

Of his departed fathers or forefathers?

أيرى البقاءَ وقد رأى ما كان منْ

آبائه الماضينَ أو أجدادِه

This is Abu Abdillah immortalized -

If a master is immortalized, it is by his rectitude.

هذا أبو عبد الإلهِ مخلَّدٌ

إنْ كان خُلِّدَ سيّدٌ لسَدادِه

A man may die before his death,

And a man may return before his return.

ولقد يموتُ المرءُ قبل مماتِه

ولقد يعودُ المرءُ قبل مَعادِه

Gone is he we would say to the guest,

"A spirit the people's souls from their bodies."

ذهبَ الذي كنا نقولُ لضيفِه

روحٌ نفوسُ الخلقِ من أجسادِه

How excellent is the beautiful mention, for it

Is a spirit the people's souls from their bodies.

ما أحسنَ الذكرَ الجميلَ فإنه

روحٌ نفوسُ الخلقِ من أجسادِه

Gone is he we would say when one related

News of the virtuous, "Confirm its authority."

ذهب الذي كنّا نقولُ لمنْ رَوى

خبرَ الأفاضلِ نُصَّ عن إسنادِه

After him, for questions in questions, who has

Familiarity and knowledge of the degree of intention?

من للمُسائلِ في المسائل بعدَه

عُرْفاً ومعرفةً بقدْرِ مُرادِه

Were it not for hope in hope, the radiance

Of its pillar and its support would not have risen up high for law.

لولا رجاءٌ في رجاءٍ ما اعتلى

للشّرْعِ ضوءُ عَمودِ وعِمادِه

The mother of glory carried him noble,

The line of leadership innate in him from his birth.

حملَتْ به أمُّ السيادةِ ماجداً

رسمةُ الرئاسةِ فيهِ من ميلادِه

The eloquent, his age forgot its sorrows,

Diversion and resolution determined his return.

ومهذّبِ الألفاظِ يُنسي دهرَهُ

سحبانَ وائلِه وقَسَّ إيادِه

He lied who casts time as the dregs of virtues

While it is of its glories and its beauties.

كذبَ الذي يرمي الزمانَ بأنّه

نزْرُ الفضائلِ وهو من أمجادِه

O you who teach us solace through your knowledge,

Take solace and restrain your echoes.

يا من يعلّمنا العزاءَ بعلمِه

خُذْ بالعزاءِ وأَعفِ من تَرْدادِه

And know that Mohammad was not worn away by death

While you spread wide his praise.

واعْلَمْ بأن محمّداً لم يطْوِه

موتٌ وأنت نشرْتَ من إحمادِه

May God pray on the one who resembled him,

For he is of his elite and of his worshipers.

صلّى الإله على صَداهُ فإنّه

من سِرِّ صفوتِه ومنْ عُبّادِه

And may a cloud water his burial place with a shower

That smiles at the covenant from the weeping of its time.

وسقى ثراهُ من الغمائمِ صيِّبٌ

ضحِكُ المعاهِدِ من بُكاءِ عِهادِه