مضى وكل قطين بعده فان

من كنت في البعد ارعاه ويرعاني

He passed away, and all clusters of stars will perish after him

The one I cherished from afar and who cherished me

ومن على فوته عيني مسهدة

ترعى النجوم وليل الهم يغشاني

The one whose absence saddened my eyes

That watched the stars and the night of worries enveloped me

ومن اتاني منعاه ولم اره

فهاج حزني واضناني واضناني

The one who came to me forbidden, and I did not see him

So my sorrow was provoked, and my sighs sighed

يا طور لبنان هل تشجيك اشجاني

لفقد الف عزيز للصبي ثان

Oh Mount Lebanon, are you moved by my sighs

For the loss of a thousand dear ones to the boy again

وهل ذوى منك دوح باسق اسفا

كما ذوى من فوادي كل سلوان

And did those of you, O prominent Doha, mourn

As did those from my heart, every solace

وهل اتاك حديث الاولين مضوا

وفخرهم دائم من دون نقصان

And did the speech of the ancients who passed reach you

And their pride remains forever without diminution

امثال فردك ناصيف فهل لك من

فقدانه بدل يا فجع فقدان

The likes of your single one, Nasif, do you have

To replace him, O deepest loss, loss

هيهات ليس له ند فينسينا

فرط الحنين اليه بعض نسيان

Alas, he has no equal, so we forgot

The excess of yearning for him brings some forgetfulness

يا سائلي هل شجا ناعيه ذا شحط

ولاع منه فؤادا لوعة الداني

Oh my questioner, did his elegy move the mourner

Or ignite a heart with the burning agony of the consoler

انظر الى دمعي القاني وقس لهبا

عليه بين الحشا من نار احزاني

Look at my pouring tears and measure for it

A blaze over him among the ashes of my sorrows

حر تحرى على الآداب في زمن

فيه المآدب تحدو كل انسان

He was virtuous in manners in an age

Where enjoyments challenge every human

فلم يضع ساعة من عمره عبثا

ولم يضع قوله في غير احسان

He never wasted an hour of his life frivolously

Nor uttered words without kindness

كانت قوافيها البيد سائرة

سير النجوم فتهدى كل حيران

His rhymes wandered freely

Like the stars guiding all the lost

تنزهت عن عيوب الشعر رائقة

لفظا ومعنى هما في الحسن صنوان

They shunned the flaws of poetry, pure

In wording and meaning, both in beauty paired

كما تساوي لديه من نزاهته

مال وعدم هما للحر سيان

Just as in his integrity both wealth and poverty

Are equal to the virtuous man

لو لم تكن دررا ما كان ناظمها

فكر له ثاقب في جيد ازمان

If they were not pearls, their composer's

Keen intellect would not be in an excellent age

له البلاغة مذ عهد الصبى خلق

لم يثنه عنه في السبعين من ثان

Eloquence was his trait since his youth

He was not discouraged from it in his seventies again

ما كان يهجو ولا يهجى ولا حجبت

ذكا قريحته احلاك حدثان

He did not satirize or was satirized, nor did

Folly veil his talent, O finest traditions

كانت اسرته عنوان نيته

على المصافاة في سر واعلان

His family was the emblem of his intention

For reconciliation, in secret and public

وشانئ شانه تهجين ذي شان

لكنه عاش ذا شان بلا شان

Whoever rivals his stature satirizes one of stature

Yet he lived with stature without stature

مضى وفي ثوبه الآداب قد طويت

من بعد ما نشرت عنه بتبيان

He passed away, and literature was folded in his gown

After it had been spread from him in elucidation

ان الذي انشرت اشعاره حكما

حي وان درجوه ضمن اكفان

What his poems spread were wise judgements

And though interred, he lives

ان كنت بالغت في تابينه فلكم

في مدحه بالغت صحبي واقراني

If I have exaggerated his elegy, then how much

Have I exaggerated in praising him, my friends and peers

لا تنكروا فضل ذي فضل لمذهبه

وفي اطلبوا علم اهل الصين برهاني

Do not deny the merit of one with merit for his doctrine

And seek in my words the proof of the Chinese wise

واحسرتاه عليه اذ نؤرخه

مضى وكل قطين بعده فان

Alas for him, as we date his passing

He passed away, and all clusters of stars will perish after him