طُوِيَ البِساطُ وَجَفَّتِ الأَقداحُ
وَغَدَت عَواطِلٌ بَعدَكَ الأَفراحُ
The carpets were folded and the wine cups dried up,
And after you joys have become rare.
وَاِنفَضَّ نادٍ بِالشَآمِ وَسامِرٌ
في مِصرَ أَنتَ هَزارُهُ الصَدّاحُ
A club in Damascus and Samarra have disbanded,
In Egypt you were their witty entertainer.
وَتَقَوَّضَت لِلفَنِّ أَطوَلُ سَرحَةٍ
يُغدى إِلى أَفيائِها وَيُراحُ
The tallest entertainment dome collapsed,
Fate can demolish firmly established things.
وَاللَهِ ما أَدري وَأَنتَ وَحيدُهُ
أَعَلَيهِ يُبكى أَم عَلَيكَ يُناحُ
By God I know not, you alone left behind,
Should one lament over it or over you cry?
إِسحاقُ ماتَ فَلا صَبوحَ وَمَعبَدٌ
أَودى فَلَيسَ مَعَ الغَبوقِ فَلاحُ
Isaac died so no more dawns or sunsets,
Maabad perished so no more is spring's bounty.
مَلِكُ الغِناءِ أَزالَهُ عَن تَختِهِ
قَدَرٌ يُزيلُ الراسِياتِ مُتاحُ
Fate dethroned the king of singing,
A destiny that removes those firmly enthroned.
في التُربِ فَوقَ بَني سُوَيفَ يَتيمَةٌ
وَمِنَ الجَواهِرِ زَيِّفٌ وَصِحاحُ
In the soil above Bani Suwayf lies an orphaned gem,
Among jewels there are now cheap imitations.
ما زالَ تاجُ الفَنِّ تَيّاهاً بِها
حَتّى اِستَبَدَّ بِها الرَدى المُجتاحُ
The crown of art continued to diminish,
Until taken over by spreading ignorance.
لَو تَستَطيعُ كَرامَةً لِمَكانِها
مَشَتِ الرِياضُ إِلَيهِ وَالأَدواحُ
If honouring her resting place was possible,
Gardens would extend to it and pilgrims flock.
رُحماكَ عَبدَ الحَيِّ أُمُّكَ شَيخَةٌ
قَعَدَت وَهيضَ لَها الغَداةَ جَناحُ
May God have mercy on Abdelhay, your mother was a venerable old lady,
Who sat as old age clipped her wings.
كُسِرَت عَصاها فَهيَ بِلا عَصاً
وَقَضى فَتاها الأَجوَدُ المِسماحُ
Her staff was broken so she was left without,
And her gallant young supporter passed away.
اللَهُ يَعلَمُ إِن يَكُن في قَلبِها
جُرحٌ فَفي أَحشاءِ مِصرَ جِراحُ
God alone knows if in her heart,
There remained wounds that Egypt still bears.
وَالناسُ مَبكِيٌّ وَباكٍ إِثرَهُ
وَبُكا الشُعوبِ إِذا النَوابِغُ طاحوا
And people cried and mourned over your loss,
When prominent ones fall the masses weep.
كانَ النَدامى إِن شَدَوتَ وَعاقَروا
سِيّانَ صَوتُكَ بَينَهُم وَالراحُ
If they were unkind or hostile the remorseful ones,
Were equally your voice between them and comfort.
فيما تَقولُ مُغَنِّياً وَمُحَدِّثاً
تَتَنافَسُ الأَسماعُ وَالأَرواحُ
In what you recited and narrated,
Ears and souls competed.
فارَقتَ دُنيا أَرهَقَتكَ خَسارَةً
وَغَنِمتَ قُربَ اللَهِ وَهوَ رَباحُ
You left a world that pained you with loss,
And gained nearness to God which is true profit.
يا مُخلِفاً لِلوَعدِ وَعدُكَ مالَهُ
عِندي وَلا لَكَ في الضَميرِ بَراحُ
O you who broke your promise your pledge to me is worthless,
I have none with my conscience to settle.
عَبَثَت بِهِ وَبِكَ المَنِيَّةُ وَاِنقَضى
سَبَبٌ إِلَيهِ بِأُنسِنا نَرتاحُ
Death toyed with it and with you and a cause,
Through which we found comfort, came to an end.
لَمّا بَلَغنا بِالأَحِبَّةِ وَالمُنى
بابَ السُرورِ تَغَيَّبَ المِفتاحُ
When friends and wishes lead us,
To the door of joy, the key disappeared.
زَعَموا نَعِيَّكَ في المَجامِعِ مازِحاً
هَيهاتَ في رَيبِ المَنونِ مِزاحُ
They claimed you dead jokingly in gatherings,
Alas, no jokes with death drawing near.
الجِدُّ غايَةُ كُلِّ لاهٍ لاعِبٍ
عِندَ المَنِيَّةِ يَجزَعُ المِفراحُ
When faced with death all jesters and serious ones,
Become anxious and morose.
رَمَتِ المَنايا إِذ رَمَينَكَ بُلبُلاً
أَراَهُ في شَرَكِ الحَياةِ جِماحُ
Death struck you down like a nightingale,
It saw you trapped in life's snare.
آهاتُهُ حُرَقُ الغَرامِ وَلَفظُهُ
سَجعُ الحَمامِ لَوَ انَّهُنَّ فِصاحُ
Its laments were burning passion and its warbling,
The cooing of doves if only they articulated.
وَذَبَحنَ حَنجَرَةً عَلى أَوتارِها
تُؤسى الجِراحُ وَتُذبَحُ الأَتراحُ
And they slaughtered a throat over its strings,
Wounds grieve and happiness is slaughtered.
وَفَلَلنَ مِن ذاكَ اللِسانِ حَديدَةً
يَخشى لَئيمٌ بَأسَها وَوَقاحُ
And they extracted from that tongue a blade,
Which the vile fear and the insolent.
وَأَبَحنَ راحَتَكَ البِلى وَلَطالَما
أَمسى عَلَيها المالُ وَهوَ مُباحُ
And time eroded your comfort and long has,
Wealth spent the night while lusts were permitted.
روحٌ تَناهَت خِفَّةً فَتَخَيَّرَت
نُزُلاً تَقاصَرُ دونَهُ الأَشباحُ
A soul that attained the limits of lightness,
And chose a dwelling beyond all spirits.
قُم غَنِّ وِلدانَ الجِنانِ وَحورِها
وَاِبعَث صَداكَ فَكُلُّنا أَرواحُ
Rise and sing to the lads and maidens of heaven,
And send your voice that we are all souls.
