لِأَيَّةِ حالٍ أَعلَنَ الوَجدَ كاتِمُه
وَأَقصَرَ عَن داعي الصَبابَةِ لائِمُه
For what fate did the lover reveal his passion,
And the blamer fall short of calling for restraint?
تَوَلّى سَحابُ الجودِ تَرقا سُجومُهُ
وَجاءَ سَحابُ الدَمعِ تَدمى سَواجِمُه
The clouds of generosity have sailed away haughtily,
While the clouds of tears flow profusely.
أَرى خَصماً يا وَهبُ أَصبَحَ حاكِماً
عَلَينا فَما نَدري إِلى مَن نُحاكِمُه
I see an adversary, O Wahab, who has become a judge over us,
So we know not whom to take our case to.
إِذا طِبتُ نَفساً بِالسَلامَةِ رَدَّني
إِلى الحُزنِ دَهرٌ لَيسَ يَسلَمُ سالِمُه
Whenever my soul feels secure,
Fate returns me to sorrow - its safety cannot be guaranteed.
مُعافاتُهُ طَوراً وَطَوراً بَلاؤُهُ
كَما بَردُهُ مَرّاً وَمَرّاً سَمائِمُه
Its prosperity alternates with trials,
Just as its coolness alternates with bitter poison.
وَما صِرتُ حَربَ الدَهرِ حَتّى أَضاءَ لَي
تَحامُلُهُ الأَوفى عَلى مَن يُسالِمُه
I did not challenge the days until its unfairness to me was exposed,
And its hostility towards those who make peace with it.
أَيا ناشِدِ الإِحسانِ أَقوَت نُجودُهُ
وَيا ناشِدَ الإِسلامِ أَقوَت تَهائِمُه
O you who ask for kindness, his munificence has been nourished,
And O you who ask for safety, its aggressions have been nourished.
وَيا ناعِيَ المَعروفِ أَسمَعتَ طالِباً
فَأَكدى وَمَطلوباً فَأُسلِمَ جارِمُه
O you who call for goodness, did you hear one requesting it,
Only to be disappointed, and one committing evil, only to be spared?
رُزِئنا النَدى الرِبعِيَّ حينَ تَهَلَّلَت
بَوارِقُهُ وَجادَنا مُتَراكِمُه
The fresh downpour has mocked us since its bright flashes burst forth,
While its abundant flow has evaded us.
خَليجٌ مِنَ البَحرِ اِنبَرى فَاِنبَرى لَهُ
قَضاءٌ أَبى أَن تَستَبِلَّ حَوائِمُه
A bay of the sea rose up tall, so a decree rose up even taller than it,
Its landmarks could not be erased.
وَغُصنُ رَسولِ اللَهِ دَوحَتُهُ الَّتي
لَها حُسنُهُ لَو دامَ في الأَرضِ دائِمُه
It is the branch of Allah's Messenger, its loveliness,
Had it lasted on earth, would remain forever.
وَما يَومُهُ يَومٌ وَلَكِن مَنِيَّةٌ
تَوافى حَصيدُ الدَهرِ فيها وَقائِمُه
His day was no mere day, but a death
That reaps the harvest of lifetimes.
فَلَم تَستَطِع دَفعَ المَنونِ حُماتُهُ
وَلَم تَستَطِع دَفعَ الحِمامِ تَمائِمُه
So his protectors could not prevent what was decreed,
Nor could the flight of his white doves avert it.
لَهانَ عَلَيهِ المَوتُ لَو كانَ عَسكَراً
يُلاقيهِ أَوخَصماً أَلَدَّ يُخاصِمُه
Death would have been powerless had it been an army
Marching against him, or a fierce adversary contending with him.
فَعادَ النَهارُ الجَونُ جَوناً كَأَنَّما
تَجَلَّلَهُ مِن مُصمَتِ اللَيلِ فاحِمُه
The light of day then turned gloomy, as though
Veiled by the darkness of night's mantle.
مُصابٌ كَأَنَّ الجَوَّ يُعنى بِبَعضِهِ
فَما يَنجَلي في ناظِرِ العَينِ قاتِمُه
A calamity as if the atmosphere only partly cleared,
So that which dimmed the onlooker's eyes did not fully brighten.
وَثُكلٌ لَوَ اَنَّ الشَمسَ تُمنى بِحَرِّهِ
لَأَحرَقَها في جانِبِ الأُفقِ جاحِمُه
An agony as though the sun were vengeful in its heat,
Its searer on the horizon would have set it aflame.
وَدَمعٌ مَتى أَسكُبهُ لا أَخشَ لائِماً
وَلَو أَنَّني مِمّا تُفيضُ هَزائِمُه
A tear, whenever I shed it, I fear no chider,
Even if I were among its gushing floods.
وَقَبرٌ حَماهُ الجودُ أَن تَنسُجَ الصَبا
عَلَيهِ وَأَن تَعفو عَلَيها مَعالِمُه
A grave generosity protected against youth weaving
Over it, and from its landmarks being effaced.
سَقَتهُ يَدا ثاوِيهِ حَتّى تَواصَلَت
بِنُوّارِها كُثبانُهُ وَصَرائِمُه
Watered by hands that vanished until its domes
And columns were joined by their channels.
كَذَبناهُ لَم نَجزَع عَلَيهِ وَلَم نُقَم
مَآتِمُنا لَمّا أُقيمَت مَآتِمُه
We denied him though we were not in anguish over him, and did not complain
When our own departed, as his were mourned.
عَجِبتُ لِأَيدٍ أَحدَرَتهُ وَلَم تَعُد
رَمائِمُ في حَيثُ اِستَقَرَّت رَمائِمُه
I am astonished at hands lowered into a grave, yet they do not
Tremble where his hands are laid to rest.
أَما وَأَبي النَعشِ الخَفيفِ لَقَد حَوَت
مَآخيرُهُ ثِقلَ العُلا وَمَقادِمُه
But, by the light coffin! Indeed its final journey bore
The weight of the exalted, and its first journey.
بَنى صالِحٌ سوراً عَلى آلِ صالِحٍ
تَحَيَّفَ مِن عِزِّ الخِلافَةِ هادِمُه
One virtuous built a wall over the family of the virtuous,
Impregnable to the might of the Caliphate.
لَئِن بانَ مِنّا جودُهُ وَسَماحُهُ
لَقَد بانَ مِنهُم مَجدُهُ وَمَكارِمُه
If his generosity and leniency have become evident,
So have their glory and nobility.
أَبا حَسَنٍ وَالصَبرُ مَنكِبُ مَن غَدا
عَلى سَنَنٍ وَالحادِثاتُ تُزاحِمُه
O Father of Hasan! Patience is the companion of one who travels
The path, as events jostle him.
وَلَولا اِلتُقى لَم يَردُدِ الدَمعَ رَبُّهُ
وَلَولا الحِجى لَم يَكظِمِ الغَيظَ كاظِمُه
Were it not for his prudence, his Lord would not dam back tears,
And were it not for wisdom, the forbearing would not restrain rage.
تَعَزَّ فَإِنَّ السَيفَ يَمضي وَإِن وَهَت
حَمائِلُهُ عَنهو وَخَلّاهُ قائِمُه
Show strength! The sword continues on its path
Even as its wielder tires, if its pillar remains standing.
هُوَ الدَهرُ يَستَدعي الفَناءَ بَقاؤُهُ
عَلَينا وَتَأتي بِالعَظيمِ عَظائِمُه
It is time that summons decline through its continuity,
And brings mighty things low through its calamities.
تَعَثَّرَ في عادٍ وَكانَ طَريقُهُ
عَلى لُبَدٍ إِذ لَم تُطِعهُ قَوادِمُه
It stumbled against ‘Aad, though its course
Was smooth, when its milestones did not obey it.
وَغادَرَ إيوانَ المَدائِنِ غَدرُهُ
بِكِسرى بنِ ساسانٍ تَرِنُّ حَمائِمُه
It treacherously departed from the palace of the Persians,
Leaving Kisra bin Sasan while his doves moan.
وَمِن إِرثِكُم أَعطَت صَفِيَّةُ مُصعَباً
جَميلَ الأَسى لِما اِستُحِلَّت مَحارِمُه
From your inheritance, Safiyya gave Mus'ab
A beautiful consolation for her violation.
وَثُكلُ اِبنِهِ موفٍ عَلى ثُكلِ نَفسِهِ
فَما كانَ إِلّا صَبرُهُ وَعَزائِمُه
And the bereavement of his son, Muaf, was over his own loss -
Naught remained but his patience and resolves.
وَعُروَةُ إِذ لا رِجلُهُ اِنصَرَفَت بِهِ
وَقَد خَرَمَت عَنهُ بَنيهِ خَوارِمُه
Urwa - when his legs failed him,
And his sanctities were robbed from him by his sons -
بَكى أَقرَبوهُ شَجوَهُ وَهوَ ضاحِكٌ
يُعَزّيهِمِ حَتّى تَحَيَّرَ ذائِمُه
Those who consoled him wept, while he laughed,
Bewildering the consoler.
وَمَن جَهِلَ الأَمرَ الَّذي هُوَ غايَةٌ
لَمَبدَإِنا هَذا فَإِنَّكَ عالِمُه
One who is ignorant of the matter which is the pinnacle
Of our purpose - this is its source, if you are one who knows.
وَيَظلِمُكَ المَوتُ الغَشومُ فَتَرتَدي
بِعِزِّ الأُسى حَتّى كَأَنَّكَ ظالِمُه
Death, perfidious, wrongs you, so you don
The honour of sorrow, as though you were its wrongdoer.
كَبيرٌ لَدى الرُزءِ الكَبيرِ وَإِنَّما
عَلى قَدرِ جِرمِ الفيلِ تُبنى قَوائِمُه
Mighty in the face of mighty calamity, but only
According to the size of the elephant are its pillars built.
إِذا شِئتَ أَن تَستَصغِرَ الخَطبَ فَاِلتَفِت
إِلى سَلَفٍ بِالقاعِ أُهمِلَ نائِمُه
If you wish to diminish tribulations, then consider
Those of old laid to rest in the ground.
وَفيهِ النَبِيُّ المُصطَفى وَعَلِيُّهُ
وَعَبّاسُهُ وَجَعفَراهُ وَقاسِمُه
Among them is the chosen Prophet, his cousin,
Al-‘Abbas, Ja‘far, and his son Qasim.
وَإِن يَكُ أَضحى لِلمَنِيَّةِ هاشِمٌ
فَأَسوَتُهُ فيها وَفي المَجدِ هاشِمُه
If a Hashimite is one morning destined for death
His exemplars in it, and in glory, are Hashimites.
