الرزء أعظم أن تراق دموع

أو أن تقد من الزفير ضلوع

The greatest agony is spilled tears,

Or sighs that rend ribs,

والحزن أبرح أن تشقق حلة

ويخد خد بالأكف شموع

And sorrow that rends garments,

And cheeks scratched by palms.

هذا هو الخطب الجليل لأنه

لو كان حلماً نافداً لفظيع

This is the tremendous misfortune, for if

It were but a nightmare, it would be atrocious.

وهو المصيبة في الورى عمت فلا

أد يخص به ولا يربوع

It is a calamity that has befallen all people, so no

Individual or group is exempt.

ذي ثلمة وقعت كأسد آدها

في العلم بين العالمين وقيع

A loss that struck like a lion stalking its prey

Among the learned of both worlds, vicious.

كادت بها تطوى السموات العلا

والأَرض ترجف والجبال تميع

The heavens nearly folded over it,

The earth quaked, and mountains flowed.

بقلوب أهل الأَرض منها مثلة

وبقلب أملاك السماء صدوع

It ripped open the hearts of the people of earth,

And the hearts of the angels of heaven had fissures.

من سره دفن العلوم فهكذا

دفن العلوم وهكذا التشييع

He who concealed sciences, thus

Were sciences buried, and in this was his funeral.

أو سره للبين توديع النهى

والمكرمات فهكذا التوديع

Or he who bid farewell to guidance

And honors, and thus was his farewell.

ليس العزيز على الردى بمعزز

بيد الزؤام ولا المنيع منيع

The honored is not made honorable by fate,

Nor the protected made immune by hands.

حظ الشريف من الردى وضريحه

يلقى المثال من المحل وضيع

Fate seized the noble one from his eminence,

And his tomb meets examples of lowliness.

قبض الردى الأوعال من قلل الحمى

ومضى به في حجرة اليربوع

Fate snatched the brilliant stars from the summits of glory,

And took them to the chamber of darkness.

يا راغباً في هذه الدُنيا أما

لك من مصائبها العضال مريع

O you who desire this life, do

You not have enough of its great sorrows?

تسهو وتلهو والردى لك لازم

ترجو الاناءة منه وهو سريع

You are heedless and playing, while fate is inescapable.

You hope for respite from it, yet it is quick.

ألهاك ما جرفته وجمعته

والجامع الأسوا لك المجموع

That which it swept away and gathered,

And the Collector is most severe to you in your gathering.

رقعت بالدنيا ومن يبلى بها

هي حية رقشاء وهو لسيع

You mended the world, and one who is worn out by it -

It is an old serpent, and he is smooth.

تباً لذي الدنيا ومن يبلى بها

فالدين هتك هتك المرقوع

Woe to one worn out by the world.

Religion is desecrated, desecration of the mended.

ونعيمها الصافي يكدره الردى

إن النعيم مع المنون ضريع

Its pure bliss is made bitter by fate.

Bliss with death is polluted.

لا غصة كالموت إلا بعده

سم الحياة والبقاء نقيع

No anguish like death, except what comes after it -

The poison of life and putrid survival.

فامهد لمضجعك التقى كل امرئ

ما قمشته يداه فهو ضجيع

So prepare for your resting place with piety, every person -

What his hands have gained, that is his mattress.

واعلم بأنك ميت يا ميتا

واعلم بأنك للبلا مدفوع

Know that you will die, O dead one,

And know that you are destined for tribulation.

والموت لم يوجع منيباً وقعه

لكن فقدان المنيب وجيع

Death did not hurt the God-fearing when it struck them,

But missing the God-fearing is painful.

ولقد رأيت الحر ليس له بقا

لكن يبقى ذكره المرفوع

I saw the free man has no permanence,

But his elevated remembrance remains.

آها على فقد الذي قد برني

فيه ضنى وتأوه وولوع

Alas for the loss of one who treated me

With care, sighing, and burning passion.

أودى الذي أخلاقه أبقت لنا

كالمسك ذكراً في الندى يضوع

He who left behind morals that linger for us

Like musk diffusing fragrance in dew.

فكأنه سر تضمنه الحيا

بعد الممات وفي الحياة يذيع

It is as if he is a secret contained in life

That spreads in death and in life.

أودى الذي كانت بنور هدائه

تهدى الأنام إلى الصلاح جميع

Alas for him whose light of guidance

Guided all people to righteousness altogether.

فكأنه نار على علم بدت

ليلاً لها كل البلاد تريع

It is as if he is a fire on a banner that appeared

At night, and all the lands took heed.

أودى الذي قتل الهواجر صائماً

والليل قد أحياه وهو نجيع

Alas for him who fasted slaying desires,

Reviving the night while sleepy.

فكأنه نبع حني هجيرة

وكأن صبحاً ليله المسفوع

It is as if he is a spring appearing at dawn,

And as if his night of passion is poured forth at dawn.

وصل الصيام إلى القيام كأنه

صب بحب هوى غد مولوع

He connected fasting to standing as if

Passionately in love, anxious for the coming tomorrow.

أودى الذي كانت له سير بها

قامت على كل العماد شروع

Alas for him who had a life by which

All pillars were established with foundations.

فكأنه أعطي النبوة والمنى

فهو المطاع وقوله المسموع

It is as if he was given prophethood and success -

He is obeyed and his word is heard.

أودى الذي كان العفاف دثاره

وتضاعفت منه عليه دروع

Alas for him whose attire was chastity,

And coats of armor doubled over him.

فكأنه من خوفه وبكائه

فوق الفراش ممرض مصروع

It is as if he is one who from fear and weeping

Is bedridden above the mattress.

أودى الذي كان الملائك دائماً

في داره لهم بها ترجيع

Alas for him the angels were always

Frequenting his house, welcomed in it.

وكأنها البيت الحرام مقدسا

وكأنهم طير عليه سجوع

It is as if it is the sacred house, sanctified,

And they are birds roosting over it.

أودى الذي كان القضاء لأمره

طوع القياد كما يقاد تبيع

Alas for him whose judgement satisfied leadership

Like sheep led to sale.

فكأنه حكم عليه موكل

وكأنه عبد عليه مطيع

It is as if he is an entrusted judge

And a subservient subject.

أودى الذي في حلمه متثبت

ما قيل فيه زلة ووضوع

Alas for him steadfast in his forbearance

When blamed, upright and stable.

فكأنها الخصماء تلقى عينه

سيف يسل على الحود قطيع

It is as if the disputants meet his eyes

Like a sword dragging across mellow cheeks.

أودى الذي في كل حي ناطق

أو أخرس منه عليه صنيع

Alas for him who in every neighborhood is eloquent

Or is silent yet acts graciously.

فكأنه فيهم وهم في حكمه

شيخ يتيم في يديه رضيع

It is as if he is among them and they are in his custody -

An orphan's sheikh in his hands as a suckling infant.

أودى الذي كانت مناهل كفه

بالسيب تفهق والعفاة شروع

Alas for him whose palm-fulls

Were generous even to the criminal and sinful.

فكأن في كفيه عشر سحائب

من كل واحدة جرى ينبوع

It is as if in his palms are ten clouds

From each flows a spring.

أودى الذي كان الضيوف بسوحه

صيف لهم يمضي به وربيع

Alas for him whose homes the guests in summer

Frequented, seasons passing with him.

فكأنهم ذو الهنائد كفه

روض رعته ولن تراع مريع

It is as if they are the palms of his hands -

A meadow he tended that will not graze the sick.

فاليوم أصبح ثاوياً تحت الثرى

عما يروم معبد ممنوع

Today he became lifeless beneath the soil,

Forbidden what he intended of erected temples.

درست ربوع منه في الأحيا وقد

عمرت به للقاسطين ربوع

I studied his lands in settlements, which

Were settled with them for the dissenters.

من لي بمثلك بعد مسكنك الثرى

يا صالح متحمل زعزيع

Who can replace you after your burial place,

O righteous one bearing calamity?

هل إن دعوتك يا ابن بلحسن الرضى

أنت المجيب وللدعاء سميع

If I call you, O Son of El Hessan Al Radi,

Are you the responder? For supplication you are Hearer.

خلفتني سلو الحوادث كلما

نعت النعاة فإنني مفجوع

You left me the consolation of calamities - whenever

The elegists compose, I am anguished.

بي منك ما بك في الضريح فربما

أنت المريح وإنني لنزوع

From you is what is in me, and what is in you in the grave, so perhaps

You are the comforter while I am pulled.

وكأنني بدح من الحزن الذي

أورثتني عن أمه مخلوع

It is as if I am resurrected from the sorrow

You inherited me from its mother emptied.

أبكي عليك وحق لي طول البكا

نفدت دموعي فاستهل نجيع

I cry over you, and I have right to prolonged crying -

My tears are depleted, so I lament fervently.

أبكي عليك وكل من وطئ الثرى

يبكي عليك وليس عنك يروع

I cry over you, and all who tread the soil

Cry over you, and do not fret over you.

أبكي عليك وقد يعظم لوعتي

فيك البكا والحُزن والتفجيع

I cry over you, though my agony over you

May magnify the crying, sorrow and anguish.

أبكي عليك وقد بكت عندي العلا

وجماعة وجمائع وجموع

I cry over you, and the high company has cried before me,

And groups, multitudes, and crowds.

لو كان يعلم غاسلوك بلوعتي

تركوك لي عوض المياه دموع

If only your washers knew my agony -

They would have left you for me, tears instead of water.

بل ليت قبرك كان في عيني وفي

أحشاي واللحد المصان ضلوع

Rather, would that your grave were in my eye and in

My intestines, and the hollowed plank my ribs.

روحي فداك أقول كنت وما درت

روحي بأنك قبلها مبخوع

My soul is your ransom - I say you were but I did not know

My soul that you were afflicted before it.

أنا بعد مسكنك الضريح بغصة

ما طاب بعدك في العيون هجوع

After your burial place, I am in anguish -

No delight in eyes after you, no burning passions.

أنا بعد ما فارقتني في وحشة

ومن الزمان وأهله لقنوع

After you left me, I am in desolation

And alienated from people and tribes.

يا قدوة الأبدال هنيت الرضى

أنت الشفيع لك النبي شفيع

O exemplar of the righteous, El Hessan Ar Radi,

You are the intercessor and the Prophet is your intercessor.

هذا السحاب بكى عليك بعبرة

للرعد فيه زماجر وبعيع

This cloud cries over you in sadness -

Thunder in it has rumblings and howling.

ولجنة الفردوس روحك روحت

وعليك من لطف الاله خليع

The heavenly delights received your spirit,

And the tenderness of God covered you.

فمبارك عقباك فهو مبارك

عقب الغروب من الضياء طلوع

So blessed are your footsteps, for they are blessed -

The afterglow of splendor rising after sunset.

والاخوة الأبرار والأعمام هم

نعم الخلائف نهجهم متبوع

The righteous brothers and uncles - they are

The excellent successors, their path followed.

طابوا أصولاً والصلاح دليلها

والأَصل مهما طاب طين فروع

They were wholesome roots, and righteousness indicates them,

And roots, however wholesome, have branching leaves.

رفعت منابرهم لهم فسمت بهم

إن الرفيع ولو أهين رفيع

Their pulpits were raised - they rose with them.

The elevated, even if disgraced, is elevated.

دين الأباضي صار منهم أبيضا

والعلم منهم زانه التوريع

The Ibadi faith through them became whiter,

And knowledge from them was enriched by study.

عشتم بني عبد السلام بدولة

أنف العدو لكم بها مجدوع

You have lived, O Bani Abdus Salam, in a state

With the enemies' noses ground in it.

وعليكمو بالصبر في بلواكمو

إِن الحلم بما أتيح قنوع

And unto you is patience in your trials -

Restraint when given is satisfying.

فالموت قنطرة على ظهر الرجا

عمرت وعابرها الأنام جميع

Death is a bridge upon the back of hope -

It was built, and all people cross it.