غَيْرُ مُجْدٍ فِي مِلَّتِي وَاعْتِقَادِي

نَوْحُ بَاكٍ وَلَا تَرَنُّمُ شَادِ

With no glory in my religion or belief

A weeping lament, no joyful singing

وَشَبِيهٌ صَوْتُ النَّعِيِّ إِذَا قِيـ

ـسَ بِصَوْتِ الْبَشِيرِ فِي كُلِّ نَادِ

The voice of the mourner when he wails

Is nothing like the voice of one who bears good news in any settlement

أَبَكَتْ تِلْكُمُ الْحَمَامَةُ أَمْ غَنَّـ

ـتْ عَلَى فَرْعِ غُصْنِهَا الْمَيَّادِ

Did that dove weep or sing

On the branch of its supple bough?

صَاحِ هَذِهْ قُبُورُنَا تَمْلَأُ الرُّحْـ

ـبَ فَأَيْنَ الْقُبُورُ مِنْ عَهْدِ عَادِ؟

“Be quiet!” our graves are crying, “How can graves

Compare to the ruins of the ancient tribe of ‘Aad?”

خَفِّفِ الْوَطْءَ مَا أَظُنُّ أَدِيمَ الْـ

أَرْضِ إِلَّا مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَجْسَادِ

Walk gently. I think nothing but

These corpses harden the earth

وَقَبِيحٌ بِنَا وَإِنْ قَدُمَ الْعَهْـ

ـدُ هَوَانُ الْآبَاءِ وَالْأَجْدَادِ

Though long in age, it’s disgraceful, my fathers

And forefathers forgotten and neglected

سِرْ إِنِ اسْطَعْتَ فِي الْهَوَاءِ رُوَيْدًا

لَا اخْتِيَالًا عَلَى رُفَاتِ الْعِبَادِ

Walk slowly in the air if you shine

Not prancing over the bodies of men

رُبَّ لَحْدٍ قَدْ صَارَ لَحْدًا مِرَارًا

ضَاحِكٍ مِنْ تَزَاحُمِ الْأَضْدَادِ

How many graves have become graves time and again

Laughing at the crowding of opposites

وَدَفِينٍ عَلَى بَقَايَا دَفِينٍ

فِي طَوِيلِ الْأَزْمَانِ وَالْآبَادِ

And are buried above the remains of buried ones

In the long expanse of time and habitation

فَاسْأَلِ الْفَرْقَدَيْنِ عَمَّنْ أَحَسَّا

مِنْ قَبِيلٍ وَآنَسَا مِنْ بِلَادِ

So ask the two crickets about their tribes

And homelands they recognized

كَمْ أَقَامَا عَلَى زَوَالِ نَهَارٍ

وَأَنَارَا لِمُدْلِجٍ فِي سَوَادِ

How long they stayed till the setting of the sun

And gave light to the darkened gloom

تَعَبٌ كُلُّهَا الْحَيَاةُ فَمَا أَعْـ

ـجَبُ إِلَّا مِنْ رَاغِبٍ فِي ازْدِيَادِ

Life is all toil. No wonder but

From one who seeks increase

إِنَّ حُزْنًا فِي سَاعَةِ الْمَوْتِ أَضْعَا

فُ سُرُورٍ فِي سَاعَةِ الْمِيلَادِ

A moment's sadness at death is weaker

Than an hour's joy at birth

خُلِقَ النَّاسُ لِلْبَقَاءِ فَضَلَّتْ

أُمَّةٌ يَحْسَبُونَهُمْ لِلنَّفَادِ

Mankind was made to last, yet

A nation thinks them fleeting

إِنَّمَا يُنْقَلُونَ مِنْ دَارِ أَعْمَا

لٍ إِلَى دَارِ شِقْوَةٍ أَوْ رَشَادِ

Merely shifted from a house of blindness

To a house of misery or guidance

ضَجْعَةُ الْمَوْتِ رَقْدَةٌ يَسْتَرِيحُ الْـ

ـجِسْمُ فِيهَا وَالْعَيْشُ مِثْلُ السُّهَادِ

The slumber of death is rest; the body

Rests while living's like half-sleep

أَبَنَاتِ الْهَدِيلِ أَسْعِدْنَ أَوْ عِدْ

نَ قَلِيلَ الْعَزَاءِ بِالْإِسْعَادِ

O sighing zephyrs, happy or promise

Little solace in gladness

إِيهِ للهِ دَرُّكُنَّ فَأَنْتُنَّ

اللَّوَاتِي تُحْسِنَّ حِفْظَ الْوِدَادِ

Dear God, your worth! For you are those

Who keep affection well preserved

مَا نَسِيتُنَّ هَالِكًا فِي الْأَوَانِ الْـ

ـخَالِ أَوْدَى مِنْ قَبْلِ هُلْكِ إِيَادِ

Never did I forget you dying in the prime

Of life, an age before the ruin of Iyad

بَيْدَ أَنِّي لَا أَرْتَضِي مَا فَعَلْتُنَّ

وَأَطْوَاقُكُنَّ فِي الْأَجْيَادِ

Yet I reject what you have done—

Your necklaces of sacrifice

فَتَسَلَّبْنَ وَاسْتَعِرْنَ جَمِيعًا

مِنْ قَمِيصِ الدُّجَى ثِيَابَ حِدَادِ

All of you slipped away and dressed

Yourselves in the robe of mourning's dusk

ثُمَّ غَرِّدْنَ فِي الْمَآتِمِ وَانْدُبْـ

ـنَ بِشَجْوٍ مَعَ الْغَوَانِي الْخِرَادِ

Then warbled in the bereavements, keened

In sorrow with the talentless singers

قَصَدَ الدَّهْرُ مِنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ الْأَوَّ

ابِ مَوْلَى حِجًى وَخِدْنَ اقْتِصَادِ

Fate aimed at my father Hamza

A scholar of Hijaz and most judicious

وَفَقِيهًا أَفْكَارُهُ شِدْنَ لِلنُّعْـ

ـمَانِ مَا لَمْ يَشِدْهُ شِعْرُ زِيَادِ

A thinker, his ideas strengthen

Good deeds not even poetry of Ziyad could inspire

فَالْعِرَاقِيُّ بَعْدَهُ لِلْحِجَازِيِّ

قَلِيلُ الْخِلَافِ سَهْلُ الْقِيَادِ

The Iraqi after him differed little

From the Hijazi, easy to guide

وَخَطِيبًا لَوْ قَامَ بَيْنَ وُحُوشٍ

عَلَّمَ الضَّارِيَاتِ بِرَّ النِّقَادِ

An orator—had he stood among beasts

He'd have taught the ferocious gentle manners

رَاوِيًا لِلْحَدِيثِ لَمْ يُحْوِجِ الْمَعْـ

ـرُوفَ مِنْ صِدْقِهِ إِلَى الْإِسْنَادِ

A narrator of Hadith, his honesty

Needed no support from chains of transmission

أَنْفَقَ الْعُمْرَ نَاسِكًا يَطْلُبُ الْعِلْـ

ـمَ بِكَشْفٍ عَنْ أَصْلِهِ وَانْتِقَادِ

He spent his life devoutly seeking knowledge

Through parsing texts and precise critique

مُسْتَقِي الْكَفِّ مِنْ قَلِيبِ زُجَاجٍ

بِغُرُوبِ الْيَرَاعِ مَاءَ مِدَادِ

Drawing water with his palm from a clay jug

When the water bag was empty, never stained by ink

ذَا بَنَانٍ لَا تَلْمُسُ الذَّهَبَ الْأَحْـ

ـمَرَ زُهْدًا فِي الْعَسْجَدِ الْمُسْتَفَادِ

Of build he would not touch ochre gold

Or jewels, ascetic in unearned luxury

وَدِّعَا أَيُّهَا الْحَفِيَّانِ ذَاكَ الشَّـ

ـخْصَ إِنَّ الْوَدَاعَ أَيْسَرُ زَادِ

Bid him farewell, you two mourners, that man

For parting is the easiest provision

وَاغْسِلَاهُ بِالدَّمْعِ إِنْ كَانَ طُهْرًا

وَادْفِنَاهُ بَيْنَ الْحَشَا وَالْفُؤَادِ

Wash him with tears, if they are pure

Bury him between intense love and the heart

وَاحْبُوَاهُ الْأَكْفَانَ مِنْ وَرَقِ الْمُصْـ

ـحَفِ كِبْرًا عَنْ أَنْفُسِ الْأَبْرَادِ

Shroud him in leaves of parchment, too proud

For common shrouds of cotton and linen

وَاتْلُوَا النَّعْشَ بِالْقِرَاءَةِ وَالتَّسْـ

ـبِيحِ لَا بِالنَّحِيبِ وَالتَّعْدَادِ

Bear his bier with reciting and praising,

Not with weeping and enumeration

أَسَفٌ غَيْرُ نَافِعٍ وَاجْتِهَادٌ

لَا يُؤَدِّي إِلَى غَنَاءِ اجْتِهَادِ

Useless anguish, effort that will not

Lead to rewarding effort

طَالَمَا أَخْرَجَ الْحَزِينُ جَوَى الْحُزْ

نِ إِلَى غَيْرِ لَائِقٍ بِالسَّدَادِ

How often the bereaved draws the essence of grief

To unsuitable excess

مِثْلَ مَا فَاتَتِ الصَّلَاةُ سُلَيْمَا

نَ فَأَنْحَى عَلَى رِقَابِ الْجِيَادِ

As Solomon forgot the prayer, bending

The necks of steeds and straightening their ranks

وَهْوَ مَنْ سُخِّرَتْ لَهُ الْإِنْسُ وَالْجِنُّ

بِمَا صَحَّ مِنْ شَهَادَةِ صَادِ

Though jinn and men were made subservient,

As verified by the testimony of the letter Saad

خَافَ غَدْرَ الْأَنَامِ فَاسْتَوْدَعَ الرِّيـ

حـَ سَلِيلًا تَغْذُوهُ دَرَّ الْعِهَادِ

Fearing the people's betrayal, he entrusted

The wind with his young son it reared well

وَتَوَخَّى لَهُ النَّجَاةَ وَقَدْ أَيْـ

ـقَنَ أَنَّ الْحِمَامَ بِالْمِرْصَادِ

Seeking safety for him, though convinced

The hawk spies from its lookout

فَرَمَتْهُ بِهِ عَلَى جَانِبِ الْكُرْ

سِيِّ أُمُّ اللُّهَيْمِ أُخْتُ النَّآدِ

So it cast him onto the throne

Of Bilqis, sister of the abandoned ruins

كَيْفَ أَصْبَحْتَ فِي مَحَلِّكَ بَعْدِي

يَا جَدِيرًا مِنِّي بِحُسْنِ افْتِقَادِ

My dear, how are you since I left?

Worthy of my care and visit

قَدْ أَقَرَّ الطَّبِيبُ عَنْكَ بِعَجْزٍ

وَتَقَضَّى تَرَدُّدُ الْعُوَّادِ

The doctor has given up on you, confessing

His helplessness, and the visitors have ceased

وَانْتَهَى الْيَأْسُ مِنْكَ وَاسْتَشْعَرَ الْوَجْـ

ـدُ بِأَنْ لَا مَعَادَ حَتَّى الْمَعَادِ

Despair at recovery has ended, and wakefulness

Feels your return impossible, even in the thereafter

هَجَدَ السَّاهِرُونَ حَوْلَكَ لِلتَّمْـ

ـرِيضِ وَيْحٌ لِأَعْيُنِ الْهُجَّادِ

The watchers around you lament your illness—

Woe to the eyes of mourners deprived of sleep!

أَنْتَ مِنْ أُسْرَةٍ مَضَوْا غَيْرَ مَغْرُو

رِينَ مِنْ عِيشَةٍ بِذَاتِ ضِمَادِ

You come from a family who passed away

Without suffering, with no need of a bandage

لَا يُغَيِّرْكُمُ الصَّعِيدُ وَكُونُوا

فِيهِ مِثْلَ السُّيُوفِ فِي الْأَغْمَادِ

The pit cannot change you; remain

In it like swords in their sheaths

فَعَزِيزٌ عَلَيَّ خَلْطُ اللَّيَالِي

رِمَّ أَقْدَامِكُمْ بِرِمِّ الْهَوَادِي

It pains me to mix my nights' soil

With soil where your feet tread

كُنْتَ خِلَّ الصِّبَا فَلَمَّا أَرَادَ الْـ

ـبَيْنُ وَافَقْتَ رَأْيَهُ فِي الْمُرَادِ

Green of youth, when the Separation willed,

You agreed with it in intention

وَرَأَيْتَ الْوَفَاءَ لِلصَّاحِبِ الْأَوَّ

لِ مِنْ شِيمَةِ الْكَرِيمِ الْجَوَادِ

Loyal friendship you saw as the mark

Of a generous, open-handed noble soul

وَخَلَعْتَ الشَّبَابَ غَضًّا فَيَا لَيْـ

ـتَكَ أَبْلَيْتَهُ مَعَ الْأَنْدَادِ

You cast off youth while still green—

Would you had wasted it with peers!

فَاذْهَبَا خَيْرَ ذَاهِبَيْنِ حَقِيقَيْـ

ـنِ بِسُقْيَا رَوَائِحٍ وَغَوَادِ

Go—the best two could go, truthful

With provisions of flowers and perfumes

وَمَرَاثٍ لَوْ أَنَّهُنَّ دُمُوعٌ

لَمَحَوْنَ السُّطُورَ فِي الْإِنْشَادِ

And female mourners—if only they were tears

To blot out the lines of this elegy

زُحَلٌ أَشْرَفُ الْكَوَاكِبِ دَارًا

مِنْ لِقَاءِ الرَّدَى عَلَى مِيعَادِ

Saturn, noblest planet, is too high

To encounter decay, as destined

وَلِنَارِ الْمِرِّيخِ مِنْ حَدَثَانِ الدَّ

هْرِ مُطْفٍ وَإِنْ عَلَتْ فِي اتِّقَادِ

And Mars is too fiery from the days

Of Fate, though raging in inflammation

وَالثُّرَيَّا رَهِينَةٌ بِافْتِرَاقِ الشَّـ

ـمْلِ حَتَّى تُعَدَّ فِي الْأَفْرَادِ

And Mercury a hostage to the parting

Of the sun, until counted alone

فَلْيَكُنْ لِلْمُحَسِّنِ الْأَجَلُ الْمَمْـ

ـدُودُ رَغْمًا لِآنُفِ الْحُسَّادِ

So let the noble man have the limited

Full span, despite the envious

وَلْيَطِبْ عَنْ أَخِيهِ نَفْسًا وَأَبْنَا

ءُ أَخِيهِ جَرَائِحَ الْأَكْبَادِ

Let one soul be pleased with his brother,

And his brother's children, woundings of the hearts

وَإِذَا الْبَحْرُ غَاضَ عَنِّي وَلَمْ أَرْ

وَ فَلَا رِيَّ بِادِّخَارِ الثِّمَادِ

When the sea withdraws from me and I see no foaming

Why the indignity of hoarding riches?

كُلُّ بَيْتٍ لِلْهَدْمِ مَا تَبْتَنِي الْوَرْ

قَاءُ وَالسَّيِّدُ الرَّفِيعُ الْعِمَادِ

Every house is for ruin; no mud walls

Endure, even great lords fall

وَالْفَتَى ظَاعِنٌ وَيَكْفِيهِ ظِلُّ السِّـ

ـدْرِ ضَرْبَ الْأَطْنَابِ وَالْأَوْتَادِ

The stalwart youth, the shade of the trunk enough,

Tent pegs and ropes to beat

بَانَ أَمْرُ الْإِلَهِ وَاخْتَلَفَ النَّا

سُ فَدَاعٍ إِلَى ضَلَالٍ وَهَادِ

God's command appeared and people differed,

Some misguided, some guided

وَالَّذِي حَارَتِ الْبَرِيَّةُ فِيهِ

حَيَوانٌ مُسْتَحْدَثٌ مِنْ جَمَادِ

He who perplexed the innocent, an invented

Creature from inanimate substance

وَاللَّبِيبُ اللَّبِيبُ مَنْ لَيْسَ يَغْتَرُّ

بِكَوْنٍ مَصِيرُهُ لِلْفَسَادِ

The wise, the truly wise, is one who knows

He will end in ruin