هَل إِلى سَلوةٍ وَصَبرٍ سَبيلُ
كَيفَ وَالرزءُ ما عَلِمتَ جَليلُ
Is there a way to solace and patience?
How, when adversity you have not known before?
فَجعتني الأَيّامُ لَمّا أَلَمّت
بِصَديقٍ وَجدي عَلَيهِ طَويلُ
Days have saddened me with the pain
They inflicted, for a dear friend I pine,
بِأَبي القاسمِ الَّذي أَقسَمَ المَج
دُ يَميناً أَن لَيسَ مِنهُ بَديلُ
My father al-Qasim, who swore
An oath that he has no equal or peer.
حسنُ خَلقٍ وَمَخبرٍ ورُواءٍ
قَد عَلَته قَسامَةٌ وَقَبُولُ
Of good nature, an adviser and confidante,
Nobility and acceptance were his hallmarks.
كانَ مَغنى الوَفاء وَالبِرّ إِن حا
لَ زَمانٌ فَوُدُّه ما يَحُولُ
He was the haven of loyalty and righteousness; if
An era changes, his love will not waver.
كانَ زَينَ النَدى في العِلمِ وال
آدابِ تَرعى رِياضَهُنَّ العُقولُ
He was the adornment of dew in knowledge and
Etiquette, pastures grazed by minds.
كانَ بَدرَ النُهى فَحانَ أفُولُ
كانَ شَمسَ الحجى فَحانَ أَصيلُ
He was the full moon of guidance, but has set,
He was the sun of truth, but dusk has come.
كانَ كَهفي عَلى الحَوادِث ما عا
شَ عَلَيها بِرَأيِهِ أَستَطيلُ
He was my cave against calamities, in his
Judgement did I seek refuge and protection.
لَهفَ نَفسي عَلى شَمائِلِ حُرٍّ
سُحِبَت لِلشَمالِ فيها ذُيولُ
My soul yearns for the virtues of a free man,
Snatched to the north, trailing his garments.
كَيفَ أَسلُو عَن صاحِبٍ لَيسَ مِنهُ
خَلفٌ يَشتَفي بِهِ لي غَليلُ
How can I find solace for a companion who has
No successor, to give me comfort in his absence?
لَيسَ هَيهاتَ لي إِلَيهِ سَبيل
إِنَّ دَهري بِمثلِهِ لَبَخيلُ
Alas! There is no way for me to reach him,
My fate regarding his like is miserly.
زانَهُ العَقلُ وَالحَصافَةُ وَالرَأ
يُ وَحُسنُ البَيانِ وَالتَحصيلُ
He was graced with reason, wisdom, opinion,
Eloquence and attainment of knowledge.
وَعَفافٌ يُثنيهِ عَن مَوقِفِ الشَك
كِ إِذا أَطلَقَ العِنانَ الجَهولُ
And chastity that restrained him from the precipice
Of suspicion, when the ignorant is unrestrained.
مسعدٌ في الرَخاءِ سَمحٌ شَفيقٌ
وَلَهُ في النائِباتِ برّ وصولُ
Prosperous, generous, kind during ease,
And righteous, loyal in adversities.
صادِقُ الوُدِّ ثابِتٌ لا كَخلٍّ
هُوَ مُستَكرِهُ الإِخاءِ مَلولُ
A true friend, constant, not fickle,
Not one who dislikes companionship and is aloof.
خُلُقٌ كَالزلال زَلَّ عَنِ الصَخ
رِ وَنَفسٌ لِلعَيبِ عَنها زَليلُ
A nature like limpid water, free of
Turbidity, a soul above blemishes and fault.
وَاِجتِنابٌ لِما يُعابُ مِنَ الأَم
رِ وَعَرضٌ مِنَ الدَناءِ صَقيلُ
And avoiding what is blameworthy,
With honor untouched by baseness.
حافِظٌ لِلكِتابِ يَعنيهِ مِنهُ
رافِداه التَنزيلُ وَالتَأويلُ
Upholding the Book, drawing lessons
From its revelation and interpretation.
قائِمٌ في الدُجى حَليفُ صَلاةٍ
مِن سَنا وَجهِهِ عَلَيها دَليلُ
Persevering in the darkness, guided by
Prayer, its light shines from his face.
مَن يَكُن بَعدَهُ العَزاءُ جَميلاً
فَاِجتِنابُ العَزاءِ مِنهُ جَميلُ
Who will make consolation beautiful after him?
Thus, to avoid it from him is beautiful.
ما عَلاهُ الصَفيحُ في اللَحدِ حَتّى
غالَني بَعدَهُ البكا وَالعَويلُ
The coffin did not deter him in the grave,
After him did weeping and wailing overwhelm me.
أَيّ مَرأى وَمَنظَرٍ لا يَهولُ
مِن خَليلٍ عَلَيهِ تربٌ مَهيلُ
What sights and views are not frightening,
Of a dear friend over whom dusty soil settles?
لَيسَ ما سالَ مِن جُفونِيَ دَمعاً
هِيَ نَفسي تَذوبُ ثُمَّ تَسيلُ
What flows from my eyes are not tears,
Rather, my soul melting and pouring forth.
فَعَلَيهِ سَلامُ ذي العَرشِ يُهدي
هِ إِلى حَشوِ قَبرِهِ جِبريلُ
Upon him be the peace of the Lord of the Throne,
Guiding him to the fullness of his grave be Gabriel.
وَأَتاهُ مِن رَحمَةِ اللَهِ كَفلٌ
هُوَ بِالخُلدِ في الجِنانِ كَفيلُ
And may he attain God's mercy in abundance,
To be secured in eternity a guarantor.
سُقيت بِالذُنوبِ مِنها عِظامٌ
ما لِعُظمِ الذُنوبِ فيها مَقيلُ
I was watered with sins, among them bones
For the immensity of sins have no recluse.
وَإِذا جادَتِ الغَوادي بِوَبلٍ
فَسَقاهُ مِنها سَحابٌ مَخيلُ
And when valleys pour down torrents,
A rain cloud will quench his thirst.
كَيفَ يَنساكَ مَن تَرَكتَ عَلَيهِ
حَسرَةً لا تني وَوَجداً يَطولُ
How can one who left behind
Yearning that does not subside and ceaseless pain forget you?
