لَعِبَ البِلى بِمُلاعِبِ الأَلبابِ
وَمَحا بَشاشَةَ فَمِّكَ الخَلّابِ
The calamities played with the minds of the sagacious,
And erased the smile from your delicate mouth,
وَطَوى الرَدى عَمرَو الكِنانَةِ غافِلاً
وَرَمى شِهابَ دَهائِهِ بِشِهابِ
And folded the path of Amro Al-Kinana unknowingly,
And threw its tricks like a shooting star.
مَن كانَ يَدري يَومَ سافَرَ أَنَّهُ
سَفَرٌ مِنَ الدُنيا بِغَيرِ إِيابِ
Who knew the day he traveled, it was
A journey from this life with no return?
حَزِنَت عَلَيهِ عُقولُنا وَقُلوبُنا
وَبَكَت وَحُزنُ العَقلِ شَرُّ مُصابِ
Our minds and hearts grieved for him,
And the grief of the mind is the worst affliction.
القَلبُ يُنسيهِ الغِيابُ أَليفَهُ
وَالعَقلُ لا يُنسيهِ طولُ غِيابِ
The heart forgets its beloved with absence,
While the mind cannot forget with prolonged absence.
بِالأَمسِ ماتَ أَجَلُّنا وَأَعَزُّنا
جاهاً وَأَبقانا عَلى الأَحقابِ
Yesterday, the dearest and most precious to us died,
With glory, leaving us to reckon time.
وَاليَومَ قَد غالَ الحِمامُ أَسَدَّنا
رَأياً فَطاحَ بِحِكمَةٍ وَصَوابِ
Today, enemies have overwhelmed our lion,
In opinion, so wisdom and correctness have fallen.
رَأسٌ يُدَبِّرُ في الخَفاءِ كَأَنَّهُ
قَدَرٌ يُدَبِّرُ مِن وَراءِ حِجابِ
A head that plans in secret as if
It is fate planning behind a veil.
حَتّى إِذا أَرضى النُهى وَتَناسَقَت
آياتُهُ راعَ الوَرى بِعُجابِ
Until desires are fulfilled and its signs aligned,
People are stunned with wonder.
يَمشي عَلى سَنَنِ الحِجا مُتَمَهِّلاً
بَينَ العُداةِ الكُثرِ وَالأَحبابِ
He walks the path of sagacity calmly
Amongst many enemies and loved ones.
تَتَناثَرُ الأَقوالُ عَن جَنَباتِهِ
مِن شانِئٍ وَمُناصِرٍ وَمُحابي
Words scatter about him,
From slanderers, supporters, and admirers.
لا المَدحُ يُغريهِ وَلا يُلوي بِهِ
عَن نَجدِهِ المَرسومِ وَقعُ سِبابِ
Praise does not tempt him, nor insult steer him
From his prescribed path, though abuse rains.
حُلوُ التَواضُعِ لَم يُخالِط نَفسَهُ
زَهوُ المُدِلِّ يُحاطُ بِالإِعجابِ
The sweetness of modesty did not mix with his soul,
Nor the arrogance of narcissism that is shrouded in self-admiration.
حُلوُ الأَناةِ إِذا يَسوسُ وَعِندَهُ
أَنَّ التَعَجُّلَ آفَةُ الأَقطابِ
The sweetness of deliberation, when it whispers to him
That haste is the bane of the great.
حُلوُ السُكوتِ كَكَوكَبٍ مُتَأَلِّقٍ
وَاللَيلُ ساجٍ أَسوَدُ الجِلبابِ
The sweetness of silence like a twinkling star,
While the night is draped in black attire.
يَهدي السَبيلَ لِسالِكيهِ وَلَم يُرِد
شُكراً وَلَم يَعمَل لِنَيلِ ثَوابِ
It guides the way for its travelers without wanting
Thanks or working for reward.
مُتَمَكِّنٌ مِن نَفسِهِ لَم يَعرُهُ
قَلَقُ الضَعيفِ وَحَيرَةُ المُرتابِ
Firm in himself, not shaken by
The anxiety of the weak and confusion of the doubtful.
يَزِنُ الأُمورَ كَأَنَّما هُوَ صَيرَفٌ
يَزِنُ النُضارَ بِدِقَّةٍ وَحِسابِ
He weighs matters as if he is an assayer
Who weighs gold precisely and with calculation.
وَيَحُلُّ غامِضَها بِثاقِبِ ذِهنِهِ
حَلَّ الطَبيبِ عَناصِرَ الأَعشابِ
And solves their ambiguity with his piercing mind
As a doctor analyzing the elements of herbs.
وَيَقيسُ شُقَّتَها بِمِقياسِ النُهى
فَتَرى صَحيحَ قِياسِ الاِصطِرلابِ
And measures their difficulty with the scale of law
Where you see the precision of the balance.
مُتَبَسِّمٌ وَعَلى مَعارِفِ وَجهِهِ
آياتُ ما يَلقى مِنَ الأَوصابِ
Smiling while the signs of what he encounters
Of adversities are visible on his cheeks.
شِيَمٌ تَرُدُّ الناقِمينَ لِوُدِّهِ
وَشَمائِلٌ تَستَلُّ حِقدَ النابي
Morals that turn back those resentful of his affection,
And qualities that attract the hatred of critics.
يُرضي المُرَتِّلَ في الكَنيسَةِ صُنعُهُ
كَيساً وَيُرضي ساكِنَ المِحرابِ
His work satisfies the church-goer,
As well as the mosque dweller.
يَرتاحُ لِلمَعروفِ لا مُتَرَبِّحاً
فيهِ وَلا هُوَ في الجَميلِ مُرابي
He feels comfortable doing good, not gloating in it,
And he does not deny goodness from others.
يُروي الصَديقَ مِنَ الوَفاءِ وَلَم يَكُن
بِالحاسِدِ النُعمى وَلا المُغتابِ
He quenches his friend with loyalty, yet he is not
Stingy with blessings or resentful.
لَم يَبدُ فينا جازِعاً أَو غاضِباً
لاهُمَّ إِلّا غَضبَةَ النُوّابِ
He never appeared shaken or angry amongst us
Except for the anger of The Guardian.
وَبُكاؤُهُ في يَومِ سَعدٍ زادَني
عِلماً بِأَنَّ اليَومَ يَومُ تَباتِ
And his crying on a joyous day informed me
That this day would switch to one of trials.
قامَت صِعابٌ في مَسالِكِ سَعيِهِ
مِن بَعدِ سَعدٍ دُعِّمَت بِصِعابِ
Obstacles stood in the way of his endeavor
After joy, laden with difficulties.
فَظَهيرُهُ عِندَ النِضالِ وَرُكنُهُ
أَمسى حَديثَ جَنادِلٍ وَتُرابِ
So his supporter in struggle and his pillar
Became the talk of schemers and dust.
لِلَّهِ سِرٌّ في بِنايَةِ ثَروَتٍ
سُبحانَ باني هَذِهِ الأَعصابِ
God has a secret in building wealth -
Glory to the Builder of these nerves.
إِنّي سَأَلتُ العارِفينَ فَلَم أَفُز
مِنهُم عَلى عِرفانِهِم بِجَوابِ
I asked the enlightened but did not succeed
In winning from their knowledge an answer.
هُوَ مُستَقيمٌ مُلتَوٍ هُوَ لَيِّنٌ
صُلبٌ هُوَ الواعي هُوَ المُتَغابي
He is straightforward, smooth, gentle,
Hard, aware, and esoteric.
هُوَ حُوَّلٌ هُوَ قُلَّبٌ هُوَ واضِحٌ
هُوَ غامِضٌ هُوَ قاطِعٌ هُوَ نابي
He transforms, fluctuates, is clear,
Obscure, decisive, and fleeting.
هُوَ ذَلِكَ الطِلَّسمُ مَن أَعيا الحِجا
حَلّاً وَماتَ وَلَم يَفُز بِطِلابِ
He is that talisman, frustrating the curious
Who died without attaining what they sought.
هُوَ ما تَراهُ مُفاوِضاً كَيفَ اِنبَرى
لِكَبيرِهِم بِذَكائِهِ الوَثّابِ
He is what you see negotiating, how he took over
Their elder with his constant vigilance.
لَم يَأتِ مِن بابِ لِصَيدِ دَهائِهِ
إِلّا نَجا بِدَهائِهِ مِن بابِ
He did not enter any door to catch them with his tricks
Except he left safely with his tricks from the door.
وَيَظَلُّ يَرقُبُهُ وَيَغزو كِبرَهُ
بِلُيونَةٍ وَلَباقَةٍ وَخِلابِ
And he continues to watch him and invade his arrogance
With smoothness, etiquette, and charm.
وَيَروضُهُ حَتّى يَرى أُسطولَهُ
خَشَباً تَناثَرَ فَوقَ ظَهرِ عُبابِ
And he tames him until he sees his armada
As wood scattered over the surface of the waves.
وَيَرى صُنوفاً مِن ذَكاءٍ صُفِّفَت
دونَ الحِمى تُعيي أُسودَ الغابِ
And sees formations of intelligence lined up
Below the guard, tiring the fierce lions.
وَأَتى بِأَقصى ما يَنالُ مُفاوِضٌ
يَسعى بِغَيرِ كَتائِبٍ وَحِرابِ
And he accomplished the most a negotiator can attain
Who works without battalions or wars.
وَاِستَلَّ مِن أَشداقِ آسادِ الشَرى
عَلَماً عَضَضنَ عَلَيهِ بِالأَنيابِ
And he drew from the jaws of the lions of evil
A banner they had pierced ferociously with their fangs.
خَلَقاً خَبا ضَوءُ الهِلالِ لِطَيِّهِ
جَمَّ التَوَجُّعِ دامِيَ الأَهدابِ
A people who darkened the crescent’s light for its fold,
Gathering gloom, teary-eyed with grief.
فَاِخضَرَّ فَوقَ رُبوعِ مِصرٍ عودُهُ
في مَنبِتٍ خِصبٍ وَرَحبِ جَنابِ
So his pole flourished over Egypt’s plains
In fertile, wide open ground.
إِن فاتَهُ بَعضُ الأَماني فَاِذكُروا
أَنّا أَمامَ مُحَنَّكينَ صِلابِ
If he missed some wishes, remember
We face two stubborn tyrants.
قَد جازَ تَيهاءَ الأُمورِ وَلَم يَكُن
في وَعرِها وَكُؤودِها بِالكابي
He crossed the meandering of affairs without
Faltering amidst its ruggedness and arduousness.
رَجُلٌ يُفاوِضُ وَحدَهُ عَن أُمَّةٍ
إِن لَم يَفُز فَوزاً فَلَيسَ بِعابِ
A man negotiating alone on behalf of a nation -
If he does not succeed, he bears no blame.
رَفَعَ الحِمايَةَ بَعدَما بُسِطَت عَلى
أَبناءِ مِصرَ وَأُيِّدَت بِكِتابِ
He lifted protection after it had stretched over
The people of Egypt, backed by treaty.
وَأَتى لِمِصرَ وَأَهلِها بِسِيادَةٍ
مَرفوعَةِ الأَعلامِ وَالأَطنابِ
And he brought Egypt and its people full sovereignty,
With raised flags and banners.
غَفراً فَلَستُ بِبالِغٍ فيكَ المَدى
إِنّي غَذَذتُ إِلى مَداكَ رِكابي
Forgive me, for I cannot fully articulate
The extent of your virtues, though I have hastened to your loafty goals.
كَم مَوقِفٍ لَكَ في الجِهادِ مُسَجَّلٍ
بِشَهادَةِ الأَعداءِ وَالأَصحابِ
How many of your stances in struggle are recorded
By the testimony of friends and foes?
في خَطبِ مِصرَ لِبُطرُسٍ أَخمَدتَها
مَشبوبَةً كانَت عَلى الأَبوابِ
In the speeches of Peters against Egypt you extinguished them
Though they raged at the gates.
أَلَّفتَ بَينَ العُنصُرَينِ فَأَصبَحا
رَتقاً وَكُنتَ مُوَفِّقَ الأَسبابِ
You united the two elements so they became
In harmony, and you reconciled the means.
خالَفتُ فيكَ الجازِعينِ فَلَم أَنُح
حُزناً عَلَيكَ وَأَنتَ مِن أَترابي
I disagreed with the pessimists, so I did not grieve
For you while you are amongst my loved ones.
النَوحُ في الجُلّى اِجتِهادُ مُقَصِّرٍ
أَلفى دُعاءَ الصَبرِ غَيرَ مُجابِ
Crying bitterly is the failing of one remiss,
Who did not find the prayer for patience fruitful.
فَأَنا الَّذي يَبكي بِشِعرٍ خالِدٍ
يَبقى عَلى الأَجيالِ لِلأَعقابِ
So I am the one who cries in immortal verse
That remains for generations to come.
قَد كُنتَ تُحسِنُ بي وَتَرقُبُ جَولَتي
في حَلبَةِ الشُعَراءِ وَالكُتّابِ
You used to treat me well and await my rounds
In the orbit of poets and writers.
وَتَهَشُّ إِن لاقَيتَني وَتَخُصُّني
بِالبِشرِ في ناديكَ وَالتِرحابِ
You would beam if you met me and single me out
With greetings of welcome and amiability in your club.
فَاِذهَب كَما ذَهَبَ الرَبيعُ بِنَورِهِ
تَأسى الرِياضُ عَلَيهِ غِبَّ ذَهابِ
So go, as spring went with its light -
The meadows mourn its departure.
