نَثَروا عَلَيكَ نَوادِيَ الأَزهارِ
وَأَتَيتُ أَنثُرُ بَينَهُم أَشعاري
They scattered the gardens' flowers upon you,
And I came to scatter my poems amongst them.
زَينَ الشَبابِ وَزَينَ طُلّابِ العُلا
هَل أَنتَ بِالمُهَجِ الحَزينَةِ داري
The adornment of youth and the adornment of students,
Are you in the sad tomb my home?
غادَرتَنا وَالحادِثاتُ بِمَرصَدٍ
وَالعَيشُ عَيشُ مَذَلَّةٍ وَإِسارِ
You left us while events were in watch
And life became a life of humiliation and captivity.
ما كانَ أَحوَجَنا إِلَيكَ إِذا عَدا
عادٍ وَصاحَ الصائِحونَ بَدارِ
How much we needed you when an enemy transgressed
And the criers cried out for the home.
أَينَ الخَطيبُ وَأَينَ خَلّابُ النُهى
طالَ اِنتِظارُ السَمعِ وَالأَبصارِ
Where is the orator and where is the discipliner of prohibitions?
The hearing and sights have long awaited.
بِاللَهِ ما لَكَ لا تُجيبُ مُنادِياً
ماذا أَصابَكَ يا أَبا المِغوارِ
By God, why do you not answer a caller?
What has befallen you, O father of delusions?
قُم وَاِمحُ ما خَطَّت يَمينُ كُرومَرٍ
جَهلاً بِدينِ الواحِدِ القَهّارِ
Arise and erase what Cromer's right hand inscribed
In ignorance of the religion of the One Subduer.
قَد كُنتَ تَغضَبُ لِلكِنانَةِ كُلَّما
هَمَّت وَهَمَّ رَجاؤُها بِعِثارِ
You used to be angered by sluggishness whenever
It intended and plotted to cause stumbling.
غَضَبَ التَقِيِّ لِرَبِّهِ وَكِتابِهِ
أَو غَضبَةَ الفاروقِ لِلمُختارِ
The anger of the pious towards his Lord and His Book
Or the Farouq's anger towards the Chosen one.
قَد ضاقَ جِسمُكَ عَن مَداكَ فَلَم يُطِق
صَبراً عَلَيكَ وَأَنتَ شُعلَةُ نارِ
Your body was too narrow for your extension, so it could not
Have patience upon you while you were a flame of fire.
أَودى بِهِ ذاكَ الجِهادُ وَهَدَّهُ
عَزمٌ يَهُدُّ جَلائِلَ الأَخطارِ
That jihad took its toll on him and directed him
A resolve that directs the formidable perils.
لَعِبَت يَمينُكَ بِاليَراعِ فَأَعجَزَت
لَعِبَ الفَوارِسِ بِالقَنا الخَطّارِ
Your right hand played with the spear and overpowered
The play of horsemen with the dangerous spear.
وَجَرَيتَ لِلعَلياءِ تَبغي شَأوَها
فَجَرى القَضاءُ وَأَنتَ في المِضمارِ
You hastened towards the most high, seeking its prominence,
And fate ran its course while you were in the race.
أَوَ كُلَّما هَزَّ الرَجاءُ مُهَنَّداً
بَدَرَت إِلَيهِ غَوائِلُ الأَقدارِ
Or whenever hope swayed dejectedly,
The contingencies of fates rushed to it.
عَزَّ القَرارُ عَلَيَّ لَيلَةَ نَعيِهِ
وَشَهِدتُ مَوكِبَهُ فَقَرَّ قَراري
Resolve was difficult for me the night of his death notice
And I witnessed his procession so my resolve weakened.
وَتَسابَقَت فيهِ النُعاةُ فَطائِرٌ
بِالكَهرَباءِ وَطائِرٌ بِبُخارِ
The eulogizers raced in it, one by electricity
And one by steam.
شاهَدتُ يَومَ الحَشرِ يَومَ وَفاتِهِ
وَعَلِمتُ مِنهُ مَراتِبَ الأَقدارِ
I witnessed on the Day of Gathering, the day of his death,
And realized from it the stations of destinies.
وَرَأَيتُ كَيفَ تَفي الشُعوبُ رِجالَها
حَقَّ الوَلاءِ وَواجِبَ الإِكبارِ
And I saw how nations bid farewell to its men
The right of loyalty and the duty of reverence.
تِسعونَ أَلفاً حَولَ نَعشِكَ خُشَّعُ
يَمشونَ تَحتَ لِوائِكَ السَيّارِ
Ninety thousand around your coffin humbly
Walking under your swaying banner.
خَطّوا بِأَدمُعِهِم عَلى وَجهِ الثَرى
لِلحُزنِ أَسطاراً عَلى أَسطارِ
They traced with their tears upon the face of the earth
Lines of sorrow upon lines.
آناً يُوالونَ الضَجيجَ كَأَنَّهُم
رَكبُ الحَجيجِ بِكَعبَةِ الزُوّارِ
Sometimes they burst out wailing as if they were
The pilgrim caravan at the Kaaba of pilgrims.
وَتَخالُهُم آناً لِفَرطِ خُشوعِهِم
عِندَ المُصَلّى يُنصِتونَ لِقاري
And sometimes their humility made them seem
As if at the prayer niche listening to my recitation.
غَلَبَ الخُشوعُ عَلَيهِمُ فَدُموعُهُم
تَجري بِلا كَلَحٍ وَلا اِستِنثارِ
Humility overcame them so their tears
Flowed without restraint or wiping.
قَد كُنتَ تَحتَ دُموعِهِم وَزَفيرِهِم
ما بَينَ سَيلٍ دافِقٍ وَشَرارِ
You were under their tears and sighs
Between a gushing torrent and sparks.
أَسعى فَيَأخُذُني اللَهيبُ فَأَنثَني
فَيَصُدُّني مُتَدَفِّقُ التَيّارِ
I hasten so the blaze seizes me and bends me
So the overflowing current repels me.
لَو لَم أَلُذ بِالنَعشِ أَو بِظِلالِهِ
لَقَضَيتُ بَينَ مَراجِلٍ وَبِحارِ
Had I not clung to the casket or its shades
I would have perished between hot ashes and seas.
كَم ذاتِ خِدرٍ يَومَ طافَ بِكَ الرَدى
هَتَكَت عَلَيكَ حَرائِرَ الأَستارِ
How many chaste women on the day destiny turned you over
Tore off their veils upon you.
سَفَرَت تُوَدِّعُ أُمَّةً مَحمولَةً
في النَعشِ لا خَبَراً مِنَ الأَخبارِ
You traveled to bid farewell to a carried nation
In the coffin, unaware of news.
أَمِنَت عُيونَ الناظِرينَ فَمَزَّقَت
وَجهَ الخِمارِ فَلَم تَلُذ بِخِمارِ
The onlookers' eyes were reassured so they tore
The face of the veil but did not enjoy the veil.
قَد قامَ ما بَينَ العُيونِ وَبَينَها
سِترٌ مِنَ الأَحزانِ وَالأَكدارِ
A barrier of sorrows and gloom stood between the eyes and it.
You were wrapped in the flag you purified
أُدرِجتَ في العَلَمِ الَّذي أَصفَيتَهُ
مِنكَ الوِدادَ فَكانَ خَيرَ شِعارِ
Of love for you, so it was the best emblem.
Two flags above the heads, both
عَلَمانِ مِن فَوقِ الرُؤوسِ كِلاهُما
في طَيِّهِ سِرٌّ مِنَ الأَسرارِ
Containing in its folds a secret of secrets.
The caller of separation summoned them so they came
ناداهُما داعي الفِراقِ فَأَمسَيا
يَتَعانَقانِ عَلى شَفيرٍ هاري
Embracing at a burning edge.
By God, neither did the lover panic nor cry
تَاللَهِ ما جَزِعَ المُحِبُّ وَلا بَكى
لِنَوىً مُرَوِّعَةٍ وَبُعدِ مَزارِ
For a frightening intention and distant burial place.
The crescent moon panicked over you the day you left it
جَزَعَ الهِلالِ عَلَيكَ يَومَ تَرَكتَهُ
ما بَينَ حَرِّ أَسىً وَحَرِّ أُوارِ
Between the heat of sorrow and the heat of becoming faint.
Looking around, confused, making a choice
مُتَلَفِّتاً مُتَحَيِّراً مُتَخَيِّراً
رَجُلاً يُناضِلُ عَنهُ يَومَ فَخارِ
Of a man who contends on its behalf on the day of pride.
Surely the thirty years you prided with
إِنَّ الثَلاثينَ الَّتي بِكَ فاخَرَت
باتَت تُقاسُ بِأَطوَلِ الأَعمارِ
Have become measured by the longest lifespans.
It added to history some white pages
ضَمَّت إِلى التاريخِ بِضعَ صَحائِفٍ
بَيضاءَ مِثلَ صَحائِفِ الأَبرارِ
Like the pages of the righteous.
I likened them to a fragrant spot
شَبَّهتُهُنَّ بِنُقطَةٍ عِطرِيَّةٍ
وَسِعَت مُحَصَّلَ رَوضَةٍ مِعطارِ
That contained the harvest of a perfumed garden.
You left them like an exemplar emulated in its footsteps
خَلَّفتَها كَالمَشقِ يَحذو حَذوَها
راجى الوُصولِ وَمُقتَفي الآثارِ
A hopeful of reaching and a pursuer of traces.
What about the sublime if they are landmarks
ماذا عَلى الساري وَهُنَّ مَناثِرٌ
لَو سارَ بَينَ مَجاهِلٍ وَقِفارِ
If it traveled between ignorant lands and deserts?
You continued to choose tough positions
ما زِلتَ تَختارُ المَواقِفَ وَعرَةً
حَتّى وَقَفتَ لِذَلِكَ الجَبّارِ
Until you stood up to that Compeller.
And you demolished a wall excellently built
وَهَدَمتَ سوراً قَد أَجادَ بِناءَهُ
فِرعَونُ ذو الأَوتادِ وَالأَنهارِ
By Pharaoh of the stakes and rivers.
And you connected between our complaints and sheikhs
وَوَصَلتَ بَينَ شَكاتِنا وَمَشايِخٍ
في البَرلَمانِ أَعِزَّةٍ أَخيارِ
Honorable and virtuous elders in Parliament.
They uncovered the veil from the eyes so they saw
كَشَفوا الغِطاءَ عَنِ العُيونِ فَأَبصَروا
ما في الكِنانَةِ مِن أَذىً وَضِرارِ
The harm and evils in sluggishness.
They rejected the prattling talk when they realized
نَبَذوا كَلامَ اللُردِ حينَ تَبَيَّنوا
حَنَقَ المَغيظِ وَلَهجَةَ الثَرثارِ
The wrath of anger and the dialect of the garrulous.
And they threw them with two volumes, threw them
وَرَماهُمُ بِمُجَلَّدَينِ رَمَوهُما
في رُتبَةِ الأَصفارِ لا الأَسفارِ
In the rank of zeros, not travelogue.
Woe to those positions! They were
واهاً عَلى تِلكَ المَواقِفِ إِنَّها
كانَت مَواقِفَ لَيثِ غابٍ ضاري
Positions of an absent raging lion.
Neither threats nor the speech of the wary deterred him
لَم يَلوِهِ عَنها الوَعيدُ وَلا ثَنى
مِن عَزمِهِ قَولُ المُريبِ حَذارِ
From his resolute saying of caution.
So congratulations on your new residence and sleep in it
فَاِهنَأ بِمَنزِلِكَ الجَديدِ وَنَم بِهِ
في غِبطَةٍ وَاِنعَم بِخَيرِ جِوارِ
In bliss and enjoy the best neighborliness.
And welcome the great reward, the reward for what
وَاِستَقبِلِ الأَجرَ الكَبيرَ جَزاءَ ما
ضَحَّيتَ لِلأَوطانِ مِن أَوطارِ
You sacrificed for homelands of periods.
Excellent is the reward and excellent is what you have attained
نِعمَ الجَزاءُ وَنِعمَ ما بُلِّغتَهُ
في مَنزِلَيكَ وَنِعمَ عُقبى الدارِ
In your two dwellings, and excellent is the outcome of the house.
