دَمعَةٌ مِن دُموعِ عَهدِ الشَبابِ
كُنتُ خَبَّأتُها لِيَومِ المُصابِ
A tear from the tears of youth's era
I had hidden it for the day of affliction
لَبَّتِ اليَومَ يا مُحَمَّدُ لَمّا
راعَني نَعيُ أَكتَبِ الكُتّابِ
It came today, O Muhammad, when
The obituary of the most eloquent writers pained me
هَدَّأَت لَوعَتي وَسَرَّت قَليلاً
عَن فُؤادي وَلَطَّفَت بَعضَ ما بي
It calmed my agony and gladdened me a little
About my heart and softened some of my pain
مَوكِبُ الدَفنِ خَلفَ نَعشِكَ يَمشي
في اِحتِسابٍ وَحَسرَةٍ وَاِنتِحابِ
The funeral procession walks behind your coffin
In resignation, sorrow, and lamentation
لَم يُجاوِز مَنازِلَ البَدرِ عَدّاً
مِن بَقايا الصَديقِ وَالأَحبابِ
None passed by the dwellings of Badr except
A few of the loyal friends and loved ones
لَم يَسِر فيهِ مَن يُحاوِلُ أَجراً
عِندَ حَيٍّ مُؤَمَّلٍ أَو يُحابي
None walked in it attempting to gain
Favor with the living or to ingratiate
مَوكِبٌ ماجَ جانِباهُ بِحَفلٍ
مِن وُفودِ الأَخلاقِ وَالأَحسابِ
A procession overflowing on its sides with
Crowds of ethics and reputations
شاعَ فيهِ الوَفاءُ وَالحُزنُ حَتّى
ضاقَ عَن حَشدِهِ فَسيحُ الرِحابِ
Loyalty and grief spread in it until
Its throngs overwhelmed the vast plains
فَكَأَنَّ السَماءَ وَالأَرضَ تَمشي
فيهِ مِن هَيبَةٍ وَعِزِّ جَنابِ
As if the sky and earth walked in it
With awe and the glory of His throne
تَتَمَنّى قَياصِرُ الأَرضِ لَو فا
زَت لَدى مَوتِها بِهَذا الرِكابِ
The emperors of earth wish they had gained
This followings upon their deaths
رُبَّ نَعشٍ قَد شَيَّعَتهُ أُلوفٌ
مِن سَوادٍ تَعلوهُ سودُ الثِيابِ
Many a coffin has been escorted by thousands
In black, topped by clothes of black
لَيسَ فيهِم مِن جازِعٍ أَو حَزينٍ
صادِقِ السَعيِ أَو أَليفٍ مُصابِ
Among them is no true griever or saddened
Of sincere effort, or sympathetic to the afflicted
كُنتَ لا تَرتَضي النُجومَ مَحَلّاً
فَلِماذا رَضيتَ سُكنى التُرابِ
You would not accept the stars as a dwelling
So why did you accept the abode of dust?
كُنتَ راحَ النُفوسِ في مَجلِسِ الأُن
سِ وَراحَ العُقولِ عِندَ الخِطابِ
You were the soul's comfort in the gathering of intimacy
And the mind's comfort in discourse
كُنتَ لا تُرهِقُ الصَديقَ بِلَومٍ
لا وَلا تَستَبيحُ غَيبَ الصِحابِ
You would not burden a friend with blame
Nor violate the privacy of companions
وَلَئِن بِتَّ عاتِباً أَو غَضوباً
لِقَريبُ الرِضا كَريمُ العِتابِ
And if you blamed or got angry
Soon reconciled, gentle in reproach
جُزتَ سَبعينَ حِجَّةً لا تُبالي
بِشِهادٍ تَعاقَبَت أَم بِصابِ
You performed seventy pilgrimages, caring not
If the witness succeeded each other, or passed
وَسَواءٌ لَدَيكَ وَالرَأيُ حُرٌّ
رَوحُ نَيسانَ أَو لَوافِحُ آبِ
It was the same to you, judgment being free
Whether the spirit of April or hot August
يا شُجاعاً وَما الشَجاعَةُ إِلّا الـ
ـصَبرُ لا الخَوضُ في صُدورِ الصِعابِ
O gallant one, and gallantry is but
Patience, not plunging into the depths of perils
كُنتَ نِعمَ الصَبورُ إِن حَزَبَ الأَمـ
ـرُ وَسُدَّت مَسارِحُ الأَسبابِ
You were most patient if matters got difficult
And the means were blocked and inaccessible
كَم تَجَمَّلتَ وَالأَمانِيُّ صَرعى
وَتَماسَكتَ وَالحُظوظُ كَوابي
How often you were patient while hopes lay slain
And you remained steadfast while luck was contrary
عِشتَ ما عِشتَ كَالجِبالِ الرَواسي
فَوقَ نارٍ تُذيبُ صُمَّ الصِلابِ
You lived your life like firmly rooted mountains
Above a fire that melts the hardest rocks
مُؤثِرَ البُؤسِ وَالشَقاءِ عَلى الشَكـ
ـوى وَإِن عَضَّكَ الزَمانُ بِنابِ
Preferring misery and woe to complaining
Though time gnawed you with its teeth
كُنتَ تَخلو بِالنَفسِ وَالنَفسُ تُشوى
مِن كُؤوسِ الهُمومِ وَالأَوصابِ
You would be alone with your soul as it burned
From cups of worries and misfortunes
فَتُسَرّي بِالذِكرِ عَنها وَتَنفي
ما عَراها مِن غُضَّةٍ وَاِكتِئابِ
So you would comfort it with remembrance and dispel
What had saddened and depressed it
وَتَرى وَحشَةَ اِنفِرادِكَ أُنساً
بِحَديثِ النُفوسِ وَالأَلبابِ
And you saw the loneliness of your isolation as
Company through conversing with souls and minds
بِنتَ عَنها وَما جَنَيتَ وَقَد كا
بَدتَ بَأساءَها عَلى الأَحقابِ
You turned away from it though you gained nothing
For you had tasted its bitterness throughout the eras
وَنَبَذتَ الثَراءَ تَبذُلُ فيهِ
مِن إِباءٍ في بَذلِهِ شَرُّ عابِ
And you spurned wealth, generously spending
From disdain in spending which is the worst shame
لَو شَهِدتُم مُحَمَّداً وَهوَ يُملي
آيَ عيسى وَمُعجِزاتِ الكِتابِ
Had you seen Muhammad as he dictated
The verses of Jesus and the miracles of the Book
وَقَفَت حَولَهُ صُفوفُ المَعاني
وَصُفوفُ الأَلفاظِ مِن كُلِّ بابِ
Rows of meanings and rows of words
From every door would stand around him
لَعَلِمتُم بِأَنَّ عَهدَ اِبنِ بَحرٍ
عاوَدَ الشَرقَ بَعدَ طولِ اِحتِجابِ
You would know the era of the son of Bahr
Had returned to the East after long absence
أَدَبٌ مُستَوٍ وَقَلبٌ جَميعٌ
وَذَكاءٌ يُريكَ ضَوءَ الشِهابِ
Manners well-balanced and a heart all-encompassing
And an intellect that shows you the light of meteors
عِندَ رَأيٍ مُوَفَّقٍ عِندَ حَزمٍ
عِندَ عِلمٍ يَفيضُ فَيضَ السَحابِ
With a well-guided opinion, resolute determination
And knowledge overflowing like rain clouds
جَلَّ أُسلوبُهُ النَقِيُّ المُصَفّى
عَن غُموضٍ وَنَفرَةٍ وَاِضطِرابِ
His style, pure and refined, transcended
Abstruseness, repulsion, and confusion
وَسَما نَقدُهُ النَزيهُ عَنِ الهُجـ
ـرِ فَما شيبَ مَرَّةً بِالسِبابِ
And his sincere criticism, far from insult
Was never tainted by abuse
ذُقتَ في غُربَةِ الحَياةِ عَناءً
فَذُقِ اليَومَ راحَةً في الإِيابِ
You tasted in your exile from life hardship
So taste today comfort in returning
بَلِّغِ البابِلِيَّ عَنّي سَلاماً
كَعَبيرِ الرِياضِ أَو كَالمَلابِ
Convey to Al-Baqillani greetings from me
Like the fragrance of gardens or soft silk
كانَ تِربي وَكانَ مِن نِعَمِ المُبـ
ـدِعِ سُبحانَهُ عَلى الأَترابِ
He was my mentor, and was of the blessings
Of the Glorious Creator upon communities
فارِسٌ في النَدى إِذا قَصَّرَ الفُر
سانُ عَنهُ وَفارِسٌ في الجَوابِ
A knight of refinement when the horses failed
And a knight of repartee in answering
يُرسِلُ النُكتَةَ الطَريفَةَ تَمشي
في رَقيقِ الشُعورِ مَشيَ الشَرابِ
Who would send the witty anecdote walking
Through the essence of feeling like a draft of wine
قَد أَثارَ المُحَمَّدانِ دَفيناً
في فُؤادي وَقَد أَطارا صَوابي
The two Muhammads buried have stirred up
In my heart grief while elevating my composure
خَلَّفاني بَينَ الرِفاقِ وَحيداً
مُستَكيناً وَأَمعَنا في الغِيابِ
They left me behind among friends, lonely
Wretched, intensifying my absence
