أَجادَ مَطرانٌ كَعاداتِهِ
وَهَكَذا يُؤثَرُ عَن قُسِّ
The rain poured down as was its habit,
And thus it chooses to fall gently.
فَإِن أَقِف مِن بَعدِهِ مُنشِداً
فَإِنَّما مِن طِرسِهِ طِرسي
If after it I stand reciting,
I take from its dripping my dripping.
وَإِن رَأَيتُم في يَدي زَهرَةً
فَإِنَّها مِن ذَلِكَ الغَرسِ
And if you see in my hand a flower,
It is from that planting.
رَثى حَبيباً وَرَثى بَعدَهُ
لِذَلِكَ الموفي عَلى الرِمسِ
He eulogized a loved one and eulogized after him
That loyal one over the grave.
كانا إِذا ما ظَهَرا مِنبَراً
حَلّا مِنَ السامِعِ في النَفسِ
They were, whenever they took the pulpit,
Solace to the hearts of the listeners.
فَأَصبَحا هَذا طَواهُ الرَدى
وَذاكَ نَهبٌ في يَدِ البُؤسِ
So they became - this one cloaked in dust
And that one prey in the hand of misery.
لَولا سَليمٌ لَم يَقُل قائِلٌ
وَلَم يَجُد مَن جادَ بِالأَمسِ
If it were not for Suleiman, none would have said
Nor found one who was generous yesterday.
لِلَّهِ ما أَشجَعَهُ إِنَّهُ
ذو مِرَّةٍ فينا وَذو بَأسِ
By God, how bold he is! He
Has in us carefulness and might.
يَقومُ في مَشروعِهِ نافِذاً
كَأَنَّهُ عَنتَرَةُ العَبسي
He stands in his project assured
As if he were Antarah Al-Absi.
تَلقاهُ في الجِدِّ كَما تَبتَغي
وَتارَةً تَلقاهُ في الهَلسِ
You meet him in earnest as you wish
And at times you meet him in jest.
سَركيسُ إِن راقَكَ ما قُلتُهُ
في مَعرِضِ الهَزلِ فَقُل مِرسي
Sarkis, if you like what I said
In the manner of jest, then say "throw."
أُقسِمُ بِاللَهِ وَآلائِهِ
بِعَرشِهِ بِاللَوحِ بِالكُرسِي
I swear by God and his signs,
By his throne, by the tablet, by the seat,
بِالخُنَّسِ الكُنَّسِ في سَبحِها
بِالبَدرِ في مَرآهُ بِالشَمسِ
By the hidden stars in their swimming,
By the moon in its reflection, by the sun,
بِأَنَّ هَذا عَمَلٌ صالِحٌ
قامَ بِهِ هَذا الفَتى القُدسي
That this is righteous work
Done by this young holy man.
ذَكَّرَنا وَالمَرءُ مِن نَفسِهِ
وَعَيشِهِ في شاغِلٍ يُنسي
He reminded us, while man is busy
With himself and his living, forgetting,
بِالواجِبِ الأَقدَسِ في حَقِّ مَن
باعَتهُ مِصرٌ بَيعَةَ الوَكسِ
Of the most sacred duty to one
Whom Egypt sold in the sale of the cheated.
هَذا أَبو العَدلِ فَمَن خالَهُ
حَيّاً فَما خالَ سِوى العَكسِ
This is the father of justice, so whoever opposed him
Alive, none opposed but the opposite.
كانَت لَهُ في حَلقِهِ ثَروَةٌ
مِن نَبرَةٍ تُشجي وَمِن جَرسِ
He had in his throat a wealth
Of tone that stirs and of sound that rings.
فَغالَها الدَهرُ كَما غالَهُ
حَتّى غَدا كَالطَلَلِ الدَرسِ
But time made it expensive, as it made him expensive,
Until he became like the ruined traces.
فَاِكتَسِبوا الأَجرَ وَلا تَبتَغوا
شِراءَهُ بِالثَمَنِ البَخسِ
So gain the reward and do not seek
To buy it for a paltry price.
إِنّي أَرى التَمثيلَ في غَمرَةٍ
غامِرَةٍ تَدعو إِلى اليَأسِ
I see the curtain in a flood
Abundant, calling to despair.
لَم يَرمِهِ في شَرخِهِ ما رَمى
لَو كانَ مَبنِيّاً عَلى أُسِّ
It would not hurt him in his crack what it threw
Had it been built on a foundation.
أَكُلَّما خَفَّت بِهِ صَحوَةٌ
مِن دائِهِ عوجِلَ بِالنَكسِ
However much a clarity weakened him
From his illness, he was quickly bent.
إِن تُغفِلوا دارِسَ آثارِهِ
عَفّى عَلَيها الدَهرُ بِالطَمسِ
If you neglect the tracker of his traces
Time has obscured them with the blot.
أَعجَزَها النُطقُ فَجاءَت بِنا
نَنوبُ عَن أَلسُنِها الخُرسِ
Speech has failed them, so they came to us
We stand in for their muted tongues.
