لَعَلَّ قَسيمَ الفَضْلِ مِنْ آلِ قاسِمٍ

يُصِيخُ إلَيْهَا نُدْبَةً مِنْ مُقاسِمِ

Perhaps the divider of virtue from the family of Qasim

Will cry out to it a lament from the dividers

تَقَيَّلَ فِيهَا رَأْيُهُ غَيْرَ آثِمٍ

وكَمْ نادِبٍ مُسْتَصْحِبٌ حَالَ نادِمِ

His opinion turned towards it, not sinful

And how many wailers become regretful companions

وأَحْسَنُ مَا أُعْطِيتَهُ عِلْمُ زاهدٍ

وأزْيَنُ ما رُدِّيتَه زُهْدُ عالِمِ

The best that you are given is the knowledge of an ascetic

And the finest that you return is the asceticism of a scholar

وَطُولُ اعْتِبارٍ في الليالي وحُكْمِهَا

عَلى كُلِّ مَحْكُومٍ عَلَيْهِ وحَاكِمِ

And the length of contemplation during the nights and their wisdom

Upon every one ruled over and every ruler

خليلَيَّ ما هَذِي الأَسَاةُ التِي أَرى

وتِلْكَ عُرَى الأَعْمارِ في يَدِ قاصِمِ

My two friends, what is this misery that I see

And those bare lifetimes in the hand of the breaker

ألَمْ تَعْلَما أنَّ النّفوسَ فَرَائِسٌ

تُزَجَّى لآسادِ المَنايا الهَوَاجِمِ

Do you not know that souls are like fillies

Led out to the lions of death, the attackers

فَأَيْنَ التَّوَخِّي لِلسَّعادَةِ في غَدٍ

وَأَيْنَ التَّوَقّي للدَّواهِي الدَّواهِمِ

So where is the caution for happiness tomorrow

And where is avoidance of passions, the corrupters

كَفَى حَزَناً أنَّ الحِمَامَ مُسَلَّط

وأنَّا عَلى اسْتِبْصَارِنا فِي الجَرَائِمِ

It is enough of sorrow that the predator is unleashed

And that we race towards sin in ignorance

نَسيرُ إِلى الأجْداثِ رَكْضاً وما لَنا

من الزَّادِ إلا موبِقاتُ المَآثِمِ

We race towards the graves galloping without

Provision except for that which destroys integrity

وَما الكَهْلُ بِالنَّاجِي وَلا الطِّفْلُ مِنْ يَدَي

زَمَانٍ لأهْليهِ مُصَادٍ مُصادِمِ

Neither can the elderly save nor the child from

A time hostile to its people, assailing

سَلامٌ عَلى الدَّارِ التي ليسَ رَبُّهَا

وإنْ سالَمَتْهُ الحادِثَاتُ بِسَالِمِ

Peace upon the house whose Lord

Kept it safe from disasters with well-being

فَأَطْوَلُ عُمْرِ المَرْءِ خَطْفَةُ بارِقٍ

وأَحْلَى مُنَى الإنسانِ أَحْلامُ نائِمِ

For the longest life of a person is a lightning bolt

And the sweetest death of a human is the dreams of one sleeping

سَقَى اللَّه قَبْراً أودِعَ البِرّ والتُّقَى

كَما تُودَعُ الأَزْهارُ طَيَّ الكَمَائِمِ

May Allah water a grave in which goodness and piety were deposited

As flowers are folded in bouquets

ويَمَّمَهَا الرِّضْوَانُ أُماً كَرِيمَةً

لأَوْحَدَ مَخصوصٍ بِغُرِّ الْمَكَارِمِ

And may contentment give it a generous mother

To the most singular in precious qualities

تَخَلَّتْ عَنِ الدُّنْيَا وخَلَّتْ مُسَامِياً

لَها طِيب أنْفاسِ الرِّياحِ النَّواسِمِ

She left the world and left it loftily

With the sweet breaths of the soft breezes

فَإِنْ وَكَفَتْ سُحْم الغَمائِمِ بَعْدَها

فَقَدْ هَتَفَتْ بالنَّوْحِ وُرْقُ الحَمَائِمِ

So if the clouds' darkness laments after her

Then the leaves of doves have cried out in elegy

مُبَارَكَة جاءَتْ بِنَجْلٍ مُبَارَكٍ

لَهُ في المَعَالي سامِيَاتُ المَعَالِمِ

Blessed is she who came with a blessed progeny

For him the highest traits amongst the high

نَهوضٌ بِأَعْباءِ الدِّيانةِ مُقْدِمٌ

عَلى الحَقِّ إِقدامَ الليوثِ الضَراغِمِ

Rising up with the burdens of religion leading

Forward for truth with the boldness of attacking lions

تَنَسَّكَ لا يَرْجُو زَمَاناً مُلائِماً

ولا يَتَّقِي في اللَّهِ لَوْمَةَ لائِمِ

He practiced asceticism, not hoping for a congenial time

And fearing no critic's blame in God

وأَسْلَمَ دُنْيَا النَّاسِ للنَّاسِ غانِما

مِن الدِّينِ في الدّارَيْنِ أُنْسَ المَغَارِمِ

He surrendered the world of people to people seizing

The joys of religion in both abodes

فَلَيْسَ إِذا صَامَ النَّهَارَ بِمُفْطِرٍ

ولَيْسَ إذا قامَ الظَّلامَ بِنَائِمِ

He is not, if he fasts the day, a breaker of fast

Nor if he stands at night, a sleeper

لَهُ بَسْطَةٌ في العِلمِ والحلْمِ زَانَها

بِقَبْضِ الخُطَى إلا لِكَفِّ المَظَالِمِ

He has vast knowledge and patience which grace him

With restraint of pace but to restrain tyranny

وحُسْنِ عَزَاءٍ في الأَسى وتَمَاسُكٍ

سِوَى عَبْرَةٍ لم تَعْدُ عادَةَ راحِمِ

And excellent consolation in woe and composure

Beyond tears no longer a custom of the compassionate

وَمَنْ كَأبِي عَبدِ الإلَهِ بْنِ قاسِمٍ

لِصَبْرٍ وَتَفْوِيضٍ لَدَى كُلِّ قاصِمِ

And who is like my father Abdel Ilah bin Qasim

In patience and entrusting at the hands of every divider

وحَسْبُكَ مِنْ هادٍ إلَى الخَيْرِهَدْيُه

ومِنْ ناجِحٍ مَسْعاهُ في كُلِّ نَاجِمِ

It is enough that your guidance to good is his guidance

And that your success in every star is his success

لَكَ الخَيْرُ خُذْها مُغْضِياً عَنْ قُصورِها

قَوَافِيَ أعْيَا وَصْفُهَا كُلَّ نَاظِمِ

Yours is the good - take it while overlooking its shortcomings

End rhymes wearied describing each composer

بَعَثْتُ بِهَا أبْقِي رِضاكَ مُسَاهِماً

ومِثْلُكَ مَنْ أرْضَاهُ سَعْيُ المُسَاهِمِ

I sent it to keep your pleasure a partner

And one you pleased is the effort of partners