وَلا فِي سرورِ العيدِ نحنُ مُهَنُّوهُ

ولا فِي سريرِ الملكِ نَحْنُ مُحَيُّوهُ

Not in the joy of Eid are we made joyful by him,

Nor on the king’s throne are we honored by him.

فلَهفِي عَلَيْهِ والكُمَاةُ تهابُهُ

ولهفي عَلَيْهِ والملوكُ مُطِيعُوهُ

Yearning for him while the battalions fear him,

Yearning for him while kings obey him,

ولهفي عَلَيْهِ والوغى تَسْتَخِفُّهُ

ولهفي عَلَيْهِ والكتائِبُ تَقفُوهُ

Yearning for him while tumult takes him lightly,

Yearning for him while regiments follow him,

ولهفي عَلَيْهِ والضُّيُوفُ تزورُهُ

ولهفي عَلَيْهِ والرَّكائِبُ تَنْحُوهُ

Yearning for him while guests visit him,

Yearning for him while riders circle around him,

ولهفي عَلَيْهِ والأَمانِي تَؤُمُّهُ

ولهفي عَلَيْهِ والخلائِقُ ترجُوهُ

Yearning for him while hopes believe in him,

Yearning for him while all creation desire him,

ولهفي عَلَيْهِ والمصاحِفُ حَوْلَهُ

يخُطُّ كتابَ اللهِ فِيهَا ويتلُوهُ

Yearning for him while Qurans surround him,

As he writes the book of God and recites it.

ولهفي عَلَيْهِ حاضِراً كُلَّ مَسْجِدٍ

وداعُوهُ أَشياعٌ لَهُ ومُصَلُّوهُ

Yearning for him present in every mosque,

Where supporters of his pray and worship him.

تَلَهُّفَ قلبٍ لَيْسَ يشفي غليلَهُ

سوابِقُ دمعٍ لاعِجُ الحزنِ يحدوهُ

Yearning of a heart that is not eased of anguish,

Preceding tears of sorrow that mourn him.

وأَشكو إِلَى الرحمنِ تَرْحَةَ فجعَةٍ

بمن لَمْ يَبِتْ داعٍ إِلَى اللهِ يَشْكُوهُ

And I complain to the Merciful of the grief

Of one whose supplicant to God never complained of him.

وأَدعو لديهِ فوزَ رَوْحٍ وراحَةٍ

لمن لَمْ يَزَلْ يدعُو إِلَيْهِ ويدعُوهُ

And I pray for the success of a soul and comfort

For one whose prayers never ceased to call upon him and invoke him.

وإِنْ جَلَّ فينا فقدُهُ ومصابُهُ

ليبلُونا فِي الصبرِ عنهُ ويَبْلُوهُ

And if he is gone from us and we miss him,

It is but to test us in patience without him and try him.

فقد عَوَّضَ الإِسلامَ من فقدِ نَفْسِهِ

هلالَ سماءٍ لا يضِلُّ مُهِلِّوهُ

For Islam compensated for the loss of himself

A crescent moon that does not go astray without him to guide it,

وبحراً سقاكُمْ رِيَّ جودٍ وأَنْعُمٍ

فَسَقُّوهُ إِخلاصَ الصدورِ ورَوُّوهُ

And an ocean that quenched you with generosity and blessings,

So imbibe it with sincerity of hearts and water it.

وسيفاً حَباكُمْ صَفْحَهُ ومضاءهُ

فصُوغُوا لَهُ حُرَّ الوفاءِ فَحَلُّوهُ

And a sword it armed you with, whose blade and flash,

So forge for it the heat of loyalty and temper it.

فقد حتمَ الدهرُ الَّذِي حَلَّ خطبُهُ

بأَنْ لَيْسَ إِلّا بالمُظَفَّرِ يَجْلُوهُ

For time has decreed what has befallen,

That none shall complete it but the victorious aided by him.

ومن كَانَ لا يعدو الرياسةَ سعيُهُ

فليسَ تباشِيرُ الرياسةِ تَعْدُوهُ

And whoever does not surpass seeking leadership,

The omens of leadership will not surpass him.

بهَدْي من المنصورِ لَيْسَ يُضيعُهُ

عَلَى سَنَنٍ من سعيِهِ لَيْسَ يَأْلُوهُ

With guidance from Abu al-Mansur it will not be lost,

Upon an approach from his efforts that does not flag.

فلولاكَ يَا يحيى لهُدَّتْ لِفَقْدِهِ

ذُرى عَلَمٍ أَذواؤكَ الغُرُّ بانُوهُ

Without you, O Yahya, the progeny of his sign

Would have collapsed, which your piety sheltered.

ولولاكَ يَا يحيى لماتَ بِمَوْتِهِ

رجالٌ بأَحرارِ القلوبِ مُوَاسُوهُ

Without you, O Yahya, the men with free hearts

Would have died with his death, consoling him.

وَمَا رَغِبُوا عن نفسِهِ بنفوسِهِمْ

وَقَدْ ذاقَ طَعْمَ الموتِ حَتَّى يذوقُوهُ

They did not refuse sacrifice themselves

After tasting the flavor of death till they taste it.

ووُدِّعَتِ الأَرواحُ عند وداعِهِ

وضلَّ سبيلَ الصَّبْرِ عنه مُضِلُّوهُ

The souls bid farewell at his farewell,

While those who misguided patience strayed from him.

وقلَّبَتِ الدنيا قلوباً وأَنفُساً

فلا العيشُ محبوبٌ ولا الموتُ مكروهُ

And time overturned hearts and selves,

So neither life is loved nor death hated.

فلا فَضَّنا دهرٌ وأَنتَ تلُمُّنا

ولا مَضَّنا جُرْحٌ ويمناكَ تَأْسُوهُ

You have not faulted us time while you blame us,

Nor have we healed while your right heals us.

ولا وُقِيَ الإِشراكُ مَا مِنْكَ يُتَّقى

ولا عَدِمَ الإِسلامُ مَا منكَ يرجُوهُ

Neither has partnership been avoided what from you must be avoided,

Nor has Islam been lost what from you is sought.