هل أقالَ الحِمامُ عَثرَةَ حَيٍّ

أم عدا سهمُهُ فؤادَ رَميِّ

Has the fate lightened the fall of a living one

Or has its arrow missed the heart of an archer

هلْ أدامَ الزّمانُ وَصْلَ خليلٍ

فَوَفَى والزّمانُ غيرُ وفيِّ

Did time continue the bond of a friend

And was time faithful, while it is unfaithful

وهو كالفكر بين غشّ عَدُوٍّ

لبنيه وبين نُصْحِ وليِّ

It is like thoughts amidst the deceit of an enemy

Between its children and the advice of an ally

قد رأينا حالاً نؤولُ إليها

ووعظنا بحالنا الأوليِّ

We have seen a state we will eventually come to

And our former state admonished us

غير أنّا نرْنو بأعينِ رشدٍ

كُحِلتْ من هوى النفوس بغيِّ

Except we aspire with eyes of guidance

Whose desires have been lined with love

أين ما كان خَلقه من ترابٍ

لم يكنْ بدءُ خلقه من منيِّ

Where was he created from dust

His creation did not begin from semen

واغتذى عند مولد الروح فيه

من ثُديّ الحياةِ أوّلَ شيِّ

And he was nourished at the birth of spirit in him

From the breast of life the first thing

قد دُفِعْنا إلى حياةٍ وموْتٍ

ونشورٍ إلى الإلهِ العَليِّ

We have been pushed to a life and death

And resurrection to God the Sublime

ودوامُ البقاءِ في دارِ أخرى

ومجازاةُ فاجرٍ وَتَقِيِّ

And permanence of remaining in another house

And the requital of a debauched and devout

كم مليكٍ وسوقةٍ وشُجاعٍ

وجبانٍ وطائعٍ وَعَصِيِّ

How many kings, leaders, brave ones

And cowards, obedient and disobedient

نَشَرَتْهُمْ حياتُهُمْ أيّ نَشْرٍ

وطواهُمْ حِمامُهُمْ أيّ طيِّ

Their lives have scattered them, however scattered

And their destiny has covered them, however covered

فهمُ في حشا الضريح سواءٌ

ولقد كان ذا لذا غَيْرَ سِيِّ

So they are equal in the burial place

And the latter was surely different from the former

لك يا مَن يموتُ شخصٌ وفَيْءٌ

ثمّ شخصٌ في القبر من غير فَيِّ

You, for whom one person dies and becomes a corpse

Then, another person in the grave without becoming a corpse

أيُّ فَيءٍ لمن يصيرُ تراباً

مُحِيَتْ مِنهُ صورَةُ البَشَريِّ

Which corpse is for one who becomes dust

From whom the form of a human has been erased

كيفَ تنجو على مَطِيّةِ دُنْيَا

وهي تَشْحو بالجانبِ الوحشيِّ

How can you survive the ride of worldly life

And it travels with an uncivilized side

تطرحُ الراكبَ الشديدَ شموساً

وركوبُ الشموس فعل غبيِّ

It drops the firm rider frequently

And riding frequently is a foolish act

غُرّ مَن ظَنّ أن يصافيَ دهراً

وهو للأصفياء غيرُ صفيِّ

Deceived is one who thought to be loyal to fate

While it is not loyal to the loyal ones

كلّ لاهٍ عمّا يطيل شجاهُ

يملأ العينَ من رقادِ خليِّ

How many glances has an eager one distracted

Who fills the eyes with the slumber of a friend

والرّدى يشملُ الأنامَ ومنه

عرضيّ يجيءُ من جَوْهريِّ

And ordainment includes people, and from it

A sudden one comes from intrinsic

ومميتُ الحراكِ منه سكونٌ

مظهرٌ فعلَهُ بسرٍّ خفيِّ

And the mortal silence from it is movement

Its action is done secretly by mystery

وهو يرمي قوائمَ الأعصم الضَّر

ب وَيَلْوي قَوادمَ المَضْرحيِّ

And it targets the legs of the unshakable firm

And bends the steps of the buried one

لا يهابُ الحِمامُ مَلْكاً عظيماً

يحتبي يَوم جوده بالحبِيِّ

Destiny does not fear a great king

Who takes refuge in affection during his generosity

ينطقُ الموتُ من ظباه فَيَمْضي

حُكمُهُ في الوَرَى بأمْرٍ وَحيِّ

Death speaks from its horrors, so it proceeds

Its rule in the land with a revealed order

لا ولا مُرْهَفَ المُدَى بين فَكّيْ

باطشِ البرثنَينِ وَرْدٍ جَريِّ

Neither the far-sighted nor the eloquent between the two jaws

Has power against the might of fate and its will

ومتى هابَ موقداً نارَ حَرْبٍ

فارساً في المُضَاعَفِ الفارسيِّ

And when has a knight feared the fire of war

A horseman in knightly courage and youthful determination

للرّدينيِّ منه ريٌّ مُعَادٌ

من نجيع العدا كحرف الدّويِّ

The horseman of water and land and the young pure man

And protector of Ara'er's manhood

أيّ رزءٍ جاءتْ به الرّيحُ في الما

ءِ وأفشَتْهُ من لسانِ النّعِيِّ

He inherited honor from his father like a lion cub

Who took violence from his high father

ومصابٍ أصابَ كلّ فؤادٍ

في ابنِ عبد العزيز عبدِ الغني

The embers of might were extinguished from fuel

In the souls of enemies from every living one

قائدٌ قادَهُ إلى الموْتِ عِزٌّ

باقتحامٍ كهلٍ وعزْمٍ فتيِّ

And the sword of butchering was blunted

From the skulls of the brave from summit of boldness

فارسُ الماءِ والثرى والفتى المح

ضُ وصنوُ المروءة الأريحيِّ

A horseman whose armor a burning heart fears

Fluttering in the burial place of a resolved young man

ورثَ العزّ من أبيه كشبلٍ

أخذَ الفتكَ عن أبيه الأبيِّ

His sword’s edge is feared like gifts presented

To every maiden brought to him as a gift

جمرةُ البأس أخمدت عن وقود

بنفوس العداة من كلّ حيِّ

Advancing not retreating with wishes

Against struggling with enemies and charging

وحسامُ الجِلاد فُلّ شباهُ

بشبا الموت عن قراع الكميِّ

As if attack had inclined toward him

The day they extended toward him the well-knotted spears

حاسرٌ درعه تَضَرُّمَ قلبٍ

خافقٍ في حشا فتىً شَمّريِّ

They took away his sword in which was a groan

From them like the longing on the spine

يتّقي حدّ سيفه كلّ علج

بحبيكِ الماذيّ في الآذيِّ

And they saw every attack from them

Had slipped upon the blade of his slim spear

مقبلاً لا مولياً بالأماني

عن كفاحِ العِدا وبالسمهريِّ

They supplied every blow from him like snakes

That prey, and stabs like piercing ones

وكأنّ الإتاءَ مال عَلَيه

يوم مَدّوا إليه سُمرَ القنيِّ

Every fire that was kindled from the invasion

Was extinguished in his honorable sword

سلبُوا سَيْفَهُ وفيه نجيعٌ

منهمُ كالشقيق فوق الأتيِّ

He greeted death while helmets were wrathful

And it found pleasure in his bloodshed

ورأوْا كلّ مُهْجَةٍ منهمُ سا

لتْ على صَدر رُمْحِه الزاعبيِّ

Feeling with swords like gifts presented

To every maiden brought to him as a gift

زُوّدوا كل ضربةٍ منه كالأخدو

دِ تُرْدي وطعنةٍ كالطويِّ

So he is best groom whose clothes

Are fighters from every honored vein

كلّ نارٍ كانتْ من الغزو تذكى

خمِدتْ في حسامهِ المَشْرَفيِّ

His scent from his groan and he is musk

In the perfumes of an elegant smooth one

صافحَ الموتَ والصفائحُ غَضْبَى

وَلَغَتْ منه في دماءِ رَضيِّ

O you who died in battlefield and are happy

With every courageous wretched one

مُشْعَراً بالسيوفِ كالهْديِ تُهْدى

كلّ حوريّةٍ إليه هَدِيِّ

And generous with himself for the supreme

In God's satisfaction the deed of the generous one

فهو نعم العَرُوسُ حَشْوَ ثيابٍ

قانئاتٍ من كلّ عِرْقٍ ضَرِيِّ

How many you have struck beats and frozen

And stabbed the close and distant one

طيبُهُ من نجيعه وهو مسكٌ

في عِذارَيْ مُهَذَّبٍ لَوْذَعِيِّ

My brother and excellent mother like a affectionate mother

None of the daughters of fate have touched you

يا شهيداً في مشهد الحربِ مُلقى

وسعيداً بكلّ علجٍ شقيِّ

How many friends like me who cry for you with willing

Obedient tears from his tasks not disobeyed

وَسخيّاً بنَفسِهِ للعوالي

في رِضى اللّهِ فعلُ ذاكَ السخيِّ

The eye sheds from it a stream of water

That wets the cheek and it is burning branding

كَمْ ضَرُوبٍ ضارَبْتَه وَجَليدٍ

وَقريبٍ طاعَنْتَهُ وَقَصيِّ

My two laments elegizing you in sadness

The best refined elegy, shining

وأخي وَفْضَةٍ كأمٍّ ولودٍ

ما أصابتكَ من بنات القسيِّ

Grieving ones whose dawn in every morning

Drenches their tears and every night

كَمْ صَديقٍ بكاكَ مثلي بدَمعٍ

طائعٍ من شؤونه لا عصيِّ

A man does not know more devastating misfortunes

That have touched them or fruits of purpose

تذرف العينُ منه جريةَ ماءٍ

تطأُ الخدّ وهي جمرةُ كيِّ

Their white faces have been darkened with ink

So they are in every Coptic face-veil

وثكالى يَنْدُبْنَ منك بحزْنٍ

خَيْرَ نَدْبٍ مُهَذَّبٍ ألمَعِيِّ

And they wore mourning clothes after silk

The evil of an apparel after the best apparel

حاسراتٍ يَنُحْنَ في كلّ صُبْحٍ

بلّه دمعها وكلّ عشيِّ

Every female mourner on you, her burial place

Contains from you every chronic illness

ليس يدري امرؤ أجَزّ نواصٍ

كانَ منهنّ أم حَصَادُ نَصِيِّ

The violet of bruises receives from it

The roses have withered above picked roses

سُوّدَتْ بالمدادِ بيضُ وجوه

فهي في كلّ برقعٍ حبَشيِّ

O friend whom time has disappointed in loyalty

Of the free that is not loyal

ولبسنَ المسوحَ بعد حريرٍ

شرّ زيٍّ أرتكَ من خيرِ زِيِّ

You have died yet remain exemplary

In the conscience of my heart, remembered

كلّ نوّاحةٍ عليكَ حشاها

حَشْوُهُ منك كلّ داءٍ دَويِّ

Indeed the land in which you are buried

Its wind from you is the fragrance of scented musk

يتلقّى بنفسجُ اللطمِ منها

ذابلَ الوَرد فوْق وردٍ جنيِّ

So your crucified one in it has watered

The best purposeful mercy and ally

يا خليلاً أخلّ بي فيه دهرٌ

لوفاءِ الأحرار غير وفيِّ

I have not when arranging your elegy

Chosen it over praising a living one

أنْتَ بالموْت غائبٌ ومثالٌ

في ضمير الفُؤادِ منك نجيِّ

I cry for you as long as I live

My eye flowing with filial tears

إنّ أرضاً غودرتَ فيها لتهدي

ريحُها منك عَرْفَ مسكٍ ذكيِّ

And after my death, rhymes will cry for you

In a wailing, its words spiritual

فَسَقَى شلوَك الممزَّق فيها

خيرُ وسميّ رحمةٍ وَوَليِّ

لم أكنْ إذ نَظَمْتُ تأبينَ مَيْتٍ

لك أختارُهُ على مَدْحِ حَيِّ

أنا أبكي عليكَ ما طال عمري

شَرِقَ العين من دموع بِرِيِّ

وستبكيكَ بعد موتي القوافي

في نياح من لفظها معنويِّ