كفاني حزنا أن أضرّ بي الهجرُ

ولم يحل لي عيش ولم يبق لي صبر

My grief is enough that separation has harmed me,

And I could no longer live or have any patience.

وما كنت ادري قبل بينهم وقد

جنيت نار الوصل ان النوى مر

I did not know before, between them when

I had reaped the fire of companionship, that the intention was bitter.

وكنت أظن الدهر قد كان غافلا

فليت بنا لا كان قد فطن الدهر

And I thought time was heedless of us,

If only it had been more vigilant between us!

فما كان قبل اليوم أحلى لياليا

لنا بلذيذ العيش مرت وما مروا

The nights before this day were not sweeter

For us with the bliss of life passing by.

الا انما الايام غدر بأهلها

وان سالمت يوما فمن شأنها الغدر

Except that days only betray their people,

And if one day is safe, its nature is betrayal.

وليس على حال تدوم وما قضى

بها موطرا زيد لعمري ولا عمرو

Nothing stays the same, and what the fates

Ordained for it - increase for my life or Amr’s!

فلا تطلبن منها وفاء فانها

كثيرة مطل والوفاء بها نزر

So do not seek loyalty from it - it is

Full of deceit, and loyalty in it is little.

الا يا بني الآمال قد اظلم الدجى

ومن فلك العلياء قد خسف البدر

Oh sons of hopes - the darkness has grown dim

And the full moon has been eclipsed from the heaven.

وناح عليها المرعد والسحب عددت

وعبس وجه الغيم حين بكى القطر

Lightning laments it and clouds have numbered

The scowling face of the clouds when the rain wept.

وشق عليه الليل للذيل جيبه

وغيظا عليه انشق وانفلق الفجر

It was hard on the night - it tore its dress

In anger at it, split open and the dawn ripped.

وأصبح حزفا يلطم النهر خده

فليس لعين لم ترق دمعها عذر

It woke up grieving, slapping the river’s cheek -

No moistened eye deserves excuse or pardon,

ولا مقلة الا وفرحها البكا

تجارت وقد اضحت تسابقها الحمر

Nor eyelid but rejoices in crying -

Its redness competing, outpacing the red camels.

الا في سبيل الله ما صنع النوى

باكبادنا الحرا وما فعل الهجر

But the way of God - what the intention did

To our burning livers and what separation did!

فقد غاب ليث الغاب واغتاله الردى

وافرده من بين اشباله الدهر

The lion of the jungle disappeared, carried off by fate

And the days distinguished him from his cubs.

امسى غريبا للصعيد مجاورا

وما برحت تبكي على فقده مصر

He passed the evening a stranger to the barren valley

And Egypt never stopped weeping over losing him.

ولا عجب ان غاب في الترب شخصه

فقد يتوارى في معادنه التبر

No wonder he disappeared into the soil

For he may hide in his lairs, the dust!

لقد كان فردا قطب دائرة العلا

رفيع الذرى لله في مجده سر

He was unique, the axis of the circle of highness,

Lofty in honour, hidden to God in his glory.

وكان بنا برا وللجود منهلا

وما ذاك الا انه البر والبحر

He was righteous to us and a spring of generosity

And that was only because he was land and sea.

وقد كان من بيت تسامت طباقه

لنا في الورى يحلو به النظم والنثر

He was from a house whose layers were sublime

Sweet verse and prose adorned with him the world.

امام لانواع المحامد جامع

وفي حرم العليا وصبح الندى وتر

The imam of all kinds of praise, the gatherer

In the sanctuary of highness, dawn gleam and leaves.

وفي الجود يروى عن سماحته عطا

وفي البذل يروي عن طلاقته بشر

From his beneficence flows generosity he narrates

And from his openness, blessings he relates.

وكم حاز راجيه علوا وسؤددا

وقدرا سما مجدا او يكفيك ذا القدر

How many hopes he realized, heights and joy

And a destiny - is this destiny not enough?

مناقبه لم يحص في العقل عدها

ولس لها حد وليس لها حصر

His virtues cannot be counted by the mind

They have no limit and no number.

واقسم بالشمس المنبرة ما له

نظير ولا يأتي بمثل له العصر

I swear by the brilliant sun he has no equal

Nor can the age produce someone like him.

وما كان للدنيا مريدا ولو بها

اراد جزيل المال كان له وفر

He did not care for the world - even if he wanted

Abundant money he could have had it in excess.

وان يك قد ولى وايامه انطوت

فعرف نداه بالثناء له نشر

And if he is gone and his days folded away

His help is known through praise spread about him.

وما كنت ادري قبل ان صار في الثرى

رهينا بان الترب يسكنه الدر

I did not know before when he was in the soil

Held captive that dust inhabits roses.

ولا قلت ان الارض حين ثوى بها

تغيب بها الشمس المنيرة والبدر

Nor did I say that the earth when it hid him

Eclipsed the shining sun and full moon within it.

ولا قلت ان البحر يحمل سائرا

لى ظهر لوح او يحيط به قبر

Nor that the sea carried him travelling

On the surface of a plank or enclosed him in a grave.

فو اسفا قد غاب بدر سمائها

وولى ومنه الارض مظلمة قفر

Alas - the full moon of its heavens has disappeared

He is gone and the land left desolate and barren.

فمن للفتاوي والمسائل بعده

ومن يوضح المعنى اذا اشكل الامر

After him who is left for juristic opinions and questions

And who can clarify the meaning when the matter is unclear?

ومن يمنح الراجين من فيض جوده

اذا ما زمان الجود اجدبه الفقر

And who can grant those hoping from his overflowing generosity

When the time of generosity has left it barren?

كأن لم يكن للطالبين مسلكا

ولم يسد مما حاكه لهم الفكر

As if there is no longer a path for seekers

And nothing he established with his thoughts helps them.

ولا كان حبرا في العلوم مصدرا

يسر بمرآه وينشرح الصدر

Nor was he a sea of knowledge, an abundant source

Facilitating with his mirror-like wisdom and broadening of chests.

ولا كان ذو عسر اله اذا أتى

فيثرى ومن يمناه يعتاده اليسر

Nor was he whose difficulty,when asked for help,

Enriched and accustomed ease to the one he favoured.

ولا كان قد جادت اياديه بالوفا

ولا كان منها ابحر قد جرت عشر

Nor were his hands generous with loyalty

As if an ocean did not flow from them.

الا يا بنيه ما قضى الله قد مضى

وما مات من بالمكرمات له ذكر

Oh, his children - what God decreed is done

And one who died with virtues - his memory remains.

وان يكن العمري قد غاب عنكم

فما غاب عنكم جود نائله الغمر

And if ar-Rumayli is gone from you

His generosity granting wishes is not gone from you.

وان كانت العلياء غاب شهابها

فانتم بحمد الله انجمها الزهر

And if the high star - its comet has disappeared

With God's praise you are its remaining blossoms.

فعظم فيه الله ربي اجوركم

والهمكم صبرا به يعظم الاجر

So may God magnify in him the reward for you

And inspire you with patience - greatly increasing rewards.

ولا ذقتم رزا مدى الدهر بعدها

ولا نالكم سوء ولا نالكم مكر

You will not taste harm or evil after him

Nor any plot or deception reach you.

يعز علينا ان نعزيكم به

وما هي إلا سنة ضمنها الصبر

We grieve to console you about him

But it is only the Sunnah including acceptance.

سقى الله تربا ضمه وابل الحيا

وجاد علينا من سحائبه القطر

May God water the soil covering him

And rain upon us from its clouds favor.

وعوضه عن هذه الدار جنة

يقوم له عن كل در بها قصر

And replace for him this abode with a Garden

With mansions erected for him from every pearl.

ولا زال في درا النعيم مجاورا

شفيع البرايا ذخر من لا له ذخر

Everlasting in the gardens of bliss

Interceding for all - a treasure for those without treasure.

نبيق سما فخرا ولولاه لم تكن

سماء ولا أرض وهذا هو الفخر

A lofty spirit - without him there would be

No heaven or earth - and this is pride.

وكم آية في المهد قد ظهرت له

بها تشهد الآيات والبيت والحجر

And how many signs appeared in his cradle

Signs, the house and stones bear witness for him.

عليك صلاة الله ثم سلامه

صلاة بها ننجو إذا ضمنا الحشر

Upon you, God's prayers and peace

Prayers by which we are saved when included in the Resurrection.

وآل وصحب كلما لاح بارقٌ

وما أشرقت شمس وما طلع الفجر

And his family and companions whenever dawn appears

And the sun rises and the dawn breaks.