قِف بِرِبعِ الأَسى وُقوفَ الطَليحِ
وَشِبِ الدَمعَ بِالدَمِ المَسفوحِ
Stand with half the sorrow of the afflicted one,
And wet your tears with the bloodshed.
وَاِقضِ مِن واجِبِ البُكاءِ فَعَينا
كَ تَجودانِ عَن فُؤادِ قَريحِ
Fulfill the duty of weeping, O eyes,
As you generously pour from a grieving heart.
إِنَّ شَدوَ الزَمانِ نَوحُ الثُكالى
وَحُمَيّاهُ كُلُّ دَمعٍ سَفوحِ
The cruelty of time is the wailing of the bereaved,
And its heat is every pouring tear.
وَسَيَفنى كَما فَنَينا وَيَلقى
ما لَقينا مِن فُرقَةٍ وَنُزوحِ
It will pass away as we passed away, and encounter
What we encountered of separation and departure.
وَتَغولُ المَنونُ مِنّا أُناساً
ذَهَبوا إِذ مَضَوا بِجِسمي وَروحي
Death takes from us people,
Who left taking my body and soul with them.
وَأَرى الدَهرَ شامِتاً بِالمَعالي
في سَليلي فَتىَ بَني مَطروحِ
And I see time gloating over the noble one,
My brave son of the fallen house.
طَلَعا طَلعَةَ الهِلالِ عَلَينا
وَاِستَسَرّا سِرارَهُ في الضَريحِ
They rose like the new crescent upon us
And hid their secrets in the tomb.
هَصَرَت مِنهُما المَنونُ قَضيبَينِ
فَمالا مَعاً إِلى التَصريحِ
Death broke off from them two rods,
So they leaned together in telling the truth.
يا تُراباً أَجَنَّ شَخصَيهِما أَجَنَنتَ
رُكنَي عُلىً وَبابَي مَديحِ
O soil that covered their forms, you have corrupted
The two pillars of glory and doors of praise.
وَصَغيرَينِ غَيرَ أَنَّ المَعالي
قَد يُمَتَّعنَ بِالصَغيرِ الصَريحِ
Both still young, but the noble one
May be blessed with the honest little one.
أَرِجَت تِلكُمُ البِطاحُ لِطيبٍ
ساطِعٍ مِنهُما بِعَرفٍ نَفوحِ
That soil gave off a good scent wafting from them,
Not musk but the perfume of good remembrance
لَيسَ مِسكاً وَإِنَّما هُوَ طيبُ الذِكرِ
تَسري بِعَرفِهِ كُلُّ ريحِ
That flows with its fragrance through every breeze.
The efforts of the mourners are lost except for Ahmed.
ضَلَّ سَعيُ البُكاةِ إِلّا عَلى أَحمَدَ
يا نَفسُ أَسعِديني وَنوحي
O soul, make me happy and sigh!
Pass, as there is no living Muhammad left,
مُرَّ إِذ لا مُحَمَّدَ الحَيِّ باقٍ
فَاِستَشفا ثَمادَ قَلبي القَريحِ
And heal the wound of my grieving heart.
Make me happy, O you two who rest,
أَسعِداني يا فَرقَدانِ وَغورا
فَرقَدا الأَرضِ غَوِّرا في الصَفيحِ
Who rest in the ground, buried in the coffin.
How can the stars remain after them, not
كَيفَ تَبقى النُجومُ بَعدَهُما لَم
تَنكَدِر وَالجِبالُ ذاتُ جُنوحِ
Gloomy, and the mountains prone to sadness?
كَيفَ لَم تَلفِظ المَقابِرُ مَوتا
ها وَيَبدُ وَالأَديمُ غَيرَ صَحيحِ
How could the graves not breathe death,
Yes, and the land not be corrupt and decayed?
لَيسَ إِلّا التَصَبُّرِ أَجدى
مِن بُكاءٍ يَدومُ غَيرَ مُريحِ
There is nothing better than patience
Than lasting tears that do not comfort.
وَلَقَد قُلتُ لِلوَزيرِ أَبي الحَجّاجِ
صَبراً لِرَيبِ دَهرٍ مُشيحِ
And I said to the minister, my father al-Hajjaj,
“Patience for the caprice of a devious time.”
مِثلُ مَفقودِكَ اِتَباحَ حِمى الصَبرِ
كَما مِثلَكَ اِرعَوى لِلنَصيحِ
The like of your absence made halal the sanctuary of patience,
As the like of you quenched the thirst for advice.
فَاِصطَبِر وَاِرتَقِب مُراجَعَةَ الحُسنى
مِنَ اللَهِ فَهوَ غَيرُ شَحيحِ
So be patient and anticipate the return of goodness
From God, for He is not stingy.
