وَخَبَّرَني الناعونَ ما صَنَعَ الرَدى

بِأَسماءَ مِن أَفعالِهِ النَكِراتِ

And plague informed me of what fate has done

With names of its despicable deeds

فَكَذَّبتُ ما قالوا وَإِن كانَ صادِقاً

فَيا خَيرَ مُنعىً وَشَرَّ نُعاتِ

So I denied what they said though it was true

Oh best refuge and worst misfortunes

أَساءَت بِأَسماءَ الخُطوبِ صَنيعَها

إِلَينا فَأَنسَت سالِفَ الحَسَناتِ

Its misdeeds did evilly with names of sorrows

To us, so it forgot past virtues

طَوى التُربُ مِنها في حَشاهُ سَريرَةً

مِنَ المَجدِ وَالأَسرارُ لِلمُهَجاتِ

Dust concealed from it in its belly a secret

Of glory and mysteries for the entombed

وَرَوَّضَ ظَمآنَ الثَرى مِن سَماحِها

فَأَنبَتَ زَهرَ الحَمدِ أَيَّ نَباتِ

And thirsty soil sucked from its generosity

Growing thereby flowers of praise - what plants!

سَقاها الحَيا وَالفَخرُ في ذاكَ لِلحَيا

وَإِلّا سَقاها سائِلُ العَبَراتِ

It watered the living and pride at that for the living

Else, the lamenters watered it with tears

وَإِلّا سَقاها جودُها في ضَريحِها

فَقَد كانَ مِثلَ الغَيثِ في اللَزَباتِ

Else, its bounty watered it in its tomb

As rain does the juicy herbage

وَقالوا عَجوزٌ قُلتُ رُبَّ صَنيعَةٍ

تَزيدُ بِها حُسناً عَلى الفَتَياتِ

And they said an old woman, but I said many a deed

Increases thereby beauty over maidens

مَضَت سَلَفاً وَالكُلُّ يَقِفو سَبيلَها

مُشَيَّعَةً بِالبِرِّ وَالصَلواتِ

It passed away before while all stop its way

Bidden farewell with righteousness and prayers

شَقى النَفسَ أَن لَم يَخلُ مِنها مَكانُها

وَلَم تَكُ مِثلَ الأَعظُمِ النَخِراتِ

The soul suffers that its place is not empty of it

And it was not like the greatest of pals

وَلَكِنَّها أَبقَت فُروعاً كَثيرَةً

حَياةً لَها مِن بَعدِ كُلِّ مَماتِ

But it left many branches

With life for them after every death

كَمِثلِ أَبي بَكرٍ وَمِثلِ سَليلِهِ

خَليلي أَبي إِسحاقٍ خَيرِ لِداتي

Like Abu Bakr and like his grandson

My bosom friend, Abu Ishaq - best of intimates

لَعَمرُ المَنايا لا تَفوزُ بِمِثلِها

فَقَد فَعَلَتها أَعظَمَ الفَعَلاتِ

By life, death cannot triumph over its like

For it did the greatest deed

تَداعَت سَماءُ العِزَّ فَاِنفَطَرَت لَها

وَأَضحَت نُجومُ الفَخرِ مُنكَدِراتِ

The sky of glory collapsed and its stars of pride

Became eclipsed

وَباتَ الأَسى فيها يَقُضُّ مَضاجي

وَيَمنَعُ أَجفاني لَذيذَ سِناتِ

And sorrow therein spends nights wakeful

And prevents my eyelids the sweet sleep

فَقُل لِلمَنايا قَد وَتِرتَ سِراتِنا

تِراتٍ بِظَنّي مِنهُمُ بِتِراتِ

So say to death, you have plucked our lyres

Plucks in my view thereby discordant

فَلَو كُنتَ شَخصاً ما اِجتَرَأَت عَلَيهِم

وَجَنَّبتِهِم عَن هَيبَةٍ وَهِباتِ

So if you were a person, you would not dare them

And avoid them for awe and grant

خَليلَيَّ مِن عَليا مُرادٍ تَصَبَّرا

فَفي الصَبرِ أَعوانٌ عَلى الحَسَراتِ

My bosom friend, of lofty aspirations, be patient

For in patience are aids against regrets

وَكُفَّ الدُموعُ الواكِفاتِ فَإِنَّما

دُموعُ الفَتى وَقفٌ عَلى العَرَصاتِ

And cease the standing tears for tears of youth

Are a stand at the burial grounds

فَيا رُبَّ مَن تَبكيهِ يَضحَكُ فَرحَةً

وَأَنتَ عَلَيهِ دائِمُ التَرَحاتِ

So oh He who weeps him laughs happily

While You are to him ever compassionate

فَإِنَّكَ لاقٍ مِن سُرورٍ وَمَن أَسى

وَما هُوَ آتٍ لا مَحالَةَ آتِ

For You meet gladness and those who mourn

And what is coming is inevitably coming