رِضى بِقَضاءِ اللَهِ فَهوَ مُصيبُ

وَصَبراً عَلى الأَحداثِ فَهيَ تَنوبُ

Content with whatever fate God decrees

And patience for whatever events occur

خَليلَيَّ قَد وارى التُرابُ أَحِبَّتي

فَلَم يَبقَ لي فَوقَ التُرابِ حَبيبُ

My dear friend, dust now shrouds my loved ones

None remains above the dust for me to love

أَقَلّا وُقوفاً بِالمَنازِلِ أَوقِفا

فَإَنَّ الَّذي تَستَبعِدانِ قَريبُ

Stop less frequently at the halting places

For what you think is far, is actually near

أَلَم تُخبَرا عَن صاحِبِ القَبرِ إِنَّهُ

بِمَرأى مِنَ الأَهلَينِ وَهوَ غَريبُ

Were you not told of the occupant of the grave?

Though distant from both groups, he's in clear view

تَناذَرَهُ الخِلّانُ يَأساً فَأَصبَحوا

لَهُم جيئَةٌ مِن حَولِهِ وَذَهوبُ

Both neighbors and friends have despaired of him

Coming and going around him as they please

وَأَيُّ نَوى أَنأى مِنَ القَبرِ شُقَّةً

وَأَيُّ بَقاءٍ بِالمَماتِ يَطيبُ

What life could be pleasant away from the grave?

What life with death could possibly please?

عَلى الجَدَثِ المَهجورِ عوجا فَسَلِّما

سَقاهُ الحَيا الوَسمِيُّ حينَ يَصوبُ

Bid peace to the desolate, bending tomb

When the tattooed arrowsman takes aim and shoots

وَإِلّا فَعَيني إِن أَبى الغَيثُ مُزنَةٌ

يَدِرُّ شَمالُ صَوبِها وَجنوبُ

Else my streaming eyes, if rain does not fall

South and north winds make flow and ebb

إِذا هاجَها ذِكرُ الأَحِبَّةِ أَجهَشَت

وَأَسبَلَ دَمعٌ بِالدِماءِ مَشوبُ

When thought of loved ones convulses my heart

Tears mixed with blood pour forth in a flood

تَأَوينَني هَمّي فَبِتُّ كَأَنَّني

عَلى مُستَقِلّاتِ النُجومِ رَقيبُ

My concerns put me to bed as if I were

A watcher over the stars' rising places

كَأَنَّ اِطِّلاعَ الشُهبِ بَينَ مَحاجِري

فَمِن ناظِري تَبدو وَفيهِ تَغيبُ

As if the meteors' setting between my eyelids

Would from my sight disappear and then show

كَأَنَّ الدُجى وَالشُهبُ هَمّي

وَنارَهُ إِذا شَبَّ مِنها في الضُلوعِ لَهيبُ

It's as if my concerns and the meteors

Were one, and when their fire flared in my chest, a blaze

تَقَطَّعُ أَنفاسي فَأَقطَعُ لَيلَتي

حَنيناً كَما حَنَّت رَوائِمٌ نيبُ

My breath fragments, and so I break up the night

Yearning, as a she-camel yearns for her young

أَقولُ وَنَفسي وَالأَسى قَد تَمازَجا

وَقَلبِيَ مِن حَرِّ الفِراقِ يَذوبُ

I say, and my soul and grief intermingled

And my heart from the heat of parting melts

أَلا مِثلَ لي فَإِنَّهُ لي مُعجِزٌ

وَإِنّي لِأَمثالِ الوَرى لَضَروبُ

I have no equal, for in that I'm incapable

Though for people generally, I'm exemplary

إِذا قُلتُ في شَيءٍ كَأَنّي كُنتُهُ

وَسِرُّ اِتِّخاذِ المُشبِهينَ عَجيبُ

If I speak of something, it's as if I were it

A marvel how taking similes makes one eloquent

أَنا المَيتُ وَالثَكلانُ وَالصَبُّ وَالشَجي

فَأَيُّ شَبيهٍ بَعدَ ذاكَ أُصيبُ

I'm the dead, the bereft, the youth wasted away

After that, what likeness could I possibly attain?

وَما سَكَني إِلّا ضَريحٌ كَأَنَّهُ

لِأُنسي بِهِ ظَبٌ أَحَم رَبيبُ

I'm settled only in a tomb, as if to console me

A wild animal nourished its young within

أَعاوِدُ لَثمَ التُرب فيهِ كَأَنَّهُ

لِرَشفي لَهُ ثَغرٌ أَغَرُّ شَبيبُ

I return to lick the dust in it, as if

It were a sweet mouth of youth I adore

أَقامَ عَلِيُّ في ثَراهُ مُغَيَّباً

وَلِلبَدرِ مِن بَعدِ الطُلوعِ غُروبُ

Ali remained concealed in his burial place

Though the moon must set after it has risen

بَعيداً عَنِ الإِخوانِ رَهنَ قَررَةٍ

تَضَوَّعُ مِن أَنفاسِهِ وَتَطيبُ

Far from friends, held by a firm tomb

Which sips his breath and is sweetened

عَلى سَفَرٍ لا زادَ فيهِ سِوى التُقى

وَلا ظاعِنَ الأَقوامِ عَنهُ يَؤوبُ

On a journey where his provision was but piety

The throngs cannot divert him or lead him astray

أَخي سَلَبَتنيهِ الخُطوبُ مُشيحَةً

وَما الدَهرُ إِلّا سالِبٌ وَسَليبُ

Misfortune snatched him away from me suddenly

Time takes away and despoils constantly

وَكُنتُ أُرَجّي أَن تَزيدَ حَياتَهُ

حَياتي فَشانَتها عَلَيَّ شُعوبُ

I had hoped his life would add to mine

But fates opposed my hopes aggressively

وَكُنتُ أُرَجّيهِ لِكُلِّ مُلِمَّةٍ

فَقالَ الرَدى إِنَّ الرَجاءَ كَذوبُ

I had hoped in every calamity he would be there

But destiny said hopes are mendacity

وَكانَ سَريعاً حينَ يُدعى إِلى النَدا

وَكَم مِن فَتىً يُدعى وَلَيسَ يُجيبُ

He was quick to respond when called to help

Though many are called but do not reply

وَكانَ حَياً في المَحلِ يَعلَمُ ضَيفُهُ

إِذا أَمَّهُ أَنَّ المَحَلَّ خَصيبُ

He brought life to the guest house, letting all know

Its precincts would welcome hospitality

وَلَم يَكُ ذ عَيبٍ وَلا كانَ عائِباً

وَلَكِن نَقِيَّ اللِبسَتَينِ أَديبُ

He had no fault or anything to criticize

Rather, was of pure garb, full of nobility

فَتىً هُوَ حَدُّ السَيفِ إِن رُمتَ ضَيمَهُ

وَغُصنٌ لِمَن رامَ السَماحَ رَطيبُ

We approved of him since no weakness was found

No seeker of good from him was denied

غَنِيٌّ عَنِ الأَقوامِ لَيسَ بِباسِطٍ

يَداً لِثَوابٍ وَهوَ كانَ يُثيبُ

But fate frowned and took his youth away

Eyes and hearts tilted toward him, refracted

جَميلٌ فَأَمّا وَجهُهُ فَمُنَوَّرٌ

طَليقٌ وَأَمّا صَدرُهُ فَرَحيبُ

It redoubled my pain and intensified his loss

My consolation from him receded dubiously

رُزيناهُ لَمّا لَم يَكُن فيهِ مَطعَنٌ

وَلَم يَكُ راجي الخَيرِ مِنهُ يَخيبُ

He's not like one whose era has long passed

Whose memory with us faded and dimmed

وَأَلوى بِهِ المِقدارُ غَضاً شَبابُهُ

تَميلُ إِلَيهِ أَعيُنٌ وَقُلوبُ

I say as a mourning dove sang her refrain

And swayed amongst the branches of trees

فَضاعَفَ وَجدي وَاِستَحَرَّ مُصابُهُ

وَوَلّى عَزائي عَنهُ وَهوَ مُريبُ

I implore the branches, as I'm most adept

At lamentation amongst the skillful singers

وَلَيسَ كَمَفقودٍ تَقادَمَ عَهدُهُ

وَغَطّى عَلَيهِ مَسحَنا وَمَشيبُ

I was made to drink the wine of ardent longing

Its intoxication preoccupies lovers' thoughts

أَقولُ وَقَد غَنَّت حَمامَةُ أَيكَةٍ

وَمالَ بِها بَينَ الأَراكِ قَضيبُ

One rejoicing at our misfortune was revealed

Though fate's manifestations are myriad

أَساجِعَةَ الأَغصانِ نوحاً فَإِنَّني

عَلى النَوحِ مِن بَينِ اللُحونِ طَروبُ

So I said: await what destiny will unfold

Since it may bring you sins though yours are abundant

سُقيتُ حُمَيا الشَوقِ فَالهَمُّ سُكرُها

وَأَكثَرُ ما أَلهى المَشوقَ نَحيبُ

We cried seeking reward for our crying

We were patient, and patience is the course of the wise

وَمُستَبشِرٍ أَبدى السُرورَ لِنَكبَةٍ

أَلَمَّت بِنا وَالحادِثاتُ ضُروبُ

My lack of composure at misfortunes is not

From frailty, but fate apportions to the doomed

فَقُلتُ اِنتَظِر عُقبى الزَمانِ فَرُبَّما

سَقاكَ ذُنوباً إِن كَفاكَ ذُنوبُ

Nor is my endurance feigned or hard-hearted

But the way of the noble is ever erect

فَنَحنُ بَكينا نَبتَغي الأَجرَ في البُكا

وَنَحنُ صَبَرنا وَالصَبورُ لَبيبُ

Happy are those who rely solely on themselves!

My Lord, I repent and return unto You

وَما جَزَعي لِلحادِثاتِ اِستِكانَةً

وَلَكِنَّهُ لِلهالِكينَ نَصيبُ

وَلا جَلَدي عَنهُم سَلُوّاً وَقَسوَةً

وَلَكِنَّ عودُ الأَكرَمينَ صَليبُ

فَطوبى لِمَن لَم يُعنَ إِلّا بِنَفسِهِ

وَيا رَبَّنا إِنّي إِلَيكَ أَتوبُ