كل نَوْحٍ لَهُ صَدى فِي فؤَادِي

وَجَوَابٌ مِنْ عَبْرَتِي وَمِدَادِي

Every lament has an echo in my heart,

And a response from my tears and my ink.

كَيْفَ وَالرُّزْءُ فِي وَدُودٍ صَفِيٍّ

وَرَدَ الصَّفوَ مِنْ معِينِ وِدَادِي

How could it not when sorrow resides in the bosom of a true beloved,

And loyalty has returned from a flowing spring of affection.

يَا شُجُوناً تَمَس أَوْتَارَ قَلْبِي

وَيْكِ هَلاَّ مَسَسْتِهَا بِاتئَادِ

O sorrows that touch the strings of my heart,

If only you had not touched them with such cruelty.

كَمْ أَصُوغُ الْوَدَاعَ إِثْرَ وَدَاعٍ

فِي بِعَادٍ يَجِيءُ تِلْوَ بِعَادِ

How often do I bid farewell after bidding farewell,

In a faraway land that comes after faraway lands.

وَالأَسَى مِلْءُ مِسْمَعِي كُلَّمَا تُو

حِي وَفِي أَضْلُعِي اقْتِدَاحٌ زِنَادِ

And anguish fills my hearing whenever the wind blows,

And my ribs quiver with intense grief.

وَعُيُونِي لا تَهْجُرُ الطِّرْسَ إِلاَّ

وَسَوَادُ السُّطورِ بَعْضُ سَوَادي

My eyes do not abandon weeping,

And the blackness of the lines is part of my blackness.

يَا أَخاً فَضْلُهُ عَلَيَّ كَبِيرٌ

مُذْ تَفَيَّأتُ ظِلَّ هَذَا الْوَادي

O brother, your virtues toward me are great

Ever since I took shade under the shadow of this valley.

يَا سَلِيمَ الضَّمِيرِ وَالْقَلْبِ فِي أَشْـ

ـرَفِ مَعْنىً وَفِي أَعَزِّ مُرَاد

O sincere of conscience and heart in the noblest meaning

And most precious purpose.

مَا الَّذي يَصْنَعُ الأَحِبَّاءُ بِالأَرْ

وَاحِ يَوْمَ النَّوَى وَبِالأَكْبَاد

What can loved ones do on the day of parting

With spirits and souls?

جَلَّ فَقْدَيكَ جَلَّ بَعْدَكَ لِلأَفْـ

ـضَلِ مِنْ شَطْرَي الْحَيَاة افْتِقَادي

Your absence is significant during your life and after your death,

I miss the best of both halves of life.

أَيُّ خَطْبٍ دَهَى الْفَضَائِلَ فِي النَّدْ

بِ المُوَالِي وَفِي الْهُمَامِ الْجَوَاد

What misfortune has covered virtues in friendship

And generosity in deeds?

في الأَمِينِ الأَبَرِّ حُرِّ السَّجَايَا

صَادقِ الْوَعْد مُخْلِف الأَيْعَاد

The faithful, the righteous, free of blemishes,

True to his promise, not violating his word.

لَهْفَ نَفْسِي عَلَى زَمَانٍ تَقَضَّى

جَادَهُ مَا اسْتَهَلَّ صَوْبُ الْعِهَاد

My soul yearns for a time now gone

Whose good days have passed towards their end.

فِيه كنا رَهْطاً تَوَلوْا بِمَا في

وُسْعِهِمْ خِدْمَةً لِهَذي الْبِلاَد

We were a group who strove with what was in their capacity

To serve this country.

وَعَلَيْنَا أَبُو الصَّحَافَة فِي الشَّرْ

قِ رَئِيسٌ نِعْمَ الرَّئِيسُ الْهَادِي

And over us was Abu Al-Sehafa in the East,

An excellent guiding president.

كَمْ لَهُ فِي سَبِيلِهَا مِنْ مَسَاعٍ

لَيْسَ تُنْسَى وَكَمْ لَهُ مِنْ أَيَاد

How much effort he made in its cause,

Efforts that will not be forgotten, and how many acts of generosity.

وَتُعِد الأَهْرَامُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْه

نَهْضَةَ الْقُطْرِ أَيَّما إِعْدَاد

And the pyramids tell him

Of the nation’s renaissance and great preparation.

وَسَلِيمٌ فِي الْعَامِلِينَ بلاَ دَعْ

وَى عَلَى أَنَّه مِنَ الأَمْجَاد

And Suleiman, working without pretense

That he is of glories.

رَقَدَ الأَكْثَرُونَ مِنْ هَؤُلاءِ الْصَّـ

ـحْبِ عَنَّا وَلَم نَزَلْ فِي سُهَاد

Most of these companions have died and left us

And we have not ceased shedding tears.

وَخَلِيلُ الْجَاوِيشِ فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّوْا

وَالنَّجيبَانِ مِنْ بَنِي الْحَداد

And Khalil Al-Jawish is among those who have passed

And the two Nobles of the Hadad family.

وَسِوَاهُمْ مِنْ شَاعِرٍ وَأَدِيبٍ

وَخَطيبٍ كَانُوا منَ الأَفْرَاد

And others of them, poets, writers,

And orators who were unique individuals.

رَحمَ اللهُ مَنْ قَضَى وَأَطَالَ اللَّـ

ـهُ أَعْمَارَ سَائر الأَنْدَاد

May God have mercy on those who have died

And prolong the lives of all the comrades.

وَامْضِ يَا صَاحبي خَليقاً بأَنْ تُرْ

ثَى حَقيقاً عَلَيْكَ لُبْسُ الْحدَاد

Go ahead, my friend, befitting that you truly

Inherit the wearing of black.

مَا تَمَادَى حُزْنُ النفُوس عَلَى مثْـ

ـلكَ فيمَنْ خَلاَ كَهَذَا التَّمادي

Sorrow for the likes of you did not persist

Among those who passed as it has for this loss.

وَالأَسَى بَعْد رَائحٍ لَمْ يَكُنْ في

غَيْر ذَا الْخَطْب كَالأَسَى بَعْدَ غَادي

And the anguish after the departure of one who was never

In others is like the anguish after him who has left.

أَبْلغ السَّابقينَ أَزْكَى التَّحيا

ت منَ اللاَّحقينَ في ميعَاد

Convey the finest greetings to the forerunners

From the latecomers at the appointed time.

وَتَلَقَّ النُّعمَى بوَجْهٍ مُنيرٍ

فِيه سِيمَا تِلْكَ المَعَانِي الْجِيَاد

And meet blessings with a cheerful face

Bearing the traits of those generous virtues.