وَارَحْمَتَا لِي مِنْ صُرُوفِ زَمَانِي
أَنَّى رَمَتْ سِهَامَ مَكَانِي
My mercy and blessings in the turns of my time
Wherever the arrows of my fate have struck
إِنِّي لأَسْأَلُ وَالرَّفَاقُ تَحَمَّلوا
أَتُرَى يُطِيلُ عَذَابِي المَلَوَانِ
I ask - though my friends have endured -
Will my affliction by the vicious be prolonged?
مَنْ مُبْلِغُ السُّلْوَانِ مَقْرُوحَ الحَشَى
سُدَّتْ عَلَيْهِ مَسَالِكُ السُّلْوَانِ
Who will inform the Sulwan, wounded at heart?
The paths to the Sulwan are blocked to him
مَنْعَاكَ يَا عَبْدَ العَزِيزِ أَمَضِّينِي
وَأَضَافَ أَشْجَاناً إِلَى أَشْجَانِي
You forbid me, O Abdelaziz, send me on my way
And added sorrows upon my sorrows
فَاجَأْتَنِي بِالنَّأْيِ قَبْلَ أَوَانِهِ
هَلْ حُرْقَةٌ كَالنَّأْيِ قَبْلَ أَوَانِ
You surprised me with estrangement before its time
Is there a burning like estrangement before its time?
أَتَسُوءُ إِخْوَاناً مَلَكْتَ قُلُوبَهُمْ
ظَرْفاً وَكَنْتَ مَسَرَّةَ الإِخْوَانِ
Would you treat brothers ill whose hearts you've won
With grace, and you were the joy of the brothers?
رَبَّ البَيَانِ وَأَنْتَ بَالِغَ شَأْوِهِ
أَعْجَزْتَ بِالسَّبِقِ البَدِيعِ بَيَانِي
O Lord of eloquence, and you are its consummate master
Your precedence in wondrous eloquence has rendered my eloquence futile
أَدَبٌ يَخَالُ مُطَالِعُو آيَاتِهِ
أَنَّ الكَلامَ مَثَالِثٌ وَمَثَانِ
A literary polish whose ayahs intimate
That speech is but derivative and plagiarized
فُقْتَ الَّذِينَ أَخَذْتَ عَنْهُمْ يَافِعاً
وَبَزَزْتَ مَنْ جَلُّوا مِنَ الأَقْرَانِ
You surpassed those from whom you learned as a youth
And outshone all your distinguished peers
هَذَا بِإِجْمَاعٍ فَمَاذَا عَارَضَتْ
دَعْوَى دَعِيٍّ مِنْ سَنَى البُرْهَانِ
This by consensus, so what has the claim
Of a pretender to law disproved?
لا خَيْرَ فِي زَمَنٍ إِذَا مَا طَاوَلَتْ
فِيهِ الصِّعَادُ عَوَالِي المُرَّانِ
No good in a time when upstarts
Overrun the heights of culture
أَحْدَثْتَ أُسْلُوباً وَكَنْتَ إِمَامَهُ
وَبَقِيتَ فَذّاً فِيهِ مَا لَكَ ثَانِ
You created a style and were its imam
Remaining unmatched in it, you who are without peer
جَمَعَ السُّهُولَةَ وَالجَزَالَةَ لَفْظُهُ
تَتَخَالَفَانِ حِلىً وَتَأْتَلِفَانِ
Your words combine ease and gravity
Contraries reconciled in elegance
دِيبَاجَةٌ عَرَبِيَّةٌ مِصْرِيَّةٌ
نُقِشَتْ بِرَائِعَةٍ مِنَ الأَلْوَانِ
An Arabic robe Egyptian brocade
Embroidered in a wondrous palette
مَنْ لِلنَّوَادِرِ تَجْتَنِي مِنْهَا النُّهَى
مَا تَشْتَهِي مِنْ طَيِّبَاتِ مَجَانِ
For witticisms, plucking from them subtle fragrance
Whatever you wish of the gardens' perfumes
مَنْ لِلبَوَادِرِ لا يَجُودُ بِمِثْلِهَا
قَبْلَ الرَّوِيَّةِ أَحْضَرُ الأَذْهَانِ
For insights, no one gives of their like
Before conception, freshest in the minds
مَنْ لِلدُّعَابَةِ وَهْيَ قَدْ قَرَنَتْ إِلَى
حِلمِ الشُّيُوخِ تُرَاهَةً الشُّبَّانِ
For drollery, which you have matched to
The forbearance of elders, levity of youths
إِنْ ثُقِّفَتْ لطُفَتْ وَفِي ضَحِكَاتِهَا
إِيمَاضُ بَرْقٍ لا انْفِضَاضُ سِنَانِ
When refined, it is gentle, and in its laughter
Flashes of lightning, no bared teeth
نَهْلٌ تَسَاقَاهَا القُلُوبُ فَتَشْتَفِي
غُلَلٌ وَتُقْضَى لِلقُلُوبِ أَمَانِ
A nectar quaffed by hearts assuaging
Fetters - hearts secured in peace
بَلَوَاتُ أَلْبَقِ كَاتِبٍ وَمُحَدِّثٍ
صَافِي البَدَاهَةِ بَارعِ التِّبْيَانِ
Ordeals of the most brilliant writer and conversationalist
Pristine spontaneity, eloquent exposition
فِي جِدِّهِ وَمُزَاحِهِ مُتَصَرِّفٌ
بِبَرَاعَةٍ خَلاَّبَةٍ وَلِسَانِ
In earnest and jest resourceful
With charming dexterity and a clever tongue
أَخَلا مِنَ البِشْرِيُّ عَصْرٌ لَمْ يَكُنْ
فِيهِ عَلَى ذَاكَ المِثَالِ اثْنَانِ
Rare in humankind an age that did not have
The likes of that example, a peerless pair
شَخْصٌ قَلِيلٌ ظِلُّهُ طَاوِي الحَشَى
يَمْشِي فَلا تَتَوَازَنُ الكَتِفَانِ
A unique persona, a sheltering shadow
Walking while the shoulders do not sway
طَلَقُ المُحَيَّا إِذْ تَرَاهُ وَرُبَّمَا
نَمَّتْ بِكَامِنِ دَائِهِ العَيْنَانِ
Easy of manner when you see him, though perhaps
In the pocket of his shirt the eyes may sleep
حُبَّتْ مَلامِحُهُ بِمَسْحَةِ أُدْمَةٍ
هِيَ مِنْ مِنَا إِنْ شِئْتَ أَوْ عَدْنَانِ
His features gilded with a touch of duskiness
Descendant of us or of Adnan
وَبِعَارِضَيْهِ الهَابِطَيْنِ وَلِمَّةٍ
شَعْثَاءَ لَمْ تُلمَمْ مِنَ الثَّوَرَانِ
With the two drooping lines and a hint
Of unkempt hair, never groomed for ceremony
وَمَضِنَّةٍ يَطْوِي عَلَيْهَا صَدْرَهُ
وَكَأَنَّهُ أَبَداً عَلَيْهَا حَانِ
And a slight stoop, chest curved over it
As if forever leaning upon it
مِنْ ذَلِكَ التِّمْثَالِ لاحَتْ لِلوَرَى
آيَاتُ أَيِّ حِجىً وَأَيُّ جَنَانِ
From that statue shone for all
Signs of what sanctity, what heavens
حُسْنُ المَنَارَةِ فِي سُطُوعِ ضِيائِهَا
لا فِي زَخَارِفِهَا وَلا البُنْيَانِ
A lighthouse's beauty is in the radiance of its beacon
Not its decor nor architecture
أَمَّا خَلائِقُهُ فَقُلْ مَا شِئْتَ فِي
جَمِّ المُرُوءةِ رَاسِخِ الإِيمَانِ
As for his nature - say what you will of
The essence of chivalry, staunch faith
مَا ضَاقَ صَدْراً وَهْوَ أَصْدَقُ مُسْلِمٍ
بِتَخَالُفِ الآرَاءِ وَالأَدْيَانِ
No breast was straitened, his being the truest Muslim
By difference of views and religions
نِعْمَ الفَتَى فِي غَيْبَةٍ أَوْ مَشْهَدٍ
نِعْمَ الفَتَى فِي السِّرِّ وَالإِعْلانِ
What a gallant lad in absence or presence
What a gallant lad in secret and openly
بِالعَدْلِ يَقْضِي فِي الحُقُوقِ وَبِالنَّدَى
يَقْضِي حُقُوقَ الأَهْلِ وَالجِيرَانِ
With justice he rules in rights, and with dew
He rules the rights of family and neighbors
يَسْعَى كَأَدْأَبِ مَنْ سَعَى لِمُهِمَّةٍ
مَهْمَا يُجَشِّمُ دُونَهُ وَيُعَانِ
He labors, as assiduous as one who has toiled for a mission
However grueling, though he suffers
مُتَشَمِّراً بِغُدُّوِّهِ وَرَوَاحِهِ
عَجِلَ الخُطَى مُسْتَرْسِلَ الأَرْدَانِ
Girt for rising and retiring
Hastening, steps unfaltering
لَمْ كَانَ مَا فِي جِدِّهِ فِي جِدِّهِ
لَعَلَتْ مَكَانَتُهُ إِلَى كِيوَانِ
Not for his diligence would his station have reached
The heavens, had he not been thus content
لَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يُلْفَ يَومْاً عَاتِباً
أَوْ طَالِباً مَا لَيْسَ فِي الإِمْكَانِ
But he never spent a day complaining
Or seeking what isn't possible
وَرَعَى حَقِيقَةَ نَفْسِهِ وَأَجَلِّهَا
عَنْ أَنْ تُبَدَّلَ عِزَّةً بِهَوَانِ
And he respected the truth of his soul, and its nobility
Lest honor be replaced by disgrace
مَا مَنْصِبٌ فَوْقَ المَنَاصِبِ أَوْ غِنًى
فَوْقَ المَطَالِبِ غَايَةَ الفَنَّانِ
No position above positions, no wealth
Beyond yearning, the artist's ultimate goals
مَهْمَا يُزَاوِلْ فَالكَرَامَةُ عِنْدَهُ
هِيَ فِي إِجَادَتِهِ وَفِي الإِتْقَانِ
However he makes his living, dignity to him
Lies in his workmanship and excellence
مَاذَا يَكُونُ سَلِيلُ بَيْتٍ صَالِحٍ
عَالِي المَنَارَةِ بَاذِخِ الأَرْكَانِ
What would the scion of a virtuous house be
Lofty of pillar, firm of foundation
أَلوَالِدُ الشَّيْخُ الرَّئِيسُ وَوُلدُهُ
شَرَوَاهُ فِي أَدَبٍ وَفِي عِرْفَانِ
His father the Shaykh, the Rais, and his son
Partook of literary grace and mystical knowledge
صَبْراً جَمِيلاً يَا أَخَاهُ وَأَنْتَ مَنْ
بِحِجَاهُ يُدْرِكُ حِكْمَةَ الرَّحْمَنِ
Noble patience, my brother, you are one who
Through wisdom attains the Merciful's wisdom
كَمْ فِي القَضَاءِ تَلُوحُ لِلفَطِنِ الَّذِي
وَلِيَ القَضَاءَ وَمَعانِ
How in fate for the astute are glimpses
Of succor and consolation
وَعَزَاءَكُمْ يَا آلَهُ إِنَّ الَّذِي
تَبْكُونَهُ فِي نِعْمَةٍ وَجِنَانِ
And console yourselves, his family - he whom
You mourn is in grace and gardens
وَعَزَاءَكُمْ يَا مُعْجَبِينَ بِفَضْلِهِ
فِيمَا دَنَا وَنَأَى مِنَ الأَوْطَانِ
And console yourselves, you enamored of his excellence
In homelands near and distant
