سَلِمْتَ لَوَ أَنَّ السَّهْمَ سَهْمُ مُقَاتِلِ
وَلَكِنَّ مَا أَصْمَاكَ سَهْمُ مُخَاتِلِ
You would have survived had the arrow been that of a warrior,
But alas, the dart that rendered you speechless was that of a flirt.
تَغَافَلَ مِنْكَ الرَّأْيُ ظَرْفَةَ مُقْلَةٍ
فَخُوِلِسْتَهَا وَالدَّهْرُ لَيْس بِغَافِلِ
Prudence was negligent of your astute mind
So you fell for it while time remains never remiss.
وَقَدْ عَلِمَ المَوْتُ الَّذِي بِتَّ حَرْبَهُ
مِرَاسَكَ فِي دَفْعِ الرَّزَايَا الجَلاَئِل
Death knew well the war you waged against it
And your resistance to repel grave misfortunes.
وَلَكِنَّهَا الأَعمَارُ إِنْ هِيَ عُوجِلَتْ
فَلاَ حوْلَ فِي رَدِّ القَضَاءِ المُعَاجِلِ
But lives, if cut short, leave no power
To repeal the swift decree of fate.
قَضَاءٌ بِإِفْنَاءِ الْحَيَاةِ مُوَكَّلٌ
إِلَى أَنْ يَكُونَ المَوْتُ آخِرُ زَائِلِ
It is fated to end life, such is its charge
Till death itself expires and departs.
فَلَيْسَ بِمُنْجٍ مِنْهُ قَلْبُ مُنَاضِلٍ
إِلَى آخِرِ الأَنْفَاسِ أَو عَزْمُ بَاسِلِ
No valiant heart till its last breath
Or resolute soul can evade its grip.
وَلاَ حِرْصُ أَحْنَى الوَالِدَاتِ عَلَى ابْنِهَا
وَلاَ جُهْدُ أَوْفَى بَرَّةٍ فِي الْعقَائِلِ
No mother's devotion to her son
Nor kin's fidelity can change destinies.
وَمَنْ لَمْ يَمُتْ بِالدَّاءِ فَالطِّبُّ لَمْ يَزَلْ
سِلاَحَ المَنَايَا فِي يَدَيْ كُلِّ جَاهِلِ
If not by disease, medicine always armed
Death's hands to reap each fool and sage.
لَهُ الوَيْلُ مِنْ لَيْلٍ طَوِيلٍ وَسَاعَةٍ
حَسِبْنَا المَدى فِي سَيْرِهَا المُتثاقِل
Woe to him, from long nights and hours
We thought the journey prolonged and sluggish
نَرَى شُهْبَهُ وَالدَّمْعُ يَغشى عُيُونَنَا
تَلُوحُ وَتَخْفَى كَالدمُوعِ السَّوَائِلِ
Seeing its meteors while tears filled our eyes
Showing and hiding like falling tears.
وَنَسْمعُ مِنْهُ فِي السُّكُونِ تَنَهُّداً
وَذَاكَ صَدَى أَنْفَاسِنَا فِي المَخَايِلِ
Hearing its sighs in the stillness
Echoes of our breath in the ruins.
وَقَفْنَا بِهِ نقضِي وَدَاع حَبِيبِنَا
حَيارَى كَاشْبَاحٍ بَوَاكٍ ثَوَاكِلِ
We stopped with it to bid farewell to our beloved
Bewildered specters, weeping, disconsolate.
نَنَادِي أَبرَّ الأَصْدِقَاءِ وَلَمْ يكنْ
يُخَيِّبُ إِذْ يُدْعَى رَجَاءً لآمِلِ
We called the most loyal of friends, and he wouldn't
Fail to answer when called, a hopeful refuge.
نُنَادِي أَبَا جِبْرِيلَ بِاسْمِ وَحِيدِهِ
وَقَدْ كَانَ لاَ يُعْتَاقُ عَنْهُ بِشَاغِل
We called Abu Jibreel by his only name
He who wouldn't be distracted by any preoccupation.
فَتَى المَجْدِ إِنَّ القَوْمَ جَالوا وَسَاجَلُوا
وَأَرخَى عِنَانَ الرَّأْيِ كلُّ مُطَاوِلِ
Oh noble one, the people disputed and contended
Each unleashing the reign of opinion, procrastinating.
فَأَيْنَ الَّذِي كَانَ المُقَدَّمَ فِيهِمُ
وَكَانَ وَدِيعَ النَّفْسِ عَفَّ الشَّمَائِل
Where is he who led them?
He of gentle spirit, flawless qualities.
وَأَيْنَ الَّذِي صَمْصَامُهُ دُونَ عَزْمِهِ
مَضَاءٍ إِذَا مَا اسْتَلَّهَ فِي المَعَاضِلِ
Where is he whose sword matches his resolve?
Resolute when wielding it in battles.
وَأَيْنَ الَّذِي كَانَتْ بوَادِرَ فِكْرِهِ
تَخَطُّفَ بَرْقٍ فِي قُطُوبِ المَشَاكِل
Where is he whose first thoughts
Flashed like lightning in the darkest dilemmas?
وَأَيْنَ الَّذِي فِي كُلِّ مِصْرٍ يحُلُّهُ
لَهُ المَنْزِلُ المَرْفُوعُ بَيْنَ المَنَازِلِ
Where is he who in every land he visited
Had the highest abode among men?
وَأَيْنَ الَّذِي مِيعَادُهُ غَيْرُ مُخْلَفٍ
وَتَسْبِقُ مِنْهُ القَوْلَ غُرُّ الفَعَائِل
Where is he whose word was sure to precede action
Outdoing the boldest deeds?
أَلاَ فِي سَبِيل اللهِ أَوْفَى مُفَارقٍ
وَفِي ذِمَّةِ العَلْيَاءِ أَكْرَمُ رَاحِلِ
Alas, for God's cause a fulfilling departure
And in care of the sublime, a noble traveler.
وَذَاكَ الشَّبَابُ الغَضُّ وَالْهِمَّةُ الَّتِي
تَدُوسُ إِلى غَايَاتِهَا كُلَّ حَائِل
That youth and determination which
Trampled all obstacles towards its goals.
وَتِلْكَ الْعُيونُ النَّاطِقَاتُ لِحَاظُهَا
بِأَجْلَى بَيَاناً مِنْ مَقَالَةِ قَائِلِ
Those eloquent eyes whose glances
Spoke clearer than a speaker's words.
وَذَاكَ الفُؤَادُ الثَّبْتُ فِي كُلِّ أَزْمَةٍ
إِذَا مَرَّتِ الأَحْدَاثُ مَرَّ الزْلاَزِلِ
That steadfast heart in every crisis
When events shook like quakes.
بِشَارَةُ جَلَّ الخَطْبُ فِيكَ وَإِنَّهُ
لَخَطْبٌ عَمِيمٌ لِلْعُلَى وَالْفَضَائِلِ
Glad tidings despite the gravity of events
For lofty virtues abound in you.
فَإِنْ تَبْكِ مِصْرٌ فَهْيَ تَبْكِي مُصَابَهَا
بِأَرْوَعَ مَيْمُونِ النَّقِيبَةِ فَاضِلِ
If Egypt mourns, it mourns the loss
Of its finest young nobleman.
وَإِنْ تَبْكِ سُورِيَّا فَقَدْ كُنْتَ رُكْنَهَا
وَكُنتَ أَبَرَّ ابْنٍ لأَجْزَعِ ثَاكِلِ
If Syria cries, you were its pillar
And the finest son to the most aggrieved mother.
وَإِنْ تَبْكِ أَربابُ الصَّحَائِفِ تَرْحَةً
فَقَدْ يَعْرِفُ التَّالُونَ فَضْلَ الأَوَائِل
If the writers grieve, they know well
The superiority of the early predecessors.
