أَفِرَاقاً وَأَنْتَ آخِرُ بَاقِ
مِنْ رِفَاقٍ كَانُوا أَبَر الرِّفَاقِ
Farewells, and you are the last companion remaining
Of friends who were the most righteous of companions.
بِنْتَ عَنْ جَانِبٍ مِنَ الْقَلْبِ حَيٍّ
خُذْ نَصِيباً مِنْ دَمْعِيَ الْمُهْرَاقِ
You turned away from a side of a living heart -
Take a share of my overflowing tears.
كَمْ حَبِيباً أَرْثِي أَمَا لِيَ شُغْلٌ
غَيْرُ تَسْوِيدِ هَذِهِ الأَوْرَاقِ
How many loved ones I weep for! But do I have any concern
Other than blackening these papers?
مَنْ سَقَتْهُ النَّوَى ثُمَالَةَ كَأْسٍ
قَدْ سَقَتْنِي النَّوَى بِكَأْسٍ دِهَاقِ
Whoever the goodbyes have given a cup of sorrow to drink
The goodbyes have given me a cup of anguish to drink.
حَلَبٌ أَنْجَبَتْكَ وَهْيَ فَخُورةٌ
بِفَتَاهَا الشِهيرِ فِي الآفَاقِ
Hailab who bore you while proud
Of her famous son among horizons.
السَّرِيِّ الذِي أَصَابَ مِنَ الْعَلْيَاءِ
مَا يَبْتَغِيهِ بِاْستحْقَاقِ
The secretive one who attained glory
That he aspires to deserve.
الزَّكِيِّ الْفُرُوعِ مِمَّن نَمَاهُمْ
وَالذَّكِيِّ الأُصُوِل وَالأَعْرَاقِ
The pure-branched one whom
The intelligent roots and lineages have nurtured.
النَّقيِّ الضَّميرِ فِي كُلَّ حَالٍ
وَالرَّفِيعِ الآدَابِ وَالأَخْلاَقِ
The one of pure conscience in every situation
And highest morals and ethics.
رُزِئَتْكَ الْفُصْحَى عَلَى الرغْمِ مِنْهَا
فَهْيَ فِي وَحْشَةٍ وَفِي إِطْرَاقِ
Eloquence felt anguished despite itself
And is in desolation and distress.
وَلَوَدَّتْ لَكَ الْبَقَاءَ إِلى غَا
يَتِهِ لَوْ وَقَى مِنَ الْمَوْتِ وَاقِ
It wished for you to remain forever
If it could be protected from death.
أَيَّها الْجِهبِذُ الذِي لَمْ يَفُتْهُ
مَا بِهَا مِنْ جَلاَئِلٍ وَدِقَاقِ
O you master whom
Its essence and preciseness did not escape.
أَيُّها النَّاقِدُ الشَّفيقُ وَلَكِنْ
مَا بِهِ فِي الصَّوَابِ مِنْ إِشْفَاقِ
O you gentle critic, but without
What he has of compassion.
أَيُّها النَّاثرُ الَّذِي لاَ يُبَاهى
لَفْظُهُ بِالجَلاَءِ وَالإِشْرَاقِ
O you prose writer whose eloquence
Is not boasted for clarity and illumination.
وَتَحُولُ الأَفْكَارُ فيهِ فَمَا تُخْطيءُ
مَعْنىً منَ الْمَعَاني الرِّقَاقِ
And thoughts turn in it, and do not miss
Any delicate meaning of meanings.
أَيُّها الشَّاعرُ الْمُقلُّ وَلَوْ أَكْثَرَ
لَمْ يَأْتِ تَالياً في السِّباقِ
O you scarce poet - had you written more
None would surpass you in the race.
مِنْ تَقْليبِكَ الحَقَائِقَ هَلْ كَا
نَ لِوَهْمٍ تَصُوغُهُ مِنْ خَلاَقِ
From your flipping facts, was there ever
An illusion you shaped out of fantasies?
إِنَّ كَنْزاً أَنْفقْتَ مِنْهُ لكنْزٌ
غيْرُ مُسْتنْفدٍ عَلَى الإِنْفاقِ
You have spent a treasure, but a treasure
That is endless in expenditure.
ليْسَ بَذْلٌ عَنْ بَسْطةٍ فِي الحِجَى
عِلماً وَخُبْراً كالْبَذلِ عَن إمْلاَقِ
Not a generosity out of amplitude in protection
Of knowledge and experience like generosity out of stinginess.
لَغَة الضَّادِ كيْفَ تَنسَى جَناهَا
مِن أَفانِينِ فِكرِكَ الخَلاَّقِ
How can the language of Dhad forget its harvest
From the vats of your creative mind?
ثَمَرَاتٍ مِنْ كُلِّ فَنٍّ بَدِيعٍ
فِي حُلِيٍّ مِنْ كُلِّ لَوْنٍ رَاقِ
Fruits from every art in an adornment
Of every delightful color.
