مَنْ عَذِيِرِي وَالدَّمْعُ جَارٍ سَخِينُ
إِنَّ جُرْحَ النَّوَى لَجُرْحٌ ثَخِينُ
Who can excuse me while tears flow hot,
The wound of parting is indeed profound.
فَقَدْ خَيْرِ الصِّحَابِ أَوْدَى بِصَبْرِي
وَأَرَانِي التَّبْرِيحَ كيْفَ يَكُونُ
The best of friends passed away with my patience,
And farewell seems permanent to me.
يَا حَبِيباً عَلَيْهِ فُؤَادِي
وَفُؤَادِي بِمَنْ يُحِبُّ ضَنِينُ
O beloved, to whom my heart belongs,
While my heart loves, it's full of grief.
كيْفَ فَارَقْتَهُ وَلَمْ يَتَفَطَّرْ
جَزَعاً ذَلِكَ المُصَابُ الحَزِينُ
How could you leave without it shattering,
In sorrow over such sad misfortune?
لا وَحَقِّ الَّذِي أَمَاتَكَ تَحْيَا
وَلَكَ الحُبُّ فِيهِ وَالتَّمْكِينُ
No - by Him who took your life you shall live,
And for you is love in it and stability.
وَيَرَى صَحْبُكَ الأُولَى بِنْتَ عَنْهُمْ
رُوحَكَ الحَيَّ فِي حِلىً لا تَبينُ
Your early companions see your living soul
In ornaments where nothing is clear.
إِنَّ بِالشَّرْقِ بَعْدَ سَرْكِيسَ شَجْواً
شَرقَتْ بِالدِّمَاءِ مِنْهُ الجُفُونُ
In the East after your absence is weeping,
Eyes there reddened with blood at dawn.
فَلَّ مِنْ غَرْبِ مِصْرَ أَنْ يَتَوَلَّى
خِلُّهَا البَرُّ وَالوَلِيُّ الأَمِينُ
Let the guardian of Egypt in the West
Be righteous and the trusted guardian.
دَمِيَتْ مُهْجَةُ الشَّآمِ وَسَالَتْ
بِالصَّفَا فِي لُبْنَانَ مِنْهُ العُيُونُ
The passions of Syria are tearful, and tears
Flow freely in Lebanon because of you.
لِمُرِيدِي سَرْكِيسَ فِي آخِرَ المَعْ
مُورِ نَوْحٌ مُرَدَّدُ وَأَنِينُ
For your devotees at the end of affairs
Is repeated wailing and moaning.
كُلُّ قُطْرٍ لِلْعُرْبِ فِيهِ مَقَامٌ
أَوْ مَقَالٌ لَهُ بِهِ تَأْبِينُ
Every tribe of Arabs has through you
A residence or elegy of bereavement.
وَبِأَغْلَى فَريدِهِ وَحِلاهُ
جَادَ فِي مَدْحِهِ اللِّسَانُ المُبِينُ
With its most valuable jewel and adornment
The clear tongue lavishes praise.
ذَاكَ حَقٌّ لَهُ عَلَى نَاطِقِي الضَّا
دِ وَمَنْ بِالوَفَاءِ مِنْهُمْ يَدِينُ
This right upon eulogists of virtue
And those in loyalty to you indebted.
عَجَبٌ أَنْ خَبَا الشِّهَابُ وَأَنْ أَعْ
قَبَ ذَاكَ الحَرَاكِ هَذَا السُّكُونُ
A wonder that the bright star darkened,
And after such liveliness is this stillness.
كَانَ مِلْءَ الحَيَاةِ فَهْيَ وَقَدْ وَلَّ
ى فَرَاغٌ تُحَسُّ فِيهِ المَنُونُ
You were the fullness of life, but now
Emptiness remains, sensed by the afflicted.
أَوْقَعَ الذُّعْرَ حَيْنُهُ فِي نُفُوسٍ
خِلْنَ مَنْ ذَاكَ عَزْمُهُ لا يَحِينُ
Your loss cast terror into undaunted souls,
If only that resolve of yours had remained.
يَا فَخَارَ البَيَانِ مَاذَا دَهَاهُ
فَهُوَ اليَوْمَ خَاشِعٌ مُسْتَكِينُ
You were protected by holding firm
To an opinion you'd sacrifice for, and firmness protects.
يَتَلَقَّى الخُطُوبَ غَيْرَ أَبِيٍّ
وَعَلَى نَفْسِهِ يَكَادُ يَهُونُ
Sound faith, even if fire of torture,
Would not shake such conviction.
كيْفَ يَنْسَى سِنِينَ أَعْزَزْتَ فِيهَا
شَأْنَهُ فَوْقَ مَا تُعِزُّ الشُّؤونُ
That's a lesson you learned, remaining
An admonition to people as eras pass.
إِذْ أَثَرْتَ الحَرْبَ العَوَانَ عَلَى البَغْ
يِ وَكُلُّ لَهُ عَلَيْكَ مُعِينُ
How many a gallant man you were, of noble traits -
Courage, brilliance and faith lost.
فَتَرَامَى بَحْراً وَبَرّاً بِكَ النَّفْ
يُ وَورَاتْكَ بِالحِجَابِ السُّجُونُ
You were an embodiment of every virtue,
Then those traits parted from our eyes.
وَبَلَوْتَ الشَّقَاءَ مِنْ كُلِّ لَوْنٍ
مَا بِهِ رَحْمَةٌ وَمَا بِكَ لِينُ
The bereft have lost an honest, candid man
Whose nature knows no dissembling.
شَدَّ فِي السِّيرَةِ الَّتِي سِرْتَ مَا عَا
نَيْتَ مِمَّا تَرْتَاعُ مِنْهُ الظُّنُونُ
And a loyal friend in affection, none to rival
His fidelity, and true to every oath.
مِحَنٌ تَنْسِفُ العَزَائِمَ فِي الأبْ
طَالِ نَسْفاً لَوْ أَنَّهُنَّ حُصُونُ
A companion whose talk delights, with subtleties
Unending, and tales to enchant.
إِنَّمَا صَانَكَ الثَّبَاتُ عَلَى رَأْ
يٍ تُفَدِّيهِ وَالثَّبَاتُ يَصُونُ
He presents the rarest anecdotes with liveliest wit,
And races ahead with the lightest of them.
وَصَحِيحُ اليَقِينِ لَوْ صَلَى النَّا
ر عَذَاباً مَا اعْتَلَّ مِنْهُ اليَقِينُ
His words' exterior one may see as bland, but the
Profound view reveals wisdom remote.
ذَاكَ دَرْسٌ أَلْفَيْتَهُ وَسيَبْقَى
عِظَةَ النَّاسِ مَا تَمُرُّ القُرُونُ
To onlookers he's a beacon,
And for those who seek, he's a spring.
كَمْ فَتىً فِيكَ يَا حَمِيدَ السَّجَايَا
فَقَدْ البَأْسُ وَالنَّدَى وَالدِّينُ
You see me not enumerating qualities
Each of which honors and refines the gentleman.
كُنْتَ شَمْلاً مِنَ الصِّفَاتِ جَمِيعاً
فَتَوَلَّتْ تِلْكَ الصَّفَاتُ العُيُونُ
In journalism, if obstacles arose,
He'd tame them, making the rugged smooth.
فَقَدْ الفَاقِدُونَ حُرّاً صَرِيحاً
مَا لَهُ فِي طِبَاعِهِ تَلْوِينُ
Daily he'd weave lawful magic
Wherein minds are entranced.
وَخَدِيناً عَلَى اخْتِلافِ اللَّيَالِي
لا يُجَارِيهِ فِي الوَلاءِ خَدِينُ
When it fell, a shining star,
A firm pillar collapsed.
وَصَدِيقاً فِي وُدِّهِ لا يُدَاجِي
وَصَدُوقاً بِعَهْدِهِ لا يَمِينُ
It drew together their unity; unto wisdom
The downcast shall return.
وَنَدِيماً حَدِيثُهُ طُرَفٌ لا
تَتَنَاهَى أَلْطَافُهَا وَشُجُونُ
Today let us maintain the press;
By his grave its being is defined.
يُورِدُ النَّادِرَاتِ أَظْرَفَ إِي
رَادٍ وَيَعْدُو أَخَفَهُنَّ المُجُونُ
Sarkis was lofty, not complaining, but complaining
As much as he was able to gain support.
وَأَدِيباً إذَا تَقَضَّتْ فُنُونٌ
مِنْ إِجَادَاتِهِ تَلْتَهَا فُنُونُ
Sarkis would grant excuse, unless
One came insolently committing what debases.
يُؤْثِرُ السَّهْلَ فِي الكَلامِ وَلِلْ
جَزْلِ مَتَى تَدْعُهُ البَلاغَةُ حِينُ
If manliness called him, he'd answer,
And the desire for success was his ally.
تَطْفِرُ البَادِرَاتُ مِنْ نَبْعِهِ العَذْ
بِ وَفِي المُسْتَقَرِّ فِكْرٌ رَصِينُ
He was generous, though gaining little, but
In it was grace the poor could obtain.
ظَاهِرُ القَوْلِ قَدْ يُرَى نَزِقاً وَالرَّ
أْيُ فِي غَوْرِهِ البَعِيدِ رَزِينُ
He cared not for clouds' stinginess toward him,
While toward others clouds would be generous.
هُوَ لِلنَّاظِرِينَ نُورٌ مُبِينٌ
وَهُوَ لِلوَارِدِينَ مَاءٌ مَعِينُ
He was, for his family - the best family -
Good Lord of the protected sanctuary.
مَا تَرَانِي مُعِدِّداً مِنْ صِفَاتٍ
كُلُّهَا يُكْرِمُ الفَتَى وَيَزِينُ
From his guidance they have a shining star,
And from his help a precious treasure.
كَانَ سَركِيسُ فِي الصَّحَافَةِ إِنْ قَا
مَتْ صِعَابٌ يَرُوضُهَا فَتَهُونُ
A father's love returned in that guide
To all - though to some it seems madness.
كُلَّ يَوْمٍ يَأْتِي بِسِحْرٍ حَلالٍ
قَدْ حَلا فِيهِ لِلْعُقُولِ الفُتُونُ
If they withdrew into the house's corners,
Longing for him intensified, and pining.
فَهَوَى إِذْ هَوَى شِهَابٌ مُنِيرٌ
مِنْ بَنِيهَا وَانْهَدَّ رُكْنٌ رَكِينُ
What gentle discourse, sweet meanings,
Charmed their hearing and their eyes!
ضَمَّ مِنْ شَمْلِهِمْ أَسَاهُمْ عَلَيْهِ
وَإِلَى الرُّشْدِ يَرْجِعُ المَحْزُونُ
How can they console themselves, when in each horizon
Is an echo and murmur of him?
فَلْنحَيِّ النِّقَابَةَ اليَوْمَ قَامَتْ
وَلَهَا عِنْدَ قَبْرِهِ تَكْوِينُ
Oh, Sarkis - though we weep, the remaining
Sorrow and fleeting joy are feeble.
كَانَ سَركِيسُ عَالِيَ النَّفْسِ لا يَشْ
كُو وَيُشْكِي مَا اسْطَاعَ مَنْ يَسْتَعِينُ
Not for those who depart, but for us
When they go affairs are thrown into chaos.
كَانَ سَركِيسُ يَمْنَحُ العُذْرَ إِلاَّ
مَنْ أَتَى بَاغِياً أُمُوراً تَشِينُ
Egypt stood - with your soul you'd redeem her - but who
Would redeem her with his soul, save the deluded?
كَانَ إِنْ تَدْعُهُ المُرُوءةُ لَبَّ
اهَا وَمَسْعَاهُ بِالنَّجَاحِ ضَمِينُ
No foot lingered, yet in the soul of each
Of her sons for you is enduring dwelling.
كَانَ سَمْحاً يَجْنِي القَلِيلَ وَلَكِنْ
فِيهِ فَضْلٌ يُصِيبُهُ المِسْكِينُ
You were the spirit that would free her, what
Free spirit but yours would that fortified city doom?
لا يُبَالِي شُحَّ السَّحَابِ عَلَيْهِ
وَعَلَى غَيرِهِ السَّحَابُ هَتُونُ
كَانَ فِي أَهْلِهِ وَهُمْ خَيْرُ أَهْلٍ
نِعْمَ رَبُّ الحِمَى القَرِينُ
لَهُمُ مِنْ هُدَاهُ نَجْمٌ مُضِيءٌ
وَلَهُمْ مِنْ نَدَاهُ كَنْزُ ثَمِينُ
عَادَ حُبُّ البَنِينَ فِي ذَلِكَ المُرْ
شِدِ لِلْعَالَمِينَ وَهْوَ جُنُونُ
إِنْ تَوَارَوْا فِي دَارِةِ الدَّارِ عَنْهُ
جَدَّ شَوْقٌ بِهِ وَلَجَّ حَنِينُ
أَيُّ عَذْبِ الخِطَابِ حُلْوِ المَعَانِي
رُزْئَتْهُ أَسْمَاعُهُمْ وَالعُيُونُ
كيْفَ يَسْلُونَهُ وَفِي كُلِّ أُفْقٍ
لِحَدِيثٍ عَنْهُ صَدى وَرَنِينُ
إِيهِ سَرْكِيسُ إِنْ بَكَيْنَا فَإِنْ البَ
اقِيَ الحُزْنُ وَالسُّرُورُ الظَّعِينُ
لا عَلَى الذَّاهِبِينَ لَكِنْ عَلَيْنَا
حِينَ يَمْضُونَ تَسْتَدِرُّ الشُّؤُونُ
مِصْرُ قَامَتْ كُنْتَ بِالرُّوحِ تَفْتَدِيهَا وَمَا
مَنْ يَفْتَدِيهَا بِرُوحِهِ مَغْبُونُ
لَمْ يَضِعْ رَاحِلٌ وَفِي نَفْسِ كُلٍّ
مِنْ بَنِيهَا لَهُ قَرَارٌ مَكِينُ
