عُمْرٌ قَطَعْتَ مَدَاهُ قَبْلَ أَوَانِ

خُذْ بِالمُخْلَّدِ وَاعْدُ مَا هُوَ فَانِ

You shortened your life before its time

Grasp the eternal and abandon the transient

مَا زِلْتَ فِي جِدٍّ وَجَدٍّ عَاثِرٍ

حَتَّى سَمَوْتَ وَدُونَكَ القَمَرَانِ

You have been constantly striving

Until you rose above the two moons

عَجَّلْتَ بَيْنَكَ فِي جِهَادِكَ فَاحْتَوَى

مَعْنَى الشَّهَادَة وَهْيَ ذَاتُ مَعانِ

You hastened through your jihad

To encompass the meaning of martyrdom in its essence

أَعْزِزْ عَلَى أَهْلِ النُّهَى أَلاَّ تُرَى

فِي الشَّوْطِ حِينَ تَسَابُقِ الأَقْرَانِ

Honor the people of prohibition by not being seen

Among the competitors when they race

وَعَلَى النَّديِّ مَكَانُكَ الخَالِي إِذَا

رَنَتِ العُيُونُ إِلَى أَعَزِّ مَكَانِ

And in your high empty place when

Eyes turn to the highest place

مِنْ آلِ عَقْلٍ لا يَخِرُّ مُكَافِحٌ

حَتَّى يَلُوحَ مِنَ الصُّفُوفِ الثَّانِي

From a family whose warrior does not retreat

Until he appears among the ranks of the second row

غُرٌّ مِنَ الفِتْيَانِ مَا بَرِحْتَ لَهُمْ

فِي الصَّالِحَاتِ البَاقِيَاتِ يَدَانِ

A cave for the youth that you have not ceased

To have righteous lasting deeds for them

لِي فِيهِمُ الأَصْفَى مِنَ الأَحْبَابِ لا

أَعْدَمْهُ وَالأَوْفَى مِنَ الخُلاَّنِ

Among them I have the finest of friends whom

I do not lack and the most loyal of companions

وَهَبُوا النَّفَائِسَ وَالنُّفُوسَ كَأَنَّهَا

فَضَلاتُ زَادٍ فِي هَوَى لُبْنَانِ

They gave their treasures and souls as if they were

Extra provisions on a journey to Lebanon

وَإِذَا ذَكَرْتَ فِدَى سَعِيدٍ مِنْهُمُ

وَضَحَتْ صَحِيفَتُهُمْ مِن العُنْوَانِ

And when you mention Sa'eed's sacrifice among them

Their history stands out from the title

مَاذَا دَهَى الأَفْرَاخَ فِي ظِلٍّ ضَحَا

عَنْ أَيْكَةٍ فِي نَعْمَةٍ وَأَمَانِ

What has made the chicks comfortable in pleasant shade

From a nest of luxury and safety

كَشَفَتْ مُفَاجَأَةُ الرَّزِيئَة سِتْرَهَا

وَانْتِيبَ مَأَلَفُ عِزِّهَا بِهَوَانِ

The surprise of misery has uncovered its veil

And the familiarity of its glory has been lost in disgrace

لا لاَ وَيَأْبَى العَدْلُ ذَاكَ مَثُوبَةً

لِمُخَلِّفٍ ذِمَماً عَلَى الأَوْطَانِ

No, no - justice refuses that as recompense

For one who lags behind with debts to his homelands

أَبْكِيكَ يَا خِدْنِي وَكَمْ مُتَقَدِّمٍ

أَمْسَيْتُ أبكِيه مِنَ الأَخْدَانِ

I cry for you my lament and how many predecessors

Have I ended up crying for from among the loved ones

كَثرَتْ جِرَاحَاتِي وَأَحْدَثُ مَا أَتَى

مُتَلاحِقاً وَأَمَضُّهُ جُرْحَانِ

My wounds have multiplied and the newest that came

In succession and harshest are two wounds

أَخَوَانِ فِي عَامٍ رُزِئْتُهُمَا وَمَنْ

كَانَا لَعَمْرِي ذَانِكَ الأَخْوَانِ

Brothers in a year I was distressed by both and they

Were for my life those two brothers

بِالأَمْسِ كُنْتَ عَزَاءَ قَلْبِي عَنْهُمَا

وَاليَوْمَ قَلْبِي فَاقِدُ السُّلْوَانِ

Yesterday you were the solace of my heart from them

And today my heart is devoid of comfort

يَا شَاعِرَ العَرَبِ الَّذِي آثَارُهُ

جَمَعَتْ عُيونَ الشِّعْرِ فِي دِيوَانِ

O poet of the Arabs whose effects

Have collected the eyes of poetry in a journal

صُغْتُ القَرِيضَ فَرَاحَ يَبْهَى فِي الحِلَى

مَا صِيغَ مِنْ دُرٍّ وَمِنْ عِقْيَانِ

I listened to the ode then it began to shine in adornments

That were crafted from pearls and from corals

أَللُّطْفُ فِي تَأْلِيفِه وَالظَّرْفُ فِي

تَصْرِيفه صِفَتَانِ بَيِّنَتَانِ

The subtlety in its composition and the elegance in

Its style are two evident qualities

تَتَبَارَيَانِ جَزَالَةً وَسُهُولَةً

وَإِلَى اسْتِلابِ اللُّبِّ تَسْتَبِقَانِ

They compete in profundity and smoothness

And in winning hearts

مَنْ يَنْظِمُ المَعْنَى الدَّقِيقَ وَيُحْكِمُ المَبْ

نَى الرَّقِيقَ بِذَلِكَ الإِتْقَانِ

Who composes precise meaning and constructs delicate

Structure with such perfection?

قَوْلٌ أَعَارَتْهُ الطَّبِيعَةُ زِينَةً

خَلاَّبَةً مِنْ حُسْنِهَا الفَتَّانِ

A saying that nature has given alluring

Beauty from its captivating charm

مَا أَجْمَلَ الصُّوَرَ الَّتِي تُجْلَى بِهِ

فِي أَبْهَجِ الأَنْوَارِ وَالأَلْوَانِ

How beautiful the images that are revealed through it

In the most delightful lights and colors

لَمْ يَنْصُرِ الفُصْحَى كَنَصْرِكَ جِهْبَذُ

مُتَضَلِّعٌ مُتَوَسِّعٌ فِي آنِ

None have aided the eloquence like your aid, you seasoned

Expert, well-versed, at the time

قَوَّى مَعَاقِلَهَا وَدَرَّبَ نَشْأَهَا

فَبَنَى لَهَا جُدُراً مِنَ الأَرْكَانِ

You strengthened its fortresses and trained its youth

So you built strong pillars for it

وَأَقَرَّهُ فِي الصَّدْرِ مِنْ دِيَوانِهِمْ

أَشْيَاخُهَا بِالطَّوْعِ وَالإِذْعَانِ

And its elders settled it securely in their minds

By consent and submission

وَاحَسْرَتَا إِنَّ الكِنَانَةَ لَمْ تَفُزْ

بِأَثَارَةٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ العِرْفَانِ

Alas, ingratitude has not gained

Any knowledge from that recognition

أُدَبَاءَ لُبْنَانَ الكِرَامَ عَزَاءَكُمْ

إِنَّا لَمُشْتَرِكُونَ فِي الأَحْزَانِ

Poets of noble Lebanon, your condolence

We share in the sorrows

هَلْ حَلَّ خَطْبٌ بِالشَّآمِ وَأَهْلِهِ

إِلاَّ تَقَاسَمَ شَجْوَخُ القُطْرَانِ

Has any calamity befallen Damascus and its people

Except our sharing the bitterness of tar?

إِنْ لَمْ تَرَوْنِي فِي الجَمَاعَة حَاضِراً

جِسْماً فَإِنِّي حَاضِرٌ بِجَنَانِي

If you do not see me present in body

I am present in spirit

مَا بِي وَنىً عَمَّنْ دَعَانِي مِنْكُمُ

لَكِنَّ حُكْماً لا يُرَدُّ عَدَانِي

I have no grudge against those of you who have invited me

Rather a judgment I cannot refuse has prevented me

شَأْنُ الصِّحَافَة أَنْ تُشَرِّفَ مَنْ بِهِ

شَرُفَتْ وَمَنْ أَوْلَى بِذَاكَ الشَّانِ

The press honors those who have been

Honored by it, and who is more deserving of this than he?

أَدُّوا حُقُوقَ نَقِيبِهَا وَخَطِيبِهَا

فَأَدِيبِهَا المُتفَوِّقِ الفَنَّانِ

Give the press its leader and orator his rights

Its superior accomplished artist

أَلكَاتِبِ الحُرِّ المُجِيد النَّائِبِ ال

بَرِّ الشَّديد العَزْمِ وَالإِيمَانِ

The free noble writer, the strong-willed steadfast

Representative of unshakable faith

رَجُلٌ قُصَارَى جُهْدهِ فِي قَوْمِهِ

نَصْرُ المَضِيمِ أَوِ افْتِكَاكُ العَانِي

A man whose utmost effort is for his people

To help the oppressed or free the suffering

يَحْمِي حَقِيقَتَهُمْ وَحُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ

بِشَجَاعَةِ المُسْتَبْسِلِ المُتَفَانِي

He protects their rights and freedoms

With the courage of the dedicated selfless one

وَيَرُدُّ كَيْدَ خُصُومِهِمْ فِي نَحْرِهِمْ

بِلِسَانِ صِدْقٍ دَامِغِ البُرْهَانِ

And he repels the guile of their enemies against them

With the tongue of sincere convincing proof

وَيُنَزِّهُ الأَخْلاقَ مِنْ شُبَهٍ بِهَا

وَيُطَهِّرُ الآدَابَ مِنْ أَدْرَانِ

And he purifies morals from any doubt in them

And cleanses literature from impurities

أَوَدِيعُ نَقْضِيكَ الوَدَاعَ وَكُلُّنَا

ذَاكِي الحَشَى مُسْتَعْبِرُ الأَجْفَانِ

Farewell, wisher of your farewell, and we are all

With tearful eyes and flowing tears

سَتُعِيدُ طَيْرُ الأَرْزِ مَا عَلَّمْتَهَا

مِنْ شَدْوِكَ المُشْجِي عَلَى الأَزْمَانِ

The birds of the cedars will repeat what you taught them

Of your burning poetry through the ages

وَسَتَذْكُرُ الضَّادُ اعْتِزَازَ بَيَانِهَا

بِكَ مَا جَرَتْ ذِكْرَى أَمِيرِ بَيَانِ

And the letter Dha will remember its pride in its

Eloquence through you, like the Prince of Eloquence is remembered