ما اخْتَصَّ فَاجِعُ خَطْبِكَ التَّمْثِيلاَ
عَمَّ البِلاَد أَسى وَنَالَ النِّيَلا
The eloquence of your mournful speech has no parallel,
It brought sorrow throughout the land and moved the Nile.
يَا مُحْيِياً فَنا وَمَيْتاً دُونَهُ
يَا لَيْتَ حَظَّكَ مِنْهُ كَانَ قَلِيلاَ
O you who revived art but passed away yourself,
If only your share of it had been little.
أَصبَحْتَ مُوجِدَهُ وبِتَّ فَقِيدَهُ
قُتِلَ الْعُقوقُ كَمِ اسْتَبَاحَ قَتِيلاَ
You found it and left it an orphan,
So much sinfulness—how many victims were violated!
أَبَتِ السلاَمَةُ أَنْ تُعِيذَكَ بِاسْمِهَا
أَجَلُ الفَتَى لاَ يَقبَلُ التَّأْجِيَلا
Invulnerability itself refused to protect you in its name,
A young man’s death brooks no delay.
ذَهَبتْ لَيَالٍ كُنْتَ بُلْبُلَ أُنْسِهَا
آناً وَآناً عُذْرَهَا المَقْبُولاَ
Nights whose nightingale you were are gone,
Pleading their excuse again and again.
وَالمُسْتَحَبَّ سَمَاعُهُ وَلِقَاؤُهُ
فِي عَالَمٍ أَبْدَعْتَهُ تَخْيِيلاَ
The desirable thing was hearing and seeing you
In a world you made elegantly imaginary.
هَيْهَاتَ يرْجِعُ بَعْضُ ذَاكَ ورُبَّمَا
كانَ الزَّمَانُ بِبَعضِ ذاكَ بخِيلاَ
Alas, some of that will not return, and time
May be stingy with some of it.
عهْدٌ غَنمْنَا الحلْو مِنْ أَوْقاتِهِ
حَتْى اسْتَمرَّ ولَمْ يَكنْ مَمْلولاَ
A happy period whose sweetness we enjoyed
Until it lasted and was no longer cloying.
وَلَّيتَ مصطحِباً قلوباً لاَ تَرَى
مِن بَعْدِك الصَّبْرَ الْجمِيلَ جمِيلاَ
You have left behind you hearts that will not see
Patience as beautiful without you.
تَبْكِي أَبِيَّاً لَوْذَعِيّاً بَالِغاً
فِي فَنَّهِ مَا جَاوَزَ المأْمُولاَ
A creative genuis, excelling
In his art whatever was hoped for.
غَنَّى ونَاحَ شَجا وَسرَّ مُبَدَّلاً
مَا يَقْتَضِيهِ فَنُّهُ تَبْدِيلاَ
He sang, lamented feelingly, and was excellent
At following his art's demands.
ظَلَّتْ تُرَدِّدُ شَدْوَهُ أَوْ شَجْوهُ
مُتَعَاقِبَيْنِ تَذَكراً وَذُهُولاَ
She still echoes his lyrics or laments,
Alternately remembering and grieving.
يَعْتَادُهَا مِنْ لَحْنِه مَا اسْتَسْلَفَتْ
فَتُعِيدُهُ نَوْحاً عَلَيْهِ طويلاَ
She repeats from his melodies what she learned,
Mourning him at length.
لِلهِ نَعْشُكَ فِي السْنَاءِ كَانَهُ
فُلْكٌ تَهَادَى مُوسَعاً تَبجِيلاَ
Your bier moves slowly under the heavens as though
It were a ship sailing spaciously, with reverence.
يَطْوِي الْعنَانَ ضُحًى وَنَحْسَبُهُ عَلَى
بَحْرٍ تَضَرَّمَ بِالشَّجَى مَحْمُولاَ
Those escorting you have fulfilled their loyalty,
And they are the most noble people of fidelity.
أَرْضَى الولاَءَ مُشَيِّعُوهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ
لَلأَكْرَمُونَ عَلَى الْوَفَاءِ قَبِيلاَ
In God’s mercy, in His good pleasure,
In His pardon—that is enough when implored.
فِي رحمَةِ الرَّحْمَنِ فِي رِضْوَانِهِ
فِي عَفْوِهِ وَكَفَى بِهِ مَسْؤُولاَ
Return to the tenderness of eternity, the purest abode,
Where thirsty souls are saturated.
رِدْ فِي حِنَانِ الخُلْدِ أَصْفَى مَوْرِدٍ
تُرْوِي بِهِ ظَمْأَى النُّفُوسِ غَلِيلاَ
And gain the company of pure angels
Among whom greetings are only "Peace."
وَاغْنَمْ جِوَاراً لِلْمَلاَئِكِ طَاهِراً
لَيْسَ التَّحِيَّةُ فِيهِ إِلاَّ قِيلاَ
You listen to the heavenly recitations
And respond with the like, reciting.
تُصْغِي إِلَى العُلْوِيِّ مِنْ تَرْتِيلِهَا
وَتُجِيبُهَا بِنَظِيرِهِ تَرِتيلاَ
