رَاع الكِنانَةَ رُزْءُ عَبْدِ القَادِرِ
وَجَرَى القَضَاءُ بِأَيِّ حُكْمٍ قاهِرِ
The shepherd of al-Kinanah was struck down - the decree of the Almighty was carried out
Have you seen the procession of mourners and their sorrow?
أَرأَيْتَ سَيْرَ مشَيِّعيهِ وَالأَسَى
بَادٍ عَلى بَادٍ يَسِيرُ وحاضِرِ
Traveler after traveler proceeds and resident after resident attends
Though they differ in status, in grieving for him aristocrats and commoners are the same
إِنْ تَخْتَلِفْ طَبَقَاتهُمْ لمْ تخْتَلِفْ
فِيه شُجُونُ أَكَابِرِ وَأَصَاغِرِ
The scribe of prose was the pride of his time
And he passed away as a rare gem
أَلكَاتِبُ النِّحرِيرُ فخْرُ زَمَانهِ
ولَّى وَكَانَ مِنَ الطِّرَازِ النادِرِ
Now orphan follows orphan from that precious jewelry
Who can cast eloquence as if it were the inspiration of spontaneity, not the craft of a skilled artisan?
أَيَتِيمَةٌ تَهْوي وَرَاءَ يَتيمَةٍ
منْ ذلكَ العقْدِ الكَريم الفاخِرِ
Refined in speech, not pretentious
He did not utter it carelessly
مَنْ لِلبَيَانِ يَصُوغُهُ وَكَأَنَّهُ
وَحْيُ البَدَاهَةِ لا صِياغَة مَاهِرِ
Choosing the ripest meanings to clothe appropriately in a flowering garment
His emotions permeate souls as though they share the temperament of secrets with secrets
مُتَأَنِّق فِي القَوْلِ لا مُتَصنِّعٌ
فِيهِ ولا يُلْقِيهِ عَفْوَ الخَاطِرِ
The journalism profession in Egypt was weakened by the loss of that tireless polisher of rough terrain
Over decades he persevered day after day through prominent struggle
مُتخيّرٌ مِنْ كل مَعْنىً يَانِعٍ
يُكْسَى عَلى قدَرٍ بِثَوْبٍ زَاهِرِ
He gave his treasures without hoarding them for the benefit of his nation, for the treasuries of the generous are inexhaustible
The days have not been darkened, though they were bright as life among shining moons
تَغْشَى سَوَانِحُهُ النُّفوسَ كَأَنَّها
فِيهَا مِزاجُ سرَائِرٍ بِسَرَائِرِ
The hardship of effort is the hardship of a free man beset by concerns and sleeplessness
Each earns according to his share and the journalist's wage is small
رُزِئَتْ صِحَافَةُ مِصْرَ رَافِعَ شَأْنِهَا
بِبَلاءِ رَوَّاضِ الصِّعابِ مُثَابِرِ
If he does not sell his conscience, the journalist trader is the noblest of traders
A lifetime in which Hamzah never wearied of his flock and was never neglectful of the bridle
عشرَاتُ أَحْوَالٍ طَوَى أَيَّامَهَا
يَوْماً فَيَوْماً فِي كِفَاحٍ بَاهِرِ
Had the drops his pens scattered been gathered, they would flow like a roaring, tumultuous sea
A sea which gives its divers precious jewels and pearls
يُعْطِي ذخائِرَهُ وَلَمْ يَكْرُثْهُ فِي
نَفْعٍ لأُمَّتهِ نفَادُ ذخَائِرِ
The elders have lost an honest, truth-seeking orator whose goal is to establish truth, not shake pulpits
He presents proofs - his only weapon - in the face of every adversary and denier
مَا سودَ الأَيَّامَ وَهْيَ بَهِيجَةٌ
بِبَيَاضِها كالعَيْشِ بَيْنَ مَحَابِرِ
No idle prattle inserted to pad his speech, no heated missiles launched
The truth needs no embellishment or ostentatious trappings
جُهْدُ العَنَاءِ عناءُ حُرٍ مُبْتَلىً
بِمُبَاكِرٍ مِنْ هَمهِ وَمُسَاهِرِ
In the Arabic Language Academy, he strove mightily to pay his share of erudition, knowledge, and excellence
Previously it had achievements in serving eloquent Arabic, and through it the pillars of bygone glory were fortified, and the pillars of present glory anchored
كلٌّ عَلى قَدَرٍ يَكِدُّ لِرِزْقِهِ
وَيَقِلُّ لِلصَّحفِيِّ أَجْرُ الآجِرِ
Arabic poetry laments one who eulogized its misfortunes and grieved for its scattered structure
He was its highest beacon, and his people needed the likes of him to man the minarets
إِنْ لمْ يَبِعْ فِيمَا يَبِيعُ ضَمِيرَهُ
فَالتاجِرُ الصَّحفِي أَشْرَفُ تاجِرِ
He never wearied of supporting its good course, for the time of nations is the time of destinies
A man who outweighed his peers in qualities that disdained resemblance to equals
عُمْرٌ بِهِ لمْ يَأْلُ حَمْزَةُ عَهْدَه
رَعْياً وَلمْ يَكُ لِلذِّمَامِ بِخَافِرِ
In him are manliness and dew which his tolerance and broad-mindedness clarify
Whatever deprived person you speak of that he helped, or fallen one he lifted up
لوْ ضم مَا قَطَرَتْ بِهِ أَقْلامُهُ
لامْتَدَّ كَالبَحْرِ الخِضَم الزَّاخِرِ
You will not see him except composed, and what is beyond the visible escapes your glance
A soul he manages with sound mind, controlling its impulses with the guidance of one who commands
بَحْرٌ إِلى رُوَّادِ مَكْنُونَاتِهِ
يُهْدِي النَّفائِسَ مِنْ حِلىً وَجَوَاهِرِ
He is angered by opinion, but if it collides with him, the shepherding of ideas by ideas does not fail him
You can see he is frankest in reproach, and if rancor arises, he returns gentlest in pardon
فقد الشُّيوخُ خَطِيبَ صِدْقٍ هَمُّهُ
تَمْكِينُ حَقٍّ لا اهْتِزَازُ مَنَابِرِ
However worldly events batter him, ebbing and flowing, he withstands with steadfast patience
With his judiciousness and resolve he gains supporters, if he cannot find them in a band of supporters,
يَلقي الأَدِلةَ وَهْيَ كلُّ سِلاحِهِ
في وَجْهِ كلِّ مُنَاهضٍ ومُكَابرِ
For the hero may be the first victor, but truth is the final victor
Oh you who travel, weep for his praiseworthy qualities which gush with tears from my eyelids
لا لَفْظَةٌ تَنْبُو وَلا لَغْوٌ بِهِ
يَحشُو الكَلام وَلا قَذِيفَةُ ثَائرِ
In harmony and discord we entwined in the immaculate sanctuary of affection
You harbored injustice beyond your capacity, though you were the enemy of every unjust decree
مَا بالصَّوَاب إِلى الإِفَاضَةِ حَاجَةٌ
كَلاَّ وَلا يُعْليهِ رَفْعُ عَقَائرِ
So he folded his wings, recoiled, and shed what remnants of that relationship remained
Oh House of Hamzah, if consolation for you is difficult, who can offer solace in the light of the All-Seeing?
في المَجْمَعِ اللُّغويِّ وَفَّى جَاهداً
قِسْطيْهِ مِنْ أَدَبٍ وَعِلمٍ وَافرِ
For your wound, hearts were wounded as if before the tragedy they shared your inner bonds
Or have you not seen amongst the people, O his sons, the many sincere sympathizers and helpers?
كانَتْ لَهْ فيهِ وَكَانَتْ قَبْلَهُ
في خِدْمَةِ الفُصْحَى ضُرُوبُ مَآثرِ
Show them the extent of your gratitude in proportion to his kindness and loyalty to you
And add to the renown of his mention glories equivalent to the glories with which you extolled him
وَشَجَتْ بهَا أَعْرَاقُ مَجدٍ غَابرٍ
وَتَوَثَّقتْ أَعْرَاقُ مَجْدٍ حاضرِ
تَرْثي العُرُوبَةُ مَنْ رَثى لِشَقَائِهَا
وَعَنَاهُ ضَمُّ نظامِهَا المُتَنَاثرِ
أَعْلى مَنارَتَهَا وَحَاجةُ قوْمِهَا
أَمْثَالها مِنْ عَاليَاتِ مَنَائرِ
لَمْ يَأْلُها مَدَداً لحُسْنِ مَصيرِهَا
وَالوَقْتُ للأَقْوَامِ وَقْتُ مَصَايرِ
رَجُلٌ بهِ رَجَحَتْ عَلى نُظَرَائهِ
شِيَمٌ أَبَيْنَ تَشَبُّهاً بنَظَائرِ
فيهِ المُرُوءَة وَالنَّدَى يَجْلُوهُمَا
بتَطَوُّلِ الكَافي وَصَفْحِ القَادرِ
ما شِئْتَ حَدِّثْ عَنْ إِغَاثَةِ لاجيءٍ
مِنْ قَاصِدِيهِ وَعَنْ إِقَالَةِ عَاثرِ
لا تلْتَقيهِ العَيْنُ إلاَّ سَاكناً
وَيَفُوتُ لَحْظَكَ مَا وَرَاءَ الظاهرِ
نَفُسٌ يُصَرِّفها بعقْلٍ مَالكٍ
نَزَعَاتِهَا تَصْريفَ نَاهٍ آمرِ
لِلرَّأْي غَضْبَتُهُ فإِنْ صَدمَتْهُ لمْ
يُخطئْهُ رَعْيُ مُنَاظرٍ لِمُنَاظرِ
وَلَقَدْ تَرَاهُ وَهْوَ أَصْرَحُ عَاذِلٍ
إِنْ قَامَ غُذْرٌ عَادَ أَسْمَحَ عَاذِرِ
مهْمَا تُصَادِمْهُ الحَوَادِثُ تَصْطدِمْ
مَدَّاً وجَزْراً بِالدؤُوبِ الصَّابِرِ
مِنْ حَزْمِهِ وَالعَزْمِ يُلْفِي نَاصِراً
إنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ فِي لَزْبَةٍ مِنْ نَاصِرِ
فَلَقدْ يَكُونُ البُطْلُ أَوَّلَ ظَافِرٍ
لَكِنْ يَكُون الحَقّ آخِرَ ظَافِرِ
يا رَاحِلاً أَبْكِي شَمَائِلَهُ الَّتِي
عَذُبَتْ فتَشْرَقُ بِالدُّمُوعِ مَحَاجِرِي
كُنَّا ائْتِلافاً وَاختِلافاً نَلتفِي
فِي مَشْرَعٍ لِلوُدِّ صَفْوٍ طَاهِرِ
حَمَّلتَ قَلْبَكَ جَائِراً مَا لم يُطِقْ
وَهْوَ العَدُوُّ لِكُلِّ حُكْمٍ جَائِرِ
فَطَوَى جَنَاحَيْهِ مَهِيضاً وَانْقَضَى
ما كانْ مِنْ تَدْوِيمِ ذاك الطَّائِرِ
يَا آلَ حَمْزَة إِنْ يَعِزَّ عَزَاؤُكُمْ
مَنْ لِلمُعَزِّي فِي ضِيَاءِ النَّاظِرِ
جُرِحَتْ لِجُرْحِكُمُ القُلُوبُ كَأَنَّها
قَبْلَ الرزِيئةِ فِيهِ ذَاتُ أَوَاصِرِ
أَوَ لَمْ ترَوْا فِي القَوْمِ يَا أَبْنَاءَهُ
كَمْ مِنْ مُوَاسٍ صَادِقٍ وَمُؤازِرِ
مَا كانَ أَرْفَقَهُ بِكمْ وَأَبَرَّهُ
فَأَرُوهُ كَيْفَ يَكونُ شكْرُ الشَّاكِرِ
وَبِقدْرِ مَا أَصْفَيْتُمُوهُ حُبَّكمْ
زِيدُوا مَفاخِرَ ذِكْرِهِ بِمَفَاخِرِ
