إلى أَيِّ امْتِدَادٍ في البَقَاءِ

تُرَوِّعُني مُنَايَا أَصْدِقَائِي

To what extent in existence will

The deaths of my friends frighten me

شَكَتْ عَيْنيّ وَمَا ضَنَّتْ قَدِيماً

نُضُوبَ الدَّمْعِ مِنْ فَرْطِ البُكَاءِ

My eye complained, though it has not been stingy with tears before

The tears are exhausted from excessive crying

وَأخْلَقَ جِدَّةَ الإِلْهَامِ فِكْرِي

مِنَ التِّكْرَارِ في نَظْمِ الرِّثَاءِ

And my mind’s ability for inspiration is exhausted

From the repetition in composing elegies

فَحَتَّامَ الجِراحُ تَظَلُّ تُدْمَي

وَتُنْكِؤُهَا رَزِيئَةُ كُلِّ نَاءِ

So my wounds are still bleeding

And every groan reopens them

عَلِيُّ إذا ثَويْتَ رَهينَ رَمْسٍ

فَقَدْ عَجِلَتْ عَلَيْكَ يَدُ الفَنَاءِ

Ali, when you are laid down in the ground

The hand of death has hastened to you

وَمَا قُوْلي الفَنَاءُ وَأَنْتَ حَيٌّ

حَيَاةُ الخَالِدِينَ بِلا مِرَاءِ

And I do not say “death”, for you are alive

The eternal life, undoubtedly

رَقَيْتَ إلى جوارِ اللهِ تُجْزَى

بِمَا قَدَّمْتَهُ أَوَفَى الْجَزَاءِ

You ascended to be near God, to be rewarded

For the most faithful reward you offered

وَبَانَ لِنَاظِرَيْكَ السِّرُّ فِيمَا

جَهِلَنَا مِنْ تَصَارِيفِ القَضَاءِ

And your insight saw the secret in what

We were ignorant of from the turns of destiny

تَرَى كَيْفَ الوَرَى مِنْ حَيْثُ تُوفِي

وَكَيْفَ الأَرْضُ مِن أَوْجِ السَّمَاءِ

You see how the earth seems from where you passed away

And how the land seems from the zenith of the sky

سَنَذْكرَ مَحْمَدَاتِكَ مَا حَيَيْنَا

وَيَذْكَرُهَا البَنونُ عَلى الوَلاءِ

We will mention your virtues as long as we live

And the descendants will remember them in loyalty

لَقَدْ كَانَ القَضَاءُ وَأنْتَ فِيهِ

مِثَالاً لِلنَّزَاهَةِ وَالصَّفَاءِ

Indeed, destiny with you in it

Was an example of integrity and purity

تُصَرِّفُهُ بِفِطْنَةِ لَوْذَعيٍّ

يُصِيبُ الحَلَّ في كَبِدِ الخِفَاءِ

You guide it with clever discernment

Hitting the mark in the core of obscurity

وَلَمْ تَكُ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ بِالمُحَابِي

وَلَمْ تَكُ ذَاتَ يُوْمٍ بِالمُرَائِي

You have never been flattering

And have never been falsely praising

وَمَا تِلْقَاءُ عَدْلِكَ مِنْ أَعَادٍ

تُبَالِيهُمْ وَمَا مِنْ أَوْلِياءِ

And your justice does not care about enemies

Nor care about allies

تُرَاقِبُ وَجَهَ رَبِّكَ لاَ سِوَاهُ

وَتَرْعَىَ النَّاسَ فِي حَدٍّ سَواءِ

You observe only the face of your Lord

And shepherd the people in perfect equality

فَلَمَّا آنَ أَنْ تَلْقَى حِمَاماً

مِنَ الجَّهْدِ المُبَرّحِ وَالعَنَاءِ

So when it was time for you to receive

A deluge of exhausting effort and fatigue

دَعَتْكَ إلى الصّحَافَةِ نَفْسُ حُرٍّ

شَديدَ العَزْمِ مُؤْتَنِفَ الفَتَاءِ

The soul of a free man called you

Of strong determination, renewal of jurisprudence

فَقَامَ بِعِبْئِهَا مَرِنٌ صَبورٌ

صَدوقُ العَهْدِ مَرْعِيُّ الوَلاءِ

So the flexible, patient, loyal one rose to its responsibility

Who protects Egypt’s rights in the greatest protection

يَصونُ حَقُوقَ مِصْرَ أَبَرَّ صَوْنٍ

وَيُبْلي دُونَها أَقْوَى بَلاءِ

And exerts for it the strongest affliction

When he analyzes, his insight flows

إِذا أجْرى يَرَاعَتَهُ أَسَالَتْ

مُهَارِقُهَا مَجَاجاً مِنْ ضياءِ

Pouring with illumination and fire

Ignited with zeal and refusal to submit

مَهَارِقُ حَشْوُهَا نُورٌ وَنَارٌ

تَأَجَّجَ بِالحَمِيَّةِ وَالإبَاءِ

Indeed, sorrow is in mourning

For the man of chivalry and resolve

أَلا أنَّ الكِنَانَةَ في حِدَادٍ

عَلَى رَجُلِ المُروءَةِ وَالمَضاءِ

When a nation lamented over him

Then what of his comrades and kin?

إِذَا مَا أُمَّةٌ جَزَعَتْ عَلَيْهِ

فَكَيْفَ بِصَحْبِهِ وَالأَقْرُبَاءِ

They experienced from him good neighboring

Without any doubt or crookedness

بَلوا مِنْهُ جَواراً أَرْيِحِيّاً

بِلا دَخَلٍ يَريبُ وَلا الْتِوَاءِ

Whoever you ask among them speaks of him

Not fearing exaggeration in praise

يُحَدِّثُ عَنْهُ مَنْ حَدَّثْتَ مِنْهُمْ

فَما يَخْشَى التَّغَالي في الثَّنَاءِ

The generosity of innate disposition and purity of nature

And gentleness in deliberate patience and generosity

سَمَاحَةُ فِطْرَةٍ وَصَفَاءُ طَبْعٍ

وَرِفْقٌ في أَنَاةٍ في سَخَاءِ

May this bring Egypt consolation for losing him

When the loyal ones have departed

زَكي بِكَ العَزَاءُ لِمِصْرَ عَنْهُ

إِذَا افتُقِدَتْ مَكَانُ الأَوْفِياءِ

And who among its sons is hoped for like you

So fulfill what it hopes of you

وَمِثْلُكَ في بَنِيهَا مَنْ يُرَجَّى

فَحَقَّقْ مَا لَها بِكَ مِنْ رَجَاءِ