فِي أي جِوٍّ بِالأَسَى مُفْعَمِ

يَتَّصِلُ المَأْتَمُ بِالمَأْتَمِ

In whatever atmosphere filled with sorrow,

Grief is joined to grief,

يَا بَالِغَ الستِينَ كَمْ صَاحِبٍ

أَبَرَّ يَمْضِي وَأخٍ أَكْرَمِ

O you who reached sixty, how many a companion

Bade farewell and went while a dear brother remained,

مَا لِلْمَنَايَا وَرِجَالاتِنَا

يَفْتِكْنَ بِالأَعْظَمِ فَالأَعْظَمِ

What is it with death and our men

That it takes away the greatest then the greatest,

مُحَمَّدٌ فِي صَدْرِ أَيَّامِهِ

وَلَّى وَلَمْ يَدْلِفْ وَلَمْ يَهْرِمِ

Muhammad in the prime of his days

Turned down offers but did not become senile or decayed,

كَبَا بِهِ الْجَدُّ وَشِيكاً كَمَا

كَبا جَوَادُ الْفَارِسِ المُعْلَمِ

Seriousness overtook him, suddenly like

A steed that overthrew its renowned rider,

فِي مِصْرَ تَعْدِيدٌ وَفِي الشَّامِ تَرْ

دِيدٌ لِذَاكَ النَّبَأِ المُؤْلِمِ

In Egypt there is mourning and grief in Damascus

For that painful news,

وَفِي رُبَى لُبْنَانَ شَجْوٌ عَلَى

ذَاكَ الرَّئِيسِ الأَحْصَفِ الأَحْزَمِ

And in the meadows of Lebanon there is a lament

For that most wise and determined leader,

تَجْرِي مَآقِينَا دُمُوعاً وَمَا

يُغْنِينَ مِنْ غَارِبَةِ الأَنْجُمِ

Our tears are flowing abundantly, but they

Cannot benefit the setting of the stars,

يَا أَيُّهَا الكَوْكَبُ مِنْ كَوْكَبٍ

وَأَيُّهَا الخِضْرِمُ مِنْ خِضْرِمِ

O you planet among planets

And o you full moon among full moons,

لا طَامِعٌ فِي غَيْرِ مَا مَطْمَعٍ

أَوْ زَاعِمٌ فِي غَيْرِ مَا مَزْعَمِ

Neither greedy for anything but what he coveted

Nor claiming anything but what he proclaimed,

مِنْ كُل دِينٍ كَانَ أَصْحَابُهُ

وَكَانَ حَقَّ المُؤْمِنِ المُسْلِمِ

The followers of every religion were

And he was the true believer and Muslim,

إِنْ تَتَبَيَّنْ كُنْهَهُ لَمْ تَجِدْ

أَمْثَالَ ذَاكَ الْكَنْزِ فِي مَنْجَمِ

If you examine his substance you will not find

The like of that treasure in any ore,

ذَاقَ أَذَى النَّاسِ وَلَكِنَّهُ

لَمْ يَنْتَقِمْ يَوْماً وَلَمْ يَنْقِمِ

He tasted harm from people yet he

Never sought revenge, not once,

فِي طَبْعِهِ الحِلْمُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَمَنْ

يَرْفَعْهُ عَنْهُمْ قَدْرُهُ يَحْلُمِ

Patience towards them was in his nature, and he who

Exalts himself above them is patient,

آدَابُهُ مِنْ نَسَقٍ لامِعٍ

كَنَسَقِ اللُّؤْلُوءِ إِنْ يُنْظَمِ

His manners were of a brilliant strand

Like strands of pearls if threaded,

أَخْلاقُهُ أَخْلاقُ حُرٍّ نَبَتْ

بِهَا التَّجَارِيبُ وَلَمْ تُثْلَمِ

His morals were the morals of a free man which

Were refined by trials and never blemished,

أَلْفَاظُهُ ُقَطْرُ نَدًى خَالِصٍ

مِنَ الْقَذَى يَشْفِي أُوَارَ الظَّمِي

His words were drops of pure

Dew which heals the blindness of darkness,

قَضَى حَيَاةً كُلُّ سَاعَاتِهَا

سِلْسِلَةٌ فِي المَجْدِ لَمْ تُفْصَمِ

He lived a life every hour of which

Was a series in glory, never broken,

فِي ذِمَّةِ اللهِ الصَّدِيقُ الَّذِي

أَصْفَيْتُهُ وُدِّي وَلَمْ أَنْدَمِ

In Allah's protection is the truthful one whom

I chose, loved, and never regretted,

وَالِدُكَ الأَمْجَدُ فِي المُنْتَمَى

زَادَتْهُ مَجْداً رِفْعَةُ المُنْتَمِي

Your most glorious father in ancestry

Whose nobility increased his glory,

أَعْلَيْتَ مَا شَادَ فَأَضْحَى لَهُ

ظِلٌّ إِلَى أَقْصَى مَدىً يَرْتَمِي

You elevated what he built so it became

A shade stretching to the furthest extent,

لا بعُدَتْ ذِكْرَاكَ مِنْ رَاحِلٍ

قَدْ كَانَ سَبْطَ الْيدِ عَفَّ الْفَمِ

Never far from the mention of travelers

Who had been self-sufficient and tight-lipped,

وَكَانَ جِسْراً لِتَلاقِي الْعُلَى

مِنْ عُدْوَتَيْهَا وَبِهَذَا سُمِي

And he was a bridge for the coming together of the exalted

From its two banks, and thereby he was named,

مَنْ يَلْتَمِسْ وَصْفاً لَهُ صَادِقاً

فَالْقَوْلُ قَوْلُ الشَّاعِرِ المُلْهَمِ

He who seeks a true description of him

The words are those of the inspired poet,

مُحَمَّدٌ زَادِي النَّدَى وَالْقِرَى

وَجَبَلُ اللاَّجِيءِ وَالمُحْتَمِي

Muhammad my provision and lodging,

And the unvanquished mountain of refuge,

أَلناقِضُ المُبْرِمُ عَنْ فِطْنَةٍ

تَصْدُقُ إِنْ يَنْقُضْ وَإِنْ يُبْرِمِ

The promises he makes are never broken,

Wise if he promises and wise if he decides,

أَلفَيْصَلُ الفَارُوقُ فِي حَلِّ مَا

أَعْضَلَ إِنْ يَفْصِلْ وَإِنْ يَحْكَمِ

The determining arbitrator if what is twisted

Becomes more twisted, or if he rules,

مَنَارَةُ النُّوَّابِ إِنْ حُيِّرَتْ

سَبِيلُهُمْ فِي المَعْبَرِ المُظْلِمِ

The guiding light of parliament if their path

Is confused in the dark passage,

هُدَى الْوِزَارَاتِ إِذَا فَاتَهَا

وَجْهُ الْهُدَى فِي المَطْلَبِ المُبْهَمِ

The guide of ministries if the aspect of guidance

Escapes them in the ambiguous quest,

مُسْعِدُ مَنْ يَمَّمَ سَاحَاتِهِ

إِنْ يَعْدِمِ المُسْعِدَ أَوْ يُعْدَمِ

He makes happy whoever turns to him

Whether he finds happiness or is deprived of it,

قُوسِمْتُ فِي حُزْنِي عَلَيْهِ فَمَا

بَالِي كَأَنَّ الْحُزْنَ لَمْ يُقْسَمِ

I was allotted a portion of sadness for him yet

I care not as if this sadness was not allotted,

عَجِبْتُ لِلأَيَّامِ أَبْقَيْنَنِي

حَيّاً وَقَلْبِي مُلْتَقَى الأَسْهُمِ

I am astonished that the days have kept me

Alive while my heart is the meeting place of arrows,

فَمَا رَمَى عَنْ قَوْسِهِ حَادِثٌ

فِي بَلَدٍ إِلاَّ وَقَلْبِي رُمِي

No calamity in any land was shot

From its bow without striking my heart,

مَنْ كَثُرَتْ أَصْحَابُهُ حَوَّلَتْ

حُلْوُهُمُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَى عَلْقَمِ

When many gathered around him, their sweetness

Turned the world bitter to him,

يَا لَدَمِي أَشْعُرُ أَنَّ الأَسَى

يَصُبُّ جَمْراً سَائِلاً فِي دَمِي

Oh my blood, I feel that sorrow

Pours molten embers into my blood,

مُحَمَّدٌ اذْهَبْ بِسَلامٍ وَطِبْ

إِنَّكَ لَمْ تُمْلِلُ وَلَمْ تُذْمَمِ

Muhammad go in peace and farewell,

You did not become insipid or tasteless,

كُنْتَ لِمَنْ عَايَشْتَهُ رَاحِماً

فَالْقَ الرِّضَى مِنْ رَبِّكَ الأَرْحَمِ

You were kind to those you lived with

So meet the pleasure of your Most Merciful Lord,