كَم فَاضَ فِي أَثَرِ الهِلالِ العَاثِرِ
مِنْ مَدْمَعٍ بِاللُّؤلٌؤِ المُتَنَاثِرِ
How much tears did flow in the wake of the crescent moon,
Scattered pearls shining bright.
وَاهْتَزَّ ضَوءٌ فِي الدَّرارِي خِلْتُهُ
مَاءً تَرَقْرَقَ مِنْ أُلُوفِ مَحَاجِرِ
A light flickered in the valleys of his dimples,
Water trickling from thousands of springs.
خَطْبٌ بِجَانِبِهِ يَشِعُّ وَإِنْ جَرَى
مُتَدَارِكاً سَحُّ الرَّبَابِ الهَامِرِ
There was a speech beside him radiating light, even as it flowed
Rushing to quiet the murmur of the bustling lute.
تَرَكَ الدُّجَى وبِكُلِ نَجْمٍ ثَابِتٍ
مِنْ رَوْعِهِ نظَراتُ طَرْفٍ حَائِرِ
He left the darkness and gazed at every fixed star
With the wandering glances of a perplexed eye.
وَلِكُلّ سَيَّارٍ شُعَاع سَابِرٌ
فِي الغَوْرِ مَهْوَى كُلِّ جَدٍّ غَائِرِ
Each planet had a beam traversing the abyss
Into the depths where every ancestor lies.
إِنْ تَجْزَعِ الزُّهْرُ الطَّويلُ بَقَاؤُهَا
مَا عُذْرُ أَصْحابِ المَدَى المُتقَاصِرِ
Do not fret if flowers wilt for their brief lifespan,
What excuse do mortals have whose lives are even shorter?
وَعَلامَ خَوفُ المَوتِ يَسْطُو آخِذاً
بِنُفُوسِنَا أَخْذَ العَزِيزِ القَادِرِ
Why does the fear of death stealthily seize
Our souls with the grip of the Almighty Able?
وَالمَوْتُ لَيْسَ سِوَى التَّحوُّلُ فِي بُنىً
وَالفَصْلِ بَعدَ الوَصْلِ بَيْنَ عنَاصِرِ
Death is but a transformation into other forms
And separation after union of elements.
لوْ يَعْقِلُ الإِنْسَانُ لم يَأْبَهْ لِمَا
تَجْرِي بِهِ سُنَنُ النِّظامِ القاهِرِ
If man would understand he would not care
For the laws of the compelling system.
مَا الجِسْمُ إِلاَّ حَالةٌ وَتَصِيرُ مِن
صِفَةٍ إِلى أُخرى بِحُكْمِ قاسِرِ
The body is but a state, transforming
From one quality to another by decree of fate.
وهَلِ الحَيَاةُ سوى اتصَالٍ دائِبٍ
فِي الكَوْنِ بَينَ مبَادِئٍ وَمَصَايِرِ
Is not life but a continual connection
In the universe between principles and fates?
لَكِنَّنا نُطْنَا قُوَانَا كُلَّهَا
دُونَ النهَى بِنَوَازِعٍ وَأَواصِرِ
Yet we compose all our songs
Without heeding either check or bond.
طَلَبُ البَقَاءِ وَحُبَّنا لَذَّاتِهِ
سَبَبُ التنكُّرِ لِلقَضاءِ الدَّائِرِ
Seeking survival and loving existence
Is why we deny the circling decree.
يَا ابْنَ العَزِيزِ وَأَنْتَ ثُنيانٌ زَكَا
مَا شَاءَ فِي فَينَانِ نَسْلٍ طَاهِرِ
O noble child, you were pure virtue,
Whatever was ordained in an immaculate ancestry.
أَسَفاً عَلى ذاكَ الجمَالِ المُزدَهِي
أَسفاً عَلى ذَاكَ الشَّبابِ النَّاضِرِ
Alas for that blossoming beauty,
Alas for that shining youth.
أَسَفاً عَلى تِلكَ الرَّجَاحَةِ فِي الحِجَى
أَسَفاً عَلى ذَاكَ الذَّكَاءِ النَّادِرِ
Alas for that intelligence so rarely found,
Alas for that nimble wisdom.
بَدَتِ النَّجابَةُ فِيكَ قَبلَ أَوَانِهَا
فَأَتَتْ بِآيَاتٍ كَسِحْرِ السَّاحِرِ
Nobility appeared in you before its time
Bringing signs like a sorcerer's magic;
حَتَّى تَوَسَّم فِيكَ أَكْبَرَ شِيمَةٍ
لِلأَمْرِ كُلُّ مُخَالِطٍ وَمُجَاورِ
So that every associate and neighbor saw in you
The greatest qualities for leadership.
لَكِنْ دَهَاكَ البَيْنُ فِي شَرْخِ الصِّبا
وَقَضَى عَلى الأَمَلِ السَّنيِّ السَّافِرِ
But fate severed you in the bloom of youth,
And dashed the hopes of an aspiring age.
فَإِذَا بَوَادِرُ مَا رُزِقْتَ مِنَ النُّهى
كَانَتْ لِهَذَا الرُّزْءِ شَرَّ بَوَادِرِ
So the first fruits of the talents you were given
Were the worst omens for this tragedy.
وَإِذَا الشَّمائِلُ كَالأَزَاهِرِ رِقَّةً
عُمِّرْنَ وَاحَرَبَاهُ عُمْرَ أَزَاهِرِ
Your fine traits, delicate as flowers,
Lasted only the lifespan of blossoms.
وَإِذَا مَوَاعِيدُ الزَّمَانِ كَعَهْدِهَا
ذِمَمٌ وُكِلْنَ إِلى رِعَايَة خَافِرِ
And time’s promises lasted as long
As their charges, left to a keeper’s care.
أَثْكَلْتَ مِصرَ وَمَا أُبَالِغُ إِنَّني
لَم أُبدِ إِلاَّ بَعضَ مَا فِي الخَاطِرِ
You have saddened Egypt, and I speak no hyperbole,
I have expressed but little of what is in my thoughts.
رَوِيَتْ بِأَدمُعِهَا وَلَمْ يَكُ تُرْبُهَا
مِن قَبلُ يُسْقَى بِالسَّحابِ المَاطِرِ
It was watered with her tears, and its soil before
Was never irrigated by a raining cloud.
يَا وَيْحَهَا لَمَّا أَدَالَ البَيْن مِنْ
طِيبِ اللِّقَاءِ شَجَى الوَدَاعِ الآخِرِ
Alas, when separation removed from her
The sweetness of meeting, the pain of final farewell!
وَمَشَتْ تُشَيِّع قِطْعَةً مِنْ قَلْبِهَا
فِي النَّعشِ إِذْ تَمْشِي بِعَبْد القَادِرِ
She walked in your funeral, accompanying a piece
Of her heart in the coffin of Abdel Qader.
فيِ مَشْهَدٍ مَا قِيلَ فِي تَنْظِيرِه
وَصْفٌ وَلَمْ تَشْهَدْهُ مُقْلَةُ نَاظِرِ
It was a scene that has not been equaled in description,
Nor witnessed by any beholder's eye.
شَمِلَتْ بِه الأَحْزَانُ شَعباً حَاشِداً
لا فَرْقَ بينَ أَكَابِرٍ وَأَصَاغِرِ
Sorrows enveloped a assembled multitude,
No difference between great and small.
مَا شَقَّ جَيْباً لِلفَجِيعَةِ مِن تُقىً
لَكِنْ تَحَمَّلهَا بِشقِّ مَرَائِرِ
No loyal bosom was torn by the tragedy,
But bore it by rending its depths.
قاصِي المَبَاءَةِ وَالقَرِيبُ تَوَافَدَا
لِحَفَاوَةٍ فِيهَا بِأَكْرَمِ زَائِرِ
Both far and near came to pay their last respects,
With the most honorable condolences.
لِحَفَاوَةٍ بِمُجَشَّم عَنْ قَوْمهِ
هَجْراً وَلَمْ يَكُ روحُهُ بِالهَجِرِ
Condolences to one estranged from his people,
Though his spirit was never estranged.
ما قَرَّ مِن شَوقٍ إِلَيهِمْ قَلْبُهُ
وَعَنِ الكِنَانَة لَم يَكُنْ بِالصَّابِرِ
His heart ached with longing for them
And he was never impatient or ungracious.
وَاسْتَرْعَتِ الدُّنْيَا لِجَانِبِ قَبْرِه
أَنَّاتُ مُلتاعِ الجَوَانِحِ زَافِرِ
The world has lost one of its most delightful pleasures
With a grieving soul and lamenting conscience.
فَلَئِنْ وَفَى ذَاكَ الوَفَاءَ لشَأْنُهُ
شَأْنُ الأَعِزَّة كَابِرٍ عَنْ كَابِرِ
You have attained bliss and left behind
Sorrow to fill hearts and souls.
وَلَئِنْ أَجَلَّتْ مِصْرُ فِيه خَطْبَهَا
فَهْوَ الجَديرُ بِحُبِّها المُتَوافِرِ
Have mercy on your mourning family, and how much
Remembrance stirs the emotions of those who remember!
أَمُقدَّمَ الفِتيَانِ في طَلَبِ العُلى
سَاءَ العُلى إِنْ كُنْتَ أَوَّلَ عَاثِرِ
The honest city shared in their grief
More than what was apparent.
جُزْتَ الحَقِيقَةَ فِي السَّنَاءِ وَفِي السَّنَى
تَنْأَى لَطِيفاً كَالخَيَالِ العَابِرِ
Nothing is more graceful than courtesy
When it is genuine and from a grateful loyal soul.
تَجِدُ المَحَاشِرَ للسُّرورِ بِهَا الأَسَى
وَتَرَى عظَائِمِهُنَّ جِدَّ صَغَائِرِ
I mourn you, my boy, with the feeling
That is Egypt’s feeling and every poet’s heart.
تَعْدُو البهَارِجَ كُلُّ زُورٍ تَحْتَهَا
وَتَمَّرُّ بِالزِّينَاتِ مَرَّ السَّاخِرِ
You would see a face of apology for those first stunned,
They held back tears, and you are too noble to blame.
فَلَعَلَّ خيراً مِنْ مُقَامٍ طِيَّةٌ
تُنْجِي مِنَ الدَّهرِ الخَئُونِ الجَائِرِ
Those left behind are too far away
For you to see across the space between chests and hearts.
مَنْ يَشْتَرِي الدُّنْيَا وَلو بِأَحَبِّ مَا
فِيهَا أَبَاءَتْهُ بِصَفْقَةِ خَاسِرِ
If you had died in an earlier time you would have known
How many composers and how many poets there were.
أَمسَيتَ فِي عَدْنٍ وَخَلَّفْتَ الأَسَى
فِي الأَرْضِ مِلْءَ جَوانِحٍ وَضَمَائِرِ
The successor is too far away from what you saw
Of proximity between secrets and bosoms.
وَارَحْمَتَا لِلثَّاكِلِيكَ وَكمْ لهُمْ
ذِكْرَى تُحَرِّكُ مِنْ شُجُونِ الذَّاكِرِ
وَاسَاهُمُ البَلَدُ الأَمِينُ وحُزْنُهُ
بيْنَ الطَّوَايا فوقَ مَا فِي الظَّاهِرِ
لا شَيءَ أَجْملُ مِن مُجَامَلَةٍ إِذَا
صَدَقَتْ وَجَاءَتْ مِن وَفِيٍّ شَاكِرِ
أُرْثِيكَ يَا وَلَدَاهُ بِالحِسِّ الَّذي
هُوَ حِسُّ مِصرَ وَكُلِّ قلْبٍ شاعِرِ
وَلَقَد تَرَى وَجْهَ اعْتِذَارٍ لِلأُولى
حَبَسُوا الدُّمُوعَ فَأَنْتَ أَكرَمُ عَاذِرِ
الخُلْفُ أَبعَدُ مَا نظرْتَ مَسَافَة
فِي الشَّرْقِ بَينَ أَسِرَّةٍ وَسَرَائِرِ
لَو مِتَّ فِي زَمنٍ مَضَى لَعَلِمْتَ كَمْ
مِنْ نَاظِمٍ فِيه وَكَمْ مِنْ نَاثِرِ
