مُصَابُك حَيّاً عَرَا جَعْفَرَا

وَخَطْبُكَ مَيْتاً عَرَا قَيْصَرَا

Your affliction alive became wide open, O Ja'far

And your sermon dead became wide open, O Caesar

رُزِئْنَاكَ لَمْ يُغْنِ مِنْك البَيَا

نُ وَلَمْ يَعْصِمِ الجَاهُ أَنْ تُقْبَرَا

We mocked you; valor was of no use

Nor did glory protect you from being buried

وَهَذي النِّهايَةُ عُقْبَى النُّهَى

وَذَاكَ الثَّرَاءُ لِهذَا الثَّرَى

Such is the consequence of prohibitions

And that wealth belongs to this soil

وغَايَةُ مَجْدك فِي العَالَمِينَ

إِذَا عَرَفُوا الفَضْلَ أَنْ تُشْكَرَا

The utmost of your glory in the two worlds

Is when excellence is known, that you be thanked

وَآخِرُ بَأْسِكَ أَنْ يُعتَدَى

عَلَيْكَ دَفِيناً وَأَنْ يُفْتَرَى

The last of your heroism is to be aggressed

Upon while buried, and to be slandered

أَيُهْتَكُ عَنْهَا قَمِيصُ المُرُو

ءَة تَحْتَ البِلَى مَنْع أَنْ تُسْتَرَا

Is the shirt of honor to be desecrated

Under decay, preventing it to be covered?

وَتَثْوِي المُرُوءَةُ فِي دَارِهِمْ

وَتَرْضَى المُرُوءَةُ أَن تُذْكَرَا

And honor acquiesces in their abode

And is content, that it be mentioned

كَذَا انْكَشَفَ الدهْرُ لِلنَّاسِ فِيكَ

عنْ قَاهِرٍ عَزَّ أَنْ يُقْهرَا

Thus time was revealed to people through you

Of a conqueror, mighty to be conquered

حَلِيمٍ تِرَاكاً بِإِقْبَالهٍ

ضَرُوبٍ دِرَاكاً مَتَى أَدْبَرَا

Clement when fate was favorable

Valiant when fate receded

لأَمْرٍ صَفَا لَكَ حِينَ صَفَا

وكَدَّرَ وِرْدكَ إِذْ كُدِّرَا

For a matter that was pure when pure

And soured your nectar when soured

يَقُولُ بِأَحدَاثهِ الواعِظا

تِ لِمَنْ هَمَّ بِالزَّهْوِ أَطْرِقْ كَرَى

The preacher says through his admonitions

To one who aspires for vanity: Bow, O Kara!

حَبَاكَ زَمَاناً بِجَاهِ المُلُو

كِ وَبَطْشِ الأَسَاطِينِ مُسْتوْزَرَا

Fate united you for a time with the glory of kings

And the might of sultans, girded

وَفَخْرِ الغُزَاةِ قُرُومِ السَّرا

يَا وَفِكْرِ الهُدَاةِ نُجُومِ السُّرى

The pride of warriors, moons of the burrow

The thought of guides, stars of the hidden

وَعَزْمٍ يَكُونُ عَلَى أُمَّةٍ

قتَاماً وَفِي أُمَّة نَيِّرَا

And a resolve that is darkness upon a nation

And light upon a nation

فكُنْتَ كَمَا تَبْتغِي عِزَّةً

وَكُنْتَ كَمَا تَرْتَضِي مَظْهَرَا

So you were as you sought glory

And you were as you wished, of splendid aspect

وَكُنْتَ مَعاً فَارِساً شَاعِراً

وَكُنْتَ مَعاً نَدُساً قسْوَرَا

You were together a horseman, a poet

You were together refined, vulgar

جَمِيعَ المَزَايَا فَمَا لِلبَيَا

نِ وَمَا لِلغيَاثِ وَمَا لِلقِرَى

All the virtues, so what of survival?

What of aid, and what of the spears?

نَظِيرُكَ مُبْتَكِراً مُبْدعاً

شِهَاباً سَنِيّاً نَدىً مُمْطِرَا

Your peer, innovating, originating

A flaming, tall, dewy, showering

نَظمْتَ المَعَالِيَ نَظْمَ المَعَانِي

فَفَتْحُ الكَلاَمِ كفَتْحِ القُرَى

You composed lofty meanings in the composition of sentiments

So the opening of speech is the opening of towns

وَطَعْنُ السِّنانِ كَنَفْثِ اليَرَاعِ

وَكُلُّهُمَا بِالنُّهى حُبِّرَا

And the piercing of spears is like the bursting of quivers

Both are provisioned with prohibitions

وَضَمُّ الجُيُوشِ كَنَسْقِ القَرِيضِ

وَتَقْسِيمه أَشْطُراً أَشْطُرَا

And the mustering of armies is like the rhyming of poetry

And its distribution, hemistiches, hemistiches

وَسَهْلُ القِتَالِ كَطِرْسٍ بِه

يُسَطِّرُ بَأْسُكَ مَا سَطَّرَا

And easy is battle in which your valor

Inscribes with points of skulls, its diction

بِنَقْطِ الجَمَاجِمِ إِعْجَامُهُ

وَإِهْمَالُهُ جَوْبُهُ مُقْفِرَا

And its ignorance, its reply empty

And its dispersal, with shoes of soldiers

وَتَفْوِيفُهُ بِنِعَالِ الجِيَا

دِ وَتَدْبِيجُه بِدَمٍ أَحْمَرَا

And its embroidery with red blood

So O warrior! That is its rhetoric

فَيَا غَازِياً ذَاكَ إِعْجَازُهُ

وَيَا نَاظِماً ذَاك مَا صَوَّرَا

And O composer! That is what it pictured

Are those wise sayings whose rivers souls flow in?

أَتِلْكَ مِنَ الكَلِمِ الذَّاكِيَا

تِ تَسِيلُ النُّفوسُ بِهَا أَنْهُرَا

Flowers of your signs calling

A nectar of intimacy or abundant good?

شَقَائِقُ آيَاتِكَ النَّادِيَا

تِ رَحِيقاً مِنَ الأُُنسِ أَوْ كوْثَرا

Or the clear, healing the darknesses

With what flows beneath them of limpid running?

أَمِ الصافِياتِ شَوافِي الأُوَا

مِ بِمَا تَحْتَها مِنْ زلاَلٍ جَرى

Or the unveiling, disclosing to us

Every conscience that hastened to hide?

أَمِ الجَالِيَاتِ يُبِنَّ لَنَا

مِنَ الغَيْبِ كُلَّ ضَمِيرٍ سَرَى

Or the entrancing, refreshing us

With the warbling of gazelles, rising early?

أَمِ المُطْرِبَاتِ يُشَنِّفنَنَا

بِشَدْوِ الهَزَارِ وَقَدْ بَكَّرَا

Or the sent, a guidance to people

Secrets deposited, essence?

أَمِ المَرْسَلاَتِ هُدىً لِلأَنَا

مِ حَقائِقُ مُودَعَةٌ جَوْهَرَا

So was there a steed nobler than you O youth?

And was there a youth more poetic than you?

فَهَلْ كَانَ أَفْرَسَ مِنْكَ فَتىً

وَهَلْ كَانَ مِنْكَ فَتىً أَشْعَرا

Both the proud, sword and spear

Their crown turned to you, monopolizing

كِلا المفْخَرَيْنِ يَرَاعاً وَسَيْفاً

دَعَا تاجَهُ لَكَ مُسْتَأْثِرَا

So a crown is your staff, and a crown is upon you

And the more rightful to be preferred

فَتَاجٌ عَصَاكَ وَتاجٌ عَلاَ

كَ وَكانَ الأَحَقَّ بِأَنْ يُؤْثَرَا

When you ascended to the zenith

And almost exceeded what was fated

فَلمَّا رَقِيتَ إِلى المُنْتَهَى

وكِدْتَ تُجَاوِزُ مَا قُدِّرَا

Time threw at you its events

Turbulent, so they erupted and overflowed

رَمَاكَ الزَّمَانُ بِأَحْدَاثه

مُجَيَّشةً فَانْبَرَتْ وَانْبَرَى

It distinguished the loving and the kin from you

And the most loyal of comrades and army

أَبَانَ المُحِبِّينَ وَالآلَ عَنْكَ

وَأَقْصَى المَوَالِي وَالعَسْكَرَا

And silenced your neighing horses

And muted your sword, blunted

وَأَسْكَتَ أَفْراسَكَ الصَّاهِلاَتِ

وَأَصْمَتَ صَمْصَامَكَ الأَبْتَرَا

And deafened those who said to God “You are”

And muted those around you magnifying

وَأَخْرَسَ مَنْ قَالَ لِلّه أَنْتَ

وَأَبْكَمَ حَوْلَكَ مَنْ كَبَّرَا

And stilled the fears of timid gazelles

And secured their towering, slender

وسَكَّن رَوْعَ الفَلاَ مَجْفِلاَتٍ

وَأَمَّن شَامِخَهَا أَصْعَرَا

And eased the plight of terrified deer

And refreshed their stags, handsome

وَنَفَّس كرْبَ الظِّبا لاَفِتَاتٍ

وَرَوَّحَ أَيِّلهَا أَصْوَرَا

And it twisted upon you so it bloodied and prayed

And prayed long and insisted, and how brief!

وَأَلْوَى عَليْك فَأَدْمَى وَأَصلَى

وَصالَ وطالَ وَمَا أَقْصَرَا

It cast you in prison, from a barber

Friendly to criminals, fallen from grace

رَمَى بِك في السِّجنِ مِنْ حَالِقٍ

أَلِيفَ الجُنَاةِ طَرِيحَ العَرَا

And it multiplied wounds, so it isolated you

From the land of Egypt, avoided, spurned

وَأَثْخنَ جُرْحاً فَأَقْصَاكَ عَنْ

ثَرَى مِصرَ مُجْتَنَباً مُزْدَرَى

And increased your distress, so it masked

From your eyes the light of dawn, shining

وَزادكَ ضَيْماً فَحَجبَ عَنْ

عُيُوِنكَ ضَوْءِ الضُّحى مُسْفِرَا

And exceeded in punishment, so it slaughtered your two daughters

As slaughter, or more cruel

وَجَازَ النَّكالَ فَأَرْدَى ابنتَيْكَ

كمَا يُذْبَحُ الذِّبْحُ أَوْ أَنْكَرَا

But that refusal refused for you

Except steadfastness, and that you be patient

وَلَكِنْ أَبَى لَك ذَاكَ الإِبَا

ءُ إِلاَّ الثَّباتَ وَأَنْ تَصْبِرَا

And is there in anguish other than the heart's suffering?

And the tears of the eyelids flowing?

وَهَلْ فِي الأَسى غَيْرُ صَدْعِ الحَشى

وَتَدميَةِ الجَفْنِ مُسْتَعْبِرَا

And esteem of a soul to its opponent

With no use but that it diminishes?

وَتهْوِينِ نَفْسٍ لَدَى خَصْمِهَا

بِلاَ طَائِلٍ غيْرَ أَن تَصْغُرَا

So calamities did not detract you, but

Their ordeal returned you greater

فَلَمْ تَنْتَقِصْكَ الرَّزَايَا وَلَكِنْ

أَعادَتْكَ مِحْنَتُهَا أَكْبَرَا

And the whiteness of old age adorned

Your features, more splendid and purified

وَرَدَّ بَيَاضُ المَشِيبِ ثَنَا

ءَكَ أَجْلَى بَهَاءً وَقَدْ طُهِّرَا

So your prison was none but repose

And toil had wearied of keeping vigil

فَمَا كَان سِجْنُكَ إِلاَّ قَرَاراً

وَقَدْ تعِبَ الجِدُّ أَنْ يَسْهَرَا

Nor was exile, but a retreat you made

For the time of cultivation, fecund

وَلاَ النَّفيُ إِلاَّ خَلاَءً أَعَدْتَ

بِه زَمَنَ الأَدَبِ الأَزْهَرا

Nor bereavement, but to anguish

And weep the weeping of courageous lions

وَلاَ الثُّكلُ إِلاَّ لِتَأْسَى أَسَا

كَ وَتَبْكِي بُكَاءَ لُيُوثِ الشَّرى

Nor aversion for what eyes behold

Except it was ugly for it to be seen

وَلاَ الغَضُّ عَمَّا تَرَاهُ العُيُو

نُ إِلاَّ وَقَدْ سَاءَ أَنْ يُنْظَرَا

When the universe encompasses one's thoughts

Then no harm for sights to roam

إِذَا وَسِع الكَوْنَ فِكْرُ امْرِيءٍ

فَلاَ بأْسَ بِالطَّرْفِ أَنْ يُحْسرَا

Upon the sun to guide the seeing

And not upon the sun to give sight

عَلَى الشمْسِ أَنْ تهْديَ المُبصِرِينَ

وَلَيْسَ عَلَى الشَّمسِ أَنْ تُبْصِرَا

So O praised body, be at peace

And O lofty eye, enjoy the vine

فَيَا جِسْمَ مَحْمُودَ بِتْ في سُكُونٍ

وَيَا عَيْنَ سَامٍ اهْنَيءِ بِالْكرَى

And O its thoughts, how you yearned for heights!

You reached their expanse, so what do you see?

وَيَا فِكْرَهُ كمْ نَشَدْتَ العُلَى

بَلَغْتَ مَدَاهَا فَمَاذَا تَرَى

Gaze upon these beings

From where you are, at the highest abode

أَطِلَّ عَلَى هَذِهِ الكَائِنَا

تِ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَنْتَ بِأَسْمَى الذُّرَى

Do you see other than a vast space

In which stars wander, abundant?

أَتَنْظرُ غيْرَ فضَاءٍ رَحِيبٍ

تُحَاكِي النُّجومُ بِه العِثْيَرَا

And hear other than a semblance of rustling

Of what collided therein and was rolled?

وتَسْمَعُ غيْرَ شَبِيهِ الحَفيفِ لِمَا

اصْطُكَّ مِنْهَا وَمَا كُوِّرَا

Then say silently, and gesture bidding farewell

To one who was lost on earth and was arrogant

فَقُلْ صَامِتاً وَأَشِرْ مَائِتاً

لِمَنْ تَاهَ فِي الأَرْضِ وَاسْتَكْبَرَا

For what are the towering of these mountains?

And why the towering of this abode?

عَلاَمَ تَبَاذُخُ هَذي الجِبَالِ

وَفِيمَ تَشَامُخُ هَذَا الوَرَى