هُوَ العَيْشُ جَهْدٌ طَائِلٌ وَفُتُونُ
وَمَا المَوْتُ إِلاَّ رَاحَةٌ وَسُكَونُ
Life is toil and trouble galore,
While death is but rest, calm and peace.
نَوَدُّ بَقَاءً عَالِمِينَ بِمَا بِهِ
وَفِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ حَسْرَةٌ وَأَنِينُ
We yearn for life knowing full well,
Each day brings regret and sighs.
فُجِعْنَا بِمَيْمُونِ النَّقِيبَةِ أَرْوَعٍ
تَقُرُّ بِهِ حِينَ اللِّقَاءِ عُيُونُ
We grieve for Maymouna al-Nakib, so great,
At whose sight eyes light up with joy.
مِثَالٌ لِمَنْ يَحْيَا الحَيَاةَ كَرِيمَةً
وَيَسْمُو بِهَا عَنْ كُلِّ مَا هُوَ دُونُ
A paragon of one who lives life nobly,
Transcending all that is base and low.
صَفَى لِمَنْ صَافَى وَفَى لِمَنْ وَفَى
غَفُورٌ لِمَنْ يَغْتَابُهُ وَيَخُونُ
True to those true, and faithful to the faithful,
Forgiving those who slander and betray.
وَمَهْمَا تَكُنْ عِنْدَ امْرِيءٍ حَاجَةٌ لَهُ
فَلَيْسَ يُدَاجِيهِ وَلَيْسَ يَمِينُ
Whatever need one has of him,
He grants without demur or delay.
عَهِدْنَاهُ لا تَلْقَاهُ إِلاَّ عَلَى الرِّضَا
وَيَخْشَنُ آناً عِرْضٌ يَعِفُّ وَدِينُ
We knew him to accept only what pleases him,
Shunning all dishonor and disdain.
وَلَمْ يَكُ خيْراً مِنْهُ فِي الصُّحْبِ صَا
حِبٌ وَفِي الخُدَنَاءِ الأَكْرَمِينَ خَدِينُ
None better in companionship or kinship,
More generous, more kind and humane.
وَهَيْهَاتِ فِيمَنْ عَاشَ بِرّاً بِأَهْلِهِ
أَبٌ عَاشَ بِرّاً مثْلُهُ وَقَرِينُ
Would a father live so righteously with family,
If not for one like him, a kindred soul?
أَكَامِلُ سَعْدِ اللهِ أَنِّي لَجَازِعٌ
عَلَيْكَ وَكَمْ غَيْرِي عَلَيْكَ حَزينُ
O perfection of God's blessings! I lament,
And countless others lament for you, in dole.
أَفِي لَحْظَةٍ خِلْنَا بِهَا الدَّهْرُ مُغْضِيّاً
وَأَنْتَ مِليءٌ بِالنَّشَاطِ تَحِينُ
Is it in one fleeting moment we lost forever,
While you brimmed with vim and verve?
وَكَانَ بِكَ التَّوْفِيقُ لِلْعِلْمِ وَالحِجَى
فَمَاذَا دَهَى التَّوْفِيقَ حِينَ تَبِينُ
With you was success, knowledge and wisdom rife,
Why then did success desert you in the end?
أَقَمْتَ صُرُوحاً لِلثَّقَافَةِ ضَخْمَةً
تُعَانُ عَلَى تَشْيِيدِهَا وَتَعِينُ
You built great bastions of culture,
Seeking help from all quarters for this end.
لَهَا تَسْتَمِدُّ البِرُّ مِنْ كُلِّ قَادِرٍ
وَمَا أَنْتَ بِالقِسْطِ الوَفِيرِ ضَنِينُ
From the generous you drew only good,
You were never miserly or mean.
وَأَنْتَ عَلَى المَبْذُولِ مِنْ حُرِّ مَالِهِمْ
وَآمَالِهِمْ فِي النَّابِنينَ أَمينُ
Trustees of their wealth and hopes for their youth,
You remained ever faithful, ever keen.
وَمَنْ يَكُ ذَا عَزْمٍ مَتِينٍ فَكُلِّ مَا
تَوَلاَّهُ بِالعَزْمِ المَتِينِ مَتِينُ
One firm of purpose succeeds in all,
He takes on with that firmness, determined and lean.
مَدَارِسُ تَبْنِي لِلْكَنَانَةِ فِتْيَةً
يُهَذِّبُهُمْ تَأْدِيبِهِمْ وَيَزينُ
Schools you built to groom the young,
With learning and manners to preen.
وَتَعْنِي بِتَعْلِيمِ البَنَاتِ عِنَايَةً
تَرْقَى بِهَا أَخْلاقُهَا وَتَصًونُ
To educating girls you gave utmost care,
To refine their ways and their mien.
أَمَضَّكَ مَا كَابَدْتَهُ مِنْ شِئُونِهَا
وَأَكْثَرِ هَاتِيكَ الشُّؤون شُجُونُ
You endured all their problems and affairs,
Most of which cause distress and chagrin.
فَمَا فَاتَكَ الصَّبْرُ الجَمِيلُ عَلَى الأَذَى
لأَنِّكَ بِالغِبِّ الحَمِيدِ تَدِينُ
Yet you faced provocation with graceful patience,
For you were most noble and serene.
كَخِدْمَتِكَ الأَوْطَانِ فَلْيَخْدُمِ الأُلَى
رَأَوْا نَهْضَةَ العُمْرَانِ كَيْفَ تَكُونُ
Serve your homelands like you served,
And see progress and growth careen!
إِذَا الدَّارُ هَانَتْ مِنْ جَهَالَةِ أَهْلِهَا
فَكُلُّ عَزيزٍ فِي الوُجُودِ يَهُونُ
When a home declines through ignorance of its people,
All the great ones in it dim and preen.
وَهَلْ تَرْتَقِي الأَقْوَامُ مَا لَمْ تُرْقِهَا
عُلُومٌ وَآدَابٌ بِهَا وَفُنُونُ
Can a people rise if not raised by knowledge and arts?
By these they are graced and keened.
سَلامٌ عَلَى مَثْوَاكَ تَنْشُرُ حَوْلَهُ
مَآثِرَكَ الكُبْرَى وَأَنْتَ دَفِينُ
Greetings to your grave which spreads about,
Your great feats, as you lay demeaned.
بِمَا طِبْتَ نَفْساً عَنْهُ مِمّا تُحِبُّهُ
لَكَ الوَطَنُ البَاكِي عَلَيْكَ مُدِينُ
You eschewed all that pleased you,
Your weeping homeland remains in debt.
ألا أَنَّ خَطْبَ النِّيلِ فِي يَومِ كامِلٍ
لَخَطْبٌ لَهُ فِي الضِّفَتَيْنِ رَنِينُ
Oh! A Nile oration on a full day,
Resonates on both shores, I ween.
فَكَمْ دَارِفٍ دَمْعاً وَكَمْ صَافِقٍ أَسًى
كَمَا يُصْفِقُ الارَاهَ وَهْوَ غَبِينُ
How many tearfully grieve, how many slap in agony,
Like the fluttering palm, downcast and lean!
وَكَيْفَ أَسَى البَاكِي وَلا عوض لَهُ
يُرجِّيهِ وَالذُّخْرَ المُضَاعُ ثَمِينُ
How can the bereaved not grieve, with no recompense,
When the precious loss cannot be redeemed?
خَلا فِي عُيُونِ النَّاظِرِينَ مَكَانَهُ
وَمَنْزِلُهُ فِي الذِّكْرَيَاتِ مَكِينُ
You left a void in watchful eyes,
Your station in memories secured and ensconced.
أَيَنْسَى وَفِي الأَعْقَابِ آثَارُ فَضْلِهِ
سَتَبْقَى وَمَا لِلصَّالِحَاتِ مَنُونُ
Can one forget? When in time’s wake lie vestiges of your grace,
The righteous deeds will remain, evergreen.
فَفِي رَحْمَةِ اللهِ الكَرِيمِ مُجَاهِداً
بِأَوْفَى جَزَاءٍ فِي النَّعِيمِ قَمِينُ
So in God’s generous mercy, after striving,
You attained the finest reward in bliss serene.
