يَوْمٌ أَثَارَ كَوَامِنَ الأَشْجَانِ
وَأَدَالَ لِلذِّكْرَى مِنَ السُّلْوَانِ
A day that stirred the depths of sorrow,
And unleashed memories from days of yore,
لأْياً يُثَابُ بِهِ فَقِيدٌ لَمْ يَكُنْ
فِي قَوْمِهِ لِيُثَابَ بِالنِّسْيَانِ
For one who passed away, never to return,
Unlike others lauded for oblivion.
ذَاكَ الَّذِي أَذْكَى عَوَائِمَهُمْ وَقَدْ
خَاسَتْ فَجَرَّأَهَا عَلَى الحِدْثَانِ
The one who revived their dying coals
When indifference had cooled their fires,
مَا شِئْتَ إِطْرَاءً فَقُلْ فِيهِ وَفِي
أَصْحَابِهِ الصُّيَّابَةِ الشُّجْعَانِ
Say what you will in praise of him and his courageous,
Noble friends: Saad, Adli, Tharwat and their like
سَعْدٌ وَعَدْلِيٌّ وَثَرْوَتُ وَالأُولَى
دَرَجُوا مِنَ الزَّعَمَاءِ وَالأَقْرَانِ
Peers and chieftains walked ahead of their folk,
Each met his destined end in Egypt, their memory
كُلٌّ قِضَتْهُ مِصْرُ حَقَّ وَدَاعِهِ
بِمُخَلَّدَاتِ الذِّكْرِ فِي الأَذْهَانِ
Enshrined forever in people’s minds,
Except the one who made no fortune for himself,
إِلاَّ الَّذِي لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ ذُخْراً لَهُ
مِنْ صَوْلَةٍ سَلَفَتْ وَمِنْ سُلْطَانِ
From power gained or high office held before.
Though fortune smiled on Rushdi all his days,
رُشْدِي وَكَانَ الحَوْلُ دَهْراً حَوْلَهُ
وَالمَالُ لَوْ يَبْغِيهِ طَوْعُ بَنَانِ
And wealth was his, if he wanted to build.
He ended a hostage to a wretched cell, his sons
أَمْسَى رَهِينَ قَرَارَةٍ مَقْرُورَةٍ
وَبَنُوهُ فِي حَرَبٍ وَفِي حِرمَانِ
Suffering war and deprivation. Such is the fate
Of integrity: not all men share the selfsame fate.
عُقْبَى نَزَاهَتِهِ وَلَيْسَتْ تَسْتَوِي
فِي النَّاسِ عُقْبَاهَا بِكُلِّ مَكَانِ
Will his people forget Rushdi’s grace under duress?
The strength he showed in his faith? How he charged ahead,
رُشْدِي وَهَلْ يَنْسَى لِرُشْدِي قَوْمُهُ
حُسْنَ البَلاءِ وَقُوَّةَ الإِيمَانِ
Offering his soul so they’d be saved from disgrace and defeat?
His only passion was his country. He did not waver,
إِذْ رَاحَ يَبْذُلُ فِي الطَّلِيعَةِ نَفْسَهُ
لِنَجَاتِهِمْ مِنْ ذِلَّةٍ وَهَوَانِ
No matter the torment or suffering for its sake.
Were it not for the enemies of his race,
مَحَضَ البِلادَ هَوَاهُ غَيْرُ مُسَاوِمٍ
مَهْمَا يُكَابِدُ فِي الهَوَى وَيُعَانِي
His heart would never have burned with hate.
And though often wronged, he returned harm with pardon,
وَبِقَلْبِهِ لَوْلا أَعَادِي قَوْمِهِ
لَمْ تَتَّقِدْ يَوْماً لَظَى شَنَآنِ
Forgiving the sins of those who attacked him.
If one like him held power, he would wield it prudently
وَلَطَالَمَا لَقِيَ الأَذَى مُتَغَمِّداً
ذَنْبَ المُسِيءِ إِلَيْهِ بِالغُفْرَانِ
With wisdom, valor and discernment.
مَنْ مِثْلُهُ وَلِيَ الأُمُورَ فَسَاسَهَا
بِالحَزْمِ وَالإِقْدَامِ وَالعِرْفَانِ
He would rule with justice and sincerity,
Pure in heart and word.
مُتَصَرِّفاً فِيهَا تَصَرُّفَ عَادِلٍ
صَافِي السَّريرَةِ طَاهِرِ الإِعْلانِ
Why enumerate his many sweet traits?
Virtues beyond recounting,
مَاذَا أُعَدِّدُ مِنْ شَمَائِلَ حُلْوَةٍ
وَفَضَائِلٍ هِيَ فَوْقَ كُلِّ بَيَانِ
The beauty of a free soul whom none could fault
Except to spurn guile itself?
وَجَمَالِ نَفْسٍ حُرَّةٍ مَا عَابَها
إِلاَّ تَنَزُّهُهَا عَنِ البُهْتَانِ
His honesty brought their villainy to light
For it is the wont of villains to attack the noble.
تَجْنِي صَرَاحَتُهَا عَلَيْهِ وَإِنَّمَا
خُبْثُ اللِّئّامِ عَلَى الأَعِزَّةِ جَانِ
This is the way from early days gone by
That set free against slave morality.
هِيَ شِيمَةُ الأَحْرَارِ مِنْ قِدَمٍ وَكَمْ
جَارَتْ عَلَيْهَا شِيمَةُ العُبْدَانِ
Believe him: do not disguise from him anything
When something weighs upon you.
يَعْنِي مَقَالَتَهُ وَلا تُلْفِيهِ فِي
حَالٍ يُغَمُّ عَلَيْكَ مَا هُوَ عَانِ
Raillery rejected his truth, upon which one cannot impose raillery.
O you whose stature reached highest heavens
تَأْبَى لَهُ الرَّوَغَان شِيمَتُهُ وَلا
يُطْلَى المُحَالُ عَلَيْهِ بِالرَّوَغَانِ
And whose morals made you sublime!
Return forever to your Lord’s reward in bliss,
يَا مَنْ بِرِفْعَةِ شَأْنِهِ بَلَغَ الذُّرَى
وَازْدَادَ بِالأَخْلاقِ رِفْعَةَ شَانِ
Exulting in grace and favour.
رِدْ فِي النَّعِيمِ ثَوَابَ رَبِّكَ خَالِداً
مُتَمَتِّعاً بِالعَفْوِ وَالرِّضْوَانِ
