أَنْزَلَ الرَّوْعَ فِي صِلاَبِ الْعِمَادِ

ذَلِكَ الْخَطْبُ فِي عَمِيدِ الْبِلاَدِ

He brought down calamity upon the pillars of the nation—

That speech about the leader of the country.

وَمَشَتْ أُمَّة تُشَيِّع طَوْداً

حَمَلَتْهُ أَيْدٍ عَلَى أَعْوَادِ

And a nation walked to bid farewell

To a towering figure they carried on poles.

ما أَجَلَّ الْحَيَاةَ أَجْنَتْ فَأغْنَتْ

بِالمَسَاعِي وَزكِّيتْ بِالأيَادِي

However long a life is, it reaps what it sows,

Through effort made pure by good deeds.

يَا أَبَا الْعَصْرِ عِشْتهَا مِئةً مِن

طَيِّباتِ الإِصْدَارِ وَالإِيرَادِ

O father of the age, may you live a hundred

Of the finest, most plentiful years.

إِنْ تَنَاهَى امْتدَادُها لَمْ تُجاوزْ

دَعَواتِ الوَرَى لَها باقْتِدَادِ

If it goes on and on, it will not go beyond

What all creation wishes for it, following its example.

قَلَّ مَن مَاتَ بَعْدَ دَهْرٍ كَمَا م

تَّ وَحَقٌّ عَلَيْهِ لُبْسُ الْحِدَاد

Few have died after an age like his;

It’s right that they wear mourning clothes.

أَمَدٌ عِشْتَهُ مَدِيدٌ وَلَكِنْ

قَصَّرَتْهُ السُّعودُ فِي الآمَادِ

You lived a long time, but

Good fortune cut it short among the pillars.

جزْتَهُ هَانِئاً وَبورِكَ فِيهِ

لَكَ مَا شِئْتَ بِالْعَطَايَا الْجِيَادِ

You were granted it completely, and blessings upon it,

As much as you wished for in generous gifts.

عَزَّ مَنْ نَالَ مِثْلَ مَا نِلْتَ مِنْ

عمْرٍ وَنَجْلٍ وَثَرْوَةٍ فِي الْعِبَادِ

It’s rare to attain what you attained

Of life, progeny, and wealth among the servants.

ذَاكَ فَضْلٌ أُوتِيتَهُ غَيْرَ مَسْبو

قٍ وَحَظٌّ أَصَبْتَهُ بِانْفِرَادِ

That’s a grace you were granted without asking,

And a share you obtained uniquely.

بَلَغَ المنْتَهَى وَقَدْ بِتَّ مَذْكُو

راً بِخَيْرٍ حَيّاً عَلَى الابَادِ

You reached the utmost extent and remained

Remembered for the good while still living for all time.

مَنْ يَبِيعُ الدُّنْيَا لَهُ خيْرُ زَادٍ

وَالَّذِي يَشْتَرِي لَه شَرُّ زَادِ

Whoever sells the world has the best provisions,

And whoever buys it has the worst provisions.

إِنْ ذَا النِّعمَةِ الذِي لاَ يُزَكِّي

لِجَمَادٍ مَوَكَّل بِجَمَادِ

Truly, the one granted bounty who does not

Purify it is assigned to inanimate matter.

وَقَدِيرٌ عَلَى الْعَطَاءِ وَلاَ يُعْ

طِيجَدِيرٌ بِالْفَقْرِ ذَاكَ اعْتِقَادِي

And He is Able to bestow gifts but does not—

That one deserves poverty in my view.

هَانَ قَدْراً فِي النَّاسِ إِنْ عَاشَ أَوْ مَا

تَ وَسَاءَتْ عُقْبَاه يَوْمَ التَّنادِي

Among people he is scorned whether living or dead,

And his outcome is terrible on the Day of Assembly.

وَلِهَذَا آثرْتَ أَجْمَلَ مَا يؤْ

ثِرُ أَهْلُ التقى مِنَ الاجْوَادِ

And so you chose the most beautiful

Of what the people of piety prefer to give away.

فعَليْكَ السلاَم يُوسفَ أَحْرِزْ

بَعْدَ طِيبِ المَعَاشِ طِيبَ المَعَادِ

Peace be upon you, O Yusuf! Take

A good life and a good return.

ما تَعَزتْ عَنكَ المَوَاطِن إِلاَّ

بِفَتَاكَ الْحُرِّ الْكَبِيرِ المُرَادِ

The homelands will not be without you

Except for the separation by the great intended one.

وَعَزَاءُ الْبِلاَدِ هَلْ هُوَ إِلاَّ

فِي قِيامِ الْعِمَادِ بَعْدَ الْعِمَادِ

And is the consolation of the country anything but

The pillars standing after the pillars?