تدَانَى فَحَيَّى عَابِراً وَتَنَاءَى

شَبِيهاً بِطَيْفٍ في الغَدَاةِ تَرَاءَى

He drew near and greeted a passerby

Resembling an apparition glimpsed at dawn

برغْمِ أُولى الأَلبَابِ عَجَّل بَيْنَهُ

وَكَانَ لَهُمْ ذُخْراً وَكَانَ رَجَاءَ

Despite the protests of the wise, he hastened between them

And was to them a treasure and hope

أَتَاحَ زَمَانِي مَرَّةً أَنْ رَأَيْتُهُ

وَلَمْ يُولِنِي بَعْدَ اللِّقَاءِ لِقَاءَ

My time allowed me once to see him

And after meeting him did not allow me a meeting

فَمَا رَاعَني إِلاَّ فَتىً في إِهَابِهِ

شَهِدْتُ مَعاً شَيْخُوخَةً وَفَتَاءَ

So I saw nothing but a gallant youth

In whose presence I witnessed both old age and youth

أُطِيلَتْ بِعُثْنُونِ أَسَالَةُ وَجْهِهِ

وَفِي مَحْجَرَيْهِ كَوْكَبَانِ أَضَاءَا

The length of his cheekbones accentuated the brightness of his face

And in his orbits two stars shone

تَضَاءَلَ مَرْمَى ظِلِّهِ مِنْ نُحُولِهِ

وَطَبَّق آفَاقاً سَنَىً وَسَنَاءَ

The range of his shadow diminished because of his tallness

And he towered over far horizons, both venerable and brilliant

وَفي صَدْرِهِ بَحْرٌ مِنَ العِلمِ لَمْ يَضِقْ

بِهِ ذَلِكَ الصَّدْرُ الصَّغيرُ إِنَاءَ

And in his chest an ocean of knowledge that did not strain

That small chest, its vessel

يُحَدِّثُ في رِفْقٍ وَلَيْسَتْ أَنَاتُهُ

تُثَبِّط عَزْماً أَوْ تَعُوقُ مَضَاءَ

He speaks gently, his softness does not

Impede resolve or hinder radiance

عَكُوفٌ عَلَى التَّحصِيلِ مِنْ كُلِّ مَطْلَبٍ

يُلِمُّ بِهِ مَهْما يَسُمْهُ عَنَاءَ

Bent on acquiring from every sought goal

That which ever hardship he calls strain

جَنَى الرَّوْضِ مَا تَجْرِي يَرَاعَتَهُ بِهِ

فَيَحْلُو شَرَاباً أَوْ يَطِيبُ غِذَاءَ

He reaped the garden whatever would please his fancy

So his drink is sweet or his food savory

وَمَا ثَقَّف الأَلْبَابَ مِثْلُ بَيَانِهِ

وَما شَرَّفَ الآدَابَ وَالأُدَبَاءَ

And nothing has refined minds like his eloquence

Or honored literature and men of letters like he

يَغُوصُ عَلَى الدُّرِّ البَعِيدِ مَكَانُهُ

فَيَجْلُوهُ لِلمُسْتَبْصِرِينَ جَلاَءَ

He dives for distant pearls in remote places

And brings them out shining clearly for the discerning

وَيَبْحَثُ عَمْا يُفْقِدُ الجَهْلُ أَهْلَهُ

فَيُهْدِي إِلَيْهِمْ زِينَةً وَثَرَاءَ

And he searches for what ignorance makes its people lose

And guides them towards a decoration and wealth

وَيَحْرِصُ أَلاَّ يُغْمَطَ الفَضْلُ حَقَّهُ

وَيُعْدَمَ بَيْنَ العَالَمِينَ جَزَاءَ

He is careful that merit is not deprived of its due

And that reward not be lacking amongst mankind

فَإِنْ يُذْكَرِ الفَضْلُ الَّذِي فِيهِ يَعْتَذِرُ

كَأّنَّ بِهِ مِنْ أَنْ يُذَاعَ حَيَاءَ

So if merit pertaining to him is mentioned, he apologizes

As if the broadcasting of it shyly embarrasses him

أََأَنْسَى لإِسْمَاعِيلَ مَا عِشْتُ مِنَّةً

أَفَدْتُ بِهَا أُحْدُوثَةً وَبَقَاءَ

Shall I ever forget, for as long as I live, Ismâ‘îl’s favors

By which I have gained everlasting youth and subsistence

حَبَانِي بَهَا قَبْلَ التَّعَارُفِ مُضْفِياً

عَلَيَّ بِمَا لاَ أَسْتَحِقُّ ثَنَاءَ

He granted them to me before we were acquainted

Bestowing upon me what I do not deserve of praise

وَقَدْ عَاقَ شُكْرِي عَنْهُ فَرْطُ احْتِشَامِهِ

فَهَلْمُجْزِيءٌ شُكْرٌ يَجِيءُ رِثَاءَ

And my gratitude for him falls short due to his extreme modesty

So how can gratitude that comes as elegy suffice?

وهَيْهَاتَ أَنْ يُوفَى بِشِعْرٍ جَمِيلُهُ

وَلَوْ كَانَ دِيوَاناً لَقَلَّ وَفَاءَ

And never can poetry, however beautiful, fulfill it

Even if it were anthologized - it would still fall short

أَلاَ أَيهَا الغَادِي وَلَيْسَ بِآسِفٍ

وَلاَ مُتَقَاضٍ لَوْعَةً وَبُكَاءَ

Lo, O you who depart without remorse or grief

Or craving agony and weeping

تَرَفَّعتَ عَنْ أَنْ تَقْبَلَ الضَّيْمَ صَابِراً

عَلَى زَمَنٍ أَحْسَنْت فِيهِ وَسَاءَ

You refused to accept injustice, patiently

In a time in which you acted gracefully and it was ungraceful

وَجَنَّبكَ العَيْشُ احْتِقَارٌ لِشَأْنِهِ

إِذَا مَا غَدَا فِيهِ العَفَافُ عَفَاءَ

And life spared you disdain for its affairs

When dignity within it wanders destitute

مكَانُكَ في الدُّنْيَا خَلاَ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ

مليءُ النَّوَاحِي عِزَّةً وَإِبَاءَ

Your place in the world is indeed empty except

Its expanses are filled with might and refusal

بِبَيْنِكَ مُخْتَاراً صَدَمْتَ عَقِيدَةً

وَأوْقَعْتَ حُكْماً حَيَّرَ الحُكَمَاءَ

In your distinction, you repelled a doctrine

And confounded a ruling that bewildered the wise

وكُنْتَ عَلَى يُسْرِ الأُمُورِ وَعُسْرِهَا

تُنِيرُ بِعَالِي رَأْيِكَ الحُصَفَاءَ

You were in ease and hardship

Enlightening with your lofty view the nobles

فَغَالَبَكَ الطَّبْعُ العُيُوفُ عَلَى الحِجَى

وَأَصْدَرَ مِنْ قَبْلِ القَضَاءِ قَضَاءَ

So your kindly nature prevailed over sorrow

And issued a decree before ordainment ordained

أَمِنْ خَطَلٍ طَرْحُ الإِنَاءِ وَمَا بِهِ

مِنَ السُّؤْرِ لَمْ يَطْهُرْ وَقَلَّ عَنَاءَ

Is it of madness that the pitcher and what is in it

Of filth is discarded and distress alleviated?

وَهَلْ تَرْتَضِي نَفْسَ العَزيزِ إِقَامَةً

عَلَى ذِلَّةٍ وَالدَّاءُ عَزَّ دَوَاءَ

And does the soul of the dignified accept

Debasement when the affliction has rendered medicine prohibitive?

إِذَا هَانَ في حُبِّ الحَيَاةِ هَوَانُهَا

فَلَيْسَ لأَرْضٍ أَنْ تَكُونَ سَمَاءَ

When disgrace in love of life is its disgrace

No land can become heaven

قَرَارَكَ وَلْتُرْعَ الْخَلاَئِقُ سَمْعَهَا

مَصَاقِعَهَا الهَادِينَ وَالسُّفهَاءَ

Your abode—let creatures incline an ear

The guided and the foolish

سَتبْقَى لِنَفْعِ النَّاسِ صُحْفٌ ترَكْتَهَا

وَلن يَذْهَبَ الإِرْثُ النَّفيسُ جُفاءَ

Pages you left will remain for people’s benefit

And the precious inheritance will not vanish without a trace

وَتذكُرُكَ الأَوْطَانُ يَوْمَ فخَارِهَا

إِذَا ذكَرَتْ أَفْذَاذَهَا النُّبغاءَ

And homelands will remember you on their days of pride

When they recall their extraordinary minds

وَإني لَمَحْزُونٌ عَلَيْكَ وَجَارِعٌ

ثُمَالَةَ كَأْسِي حَسْرَةً وَشَقَاءَ

As for me, I grieve for you, utterly stricken with grief

My cup of bitterness and misery overflowing

أَقُولُ عَزَاءَ لآلِ وَالصَّحبِ وَالحِمَى

وَلِي وَلأَمْثَالِي أَقُولُ عَزَاءَ

I say, “Condolences to family, companions and protectors

And to me and the likes of me I say, ‘Condolences’”

فَرَابِطَةُ اسْمَيْنَا أَرَاهَا قَرَابَةً

وَأَعْتَدُّهَا فَوْقَ الإِخَاءِ إِخَاءَ

The link of our names I see as kinship

And I consider it above brotherhood, fraternity