فُوْجِئتُ فِيكَ بِأَنْكَرِ الأَنْبَاءِ
وفُجِعْتُ فِيكَ بِأَكْبَرِ الأَرْزَاءِ
I was surprised by the most shocking news about you
And was distressed by the greatest misfortune in you
للهِ صُبْحُكَ ما أَشَدَّ ظَلاَمَهُ
وَالضَّوْءُ فِيهِ بَاهِرُ اللأْلاَءِ
By Allah, your morning has intense darkness
And the light in it is the shining glow
مَاذَا دَهَانِي فِيكَ يا إِلْفَ الصِّبَا
وَعَشِيرِيَ المَفْدِيَّ بِالعُشَرَاءِ
What has afflicted me in you, oh friend of youth
And neighbor who ransomed with his life
أَتَرَكْتَنِي بَعْدَ السُّرُورِ المُنْقَضِي
لِتَأَسُّف لا يَنْقَضِي وَبُكَاءِ
Have you left me after the joy has ended
To regret that does not end and crying
ذَهَبَ النَّجيبُ فلا نَجِيبَ إِذَا دَعَا
دَاعِي الوفاءِ وَكَانَ يَوْمَ وَفَاءِ
The noble one has gone, so there is no noble one when called
The caller of loyalty, and it was the day of loyalty
ذَهَبَ النديمُ فَلا نَدِيمَ إِذَا دَعَا
دَاعِي الصَّفاءِ وَلاَتَ عَهْدَ صَفَاءِ
The close friend has gone, so there is no close friend when called
The caller of purity, in the days of purity
ذَهَبَ الفَتَى الحرُّ الضَّمِيرِ وَكَانَ مَنْ
يَرْقَى الذُّرَى لَو عاشَ عَيْشَ مِرَاءِ
The free spirited, sincere youth has gone, he who
Would have ascended the highest ranks, had he lived a contested life
ذَهَبَ الأَديبُ الأَلْمَعِيُّ وَإِنَّهُ
لَلأَلْمَعِيُّ الفَرْدُ في الأٌدَبَاءِ
The brilliant literatus has gone, he who
Was unique among the literati
ذَهَبَ الْذِي لَوْ شَاءَ نَظْمَ جُمَانِهِ
لَغَدَا المُشَارَ إِلَيْهِ فِي الشُعَرَاءِ
He who, had he wished, would have composed his poems
And would have been the most renowned of poets
فَبِحُسْنِ أَيَّة شِيْمَةٍ طَاحَ الرَدَى
قَبْلَ الأَوَانِ وَنُورِ أَيِّ ذَكاءِ
So by what good trait did the calamity befall
Before his time and the light of what intelligence
آهاً مِنَ الدُنْيَا الغُرُورِ ويَا لَهَا
مِنْ طَيَّة في صَفْوِهَا كَدْرَاءِ
Oh what a deceptive world, oh what
Turbidity is in its purity
مَضَتِ السِّنونُ ثِقالُهَا كَخِفَافِهَا
وَتَقَلَّصَتْ كَتَقَلُّصِ الأَفْيَاءِ
The years have passed, their heaviness like their lightness
And diminished like the diminishing of mirages
أَيْنَ الأَمَانِيُّ أَلَّتِي كانتْ لنا
مَاذَا يُقِيمُ الرَّسْمَ فُوْقَ المَاءِ
Where are the wishes that we had
What will sustain the illusion above the water
هَذِي حياةٌ إِنْ تَطُلْ أَو لَمْ تَطُلْ
مَقْضِيَّة كَتَنَفُّس الصُّعدَاءِ
This is a life, whether long or not
Predestined like the breathing of the asthma patient
يَا أَيُّها النَّائِي تُشَيِّعهُ النُّهَى
وَبِغَيرِ وُدِّ المَجْدِ أَنك نَاءِ
Oh you, who the misfortunes bid farewell
And without the love of glory, you sigh
إِنْ تُمْضِ مَحْمُولاً على أَيْدِي الأَسَى
فَهْيَ الرِّكَابُ إلىَ أَحَبِّ بَقَاءِ
If you pass away, carried by the hands of sorrows
That is the ride to the most beloved survival
إِخوانُكَ البَاكُونَ حُولَكَ خُشَّعٌ
مِنْ هَوْلِ هَذِي البَغْتَةِ الدَّهْمَاءِ
Your crying brothers around you are humbled
By the horror of this sudden darkness
هَيْهَاتَ أَنْ يَجِدُوا عَزَاءً صَادِقاً
وَحَبِيبُهُمْ أَمْسَى مِنَ الفُقَدَاءِ
Alas, they will not find a true consolation
When their beloved has become one of the lost
أَمُفَارِقِيِهِ مِنْ أَعِزَّةِ آلِهِ
أَنَّي لَكُمْ وَلَنَا جميلَ عَزَاءِ
Oh parted ones from his dearest family
Where is there any beautiful condolence for you and for us
تَاللهِ ما أَدْرِي أَمَنْ مِنَّا قَضَى
أَمْ مَنْ أَقَامَ أَحقُّنا بِرِثَاءِ
By Allah, I do not know who of us has passed
And who remains more deserving of the elegy
لِيَدُمْ مُنِيراً فَرْقَدَاهُ بُعْدَهُ
مُتَلأْلأً أَثْرَاهُ في الظَلْمَاءِ
So his rest continues illuminated, his impact
Radiant in the darkness
