أَخلَّايَ أَينَ المُعوِلاتُ النوائِحُ
وأَينَ النُعَى والمُثكَلاتُ الصوائحُ
My brethren! Where are the mourning women, the weeping,
And the wailing over the departed, the crying women?
وأَينَ الذي يبكي بعينٍ سخينةٍ
دِماءً تُلظِّيها الحَشَى والجوارحُ
Where is he who weeps with hot tears
Blood that burns his innermost being and limbs?
رُبوعٌ غدت في وَحشةٍ بعدَ أُنسِها
لذا سَفَحَت في سَفحِهِنَّ السوافحُ
Pleasant dwellings that became desolate after their intimacy,
So their slopes poured down torrents.
تَضرَّمَتِ الأَحشاءُ حتَّى شُواظُها
لسائِر مَحوَى ظاهر الجِسمُ لافحُ
The bosoms kept writhing until their shoulders,
And the rest of the visible body was burning.
ولم يَبرَحِ التبريحُ يُضرِمُ في الحَشَى
لهيبَ أَسىً أَذكَت صِلاةُ البوارحُ
And the burning within the breast did not cease
To kindle a flame of sorrow that prayer of the limbs intensified.
فهل يُمكِنُ الإِضمارُ والشأنُ ظاهرٌ
وهل تُكتَمُ الأَسرارُ والشأن بائِحُ
Can matters be concealed while the situation is evident?
Can secrets be hidden while the matter is exposed?
فبي كَمَدٌ وأراهُ ذَيلُ تَجَلُّدي
ولكنه أورته في القوادح
In me there is suppressed agony that its tail betrays,
Though I tried to hide it in cups.
وأَجهَدتُ نفسي في استِتارِ مَصابها
مَخافةَ أَن تَسطُو عليَّ المفاضحُ
I exerted myself to conceal her affliction,
Fearing vulgarities would assault me.
وناهيكَ دهرٌ شَوطُ كلِّ مُلِمَّةٍ
وكلٌّ بهذا الشَوطِ سارٍ وسارحُ
Time has stages, each stage of ordeals has an end,
And each being travels this stretch then departs.
تَهدَّمَ رُكنٌ وانهَوَى شامخُ الذُرَى
وقُوِّضَ صَرحٌ ما لعُلياهُ ماسحُ
A pillar collapsed, the lofty one of the abodes declined,
And a magnificent edifice was demolished, no one remains to rebuild it.
وغُيِّضَ بحرٌ زاخرٌ لا مُزاخِرٌ
لذاخرهِ إذ أَفرَدَته الصوالحُ
An abundant sea with no one to make it abundant again
When the virtuous separated it.
عَجِبتُ لرَمسٍ ضَمَّ بحراً عَرَمرَماً
وكوكبِ أُفقٍ غَيَّبَتهُ الأَباطحُ
I am astonished by fate that embraced a foaming sea,
And a celestial sphere whose star was veiled by calamities.
حَنانَيكَ عبدَ اللَهِ غادرتَ صُحبةً
لضِيقتها الجُلَّى تَضِيقُ الصحاصحُ
Farewell Abdullah you left a companionship
Whose breadth distress confined like palm-leaf stalks.
أُحاشيكَ أَن أَدعُوكَ بحراً لأَنَّهُ
وَرُودُكَ عَذبٌ والبُحورُ موالحُ
Wondrous that I call you a sea though
Your presence is sweet while seas are salty.
فما الشرقُ إِلَّا شارقٌ ببُكائهِ
عليكَ وغَربُ الغَربِ بِالدمعِ سافحُ
The East continues shining in its weeping over you
And the West of the West sheds tears.
فيا لَكَ خَطباً عَمَّ شرقاً ومَغرِباً
فخُصَّ بهِ كلٌّ قريبٌ ونازحُ
What great events have spread through East and West!
Each near and far was specially afflicted.
اخير يوم العام عند غوؤبه
قد انطفأ منه وعنا المصابح
Finally, the day of the year ended with its setting
And its lamps and our lamps were extinguished.
فأَغَرَبَتِ الشمسانِ واختَفَتا معاً
فظَلنا ووَجهُ الكَونِ أَسفَعُ كالحُ
So the two suns disappeared together,
Leaving us when the face of existence was pitch-black.
ووُشِحَ بالأَكفانِ وجهٌ مكرَّمٌ
عليهِ من الفضل السنيِّ وشائحُ
An honored face was enshrouded in burial sheets.
The virtues of the exemplary sunnah on it streaming.
لقد وجبت شمس الضحى قبل حينها
وأوجب نجمٌ بالملامح لامحُ
The sun of daybreak set before its time
And a star of beauty set that gave light.
وغَلَّ الثُرَيَّا غائلُ الدهرِ في الثَرَى
وغالت فُؤادَ الفَرقَدَينِ الفَوادحُ
The Pleiades declined, time played with the earth
And the separation burned the hearts of the lovers.
فهل سافت العَيُوقَ سيَّافةُ الرَدَى
وهل رَمَحَ الجَبَّارَ بالموتِ رامحُ
Did the fates unsheathe swords of calamity
And did death spear the Almighty with death?
نَحا عن دِيارٍ وانتَحَى لِدِيارةٍ
وما زالَ فيها وَهوَ للمجدِ طارحُ
He left dwellings and headed to dwellings
Where he still lays glory.
إلى أَن قَضَى ما بينَ رُهبانِها وهم
لَدَيهِ وكلٌّ ناحبُ القلبِ نائِحُ
Until he fulfilled his duty between its monks and they
Were near him, each with a grieving heart, weeping.
كهالةِ بدرٍ جُثَّماً بِصَلاتِهِم
بأَلسِنةٍ سُجٌ وأَيدٍ مسابحُ
At the peak of the full moon with their prayers
With truthful tongues and hands glorifying.
وسَلَّمَ طَوعاً في يَدِ اللَهِ رُوحَهُ
بكلِّ أمانٍ وهو جَذلانُ فارحُ
He willingly submitted his soul to God’s hand
Securely while he was dignified and delighted.
فهذا خِتامُ التاركِ العالَمَ الذي
بِوادي بَوادِيهِ تَجُوحُ الجوائِحُ
This is the end of one who left the world
In whose valleys the women shriek.
وعاشَ مع الأَبرارِ في الديرِ ناسكاً
تُقدَّمُ بالإِمساكِ منهُ ذبائِحُ
He lived with the righteous in the monastery devoutly
As sacrifices were presented through his fasting.
لقد كانَ لي سعدَ السُعودِ فمُذ قَضَى
تَقاضانيَ السعدُ الذي ليَ ذابحُ
Since he passed away, good fortune I was granted has ceased,
And the happiness I had is lost.
وأَودَعَني إذ لم يَكُن لي مُودِّعاً
وديعةَ نارٍ أُودِعَتها الجوانحُ
He bid me farewell when he had no one bidding him farewell,
And entrusted me with a blazing ember that hearts harbored.
تَنازعَ عقلي الحالتانِ فنادبٌ
عَوارفَهُ طَوراً وطَوراً فمادحُ
My mind was seized by two conditions; a critic
Praising his virtues at times, and a praiser at times.
فلم أَدرِ هل تَنعَى عليهِ المنايِح
مَدَى الدهرِ أم تُثنِى عليهِ المدائحُ
I did not know if the keeners would mourn him
For ages or if the eulogies would praise him.
أَما إِنَّهُ بحرُ المَجَرَّةِ بالحِجَى
فضائِلُهُ فيهِ الدراري السوابحُ
Verily he is the sea of the honored with virtues,
In it are diving honoring virtues.
ونُقطةُ بيكار بدائِرَةِ العُلَى
خُطوطُ التُقَى كلٌّ بهِ لا يُبَارِحُ
A dot of excellence in the circle of highness,
Lines of piety each anchored to him never leaving.
حديدُ النُهَى والعَزمِ والحَزمِ والقُوَى
وسَهلُ اللِقا سَمحُ الأَكُفِّ مُسامحُ
Iron will, determination, resolve and strength,
Easy meeting, generous handed, forgiving.
يُقطّبُ لكن لا غَضُوبٌ ونافرٌ
ويَبسُمُ لكن لا لَعُوبٌ ومازحُ
He frowns but is not angry or repellent,
And he smiles but is not foolish or jesting.
تُقادُ إليه كلُّ نفسٍ أبيةٍ
كأن بُرَةٌ منهُ عليها النصائح
Every stubborn soul is led to him
As if there is proof against it in his counsel.
فما زالَ مأهولَ المغاني لأنهُ
مُشيرٌ عجيبٌ صائِبُ الرأي ناصحُ
He never lacked wisdom for he is a wondrous advisor,
Correct in opinion, a sincere counselor.
يُبادِرُهُ إن فاهَ عقلٌ ومِسمَعٌ
وإِن صَمَّمَ الآراءَ صَمَّ المُطارِحُ
He takes initiative if a mind and hearing respond,
And if opinions persist, even the deafer hear him.
فكم من نُفُوسٍ قد دَهاها عُتُوُّها
غَدَت ولَها عن غَيِها منهُ كابحُ
How many souls that their defiance led astray
Were guided by him away from their defiance.
بتأنيِبِه آضَمت نُفوسٌ شواردٌ
وتهذيبِهِ ارتاضَت رُؤسٌ جوامحُ
By his rebuke hearts that strayed straightened
And by his cultivation stubborn heads calmed.
بتِرياقِهِ الشافي المجرَّبِ كم شَفَى
لديغَ هوامِ الإِفكِ والحقُّ واضحُ
With his proven healing antidote he healed
The venom of slander when truth is clear.
وفَنَّدَ بالتفنيدِ كلَّ عضيهةٍ
وأَرتَقةٍ فَهوَ الكَمِيُّ المُكافحُ
With refutation he refuted every dispute
And argument, he is the conclusive debater.
وبَرهَنَ بالبُرهانُ كلَّ يقينةٍ
فدانَ لها هامُ العنيدِ المُناطِحُ
With proof he proved each certainty
So the zealot minds surrendered to it.
وكم رَدَّ بالرَدِّ الخطيرِ نُهىً لها
جَماحٌ إلى مَهوَى الرَدَى ومَطامِحُ
How much danger he deflected with his fraught response
That had wings towards the path of ruin and hopes.
معاني جِدالٍ جَدلُهُنَّ قد انفَرَت
بهِ جُدُلٌ ما صافَحَتها الصفائِحُ
He simplified the complexities of meanings
As if he had keys to unlocking meanings.
وكَم ضاقَ صَدرٌ من معانٍ ضُئيلةٍ
أَبانَ خوافيا بما هُوَ شارحُ
He made the barren minds fertile with produce
From knowledge so they comply, elucidated.
ورَدَّ على عَجزِ الأَضاليل صَدرَها
ففاءَت بعجزٍ ذَيَّلتهُ الفواصحُ
He contained logic, knowledge and words that harmonize
So if his mouth opened, you would say musk and perfume permeate.
أزالَ رِتاج المُشكِلاتِ كأَنَّهُ
لأَقفالِ أَغلاقِ المعاني مفاتحُ
And grammar analyzing it, his grammar in it
Inclining to God, no grammar deviated from it.
وأَلقَحَ عقماءَ الفُهُوم بناتجٍ
من العِلمِ فانصاعت بهِ وهي لائحُ
And prosody, prose and letters,
Its winds blow aromas.
حَوَى مَنطِقاً عِلماً ولفظاً تَجانَسَا
فان فاهَ قلتَ الطيبُ والمسكُ فائِح
He gained skill in the battle of eloquence,
The champions were unable to compete with him.
ونحواً وصرفاً صارفاً فيهِ نحوَهُ
إلى اللَه لم يَجنَح لهُ عنهُ جانحُ
His explanation unveiled the mysteries of books
With an elucidation that unlocked for the mysteries a starter.
ونظماً وإِنشاءً ونثرَ رسائِلٍ
تُراسِلُ رَيَّاها العُطورُ النوافحُ
His sermons instruct with commands and deterrents in censures
That distant ignorance flees from them.
وحازَ بمَيدانِ اليَراعِ بَراعةً
أَبَت أَن تُجاريهِ الفُحولُ القوارحُ
He reformed a lost tradition and those are traits
God granted not attained through exertion.
وإِعرابَ أَسفارِ تَمنَّعَ خِدرُها
جَلاها بَيانٌ منهُ للمنعِ فاتحُ
He never wasted time, not even an hour,
But exerted his body and spirit laboring.
ووعظاً نَهِيٌّ الأمرِ والنَهيِ في النُهَى
تَناهت بهِ فالجهلُ عنهنَّ زائِحُ
He preceded everything as introductions precede
The chapters of a book, the openings.
واصح صنعاً في اصطناع ضائع
وتلك اختصاصات لها اللَه مانح
Praise him, do not blame for he is righteous,
A righteous person does not refuse praise.
ولم يلف بطالاً ولو عمر ساعةٍ
ولكنه الجسم والروح كادح
How bitter his envious enemies are with spreading his virtues
Though they concealed their stinginess as fire conceals smoke.
تًصدَّر بالتقديمِ كُلاً كمثلِ ما
تُصدِّرُ أبوابَ الكِتابِ الفواتحُ
His good character was obscured from spreading
Can aromas and fragrance be hidden?
فأَثن ولا تنثنِ فيهِ مَبَرَّةً
فما صالحٌ يأبى الثنا عنهُ صالحُ
Can the full moon and light be denied when they are evident?
Can the sun and illumination be rejected when apparent?
ذكا حاسدٌ من نشرِ معروفهِ وقد
طَوَى كَشحَهُ منهُ على النارِ كاشحُ
A young man whose only profit is his work
So he does not tire of it for it is profitable.
فأَتَّى تَوارَى نشرُ طِيبِ صنيعِهِ
وهل تختفي الأَطيابُ والعَرفُ نافحُ
A friend of love but he does not welcome
A friend of generosity, his hands extend to virtues.
وهل يُنكَرَنَّ البدرُ والضوءُ شاهدٌ
وهل تُجحَدَنَّ الشمسُ والنُورُ لائِحُ
Traits like pearls, handsome and brilliant
Without cheapening, they are blossoming and smiling.
فتىً لم يَخَل إلَّا الصنيعةَ مَربَحاً
فلم يَألُ عنها فَهيَ نِعمَ المرابحُ
A nature like pure, delicate water
Remaining virtuous and generous throughout life.
غديقُ الحِبا لكِنَّهُ لا مُرحِّبٌ
غديقُ الأَيادي للمكارمِ مائحُ
An exclusivist by nature for every virtue
His vast excellence that glorifying poems praise.
خِلالٌ كالإِغريضِ حُسناً ونَضرةً
بغيرِ ابتِذالٍ وَهيَ طَلعٌ وبالحُ
He confined himself to asceticism to preserve chastity
His limbs emaciated and withered from it.
وطبعٌ كماءِ المُزنِ صَفواً ورِقَّةً
مَدَى العُمرِ بالإِحسانِ وافٍ وسانحُ
Of long hands and ample generosity, perfect
And in every measure straightforward and outweighing.
ومستأثرٌ طبعاً بكلِّ فضيلةٍ
لهُ سَعَةٌ فُضلَى بها ومَنادِحُ
Trustworthy in keeping secrets, his tongue never
Betrayed secrets, exposing and revealing.
أَضاقَ نِطاقَ النُسكِ حِفظاً لِعفَّةٍ
جوارحُهُ منها هِزالٌ طِلائحُ
As if his tongue follows his heart
So no exposer, and no fault finder.
طويلُ أَيادٍ وافرُ الجُودِ كاملٌ
وفي كل وزنٍ مستقيمٌ وراجحُ
No betrayer of a covenant, and no violator of sanctity
Of love, even if calamities shook him.
أمينٌ على حِفظِ السرائِرِ لم يكن
بفيهِ لسانٌ بالسرائِرِ بائحُ
Alert of heart and sight, bold against evil,
Fleeing from evil, successful and succeeding.
كأَنَّ وراءَ القلبِ منهُ لِسانَهُ
فلا كاشفٌ سِتراً ولا هُوَ قادح
He attained success with his sound opinion, saved
From the vengeance of enemies, delivered and successful.
ولا ناكثٌ عهداً ولا ناهكٌ حِمَى
وِدادٍ ولو أَن طَوَّحَتهُ الطوائِحُ
He repelled the arrow of despair with hopes
And broke traps set up by misfortunes.
ومنتبهُ الطَرفَينِ قلباً وناظراً
على الخيرِ مِقدامٌ عن الشرِّ جانحُ
He considered enemies and the envious altogether
As predators frightened the heart of the innocent.
نجا بنجيح الرأيِ من مقَتِصَ العِدَى
وأُنجِحَ سعياً فَهوَ ناجٍ وناجحُ
A young man not bewildered by the covetous of blessings
As weeping did not bewilder the lion in its den.
وصَرَّدَ سهمَ اليأس رَغفُ رَجائهِ
وكَسَّرَ فَخّاً هَيَّأَتهُ الكواشحُ
Those present and absent eulogize him in poetry
And those who went and those to come weep for him.
وراعَ الأَعادي والحواسدَ جَمَّةً
كما رَوَّعَت قلبَ البُغاثِ الجوارحُ
The depths of meanings mourn him eternally
And its symbols that floated in them swimming.
فَتىً لم يهله نزغٌ حاسدِ نعمةٍ
كما لم تَهُل ليثَ العرينِ النوائِحُ
If the mind hid in sorrow and agony
It would clothe it in a garment of flaming passion.
فيرثيهِ بالأَشعار بادٍ وحاضرٌ
ويبكيهِ في الأَسفارِ غادٍ ورائحُ
His virtues elicited praise from us
But our debt silenced our writings.
وتَنعاهُ أَعماقُ المعاني على المدى
وراموزُها ما عامَ فيهِنَّ سابحُ
If effects mourning his loss persist
It's no wonder if dirges for him persist.
ولو أَن تَوارَى الذِهنُ من جَزَع الأَسَى
لأَورَى بهِ زَندٌ من الوجدِ قادحُ
Every leaf of protectiveness for him in its own way
Wailing, elegizing, crying loudly.
قَدِ اقتَرَحَت مدحاً علينا نِكاتُهُ
فغِرنا لهُ لكن غَرَتنا القرائحُ
May the Merciful cloak him in the shade of mercy
And make his grave quench like abundant rain.
لَئن دامتِ الآثارُ تَندُبُ فَقدَهُ
فلا غرو أن دامت عليهِ المنايِحُ
Intercession was granted for him from us and he was granted
Intercession from God, the All-Forgiving.
فوُرقُ الحِمَى كُلٌّ عليهِ بأَيكِها
نَعاءً ونعتاً نائحاتٌ صوادحُ
تَغمَّدهُ الرَحمنُ في ظلِّ رحمةٍ
وبلَّ ثَراهُ وابلُ الغيثِ ناضحُ
وجازَت لهُ فينا وحازَت شَفاعةٌ
من اللَه حُسنَ الصفحِ فاللَهُ صافحُ
