يا قَضيباً ذَوى وَكانَ نَضيرا
ما رَأَينا لَهُ الغَداةَ نَظيرا
O tender branch, now withered, once so fresh!
This very day, we have seen no peer for him.
أَظلَمَت بَعدَهُ الدِيارُ وَقَد كا
نَ سِراجاً بِها وَبَدراً مُنيرا
After him, the dwellings darkened, though he had
been their lamp and a radiant full moon.
غَيَّبَتهُ الأَرضونَ عَنّا وَما خِل
تُ أَديمَ التُرابِ يَحوي البُدورا
The earths concealed him from us; never did I
think the skin of dust could hold full moons.
لا وَلا خِلتُ أَنَّ شُهبَ الدَراري
بَعدَ أَوجِ العُلى تَحِلُّ القُبورا
No—nor did I think that radiant stars,
after glory’s zenith, would lodge in graves.
يا حَبيباً فِراقُهُ أَخرَبَ القَل
بَ وَقَد كانَ مَنزِلاً مَعموراً
O beloved, whose parting laid the heart in ruins,
though once it was a flourishing home.
فاجَأَتنا بِالنَدبِ أَصواتُ ناعي
كَ وَكادَت قُلوبُنا أَن تَطيرا
The cries of the herald mourning you struck us suddenly,
and our hearts nearly flew from us.
فَنَفَينا الرُقادَ عَن كُلِّ عَينٍ
فَجَّرَتها دُموعُها تَفجيرا
So we banished sleep from every eye,
and tears burst each one into torrents.
ما رَأى الناسُ قَبلَ مَثواكَ يَوماً
كانَ بِالبَينِ شَرَّهُ مُستَطيرا
Before your resting-place, people had never seen a day
whose evil, born of parting, spread so far.
وَلَقَد خِفتُ مِن فِراقِكَ يَوماً
باكِياً بِالثَبورِ يَنعى ثَبيرا
Indeed, I had dreaded a day of parting from you,
a day weeping “Ruin!” as it mourned Thabir.
فَبِرُغمي أَن لا أَرى مِنكَ وَجهاً
يَرجِعُ الطَرفُ مِن سَناهُ حَسيرا
How bitterly against my will, that I see your face no more—
a face whose radiance sent the gaze back weary.
كُنتَ ريحانَةَ القُلوبِ فَقَد دا
رَ بِكَ التُربُ عَنبَراً وَعَبيرا
You were the hearts’ fragrant basil; now all
the dust surrounding you is ambergris and perfume.
كُنتَ شَهماً مَعَ الحَداثَةِ في السِن
نِ وَجَلداً عَلى البَلاءِ صَبورا
Though tender in years, you were noble and brave,
steadfast and patient under affliction.
وَحَمَلتَ الأَثقاكَ عَنّي فَأَمسى
بِكَ طَرفي بَينَ الأَنامِ قَريرا
You bore the heavy burdens for me, until my eye,
through you, rested content among all humankind.
فَجَزاكَ الإِلَهُ عَن ذَلِكَ الصَب
رِ عَلى الهَولِ جَنَّةً وَحَريرا
May God reward you for that steadfast patience
before terror—with Paradise and silk;
وَأَراكَ الإِلَهُ في جَنَّةِ الخُل
دِ نَعيماً بِها وَمُلكاً كَبيرا
and may God show you, in the Garden of Eternity,
bliss there, and a mighty kingdom.
