يا بِأَبي المُختَلَسُ المُستَلَب

عَنَّ لَهُ سَهمُ حِمامٍ غَرَب

O my father who passed away silently and suddenly,

An arrow of fate struck him from the west.

وَانتَزَعَتهُ لِلمَنايا يَدٌ

مُغتالَةٌ مِن حُجرِ أُمٍّ وَأَب

And the hand of death snatched him away,

Ambushing from the rock of a mother and father.

أَفديهِ مِن رَيحانَةٍ غَضَّةٍ

عادَ هَشيماً عودُها المُحتَطَب

I would sacrifice him for a fresh, green basil plant,

Whose stick became firewood when dried up.

ياقوتَةٍ أَذهَبَ جَريالَها ال

مَوتُ فَعادَت كَقَضيبِ الذَهَب

A ruby whose mineral was taken away by death,

So it became like a rod of gold.

كَأَنَّهُ الوَردُ أَتى زائِراً

ثُمَّ اِنقَضَت أَيّامُهُ عَن كَثَب

It was as if a rose came to visit,

Then its days swiftly vanished.

أَشرَقَ كَالنَجمِ مُضيئاً فَما

مَلَأتُ عَيني مِنهُ حَتّى غَرَب

It shone like a bright star, but before

My eyes had their fill, it had set.

كَما تَجَلّى البَدرُ مِن دونِهِ

سَحابَةٌ غَرّاءُ ثُمَّ اِحتَجَب

The full moon appeared from behind it,

Then a thick cloud covered and concealed it.

وَيلي عَلَيهِ ما بَلَغتُ المُنى

مِنهُ وَلا قَضَيتُ مِنهُ أَرَب

Woe to me for what I hoped for from him,

And what profits I desired from him.

أَبا عَلِيٍّ فَرَّقَت بَينَنا

دَهياءُ لا يَعطِفُها مِن عَتَب

Abu Ali, cleverness separated us,

Which cannot be swayed by reproach.

أَبا عَلِيٍّ فَرَّقَت شَملَنا

حَوادِثُ الدَهرِ وَصَرفُ النُوَب

Abu Ali, circumstances split us apart,

And the changing of fate.

أَبا عَلِيٍّ كُنتُ أَرجوكَ أَن

تَكشِفَ عَن قَلبِ أَبيكَ الكُرَب

Abu Ali, I hoped you would

Relieve your father’s worries.

أَبا عَلِيٍّ كُنتَ لي مُؤنِساً

فَخالَسَتني فيكَ أَيدي الرِيَب

Abu Ali, you were a comfort to me,

But doubt crept up and ambushed me about you.

غالَبَني فيكَ شَديدُ القُوى

وَالبَطشِ ما غالَبَ إِلّا غَلَب

The Almighty overpowered me about you,

He who overcomes, only overcomes.

واطولَ حُزني فيكَ مِن ذاهِبٍ

لَو رَدَّ طولُ الحُزنِ لي ما ذَهَب

And my longest sorrow for you will remain

Even if the length of sorrow itself passes.

يا هاجِراً رَبعِيَ لا عَن رِضى

وَمُعرِضاً عَنِّيَ لا عَن غَضَب

O you who migrated from me, not by choice,

And turned away, not in anger.

أَبقَيتَ مِن بَعدِكَ لي حَسرَةً

تَفنى اللَيالي دونَها وَالحِقَب

After you, a longing remains that consumes

The nights and eras.

حَسبِيَ فيكَ اللَهُ مِن فارِطٍ

مُدَّخِرٍ لي أَجرُهُ مُحتَسَب

May God suffice me from one who parts,

Storing reward that I hope for.

مَوهِبَةٍ جادَ بِها الدَهرُ لي

ثُمَّ سَطا مُرتَجِعاً ما وَهَب

A gift the days gave me,

Then they took back what they granted.

فَقُل لِمُغتَرٍ بِأَيّامِهِ

يَعلَقُ مِنها بِضَعيفِ السَبَب

Say to one deluded by his days,

Who clings to their weak connections -

يا طالِبَ الراحَةِ أَخطَأتَها

مالَكَ مِن دُنياكَ إِلّا التَعَب

O you who seek comfort but miss it -

You have nothing from your life but fatigue.

أَيُّ دَمٍ ما طاحَ في حُبِّها

وَأَيُّما حَبلٍ لَها ما اِنقَضَب

What blood was not spilt for loving it?

What rope of it did not snap?

ما الفَتى مِنها نَصيبٌ إِذا

فَكَّرَ في يَومَيهِ غَيرُ النَصَب

The youth gets nothing from it except

Worry, when he reflects on his two days.

فَهيَ تَوَخّانا بِأَرزائِها

وَالمَوتُ مِن بَعدُ لَنا في الطَلَب

It has eluded us with its calamities,

While death follows in pursuit.