ابن عمي مات فامضوا

بي إلى قبر ابن عمي

My cousin has died; take

me to my cousin's grave.

ودعوا همي فقد ودعت

منذ اليوم همي

And leave my cares, for I have bidden farewell

to my cares as of today,

غير ماجد من الموت

الذي آذن قومي

save what has newly arisen from death,

which forewarned my people,

فرماهم ورماني ومضى

ما شاء يرمى

then struck them and struck me, and went on

striking as it wished.

ابن عمي مات ما بين

صباح ومساه

My cousin died in the interval between

a morning and its evening.

مات والأحلام تجلوه

كما يهوى هواه

He died while dreams illumined him,

as his desire wished.

مات والنعمة والقوة

فيه والحياه

He died with well-being and strength

within him, and life.

فدعوني من هوى الدنيا

وعزّوا من نعاه

So leave me free of love for this world,

and console whoever announced his death.

أيها الخلّان والراحة

والموت هنا

O friends, repose

and death are here.

أين من كان يرانا

ونراه معنا

Where is the one who used to see us,

whom we used to see among us?

أين من كان يحاكي

نضرة الدنيا لنا

Where is the one who used to mirror

the world's freshness for us?

غيّبَ الترب سناه

وهو في أعيننا

The soil has hidden his radiance,

while he is in our eyes.

أيها الراحل والغبرا

ء قبر فوق قبر

O departed one, while the dusty earth

is grave upon grave.

أيها الساكن والو

كب بالأقدار يجري

O you at rest, while the procession

runs on with destinies.

أدنني منك

على قربك من سرى وجهري

Bring me close to you,

despite your closeness to my secret thoughts and open speech.

أدنني منك فما أدري

بما أصبحت تدري

Bring me close to you, for I do not know

what you have come to know.

أدنني منك قليلا

وادن من روحي قليلا

Bring me a little closer to you,

and draw a little closer to my soul.

إن لي فيك رجاء ورجائي

أن يطولا

I have a hope in you, and my hope

is that it may endure.

فلقد صاحبت مذ فارقتني

الصبر الجميلا

For since you left me, I have kept company

with beautiful patience.

وبقلبي من تباريحك

نار لن تحولا

And in my heart, from anguish over you,

burns a fire that will never fade.

أيها الراحل ماذا بع

د فقدان الحياه

O departed one, what comes after

the loss of life?

ما الذي بعد انعتاقي

يعلم الله مداه

What comes after my release?

God knows its extent,

بعد أن يجري قضاء

شاء أن يجرى الإله

after a decree comes to pass

that God has willed to come to pass.

حار فيه كل من دبت

على الأرض خطاه

It has bewildered everyone whose footsteps

have trodden the earth.

بعد أن يطبق حفني وترى

الظلمة عيني

After my eyelid closes, and

my eye sees the darkness—

ظلمة الموت الذي

ما ذقته إلا بظن

the darkness of death, which

I have tasted only in conjecture;

ظلمة الفقد الذي

ييأس فيه المُتَمنّى

the darkness of loss, in which

the hoped-for itself despairs;

ظلمة البين عن الدنيا

وعن نفسي وعنّي

the darkness of parting from the world,

and from my soul, and from me.

ما الذي بعد انعتاقي

وزوالي عن رفاقي

What comes after my release

and my vanishing from my companions?

أين أمضى وإلى أين

وقد فكّ وثاقي

Where do I go, and whither,

now that my bond has been undone?

سيصلّوا على روحي

ويبكون فراقي

They will pray over my soul

and weep for my parting,

ويقولون إلى الله

شبابا في البواقي

and say, 'To God,'

the young among those left behind.

سيقولون إلى الله

شبابا وكهولا

They will say, 'To God,'

young and middle-aged alike,

ويبكون كثيرا

ظنه الناس قليلا

and weep for one of great worth

whom people deemed of little worth—

شاعرا عاش ولم يصنع

بما قال جميلا

a poet who lived but made nothing

beautiful with what he said,

غير أن يرثيَ ما كان

ويرجو المستحيلا

save to mourn what once was

and hope for the impossible;

شاعرا عاش كما شاء

الذي الأقدار أمره

a poet who lived as willed

by Him whose command is destiny,

والذي يلطف بالعبد

فما يغلب صبره

and who is gentle with the servant,

so his patience is not overcome;

والذي لا شيئ إلا

عنده يطلب سره

and He—there is nothing whose secret

is sought except with Him;

والذي الرحمة من أوصافه

والقهر قهره

and He whose attributes include mercy,

and subduing power is His.

أيها الراحل والدنيا

بما فيه تهون

O departed one, the world

with all it holds grows slight,

حينما أذكر ما تصنع

بالناس المنون

when I recall what is wrought

upon people by Death—

الرحى الشمطاء لا تفتأ

تجريها السنون

the hoary millstone—unceasingly

the years set it turning,

والبرايا بين شدقيها

قلوب وعيون

and creatures between its jaws

are hearts and eyes.

شغلتني عنك أحزاني

فلم أشد سواك

My sorrows kept me from you,

so I sang of no one but you.

وأرى وجهك أهلونا

فومولاك يراك

And our kin showed your face,

so, by your Lord, He sees you.

وجرى نعيك فيهم

وتولتك البواك

And news of your death spread among them,

and the weeping women took charge of you,

وأنا أجهل ما تخفيه

من حر أساك

while I do not know what you conceal

of the heat of your grief.

ذقت في موتك ما ذقت

وما زلت صبورا

In your death I tasted what I tasted,

yet I remain patient.

وأرى نعيك أعماني

وقد كنت بصيرا

And I see that news of your death has blinded me,

though I once had sight;

وبعادي عنك أنساني

وقد كنت ذكورا

and my distance from you has made me forget,

though I once remembered well,

غير أن أبكيَ معاك

وأستوحي القبورا

except to weep with you

and seek inspiration from the graves.

طبت في مثواك ما شاء

الرحيم المستعان

May you fare well in your resting place as long as

the Merciful One, whose aid is sought, wills.

وعلى دارك غفران

ونور وأمان

May forgiveness rest upon your dwelling,

and light and safety;

وعلى أكبادنا بعدك

سلوان الزمان

and upon our livers, after you,

the solace of time.

أيها الخالد لا تغنى

لمعناه معان

O immortal one, no meanings suffice

for his meaning.