1. صاحب الحكمة أودى

    فاسهري يا عين وجدا

    The master of wisdom has died.

    So stay awake, O eye, in anguish.

  2. واتركي الدمعة فيه

    تنهمي عقداً فعقدا

    And let the tear, for him,

    pour down, necklace after necklace.

  3. واحملي يا نفس شجواً

    حرّه يحرق فندا

    And bear, O soul, a grief

    whose heat burns a mountain crag.

  4. واصعقي إن شئت شوقاً

    فجناب الموت أهدا

    And fall senseless, if you wish, from longing;

    for death's domain is more peaceful.

  5. هذه صنعا تنادي

    مصر للنوح ونجدا

    Here is Sana'a calling

    Egypt and Najd to lament.

  6. والعراق الفذ كادت

    نفسه تزهق فقدا

    And peerless Iraq—almost

    its very soul expires from loss.

  7. ونرى الشام عليه

    أسفاً يلطم خدا

    And we see al-Sham, for him,

    striking its cheek in sorrow.

  8. صاحب النفس التي كا

    نت بنفس الخلق تفدى

    Master of the soul that was

    ransomed with all creation's life;

  9. منبع الحكمة ينبو

    ع الهدى الندب المفدى

    wellspring of wisdom, fountain

    of guidance, the gallant one worth ransoming;

  10. باعث النور الى الدن

    يا هدى منك ورشدا

    you who sent light into the world—

    guidance and right judgment from you.

  11. ما لنا لم نر فيك ال

    يوم شخصاً مستعدا

    Why do we not see in you, this

    day, a man ready for action?

  12. أين ذاك النفس الشا

    هر للفضل فرندا

    Where is that spirit that brandished

    a blade for excellence?

  13. أين ذاك النظر الجا

    عل للحكمة سدا

    Where is that insight which raised

    a rampart for wisdom?

  14. ما الذي أخمد نار ال

    فكر منك اليوم حسدا

    What has quenched the fire of

    your thought today, out of envy?

  15. ما هو المقصود من سك

    ناك في الرحلة لحدا

    What is meant by your dwelling

    in a grave on the journey?

  16. كان أولى لك أن تن

    جز للأوطان وعدا

    It would have been better for you to

    fulfill a promise to the homelands.

  17. كان أولى لك أن تب

    قى لنا ذخراً معدّا

    It would have been better for you to

    remain a treasure held ready for us,

  18. تكشف الظلمة عنا

    وتصدّ الجهل صدا

    dispelling the darkness from us,

    and driving ignorance back,

  19. وتعيد الروح فينا

    غضة تنفح وجدا

    and restoring the spirit within us,

    fresh, breathing ardent love.

  20. من لنشر الصحف الغ

    رّا ومن يوضح قصا

    Who is there to publish the radiant newspapers,

    and who will clarify what lies far off?

  21. ذهب الموئل في ذا

    ك فحُز في الحزن حدا

    The refuge in that has gone;

    so carry your grief to its limit.

  22. جُرتَ يا دهر عليه

    جئت شيئاً فيه إدّا

    You wronged him, O Time;

    in his case, you have done a monstrous thing.

  23. خنتنا فيه وكنّا

    قبل في الرجحان احدا

    You betrayed us through him, though we

    were once unequaled in preeminence.

  24. هكذا تجمع في أس

    ر الأسى عمراً وزيدا

    Thus you gather into the captivity

    of sorrow both Amr and Zayd.

  25. ليت شعري ما الذي أو

    جب أن تضمر حقدا

    Would that I knew what has

    compelled you to harbor hatred,

  26. وعلى م الجور في الفع

    ل وكان العدل أجدى

    and why such injustice in your deeds,

    when justice would have been better.

  27. كيف يرضيك القضا رغ

    ماً على من كان فردا

    How can fate please you, imposed

    by force on one who was peerless?

  28. كان لا يكذب في القو

    م ولا يُخلف وعدا

    He would not lie among

    the people, nor break a promise.

  29. كان لا يرغب في اللؤمِ

    ولا يصحب وغدا

    He had no desire for baseness,

    nor kept company with a knave.

  30. كان للايمان برقا

    ثم للحكمة رعدا

    He was lightning for faith,

    then thunder for wisdom.

  31. كان للخلص حباً

    ولذي الأهوا ألدا

    He was love to the sincere,

    and a fierce foe to those ruled by whims.

  32. كان نحساً للأعادي

    ولمن آمن سعدا

    He was ill fortune to his enemies,

    and good fortune to those who believed.

  33. أنت يا دهر كما قد

    قيل خبّ ليس يهدا

    You, O Time, are, as has

    been said, a restless deceiver,

  34. وعدوٌ ترسل السه

    م على من نال جدا

    and an enemy who looses

    the arrow at whoever attains good fortune.

  35. يا وريث الفضل قبلا

    هل وريث لك بعدا

    O heir to excellence in times past,

    is there an heir to you hereafter?

  36. دُلّنا إن كنت لا تر

    ضى لنا الحيرة مهدا

    Guide us, if you do not

    wish bewilderment to be our cradle.

  37. إننا بعدك في حا

    لٍ كما قد قيل سودا

    After you, we are in a

    dark state, as has been said.

  38. نخبط العشوا ونهوى

    في مهاوي الهم شدا

    We grope blindly and fall

    headlong into the chasms of grief.

  39. منلنا بعدك يحيى

    باذلا للدين جهدا

    Who, after you, will live for us,

    devoting effort to the faith,

  40. رافعاً للشعب أعلا

    م العلى والعلم عمدا

    raising for the people the banners

    of glory and learning with purpose,

  41. مخلصاً لله فيما

    قاله في الصحف ردا

    sincere toward God in what

    he said in the newspapers in reply?

  42. ملء برديه اطلاع

    واقتدار ضم جدا

    His two cloaks were filled with learning

    and mastery joined with earnestness.

  43. أنا لا أبكي على زي

    ن الشباب اليوم فقدا

    I do not weep for the adornment

    of youth—for his loss—today.

  44. لا ولا أحمل في رح

    لته يا موت جهدا

    No, nor do I bear, at his

    departure, O Death, any distress.

  45. هو في الجنة لا شك

    ينال العيش رغدا

    He is in Paradise, without doubt,

    enjoying life in ease.

  46. هو فيها يشتهيه

    أغيد لص وغيدا

    There he is desired

    by a graceful thief and graceful maidens.

  47. حوله الولدان والحو

    ر بما يهواه سردا

    Around him are youths and houris,

    with whatever he desires, in succession.

  48. كل ما يبغيه يأتيه

    ولا يحمل كدا

    Everything he wishes comes to him,

    and he bears no toil.

  49. إنما أبكي على أن

    فسنا والعين رمدا

    I weep only for our own

    selves, with the eye inflamed.

  50. ربِّ إنا في بلاء

    فارحم الأمّة تهدا

    My Lord, we are in affliction;

    so have mercy on the community, that it may find peace.

  51. واعصم القلب ولاطف

    أمة تطلب رشدا

    And safeguard the heart, and be gentle

    with a community seeking right guidance.

  52. وأنلنا منك خيراً

    واهدنا عبداً فعبدا

    And grant us goodness from You,

    and guide us, servant by servant.

  53. وأجِز عنّا راحلاً لم

    يال في الاصلاح جهدا

    And reward on our behalf a departed man who

    spared no effort in reform,

  54. لوريث الطيب الطا

    هر أعلى الناس مجدا

    for the heir of the good and pure,

    highest of all people in glory.

  55. وأدم للملك يحيى

    واحمه بدءاً وعودا

    And preserve Yahya for the kingdom,

    and protect him at every beginning and return.