1. ما عُذرُ عَيني لا تَفيضُ فَتسكَبُ

    لِليَومِ تُدَّخرُ الدُموعُ وَتُطلَبُ

    What excuse has my eye for not overflowing and spilling tears?

    For this day tears are stored up and called for.

  2. وَإِذا أَرَدتَ عَلى الصَبابَةِ شاهِداً

    فالدَمعُ أَعدلُ شاهِدٍ لا يَكذِبُ

    And if you seek a witness to passionate longing,

    then tears are the most just witness, one that does not lie.

  3. لَم يَستَبِق في العَينِ ماء شُؤونِها

    إِلّا وَنارُ القَلبِ حرّى تَلهَبُ

    Never has the water of its tear ducts rushed into the eye

    without the heart's fire blazing hot.

  4. لا مَرحَباً بالأَرحبيَّة أَوردت

    خَبَراً يَضيقُ بِهِ الفَضاءَ الأَرحبُ

    No welcome to the Arhabi she-camel that brought

    news before which the broadest expanse grows narrow.

  5. غَلبَ الأَسى فيها التَجَلَّدَ بَعدَ ما

    كانَ التَجلدُّ بالأَسى لا يُغلَبُ

    In this, grief overcame fortitude, after

    fortitude had never been overcome by grief.

  6. فَسَقى الغَمامُ الصَيِّبُ الخَضِلُ النَدى

    قراً بمصرَ بِهِ الغمامُ الصَيِّبُ

    So may the rain-bearing cloud, drenched with dew, water

    a [grave?] in Egypt, with a rain-bearing cloud within:

  7. غيثَ البِلادِ إِذا يًصوّحُ نَبتُها

    وَدَعا الحَيا مِنها المَكانُ المُعشِبُ

    the rain of the lands when their growth withers

    and their grassy ground calls for life-giving rain.

  8. بادي السَكينَة في النُفوسِ محكّمٌ

    حَسَنُ اللِقاءِ إِلى القُلوب مُحَبَّب

    Serene in bearing, trusted as an arbiter by souls,

    gracious in meeting, beloved of hearts.

  9. يا ثُلمة ثَلَمَ الزَمانُ بِها العُلى

    ما إِن تُسدّ وَصَدعُها ما يُرأبُ

    O breach through which Time has rent the heights of glory,

    never to be filled, its fracture never mended!

  10. عَظُمَت رزيّتهُ فأَقصر عاجِزٌ

    عَن وَصفِ شِدَّتها وَقَصَّر مُطنِبُ

    His loss was so grievous that the helpless gave up

    describing its severity, and even those who spoke at length fell short.

  11. لَهفي عَلَيكَ وَما يَردُّ تَلَهُّفي

    مَيتاً وَلَكِنَّ التأسُفَ يعذبُ

    My anguish for you! Yet my grieving cannot bring back

    a dead man, but sorrow has its sweetness.

  12. تَركَ القُلوبَ عَلى الأَسى مَوقوفةً

    أَبَداً عَلى إِنَّ القُلوبَ تُقلَّبُ

    He left hearts fixed upon grief

    forever, although hearts change.

  13. نُحنا عَلَيهِ كَما

    مَدحاً فَأَبكانا عَليهِ المُطرِبُ

    We lamented him, just as...

    in praise; the delight-giver made us weep for him.

  14. وَإِذا عَتِبتُ عَلى اللَيالي بَعدَهُ

    قالَ التأسي ما عَلَيها مَعتَبُ

    And when I reproached the nights after him,

    Consolation said, 'There is no blame upon them.'

  15. ما عَهدُنا بالشَمسِ قَبلَكَ بُرجَها

    نَعشٌ وَلا بَينَ المَقابِر تَغرُبُ

    Before you, we never knew the sun's celestial house to be

    a bier, nor knew it to set among graves.

  16. أُصبحتَ تَحتَ الأَرضِ تُرغِبُ في الأَسى

    من كانَ نَحوَكَ في الحَوائج يَرغَبُ

    Now beneath the earth, you stir a longing for grief in

    those who once turned to you in their needs.

  17. يَهدي إِلَيهِ بِعَرفه طيبُ الثَرى

    مَن كانَ يَهديهِ الثَناءُ الطَيِّبُ

    The fragrance of the soil, by its scent, guides to him

    those whom sweet praise once guided.

  18. ما كُنتُ أَحسَبُ قَبلَ دَفنِكَ في الثَرى

    أَنَّ المَكارِمَ في التُرابِ تُغَيَّبُ

    Before your burial in the earth, I never thought

    that noble virtues could be hidden away in the dust.

  19. ما العَيشُ بَعدَكَ بالهنيّ وَإِنَّما

    مَن عاشَ بَعدَكَ بِالحَياة مُعَذَّبُ

    Life after you is not pleasant; rather,

    whoever lives after you is tormented by life.

  20. وَلَئِن قَضيتَ لَقَد تَرَكتَ كآبةً

    ما تَنقَضي وَحَرارَةً ما تَذهب

    And though you have died, you have surely left a gloom

    that never ends, and a burning heat that never fades.

  21. أَتعبتَ بَعدَكَ دونَ شأوك كل من

    وَطىء الحَصا بَل دون شأوك مُتعَبُ

    You have wearied all who, after you and short of your reach,

    tread the pebbles; indeed, one is exhausted short of your reach.

  22. مَن لِلمَعالي تُرتَقى أَو تَنثَني

    مَن لِلمَحامِدِ تُقتَنى أَو تُكسَبُ

    Who is left for the heights, to ascend or turn back?

    Who is left for praiseworthy deeds, to acquire or earn them?

  23. مَن للأُمور المشكِلاتِ يَحلُّها

    مَن للثُغور المُستَضامَةِ يَغضَب

    Who will resolve the difficult affairs?

    Who will rise in anger for the oppressed frontiers?

  24. مَن لِلأَرامِلِ وَاليتامى كافِلاً

    يَكفيهُمُ إِذ لا خَليلُ وَلا أَبُ

    Who will stand as guardian to widows and orphans,

    providing for them when there is neither friend nor father?

  25. مَن للمقانِبِ وَالكَتائِبِ رَدُّها

    إِن فُلَّ جَيشٌ أَو تقنَّع مِقنَبُ

    Who will repel the cavalry squadrons and battalions

    if an army is routed or a cavalry troop dons its armor?

  26. صَلّى عَلَيكَ اللَهُ في مَلكوتِهِ

    وَالصالِحونَ وَبعض ما تَستَوجِبُ

    May God bless you in His dominion,

    and the righteous too—this is only part of what you deserve.

  27. فاسلم صَلاحَ الدينِ ما هبَت صَباً

    أَو لاحَ بَرقٌ أَو تَبدّا كَوكَبُ

    So remain safe, Salah al-Din, as long as an east wind blows,

    or lightning gleams, or a star appears.

  28. لا زالَ عزّمكَ ماضياً ما يَنثَني

    وَشَديدُ بأسِك ماضياً ما يَذهَبُ

    May your resolve remain unflagging, never yielding,

    and your fierce might remain potent, never fading,

  29. وَجَميلُ صَبرِكَ في الرَزايا يَعتَلي

    وَكَريمُ عُودِكَ في الحَوادث يَصلُب

    and your gracious patience rise high amid calamities,

    and your noble timber harden amid adversities.

  30. حاشى وَقارَك أَن يَطيرَ بِهِ الأَسى

    أَو أَن يُزَعزعه المَرامُ الأَصعَبُ

    Far be it that grief should sweep away your composure,

    or that the hardest undertaking should shake it.

  31. أَي اجتِماعٍ لَم يُرع بِتَفُرِّقٍ

    يَوماً وَأَيّةُ فِرقَةٍ ما تُنكَبُ

    What gathering has not been alarmed by separation

    one day? And what company has not been stricken?

  32. كَم قَد دَجا خَطبٌ وَجأشُكٌ ثابِت

    وَتقلَّبت حالٌ وَقَلبُكَ قُلَّبُ

    How often a calamity darkened while your courage stood firm,

    and circumstances shifted while your heart remained resourceful.

  33. وَإِذا تَخَطّاكَ الرَدى وَأَصابَنا

    فَسَوى إِذا سَلم الذُرى وَالمنكِبُ

    And if death passes you by and strikes us,

    it is all the same, if the heights and the shoulder remain safe.