1. ما للندى لا يلبِّي صوت داعيه

    أظنَّ أنَّ ابن شاد قامَ ناعيه

    What ails generosity, that it does not answer its caller's voice?

    I think the herald of Ibn Shad's death has risen.

  2. ما للرجاءِ قد اشْتدَّت مذاهبه

    ما للزمانِ قد اسْودَّت نواحيه

    What ails hope, that its paths have grown so difficult?

    What ails Time, that its quarters have darkened?

  3. ما لي أرى الملك قد فضَّت مواقفه

    ما لي أرى الوفد قد فاضت مآقيه

    Why do I see the king's assemblies dispersed?

    Why do I see the delegation's eyes overflowing?

  4. نعى المؤيدُ ناعيه فيا أسفي

    للغيثِ كيف غدت عنَّا غواديه

    His death-herald announced al-Mu'ayyad's death—oh, my grief

    For the rain-cloud: how its morning showers have left us!

  5. واروعتا لصباحٍ عند رؤيته

    أظنُّ أنَّ صباح الحشر ثانيه

    Oh, the terror of a morning at whose sight

    I think Resurrection's morning will be a second such dawn!

  6. واحسرتاه لنظمِي في مدائحه

    كيفَ اسْتحالَ لنظمي في مراثيه

    Alas for my verses in his praise:

    How they have turned into verses mourning him!

  7. أبكيه بالدُّرِّ من جفني ومن كلمي

    والبحر أحسن ما بالدُّرِّ أبكيه

    I weep for him with pearls from my eyelid and my words;

    And a sea is best mourned with pearls.

  8. أروي بدمعِي ثرى ملك له شيمٌ

    قد كانَ يذكرها الصَّادِي فترويه

    I water with my tears the earth of a king whose virtues

    The thirsty man would recall, and they would quench him.

  9. أذيل ماء جفوني بعدهُ أسفاً

    لماء وجهي الذي قد كانَ يحميه

    I let my eyelids' water flow after him, grieving

    For the water of my face—my honor—which he once guarded.

  10. جادٍ من الدمعِ لا ينفكُّ يطلقهُ

    من كانَ يطلقُ بالإنعامِ جاديه

    A petitioner of tears, ceaselessly released

    By him who once sent his petitioners away with bounty.

  11. ومهجة كلَّما فاهت بلوعتها

    قالت رزيَّة مولاها لها إيه

    And a heart that, whenever it voices its anguish,

    Its lord's calamity tells it, “Speak on!”

  12. ليتَ المؤيد لا زالت عوارفه

    فزاد قلب المعنَّى في تلظِّيه

    Would that al-Mu'ayyad's favors had never ceased!

    And the tormented heart burned all the fiercer.

  13. ليت الحمام حبا الأيام موهبةً

    فكانَ يفني بني الدنيا ويبقيه

    Would that death had granted the days a gift,

    Destroying the world's sons and sparing him!

  14. ليتَ الأصاغر تفدى الأكبرون بها

    فكانت الشهب في الآفاقِ تفديه

    Would that the greater could be ransomed with the lesser:

    Then the stars throughout the horizons would ransom him.

  15. أعزز عليَّ بأن ألقى عوارفه

    ملءَ الزمان وإنِّي لا ألاقيه

    How grievous to me to encounter his favors

    Filling all time, while I cannot meet him!

  16. أعزز عليَّ بأن تبلى شمائله

    تحتَ التراب وما تبلى أياديه

    How grievous to me that his noble qualities should decay

    Beneath the dust, though his benefactions never decay!

  17. أعزز عليَّ بأن ترعى النجوم على

    سرحٍ من الملك قد خلاَّهُ راعيه

    How grievous to me that the stars should watch over

    A royal flock whose shepherd has left it!

  18. هلاّ بغيرِ عماد الدِّين حادثة

    ألقت رداه وأوهت من مبانيه

    Why did calamity not, upon someone other than Imad al-Din,

    Cast down his cloak and weaken his foundations?

  19. هلاّ ثنى الدهر غرباً عن محاسنِهِ

    فكان كوكب سعدٍ في لياليه

    Why did Time not turn its sharp edge from his virtues,

    And become a star of good fortune in his nights?

  20. ترى درى الدهر مقدار الذي فقدت

    من فيضِ أدمعه أحوال أهليه

    Did Time, I wonder, know the worth of what was lost,

    From its flooding tears and the plight of his people?

  21. ترى درى الدهر ما معزى سماحته

    فجاءَ مهجته في زيِّ عافيه

    Did Time, I wonder, know the meaning of his generosity,

    And approach his life's blood in a petitioner's guise?

  22. لا أعتب الزمن المودي بسيِّدهِ

    يكفيه ما قد تولَّى عنه يكفيه

    I do not reproach Time for destroying its master;

    Enough for it is what has left it—enough.

  23. لهفي وهل نافعي لهفي على ملكٍ

    بات الغمامُ على الآفاقِ يبكيه

    My grief—yet can my grief avail me?—for a king

    Whom the clouds spent the night mourning across the horizons!

  24. لهفي وهل نافعي لهفي على ملكٍ

    كسى الزمان حداداً من دياجيه

    My grief—yet can my grief avail me?—for a king

    Who clothed Time in mourning from its darkness!

  25. لهفي على الملك قد أهوت سناجقه

    إلى التراب وقد حُطَّت غواشيه

    My grief for the king, whose banners have fallen

    To the dust, and whose trappings have been lowered!

  26. لهفي على الخيلِ قد وفَّت صواهلها

    حقّ العزا فهو يشجيها وتشجيه

    My grief for the horses, whose neighs have fully paid

    The dues of mourning: it saddens them, and they sadden it.

  27. لهفي على ذلك السلطان حينَ قضى

    من الحمام عليهِ حكمُ قاضيه

    My grief for that sultan, when there took effect

    Upon him the judgment of death's judge!

  28. لهفي عليهِ لممتار ومطَّلب

    بالمالِ يقريه أو بالعلم يقريه

    My grief for him, for the provision-seeker and the petitioner

    Whom he welcomed with wealth or welcomed with learning!

  29. لهفي عليهِ لجودٍ كانَ يعجبه

    فيه الملام كأنَّ اللَّوم يغريه

    My grief for him, for a generosity that made him delight

    In reproach, as though blame spurred him on!

  30. لهفي عليهِ ابن عليّ من ذخائرِهِ

    إلا ثناً أضحتْ الدنيا تواليه

    My grief for him, Ibn Ali; of his treasures,

    Only praise, which the world now endlessly repeats!

  31. لهفي عليهِ لحلمٍ كانَ يبسطهُ

    على العفاةِ ومدحٍ كانَ يجنيه

    My grief for him, for a forbearance he spread

    Over petitioners, and praise he used to reap!

  32. كانَ المديح له عرساً بدولتِهِ

    فأحسن الله للشعرِ العزا فيه

    Praise was a wedding feast for him during his reign;

    May God grant poetry fitting consolation for his loss.

  33. كانَ الفقير إذا أمرَ الزمان بغى

    عليه قامَ إلى السلطانِ يُنهيه

    A poor man, when Time's decree dealt wrong

    To him, would rise and report it to the sultan.

  34. كانَ المؤيد في يومي ندى وردَى

    غيثاً لراجيه أو غوثاً للاجيه

    On days of bounty and death, al-Mu'ayyad was

    Rain to those hoping in him, or succor to those seeking refuge.

  35. تروى صحاح القضايا عن براعتِهِ

    والنصر في الحربِ يروي عن عواليه

    Sound judgments are recounted from his brilliance,

    And victory in battle tells of his lofty spears.

  36. من للعلومِ وللأعلامِ ينشرها

    وللوغَى ورداء الخوف يطويه

    Who now will spread learning and banners,

    And, in battle, fold away the cloak of fear?

  37. من للكسيرِ من الأهوالِ يجبرهُ

    وللطريدِ من الأيامِ يأويه

    Who will mend those broken by terrors,

    And shelter those driven out by the days?

  38. من للتصانيفِ أمثال الكواكب في

    ليلِ المداد لساري الفكر يهديه

    Who will tend the books, like stars in

    The night of ink, guiding thought's night-traveler?

  39. مضَى وقد كانَ عضباً للزمانِ فيا

    لهفي على مغمدٍ في التربِ ماضيه

    He is gone; he was a keen sword for Time—oh,

    My grief for one whose sharp blade lies sheathed in dust!

  40. لو أمكنَ الصبر عنهُ ما أنستُ به

    فكيفَ والحزنُ من أحشاي ينعيه

    Were patience without him possible, I would find no comfort in it;

    How, then, when grief within my entrails announces his death?

  41. آهاً لأحمر دمعٍ بعد أشهبه

    أجراهُ حتَّى لقد أفناه مجريه

    Ah, for red tears after their pale ones,

    Made to flow until their very maker exhausted them!

  42. أفنى المؤيد تبر الدمع من بصرِي

    وتلكَ عادته في التبرِ يفنيه

    Al-Mu'ayyad exhausted the gold of tears in my eyes;

    Such was his way with gold: to spend it all.

  43. كيفَ السلوُّ وحولِي من صنائعه

    ما يمنع الصخر من أدنى تسلّيه

    How can I find solace, when all around me are his kindnesses,

    Enough to keep even rock from the slightest consolation?

  44. هذي حماة أغصَّ الهمُّ وادِيها

    وطاوعَ الحزن فيه دمع عاصيه

    Here is Hama: grief has choked its valley,

    And the tears of its 'Asi have yielded to sorrow.

  45. كأنَّه اسْتشعر الأحزان من قدمٍ

    فللنواعيرِ نوح في نواحيه

    As though it had felt sorrows from ancient times,

    The waterwheels wail throughout its reaches.

  46. هذي المنازل والدنيا معطلة

    كأنها اللفظ خالٍ من معانيه

    Here are the dwellings, while the world is stripped of adornment,

    Like an utterance emptied of its meanings.

  47. جادَ الحيا قبرهُ الزاكي فلا برحت

    سحائب العفو والرضوان تسقيه

    May rain lavishly water his pure grave, and may

    The clouds of pardon and divine favor never cease to water it.

  48. نعم السحائب تسقي صوب وابلها

    نعم الضريح ونعم المرء ثاويه

    How fine the clouds, pouring their drenching rain;

    How fine the tomb, and the man who rests within it!

  49. مهنَّأ بجنانِ الخلد دانيه

    ونحنُ نصلى بنارٍ من تنائيه

    The one near him is blessed with the gardens of eternity,

    While we burn in a fire kindled by his remoteness.

  50. من كانَ يتعب في المعروف راحته

    فهو المنى بترحيبٍ وترفيه

    He who once wore out his ease in doing good

    Now finds his wishes fulfilled, with welcome and repose.

  51. يا آل أيوب صبراً إنَّ إرثكمو

    من اسم أيوب صبر كانَ ينجيه

    O house of Ayyub, be patient: your inheritance

    From Ayyub's name is the patience that once saved him.

  52. هي المنايا على الأقوامِ دائرة

    كلٌّ سيأتيه منها دورُ ساقيه

    Such are deaths, circling among peoples;

    Each will have his turn at the cupbearer's hands.

  53. هيَ المقادير هذا الأصل تنزعه

    بعد النموِّ وهذا الفرع تنميه

    Such are fate's decrees: this root they tear out

    After its growth, and this branch they make flourish.

  54. كأنني بسليلِ المكرمات وقد

    سعى بحقِّ تراث الملك ساعيه

    I seem to see the scion of noble deeds, as

    His champion pursues his rightful royal inheritance:

  55. محمد وهو اسمٌ عنه مشتهر

    ولى به بيت إسماعيل ينشيه

    Muhammad—a name for which he is renowned—

    Through him, the house of Ismail is governed and raised anew.

  56. يا ناصر الدِّين أنتَ الملك قد قرأت

    علائم الملك فيه عين رائيه

    O Nasir al-Din, you are the king; already

    The beholder's eye has read in you the signs of kingship.

  57. ومن أبيكَ تعلَّمت الثباتَ فما

    تحتاج تذكُّر أمراً أنتَ تدريه

    From your father you learned steadfastness, so

    You need no reminder of a matter you already know.

  58. لا تخشَ بيتكَ أن يلوِي الزمان بهِ

    فإنَّ للبيتِ ربًّا سوفَ يحميه

    Do not fear that Time will twist your house awry;

    For the house has a Lord who will protect it.