1. يَا قَبْرَ حِفْنِي أَجِبْنِي

    مَاذَا صَنَعْتَ بِحِفْنِي؟

    O grave of Hifni, answer me.

    What have you done with Hifni?

  2. مَاذَا صَنَعْتَ بِعِلْمٍ؟

    وَمَا صَنَعْتَ بِفَنِّ؟

    What have you done with learning?

    And what have you done with art?

  3. وَمَا صَنَعْتَ بِفِكْرٍ

    مَاضِي الشَّبَاةِ وَذِهْنِ؟

    And what have you done with thought,

    keen-edged, and with intellect?

  4. طَوَيْتَ خَيْرَ مَثَابٍ

    لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَرُكْنِ!

    You have enfolded the finest sanctuary

    for those who circle it, and a pillar!

  5. فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ رِثَاءٌ

    لِصَاحِبٍ أَوْ لِخِدْنِ

    Every day brings an elegy

    for a companion or a close friend.

  6. حَتَّى لَقَدْ كَادَ شِعْرِي

    يَبْكِي لِضَعْفِي وَوَهْنِي

    So much so that my verse almost

    weeps at my weakness and frailty.

  7. فَإِنَّمَا أَنَا مِنْهُ

    وَإِنَّمَا هُوَ مِنِّي

    For I am of it alone,

    and it is of me alone.

  8. الْوَزْنُ مِنْ نَبْضِ قَلْبِي

    وَالْبَحْرُ مِنْ مَاءِ جَفْنِي

    The meter comes from my heart's pulse,

    and its sea from the water of my eyelid.

  9. رَحَا الْمَنَايَا رُوَيْدًا

    خَلَطْتِ طِحْنًا بِطِحْنِ!

    Millstone of death, go gently!

    You have mingled flour with flour!

  10. وَإِنَّمَا النَّاسُ ظَعْنٌ

    يَسِيرُ فِي إِثْرِ ظَعْنِ

    And people are but a caravan

    following in another caravan's wake.

  11. فَمَا حَدِيدٌ بِبَاقٍ

    وَلَا حِذَارٌ بِمُغْنِي

    So iron does not endure,

    nor does caution avail.

  12. وَكُلُّ عَقْلٍ مُضِيءٍ

    إِلَى خُمُودٍ وَأَفْنِ

    And every luminous mind

    is bound for dimming and decline.

  13. يَكَادُ إِنْ مَالَ غُصْنٌ

    يَشْكُو الزَّمَانَ لِغُصْنِ

    If a bough bends, it almost

    complains of Time to another bough.

  14. تَعْسًا لَهُ، كَمْ نُعَزِّي

    حِينًا، وَحِينًا نُهَنِّي!

    Woe to it! How often we console

    at one time, and at another congratulate!

  15. مِنِ اجْتِمَاعٍ لِعُرْسٍ

    إِلَى اجْتِمَاعٍ لِدَفْنِ

    From a gathering for a wedding

    to a gathering for burial.

  16. وَالْمَرْءُ يُحْيِي الْأَمَانِي

    وَالدَّهْرُ يُبْلِي وَيُفْنِي

    And man keeps hopes alive,

    and Time wears away and destroys.

  17. فَكَمْ تَمَنَّيْتُ لَكِنْ

    مَاذَا أَفَادَ التَّمَنِّي؟

    How often I have wished! But

    what did wishing gain?

  18. دَعْنِي أُقَلِّبُ طَرْفِي

    فِي ظُلْمَةِ اللَّيْلِ دَعْنِي

    Let me turn my gaze about

    in the darkness of night—let me,

  19. حَيْرَانَ أَضْرِبُ كَفِّي

    أَسًى وَأَقْرَعُ سِنِّي

    bewildered, strike my palm

    in grief and gnash my teeth.

  20. قَدْ خَانَنِي الدَّهْرُ يَوْمًا

    يَا لَيْتَهُ لَمْ يَخُنِّي!

    Time betrayed me one day;

    ah, if only it had not betrayed me!

  21. أَكُلَّمَا مَرَّ نَعْشٌ

    أَوْ طَافَ نَعْيٌ بِأُذْنِي

    Is it each time a bier passes,

    or news of death passes my ear,

  22. طَارَ الْفُؤَادُ، فَلَوْلَا

    بَقِيَّةٌ، نَدَّ عَنِّي

    that my heart takes flight? Were it not for

    a remnant, it would escape me.

  23. لَوْلَا التُّقَى لَمْ أَجِدْهُ

    بِجَانِبِي أَوْ يَجِدْنِي

    Without piety, I would not find it

    beside me, nor would it find me.

  24. قَالُوا: أَجَدْتَ الْمَرَاثِي

    فَقُلْتُ: إِنَّ، وَإِنِّي

    They said, “You have excelled at elegies.”

    I replied, “Indeed! And as for me,

  25. دُمُوعُ عَيْنِي قَرِيضِي

    وَزَفْرَةُ الْوَجْدِ لَحْنِي

    my eye's tears are my verse,

    and the sigh of anguish is my melody.

  26. عَلِّي أُدَاوِي حَزِينًا

    فَالْحُزْنُ يُمْحَى بِحُزْنِ

    Perhaps I may heal someone grieving,

    for sorrow is erased by sorrow.

  27. أَوْ يَشْتَفِي بِبُكَاءٍ

    مَنْ شَأْنُهُ مِثْلُ شَأْنِي

    Or weeping may bring relief

    to one whose plight is like mine.”

  28. أَيْنَ النُّبُوغُ تَوَارَى؟

    يَا قَبْرَ حِفْنِي أَجِبْنِي

    Where has genius hidden itself?

    O grave of Hifni, answer me.

  29. أَكُلَّمَا لَاحَ بَدْرٌ

    رَمَتْهُ رِيحٌ بِدَجْنِ؟

    Is it whenever a full moon appears

    that a wind pelts it with gloom?

  30. وَخَلَّفَ الْأَرْضَ حَيْرَى

    سَهْلٌ يَمُوجُ بِحَزْنِ

    And the moon leaves the earth bewildered,

    a plain surging with rugged ground.

  31. وَرُبَّ زَهْرٍ شَذَاهُ

    يُزْرِي بِأَرْوَاحِ عَدْنِ

    And many a flower whose fragrance

    puts Eden's fragrances to shame,

  32. كَأَنَّمَا مَنَحَتْهُ

    أَلْوَانَهَا ذَاتُ حُسْنِ

    as though it had been given

    a lovely woman's own colors—

  33. جَمَالُهُ الْغَضُّ أَغْرَى

    أَغْصَانَهُ بِالتَّثَنِّي

    its fresh beauty coaxed

    its branches into swaying.

  34. غَذَّتْهُ أَطْبَاءُ طَلٍّ

    حِينًا، وَأَثْدَاءُ مُزْنِ

    The teats of dew nourished it

    at times, and the breasts of rain clouds.

  35. تَسْرِي بِهِ الرِّيحُ رِفْقًا

    فِي خَشْيَةٍ وَتَأَنِّي

    The wind passes over it gently,

    with timid, unhurried care,

  36. كَأَنَّهَا فَمُ أُمٍّ

    يَمُرُّ فِي وَجْنَةِ ابْنِ

    as though it were a mother's mouth

    brushing across a son's cheek.

  37. النَّحْلُ تَرْشُفُ مِنْهُ

    رَحِيقَهُ وَتُغَنِّي

    The bees sip from it

    its nectar, and sing.

  38. تَجْنِي وَلَمْ تَدْرِ يَوْمًا

    أَنَّ الرَّدَى سَوْفَ يَجْنِي

    They harvest, never once knowing

    that death would harvest.

  39. طَغَتْ عَلَيْهِ سَمُومٌ

    حَرَّى كَأَنْفَاسِ جِنِّ

    A scorching wind overwhelmed it,

    burning like the breaths of jinn,

  40. فَغَادَرَتْهُ رُكَامًا

    أَجَفَّ مِنْ عُودِ تِبْنِ

    and left it a heap,

    drier than a stalk of straw.

  41. وَالدَّهْرُ أَحْرَى رَفِيقٍ

    بِأَنْ يَخُونَ وَيُخْنِي

    And Time is the likeliest companion

    to betray and bring ruin.

  42. يَا قَبْرَ حِفْنِي أَجِبْنِي

    وَارْحَمْ بَقِيَّةَ سِنِّي

    O grave of Hifni, answer me,

    and have mercy on my remaining years.

  43. قَدْ رَاعَنِي مِنْكَ صَمْتٌ

    بِحَقِّهِ لَا تَرُعْنِي

    A silence from you has frightened me;

    for his sake, do not frighten me.

  44. فَفِيكَ أَمْضَى جَنَانًا

    مِنْ كُلِّ فُصْحٍ وَلُسْنِ

    For in you lies one keener of heart

    than every eloquent and fluent speaker.

  45. وَفِيكَ شِعْرٌ نَقِيٌّ

    مِنْ كُلِّ وَقْصٍ وَخَبْنِ

    And in you lies pure poetry,

    free of every waqs and khabn contraction.

  46. كَأَنَّهُ بَسَمَاتٌ

    لِلْوَصْلِ بَعْدَ التَّجَنِّي

    It is like smiles

    of reunion after unjust reproach,

  47. أَوْ نَفْحَةٌ مِنْ «جَمِيلٍ»

    طَافَتْ بِأَحْلَامِ «بُثْنِ»

    or a breath from Jamil

    passing through Buthn's dreams,

  48. أَوْ رَغْوَةٌ مِنْ سُلَافٍ

    تَفِيضُ مِنْ رَأْسِ دَنِّ

    or foam from choice wine

    overflowing from the top of a wine jar.

  49. كَمْ نُكْتَةٍ فِيهِ كَادَتْ

    تَخْفَى عَلَى كُلِّ ظَنِّ!

    How many a subtle jest in it almost

    eluded every conjecture—

  50. مِصْرِيَّةٍ جَالَ فِيهَا

    ذَوْقُ الْأَدِيبِ الْمِفَنِّ

    Egyptian, through which roamed

    the taste of a versatile man of letters!

  51. لَوْ كُنْتَ تَعْرِفُ حِفْنِي

    لَقُلْتَ: زِدْنِي وَزِدْنِي!

    If you knew Hifni,

    you would say, “Give me more, and more!”

  52. نَحْوٌ يَصُكُّ الْكِسَائِي

    وَيَزْدَرِي بِابْنِ جِنِّي

    His grammar strikes al-Kisa'i

    and sneers at Ibn Jinni.

  53. وَإِنْ أُثِيرَ جِدَالٌ

    رَأَيْتَهُ خَيْرَ قِرْنِ

    And if a debate arose,

    you would see him the finest opponent.

  54. الْعِلْمُ أَمْضَى سِلَاحٍ

    لَهُ وَأَوْقَى مِجَنِّ

    Knowledge was the keenest weapon

    he had, and the surest shield.

  55. قَدْ كَانَ ضَخْمًا جَسِيمًا

    يَبْدُو كَشَامِخِ حِصْنِ

    He was massive, large of body,

    looking like a towering fortress.

  56. اللَّحْمُ رِخْوٌ بَدِينٌ

    لَهُ نُعُومَةُ قُطْنِ

    His flesh was soft and plump,

    with the softness of cotton.

  57. وَالصَّدْرُ رَحْبٌ فَسِيحٌ

    مَا جَاشَ يَوْمًا بِضِغْنِ

    And his breast was broad and spacious,

    never once seething with rancor.

  58. فِي وَجْهِهِ الْجَهْمِ حُسْنٌ

    مِنْ رُوحِهِ الْمُسْتَكِنِّ

    In his stern face was beauty

    from the spirit hidden within him.

  59. قَدْ زَارَنِي ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ

    فِي وَقْتِ قَيْظٍ وَكِنِّ

    He visited me one day

    during summer heat, in shelter.

  60. فَكَانَ أُنْسًا تَدَانَتْ

    بِهِ الْمُنَى بَعْدَ ضَنِّ

    He was a comfort; there drew near

    through him wishes once withheld.

  61. فَاضَ الْحَدِيثُ زُلَالًا

    عَذْبًا وَمَا قَالَ قَطْنِي

    Conversation flowed like clear water,

    sweet, and he never said, “Enough for me!”

  62. فُكَاهَةٌ مِنْ لَدُنْهُ

    وَنُكْتَةٌ مِنْ لَدُنِّي

    A joke from him,

    and a witty quip from me;

  63. فِي الْأُذْنِ قَهْوَةُ كَرْمٍ

    وَالْكَفِّ قَهْوَةُ بُنِّ

    in the ear, the wine of the vine,

    and in the hand, coffee from beans.

  64. أَرْوِي وَيَرْوِي الْقَوَافِي

    كَالدُّرِّ وَزْنًا بِوَزْنِ

    I recite, and he recites, the rhymes,

    like pearls, weight for weight.

  65. يَا مَجْلِسًا عَادَ وَجْدًا

    يُذْكِي الْفُؤَادَ وَيُضْنِي

    O gathering, now turned to anguish,

    kindling the heart and wearing it down!

  66. ضَاعَ الصِّبَا وَرَجَعْنَا

    مِنْهُ بِصَفْقَةِ غَبْنِ

    Youth was lost, and we returned

    from it, cheated in the bargain.

  67. حِفْنِي، سَلَامٌ وَنُورٌ

    لِقَلْبِكَ الْمُطْمَئِنِّ

    Hifni, peace and light

    to your tranquil heart.

  68. فَارَقْتَ أَهْلًا وَسَكْنًا

    لِخَيْرِ أَهْلٍ وَسَكْنِ

    You left kin and a dwelling

    for better kin and a better dwelling.

  69. تَثْنِي إِلَيْكَ الْقَوَافِي

    أَعْنَاقَهَا حِينَ تُثْنِي

    The rhymes bend toward you

    their necks as they praise you.