قفا فلعل الفيض من عبراته

يبرد حر الوجد من زفراته

Stop, you two; perhaps the flood of his tears

will cool the burning grief of his sighs.

وميلا إلى سفح المقطم وأربعا

على روضة في السفح من هضباته

Turn toward the foot of al-Muqattam, and tarry

beside a garden on the slope among its hills.

ففي الروضة البيضاء قبر بربوة

يلوح سمو القدر فوق سماته

For in the white garden lies a grave upon a knoll;

exalted rank shines above its markings.

وإن أنتما لم تعرفاه فإنه

يفوح نسيم المسك من جنباته

And if you two do not recognize it, then

a breath of musk wafts from its sides.

وقولا له يا قبراً بلغ سلامنا

سلمت إلى سر الندى وسراته

And say to it: ‘O grave, convey our greetings—

may you be preserved—to the heart of bounty and its noblest lords.’

وقولا له يا قبر بلغ دعاءنا

إلى سمع مسرور بصوت دعاته

And say to it: ‘O grave, convey our prayer

to ears gladdened by his petitioners’ voices.’

وأعلمه أنا كل يوم نزوره

على سابقات هن بعض هباته

And tell him that every day we visit him

on fleet mares that are among his gifts.

وأن مواطي خلينا حول قبره

تكاد تعفيها دموع عفاته

And that our two companions’ footprints around his grave

are almost erased by the tears of those seeking his bounty.

وأن الأسى لو لم يكن في قلوبنا

عرفنا الأسى من صاهلات كماته

And that, had sorrow not dwelt in our hearts,

we would have learned sorrow from his warriors’ neighing mares.

ألم ترها تصغي إلينا إذا جرى

حديث قراه أو حديث قراته

Have you not seen them listen to us whenever there arises

talk of his hospitality or of his [recitation]?

مؤدبة الأعطاف من طول ما رأت

وما سمعت من حلمه وأناته

Their flanks schooled by all they long beheld

and heard of his forbearance and patient restraint.

تباركت مفقوداً مضى لسبيله

ونحن مدى الأيام في بركاته

Blessed are you, departed and gone upon your way,

while through all our days we live amid his blessings.

نزاعي به قوماً ونرعى لأجله

فوجد رعاياه كوجد رعاته

[We care for] people through him, and are cared for for his sake;

his dependents’ grief is like his guardians’ grief.

سيبكيك عصر كنت خير ثقاته

وأيام ملك كنت أكفي كفايته

The age will mourn you: you were the best of its trusted men;

and days of kingship for which you were the ablest support.

وثغر إذا أعيا على الملك سده

شددت عراه من جميع جهاته

And a frontier: when its defense baffled the king,

you strengthened its bonds on every side.

وتبكيك بالدمع الشتيت مواطن

ضمنت بها للملك جميع شتاته

And places will weep for you with scattered tears,

where you secured for the realm all its scattered parts.

وذو لجب لما سريت تقوده

هفت عذبات النصر في عذباته

And a clamorous host: when you marched by night leading it,

victory’s streamers fluttered among its streamers.

ومستوضح نهج الصبوات كفيته

برائك غربي سيفه وقناته

And one seeking a clear path through youthful passions—you spared him,

with your counsel, the need for his sword’s and spear’s keen edges.

ومعتقد فيك الحفاظ حفظته

من الموت لما جف ريق لهاثه

And one who trusted your loyalty—you saved him

from death when his panting mouth ran dry.

ومعترك في المشتركين شهدته

فكنت برغم الشرك حامي حماته

And a battlefield among the combatants where you stood:

you were its defenders’ protector, to idolatry’s dismay.

وآخر في الإسلام فزت بحمده

وأحرزت أجري صبره وثباته

And another, in Islam, whose praise you won,

where you earned both rewards for endurance and steadfastness.

تلفت في ضيق المجال فلم يجد

سواك وفي العهد عند التفاته

It looked about in the constricted field, but found no one

but you faithful to the covenant when it turned.

وذي عثرة لو لم تقلها ولم تقل

لعاً لم يقله الدهر من عثراته

And one who stumbled—had you not righted his fall and said

‘Rise again!’ time would never have lifted him from his falls.

هجرت إلى حاجاته سنة الكرى

وقد خاط جفنيه بسناته

You forsook sleep’s drowsiness to attend to his needs,

while sleep had stitched his eyelids shut with its drowsy spells.

وهل يعدم التأييد فكر وخاطر

يبيت وخوف لله في خطواته

And can thought and reflection lack sustaining aid,

when they spend the night with fear of God in their steps?

فتى كان لا يرضى بفضل صلاته

إذا لم يشيعها بفضل صلاته

A young man never content with the virtue of his prayer

unless he accompanied it with the bounty of his gifts.

تبيت الخطايا وهي عنه بحجرة

ويتلى كتاب الله في حجراته

Sins spend the night at a distance from him,

while God’s Book is recited in his chambers.

أبا حسن يهنيك أنك لم تمت

وصدرك مطوي على حسراته

Abu Hasan, may it gladden you that you did not die

with your breast enclosing its regrets.

ولكن بلغت المنتهى مترقياً

ذرى شرف أعليت من شرفاته

Instead, you reached the utmost height, ascending

the peaks of honor whose battlements you raised.

وحلقت في جو من المجد والعلى

أسفت بغاث الطير دون بزاته

And you soared in a sky of glory and exaltation,

while lesser birds flew low beneath its hawks.

واطلعت من آفاق مجدك كوكباً

فأشرق نور منك في قسماته

And you made a star rise from the horizons of your glory,

so a light from you shone in his features.

أضاءت وجوه المكرمات بيوسف

وضاعت مساوي الدهر في حسناته

The faces of noble deeds grew radiant through Yusuf,

and time’s blemishes were lost amid his virtues.

ولو لم تكن شمساً كنعتك لم تغب

وخلفك بدر كامل في صفاته

Had you not been a sun, as your epithet declares, you would not have set

with a full moon behind you, perfect in its qualities.

ولو لم تجد يا شمس بالبدر لم نقم

بما فيك من وصف الكمال وذاته

Had you not bestowed the full moon, O sun, we could not do justice

to the qualities and essence of perfection within you.

وما أنت إلا دوحة طاب غصنها

فأطلع طيب الذكر من ثمراته

You are nothing but a great tree whose branch grew sweet,

and brought forth sweet renown from its fruits.

وغيث ملث فارق الأرض بعدما

حلى عاطلاً من جيدها بنباته

And a lingering rain that left the earth after

adorning her bare neck with its greenery.

فدى لأبي الحجاج أفراس حلبة

عواطل من أوضاحه وشياته

May the racecourse’s horses be ransom for Abu al-Hajjaj,

lacking his white markings and distinctive colors.

هو الجذع المربي على كل قارح

سبوح وما يرضي بسبق لداته

He is the young colt outstripping every mature steed,

a swimmer in his stride, not content to outpace his peers.

وقور فما تنزو بوادر طيشه

عليك إذا ما خفت من نزواته

Dignified: no sudden outbursts of his rashness leap

upon you if ever you fear his sudden bounds.

أخو صلة يوم الكريهة والندى

مواقعها في ماله وعداته

A man of gifts on the day of battle and bounty,

whose generosity finds scope in his wealth and his promises.

جزيت علياً عن جميل وداده

ومثلي وفى للخل بعد وفاته

I have repaid Ali for his beautiful affection;

one like me remains faithful to a friend after his death.

وخلدت فيه ما يدوم وإن أمت

فإن لسان الدهر بعض رواته

And I have made enduring praise of him; even if I die,

the tongue of time is among its reciters.

ويا أسفي أني وقفت مرثياً

لمن صانني عن مدحه في حياته

Alas that I have stood as an elegist

for one who spared me the need to praise him during his life.

أبا حسن فات الذي كان بيننا

فمن لي يرد الأمر بعد فواته

Abu Hasan, what once lay between us has passed;

so who will bring it back for me now it is gone?

كأني حوت الماء نش غديره

فهل شربة من ملحه أو فراته

I am like a fish whose pool has dried up;

is there, then, a draught of its salt water or its fresh?

ولاشك إلا أن همة يوسف

ستنجز ما قد كان لي من عداته

And there is no doubt but that Yusuf’s resolve

will fulfill the promises once made to me.

كريم المحيا لا يزال ابتسامه

يخبر بالإكرام عن مكرماته

Noble of countenance, his smile never ceases

to speak, through gracious welcome, of his noble deeds.

مهيب كأن النار من لفحاته

وهوب كأن الغيث من نفحاته

Awe-inspiring, as though fire came from his scorching gusts;

lavish, as though rain came from his generous outpourings.