1. ذلكَ الذي عَلِموا

    دون هوله الكلِمُ

    That is what they learned;

    words fall short of its horror.

  2. دولة البيانِ هوى

    من بُناتها علَمُ

    In eloquence's realm, there has fallen

    a standard-bearer among its builders.

  3. رَوَّع البلادَ ففي

    كلّ زَفرةٍ ضرَمُ

    He shook the land; in

    every sigh a fire burns.

  4. رُبّ سامعٍ نبأ

    وَدَّ لو به صَمَمُ

    Many a hearer of the news

    wished that he were deaf.

  5. أيها الأديبُ طوى

    سِفرَ حظّه العَدَمُ

    O man of letters, closed was

    the book of his fortune by nothingness.

  6. في كتابه غُرَرٌ

    كلُّها له ذِمَمُ

    In his book are gleaming gems,

    each a bond of obligation to him.

  7. إستهلّه أدبٌ

    بالكمال متَّسِمُ

    It began with refinement,

    marked by perfection;

  8. وانتهى إلى خُلقٍ

    ينتهي به الشمَمُ

    and ended in a character

    in which proud dignity reached its height.

  9. ألجديد سنّته

    والقديمُ محترَمُ

    The new was his way,

    and the old was respected.

  10. لا الأثيرُ تاه بِهِ

    لُبُّه ولا الخِيمُ

    The ether did not lead astray

    his intellect, nor did the tents.

  11. بين ذا وذاك له

    كان مذهبٌ أَمَمُ

    Between this and that, for him

    there was a measured course.

  12. في أديمها ضحِكٌ

    في غُضونها حِكمُ

    On its surface, laughter;

    within its folds, wisdom.

  13. إستقلّ مبتدعاً

    آيَهُ التي علموا

    He stood on his own, creating

    those marvels of his they knew.

  14. فَهْي إن ردتَهَا ندىً

    وهْي إن تُرِدْ حِمَمُ

    They are dew, if you seek them,

    and burning coals, if you wish.

  15. للملوكِ ما عدِلوا

    عابِثٌ إذا ظَلَموا

    For kings, so long as they were just;

    a mocker when they oppressed.

  16. والشبابُ لَذّتُه

    بالخطوب يصطدمُ

    And youth was his delight;

    he collided with calamities.

  17. يومَ مِصرُ مُمْرَعَةٌ

    والزمانُ مبتسِمُ

    When Egypt was lush

    and time was smiling,

  18. طائفٌ مجالِسَها

    لا يملُّه السأَمُ

    he roamed through her gatherings,

    never wearied by boredom.

  19. بلبلٌ يطيب له

    كلَّ ساعةٍ نَغَمُ

    A nightingale, he found delight

    in a melody at every hour.

  20. الجريءُ مندفعاً

    لا تني به الهِمَمُ

    The bold one, charging forward,

    his aspirations never flagging.

  21. للبرئ منتصفٌ

    لِلضعيفِ منتقِمُ

    For the innocent, a seeker of justice;

    for the weak, an avenger.

  22. تستخفُّه مِقةٌ

    يستثيره أَلَمُ

    Affection swept him away;

    pain stirred him.

  23. يا سليمُ كنتَ فتىً

    في حِماه يُعتَصَمُ

    O Salim, you were a noble youth

    in whose shelter one sought refuge.

  24. تَستلذُّ مكرُمَةً

    في النفوس ترتَسِمُ

    You delighted in a noble deed

    that left its imprint on souls.

  25. ليتَ لي بها مِنَناً

    منطقٌ لها وفَمُ

    If only, for those favors, I had

    a voice to tell of them, and a mouth!

  26. حدّثَ الخُزامُ إِذَنْ

    عن نداك والنًّسَمُ

    Then lavender spoke

    of your bounty, and so did the breezes.

  27. ما أحبها شيماُ

    هكذا هي الشيَمُ

    How dear they are, these virtues!

    That is what virtues are.

  28. البيانُ دولته

    كلُّنا لها خدَمُ

    Eloquence is his realm;

    we are all its servants.

  29. نحن عِصبةٌ غضبت

    نفسها لما يَصِمُ

    We are a band, outraged

    in spirit by what brings disgrace.

  30. مسرفون في دَمِنا

    شرُّ ما بنا الكرَمُ

    We squander our blood;

    generosity is our worst failing.

  31. لا سعت إلا سَعةٍ

    تستريبها قَدمُ

    May no foot strive toward prosperity

    that it regards with suspicion.

  32. الثراءُ مفخرةٌ

    والأديب متّهمُ

    Wealth is a source of pride,

    while the man of letters is under suspicion.

  33. مَنْ يُقيلُ عثرتَهُ

    إن كَبَا بِكَ القَلمُ

    Who will forgive his lapse

    if the pen stumbles with you?

  34. ما رأيتُ حقًّ فَتىً

    كالأديبِ يُهتَضَمُ

    Truly, I have seen no youth

    wronged like the writer.

  35. ويلها إذا فسدت

    بالمبادئ الأُمَمُ

    Woe to them, should corruption

    in principles overtake the nations!

  36. الصّبى وما طُويتْ

    في ردائه نَعَمُ

    Youth, and what lay enfolded

    in its robe—blessings—

  37. كالكرى يطوفُ به

    ثم ينقضي الحُلُمُ

    are like slumber that drifts around him;

    then the dream ends.

  38. شدًّ ما بُليتَ به

    والكؤوس تبتسمُ

    How sorely you were afflicted by it,

    while the cups smiled!

  39. جرعةٌ بالكأسِ ردىً

    تستبيحها الظُّلمُ

    A draught in the cup is death,

    which the shadows seize.

  40. ذقتُها محنظَلَةً

    حين ماؤها شَبِمُ

    I tasted it, bitter as colocynth,

    when its water was cold.

  41. يا عهودَ صبْوَتِنا

    ليتَ عهدَكِ الهَرمُ

    O days of our youthful ardor,

    would that your season were old age!

  42. هل تراهما جَزَعَا

    نِيلُ مصرَ والهرَمُ

    Do you think they both grieved—

    Egypt's Nile and the Pyramid?

  43. مِصرُ امّ كل فتىُ

    للبيانِ ينفطِمُ

    Egypt is the mother of every youth

    weaned into eloquence.

  44. قد عرفتُ فتيتها

    يوم تُعرف القِيَمُ

    I have indeed known her young men

    when worth is recognized.

  45. قُلْ لهم وقد فُجِعوا

    نحن في الأسى وهُمُ

    Tell them, now that they are bereaved:

    we are in sorrow, and so are they.

  46. للبكا وما نثروا

    للأسى وما نظموا

    And what they wrote in prose is for tears;

    and what they composed in verse is for sorrow.