1. غَدرتَ يا بينُ من حقدٍ ومن دخَل

    بدَوحةِ المجد ذاتِ العزِّ والخوَلِ

    You betrayed, O Parting, out of hatred and malice,

    The spreading tree of glory, endowed with might and retainers.

  2. أَخذتَ شمسَ المَعالي عَن مَنازِلها

    وَحِدْت فيها عَنِ المِيزانِ والحَملِ

    You took the sun of high achievements from its stations,

    And in its course you veered away from Libra and Aries.

  3. هَدَمتَ رُكنَ العُلى والعزّ مع شَرفٍ

    وَإِنّه جَبلٌ ناهيكَ مِن جبلِ

    You demolished the pillar of eminence, might, and honor,

    And indeed he was a mountain—what a mountain!

  4. أَوحَشتَ منهُ رُبوعاً فيه زينتُها

    فَرُعتَها بَعدَ طيبِ الخصبِ بِالمحَلِ

    You left dwellings desolate without him, their adornment residing in him,

    Then frightened them with drought after fertile plenty.

  5. أَضَعتَ مِن بَعدهِ فيما فَعَلت بِهِ

    بيضَ المَواضي وكلَّ السُّمْرِ والأسَلِ

    After him, through what you did to him, you rendered useless

    The gleaming, keen swords and all the brown spears and lances.

  6. أَخليتَ جيدَ المَعالي وَالمَفاخِرِ من

    لآلئِ الفخرِ قد أزْرتْ بكلّ حُلي

    You stripped the neck of high achievements and proud distinctions of

    Pearls of glory that put all ornaments to shame.

  7. أَسَلت دَمعَ عيونٍ كَالسّحابِ هَمَت

    لَم تَبكِ قبلُ وَلم تدمَع ولم تسِلِ

    You made tears flow from eyes that poured like clouds,

    Eyes that had never wept, shed tears, or flowed before.

  8. سَطَوتَ يا بينُ تُبدي الغَدرَ مجترئاً

    عَلى هِزَبْرٍ إِلَيه الدّهرَ لم تصلِ

    You struck, O Parting, displaying treachery and daring

    Against a lion you had never reached in all of time.

  9. مَدَدتَ كَفّاً إِلَيهِ وَهيَ عاديةٌ

    وَذاتُ بَغيٍ رَماها اللَّهُ بِالشّللِ

    You stretched a hand toward him, an aggressive hand,

    Full of injustice—may God strike it with paralysis!

  10. وَكَيف يُمناكَ طالَت وَهيَ في قِصَر

    مِن ذَروةِ العزّ نَجمَ المَجدِ وَهوَ عَلي

    How did your right hand, short as it is, reach

    The star of renown at glory's summit, so exalted?

  11. الضّيغمُ المُجتري مَنْ عِندَه بَطُلت

    جَراءَة الأُسْدِ من لَيثٍ وَمِن بَطلِ

    The daring lion, before whom was undone

    The courage of lions, of every lion and champion.

  12. ربُّ الشّجاعَةِ في حَقٍّ وَفي حَرب

    لِشِدَّةِ البَأسِ لا يَعروهُ من وجَلِ

    Master of courage, in justice and in war,

    Whom no fear could assail, so fierce was his valor.

  13. ربُّ السّياسَةِ قوَّتها فَراسَتُهُ

    فَطابَقَت قَولَ خَيرِ الخَلقِ وَالرُّسلِ

    Master of governance, strengthened by his discernment,

    Which accorded with the saying of the best of creatures and messengers.

  14. مَنْ أحقرُ الرّأي مِنهُ ثمَّ أَهونهُ

    عَن شدَّةِ الحزمِ لَم يَبرحْ ولم يَحُلِ

    One whose least judgment, even his slightest,

    Never departed or shifted from firm resolve.

  15. فَإِن رَمى سَهمَهُ مِن قَوسِ فكرتهِ

    صابَ الصّواب وَلَو يَسمو عَلى زُحلِ

    If he shot his arrow from the bow of his thought,

    He struck the truth, even were it to tower above Saturn.

  16. ما قالَ إِلّا وَقَد صابَت مَقالَتُهُ

    في أَيّ شَيءٍ وَإِنْ لَو قولُ مرتجلِ

    He never spoke without his words proving right

    On any matter, even in an improvised utterance.

  17. أَنعِمْ بِهِ مِن فَتىً طابَت سَريرَتُهُ

    كَطيبِ سيرَتِهِ في سائِرِ المِلَلِ

    How fine a young man, whose inward nature was pure,

    As his conduct was good among all faiths.

  18. أَكرِمْ بِهِ مِن أَميرٍ سَيرُهُ حَسنٌ

    في دَولَةٍ قَد بَدَتْ من أحسنِ الدّولِ

    How noble an emir, whose conduct was good

    In a state shown to be among the finest of states.

  19. قَد كانَ للخَيرِ سمّاعاً وَمُستمِعاً

    وَلَيسَ يَلويهِ عَنه قَولُ ذي جدَلِ

    He was ever a keen and attentive listener to good,

    And no disputant's words would turn him from it.

  20. يَنهى وَيَأمرُ بِالمَعروفِ مُحتسباً

    وَلَيسَ يَأخذهُ في ذاكَ مِن خجلِ

    He forbade wrong and enjoined good, seeking God's reward,

    And no shame could restrain him in that.

  21. عَلا إِياساً ذَكاءً وابنَ ساعدةٍ

    نُطقاً بمخترعِ المَعنى ومبتذلِ

    He surpassed Iyas in intelligence, and Ibn Sa'idah

    In speech, in both novel and familiar meanings.

  22. وَفاقَ أَحنفَ حِلماً ثمَّ عَنترةً

    بَأساً وَمَعنَ السّخا ذا الجودِ لا البخلِ

    He excelled al-Ahnaf in forbearance, and then Antarah

    In valor, and generous Ma'n, a man of bounty, not miserliness.

  23. وَمِنهُم كانَ أَحرى أَن يَكونَ بِهِ

    بِكلِّ وصفٍ حميدٍ مضربُ المثلِ

    He was worthier than they of being

    The proverbial example of every praiseworthy quality.

  24. وَلَيسَ ينكر جمعُ اللَّه خالِقنا

    كلَّ الكمالِ وكلَّ الحسنِ في رجلِ

    It is no wonder that God, our Creator, gathered

    All perfection and all beauty in one man.

  25. لَو كانَ يُفْدى بِشيءٍ عن مُصيبَتِهِ

    كنّا فَديناهُ بِالأَرواحِ والمُقَلِ

    If he could have been ransomed from his calamity with anything,

    We would have ransomed him with our souls and eyes.

  26. لَكنَّ أَمراً عليهِ اللَّه فيهِ قَضى

    فَلا مَردَّ لَهُ يا قلّةَ الحيَلِ

    But what God had decreed concerning him

    Could not be averted—ah, how few our means!

  27. دَعاهُ مَولاهُ لِلفِردَوسِ يَسكُنها

    فَقَامَ مُبتَدِراً يَسري على عجَلِ

    His Lord called him to dwell in Paradise,

    And he rose eagerly, journeying by night in haste.

  28. لَبّى مُجيباً لِأَمرِ اللَّهِ مُمتَثِلاً

    يا سَعدَ شَخصٍ لِأَمرِ اللَّهِ مُمتَثِلِ

    He answered the call, obedient to God's command.

    How blessed is one obedient to God's command!

  29. مَنْ لِلسّياسَةِ في الأحكامِ يُلبسها

    مِن حُلّةِ العَدلِ ما يَغلو عَلى الحللِ

    Who will govern through judgments, clothing them

    In a robe of justice more precious than all robes?

  30. فَكادَ ذيبٌ وَشاةٌ يرعَيانِ مَعاً

    مِنَ الأمانِ بِلا جَورٍ ولا وجَلِ

    Thus a wolf and a ewe almost grazed together,

    In such security, without oppression or fear.

  31. مَنْ لِلوَغى وَمَضاميرِ الحروبِ ومَنْ

    لِلخَيلِ وَالرّمحِ ثمَّ السَّيف مِثلُ علي

    Who is there for battle and the fields of war, and who

    For horses, spear, and sword, like Ali?

  32. مِن بَعدِه العدلُ زالت عَينُه وغدا

    باقيهِ ذُلّاً لَدى التَّصحيفِ أو بدلِ

    After him, 'adl—justice—lost its letter 'ayn, and became

    In its remaining letters dhull—abasement—through changed dots or substitution.

  33. يا يُتمَنا بَعدَهُ يا فَوتَ ناصِرنا

    عِندَ الخُطوبِ وَعِندَ العارِضِ الجلَلِ

    How orphaned we are after him! How we have lost our champion

    In crises and at the onset of great calamity!

  34. يا بُخلَ أَعيُننا إِنْ لَو بَكَتهُ دَماً

    وَما أَسالَت عَلَيه جَوهرَ المقلِ

    How miserly our eyes, even if they wept blood for him,

    And did not spill for him the jewels of their eyes!

  35. وَبَينَما نَحنُ نَبكيهِ عَلى حَزنٍ

    إِذ جاءَ يُقبلُ داعي البِشرِ والجذَلِ

    While we were weeping for him in sorrow,

    Suddenly the herald of joy and delight came forward,

  36. يَقولُ ما بالكم تَبكونَ مِن أَسَفٍ

    وَأَنَّ عَنكم أَباه الشَّهم لَم يزلِ

    Saying: Why do you weep in grief,

    When his gallant father has not departed from you—

  37. لَيثُ العرينِ سليمانُ الزَّمانِ وَمن

    لَهُ المَعالي وَإِن جَلَّتْ مِنَ الخوَلِ

    The lion of the den, Suleiman of the age, and he

    For whom high honors, however great, are but retainers?

  38. شَمسُ الوزارَةِ أَبقى اللَّه دَولتَهُ

    فَإِنَّها دَولةٌ مِن أَصلَحِ الدولِ

    The sun of the vizierate—may God preserve his rule,

    For it is among the most righteous of reigns.

  39. وَما بُكاؤُكم مِن ذِكرِهِ حسَنٌ

    وَصيتُهُ مالئُ البُلدانِ والحللِ

    Your weeping at his mention is not fitting,

    While his fame fills lands and settlements.

  40. وَفيكمُ خَلف الشّبلِ السّعيد لَكم

    أَنعِمْ بِهِ مِن سَعيدِ الجدِّ مكتملِ

    And among you is the lion cub's successor, blessed for you;

    How fine is he, blessed in fortune and perfect—

  41. السّيّدِ الشَّهمِ عبد اللَّهِ مَن ضَرَبت

    لَهُ السّيادَة كَالفسطاسِ وَالكِللِ

    The noble, gallant Abdullah, for whom was pitched

    Lordship, like a pavilion and canopies.

  42. شَمسُ العلى في ثريّا العزِّ مَولِده

    مِن بَدرِ مَجدٍ بَدا في دارَةِ الحَملِ

    Sun of eminence, his birth was in the Pleiades of might,

    From a full moon of renown that appeared in the circle of Aries.

  43. الضّيثَمُ الفارِسُ الصّنديدُ مُنفَرِداً

    يُردي الغضافِرَ مِن لَيثٍ ومن بطلِ

    The lion, the horseman, the dauntless warrior, who alone

    Slays mighty lions, both lions and champions.

  44. في حُسنِ حِلمٍ وفي خَفضِ الجَناحِ وفي

    لِينِ الكلامِ وصِدْقِ القَولِ وَالعملِ

    With gracious forbearance, with humility, and with

    Gentle speech and truth in words and deeds;

  45. في حُسنِ خلقٍ كَخلقٍ زانَه أَدَبٌ

    عَلى وَقارٍ لَهُ أَسنى الكمالِ يلي

    With noble character, a nature adorned by refinement,

    With dignity attended by the most radiant perfection;

  46. وَفي حَياءٍ بِغَيرِ الحقِّ يَغلِبُهُ

    وَلَيسَ يُدركهُ في الحقِّ مِن خَجَلِ

    And modesty that overcomes him outside matters of right,

    Though no shame overtakes him in matters of right.

  47. أَكرِمْ بِهِ مِن فَتىً بِالحُسن متَّسِمٍ

    بِالجودِ مُتَّصِفٍ بالبِشرِ مشتملِ

    How noble a young man, marked by beauty,

    Known for generosity, clothed in cheerfulness.

  48. خَدينُ فَضلٍ بِفَهمٍ مِن بَراعَتِهِ

    لَدى الدّقائِقِ بِالتَّحقيق متّصلِ

    A companion of excellence, whose understanding, through his mastery,

    Is joined to rigorous inquiry into subtle matters.

  49. فَلو أَقامَ عَلى التَّوحيدِ حجَّتهُ

    لَأَبطَلت قولَ جبريٍّ ومعتزلي

    Were he to establish his proof of God's oneness,

    It would refute a Jabrite's and a Mu'tazilite's assertions.

  50. ربُّ البلاغَةِ في مَعنىً وفي كَلِمٍ

    مَعَ الوَجازَةِ يَحميها عَنِ الخللِ

    Master of eloquence in meaning and words,

    Keeping it free of flaws, with concision.

  51. يَخُطُّ بِالسّمرِ في أَوراقِها حِكَماً

    وَفي صدورِ الأَعادي قاطع الأَملِ

    He writes maxims with brown shafts upon its pages,

    And in his enemies' breasts, cutting off hope.

  52. بِمِثلِهِ نالَ فَخراً مثل والِدِهِ

    وَفَخرُ وَالِدِه الذّاتي بِلا مثلِ

    Through such qualities he won renown like his father's,

    While his father's inherent renown has no equal.

  53. يا شِبلَه الكامِل المَملوء مَعرِفةً

    عَلَيكَ بِالصّبرِ لا تجزعْ ولا تملِ

    O his perfect lion cub, filled with knowledge,

    Hold fast to patience; do not despair or grow weary.

  54. وَالصّبرُ أَليَق وَالتّسليم أَجملُ مِن

    طَيشِ الجَزوعِ وَلَو في غير محتملِ

    Patience is more fitting, and submission more beautiful, than

    The frenzy of the impatient, even at the unbearable.

  55. واللَّه يَمنَحُهُ مِن فَضلِهِ نزُلاً

    مِن جنّةِ الخلدِ يَبدو أَحسنَ النزلِ

    May God grant him, from His bounty, a lodging

    From the Garden of Eternity, plainly the finest of lodgings;

  56. وَصبّ رِضوانَهُ مِن غَيثِ رَحمَتِهِ

    عَلى ثَراهُ كَصَبِّ الوابِلِ الهطِلِ

    And pour His favor, from the rain of His mercy,

    Upon his earth like a heavy, streaming downpour.

  57. وَاللَّهُ يبقيكَ مَحفوظاً بِعافِيةٍ

    في صَفوِ عَيشٍ طَويلِ العمر والأجلِ

    And may God keep you safe and in good health,

    In life's serenity, with long years and a lasting span,

  58. ما اِخضرَّ رَوضٌ ضَحوكُ الثَّغرِ مُبتسماً

    مِن أَدمُعِ الغيثِ مِن قطرٍ ومنهملِ

    As long as a meadow grows green, its laughing mouth smiling,

    From the tears of rain, from drops and streaming showers;

  59. ما طابَ نَظمُ قَريضٍ حيثُ كانَ بِهِ

    حُسنُ الخِتامِ قَريناً غير منفصلِ

    As long as the weaving of verse is sweet, wherever it has

    A graceful ending as its companion, never parted.