1. To the victorious King we cry for help,
If the helper King has tasted adversity,

2. Kings in every land will remember him,
And talk of his sovereignty will abound,

3. Jarir falls short of singing his praises,
As do Jarwal and Al-Farazdaq and Al-Ba’ith,

4. The Book will bear witness for him on Judgment Day,
The Mighty One through whom it was revealed and the Tradition,

5. And all people grieve for him,
With sighs bursting from their breasts,

6. An affliction that shook the earth with sorrow,
When its best parts are the most rotten,

7. The sun of glory was eclipsed for him,
To his sorrow, bringing joy to the despoiler,

8. We saw the beauty of Joseph before our eyes,
And the old stories were made new through him,

9. Never before did we see a lion or sun,
Against which the excellent poetry was feeble,

10. Neither numbers nor count resembled
The helper King, the sought-for refuge,

11. Nor did the towering constellations avail
On the eve when fate newly arrived,

12. Abu Bakr hoped that Umar would be Imam,
Armies would march behind him when he was sent forth,

13. But death stood between him and his demise,
And unleashed its swift-running troops,

14. And treacherous time betrayed his hopes,
Of those who hoped he would keep his word,

15. We feared evil for him and for his sons,
But no wanton time played with him,

16. For all of them were beloved by the people,
Their harm held back, and he was their succor,

17. Can one hope to remain when Adam before us
Perished, as did Seth?

18. No sane man relies on this world,
Its pledges are flimsy and base.

19. All the kings of our world but him
Wish to take his place within it, a rabble,