1. The poetry of a dead man has come to you with the diction of the living
It has become poised between life and death
١. شِعرُ مَيتٍ أَتاكَ في لَفظِ حَيٍّ
صارَ بَينَ الحَياةِ وَالمَوتِ وَقفا
2. Misfortunes unraveled his body until
He almost vanished from the eyes of misfortunes
٢. أَنحَلَت جِسمَهُ الحَوادِثُ حَتّى
كادَ عَن أَعيُنِ الحَوادِثِ يَخفى
3. If you contemplated me to affirm my face
You would not glean a letter from the book of my face
٣. لَو تَأَمَّلتَني لِتُثبِتَ وَجهي
لَم تَبِن مِن كِتابِ وَجهِيَ حَرفا
4. And you would repeat glancing at the one
Whom illness has emaciated until he wastes away
٤. وَلَكَرَّرتَ طَرفَ عَينِكَ فيمَن
قَد بَراهُ السَقامُ حَتّى تَعَفّى