1. The dove wreaked havoc, leaving nothing behind,
Sparing no knight or ruler among us.

2. Never did I ask a man about his companion,
Except he said: “Alas he has perished!”

3. As if he had sworn to leave no human
Or angel alive.

4. He unleashed his arrows among the dwellers of the dust,
Striking down those in the highest heavens.

5. None can resist him, whether riding a swift steed
Or seeking refuge in an impregnable fortress.

6. O what a calamity the likes of which none has heard
Without being overcome with grief and weeping!

7. It would have tested the patience of Job himself,
Had it crept into his steadfast heart.

8. May the days of fate be cursed! Who knows on which noble youth
It has pounced or which illustrious leader it has slain?

9. Unique in his virtues, the era produced not his equal,
Nor did time smile in his favor.

10. He had no rival in the field of noble deeds,
Nor did he have a partner therein.

11. When will the living boast to him of an ancestor,
While his own glories remain concealed by time?

12. A palm tree with sweet, ripe dates, whose branches
Soared as high as the orbits of the planets.

13. Its deep roots almost piercing the earth’s core,
While its fronds converse with the stars.

14. God’s testimony in the Scripture suffices
To confirm their merit, beyond what Jabir narrated.

15. The fastest messenger cannot catch up with him
Once he gallops or bolts.

16. He of gentle disposition, yet firm when resolute,
The family’s generous benefactor.

17. Never did he glance with desire at worldly vanities,
Nor was he absorbed in carnal pleasures.

18. Never did he find comfort in hoarding gold,
Out of greed or intense attachment.

19. He grew wealthy, yet gave so much
That he had but one partner in all he owned.

20. His words were as sweet as honey, no bitterness
Ever issued from his eloquent tongue.

21. His wisdom shone when perils thickened
And the nation’s affairs were tangled.

22. O you who passed away, leaving us distraught!
Had time been fair, it would have immortalized you both.

23. If the inescapable fate had taken us instead,
Each one of us would have ransomed you with his life.

24. With it you could have fended off an unjust foe,
Though he were arrogant and you sought reconciliation.

25. No debtor can pay with his hands
A debt whose payment the creditor demands of you.

26. I know not what the dove has done to deserve
To take you from us and have you all to itself!

27. If fate has robbed you from us today, yesterday
It robbed your noble mother of her clear inheritance.

28. Go now, still the rainy cloud accompanies my tears,
Shed copiously over your resting place.