طَوى المَوتُ مابَيني وَبَينَ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَلَيسَ لِما تَطوي المَنِيَّةُ ناشِرُ

Death folded what was between me and Muhammad

Death has folded away the bond between Muhammad and me,

And there is no unfolder for what mortality folds

And what the hand of Fate folds up, no one can spread again.

فَلا وَصلَ إِلّا عَبرَةً تَستَديمُها

أَحاديثُ نَفسٍ مالَها الدَهرَ ذاكِرُ

So no connection remains except tears that last

No union remains, save for a tear kept flowing by

From the talks of a soul whose companion is time

Silent communions of the soul that Time does not recall.

وَكُنتُ عَلَيهِ أَحذَرُ المَوتَ وَحدَهُ

فَلَم يَبقَ لي شَيءٌ عَلَيهِ أُحاذِرُ

And I used to fear death befalling him alone

I used to fear for him the stroke of Death alone,

So there remains nothing for me to fear

But now there is nothing left for me to fear on his behalf.

لَئِن عَمَرَت دورٌ بِمَن لا أَوَدَّهُ

فَقَد عَمَرَت مِمَّن أُحِبُّ المَقابِرُ

If eras live on through those I do not love

If the dwellings are inhabited by those I do not love,

Then eras have lived on through those I love to be buried

Then the graveyards are inhabited by those I truly love.