1. أَوعَزَ الدَهرُ بِالفَناءِ إِلى النا

    سِ فَواهاً لِذَلِكَ الإيعازِ

    Time has enjoined annihilation upon human-

    kind—alas for that injunction!

  2. وَتَداعَوا في آلِ زَيدٍ وَعَمرٍ

    وَعَزاهُم لِتُربَةِ الأَرضِ عازِ

    And they claimed kinship with the families of Zayd and Amr,

    and someone traced them back to the earth’s dust.

  3. أَعرِضوا عَن مَدائِحٍ وَتَهانٍ

    فَالمَراثي أَولى بِكُم وَالتَعازي

    Turn away from panegyrics and congratulations:

    for elegies and condolences befit you more.