1. The prince of poets in the East lamented you,
And the great writers of Egypt rose up to praise you.

2. I do not care if after them I, a lesser poet, mourn you,
If it is said about me, "The young one has mourned him."

3. You were a helper to the weak, and I am weak, with no ally in life.
I do not care if I weep for you before all people,

4. Whether paradise or hell has embraced you.
For I love the eminent for their knowledge,

5. And passionately love the garden of thought, which is like light.
You called to Jesus, so churches clamored,

6. And a throne quaked, and a holy shrine leaned.
Some people said it is the words of an atheist,

7. And some people said he is a harbinger.
If not for the protection that defended you from their plots,

8. You would have been distressed and met an evil fate.
But science, reason and argument protected you,

9. As did wealth when the conflict grew intense.
When you visited the two prisoners in a pit,

10. Where asceticism sits humbly and intelligence is veiled,
And saw the charm of asceticism in the wilderness of desolation,

11. And beheld the face of the sheikh radiantly shining,
And were certain that religion belongs to God alone,

12. That the tombs of ascetics are palaces,
Then stop, give greetings and show respect, for our sheikh

13. Is revered despite mortality, dignified and proper.
Ask him about what is hidden from you, for he

14. Knows the secrets of life, is seeing and wise.
He will inform the blind, though you can see,

15. About what neither letters nor lines have told.
As if with ears that hear the unseen, I hear all

16. That our teacher answers you, amazing and perplexing.
He calls you "welcome," you who lived as we lived

17. And died without being led astray by illusion.
You spent a life full of righteousness and piety,

18. So you deserve the reward of the God-fearing.
They call you a philosopher among them, yet you are only

19. A benefactor and protector.
You are but an ascetic who cried out one cry,

20. Whose echo rang out for an hour, then flew away.
You turned from the world, but they rushed to it

21. For what it would give them and heap up.
The life of the world is war, and you want it

22. To be peace, yet the means of strife are many.
The way of civilization insists on mutual slaughter

23. And toil, though survival would be effortless.
You try to remove evil though evil has occurred,

24. And seek unalloyed good, which is difficult.
If good and evil did not blend, there would be no proof

25. That God is capable.
Nor would God have sent prophets to guide,

26. Nor would the Prince have aspired to the throne.
Nor would a free man love the lofty, nor would

27. A generous man be satisfied, nor would a poor man hope for wealth.
If good were pure in us, none would call

28. To God, nor would light shine clear.
None would say, "this philosopher is fortunate"

29. Nor would it be said, "this one is learned and wise."
On the path of evil how much good and blessing!

30. On the path of goodness, how much wickedness and sin!
Do you not see that before you I stood calling

31. To asceticism, with no ally coming to my aid?
They obeyed Epicurus and Socrates before him,

32. While I am opposed in all I propose and advise.
And I will die while no ambitious person's desires for them

33. Have died, nor will any conscience reject leadership.
When homes are demolished unjustly, homes are rebuilt

34. For injustice above the stars.
Both of us preached sincerely and died,

35. While hearts remained like stones.
How many lies were told about the cave of the poor!

36. How many false tales were told about the Sheikh of Ma'arra!
The words of a messenger never deterred wrongdoing,

37. Nor did a warner make the spellbound care for life.
We both overflowed with advice, striving vigorously,