1. صَبْراً أَبا أَحْمَدَ فالْمَوْتُ لا

    بُدَّ لَنا مِنْهُ عَلَى الرَّغْمِ

    Be patient, Abu Ahmad, for death cannot

    be escaped by us, however unwilling we may be.

  2. فَكُلُّ جَمْعٍ هُو إلى فُرْقَةٍ

    وَكُلُّ وَصْلٍ هُو إلَى صَرْمِ

    For every gathering leads to separation,

    and every union leads to severance.

  3. مَنْ لَمْ تُفارِقْهُ يُفارِقْكَ في

    قُرْبٍ فَفيمَ الهَمُّ والغَمّ

    Whoever you do not part from will part from you in

    a short while; why, then, the worry and grief?

  4. إنْ كانَ لا بُدَّ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ فال

    أَوَّلُ والآخِرُ في حُكْمِ

    If death is unavoidable, then the

    first and the last are under one decree.

  5. وإنْ يَكُنْ لا بُدَّ مِنْ صَدْمَةٍ

    فَخَيْرُها في الصَّبْرِ والحِلْمِ

    And if a blow is unavoidable,

    then its good lies in patience and forbearance.

  6. لا نَفْعَ في هايٍ ولا وايَ أَوْ

    في وَيْل أَوْ وَيْحَ لِذِي الفَهْمِ

    There is no use in 'ah!' or 'oh!', or

    in 'woe!' or 'alas!' for one with understanding.

  7. فَكُنْ لَدَى ذا الخَطْبِ مُسْتَرجِعاً

    مُحْتَسِباً تَظْفَرُ بالغُنْمِ

    So, in this calamity, say, 'To God we belong and to Him we return,'

    seeking His reward; you will gain the recompense.