أَلَستَ تَرى مَوتَ العُلا وَالفَضائِلِ

وَكَيفَ غُروبُ النَجمِ بَينَ الجَنادِلِ

Do you not see the death of the eminent and the virtuous

And how the star sets between the tents

فَما لِلمَنايا أَغفَلَت كُلَّ ناقِصٍ

وَنَقَّبنَ في الآفاقِ عَن كُلِّ فاضِلِ

So why did death overlook all the deficient

And searched the horizons for every superior

عَلى الرَغمِ مِن أَنفِ العُلاسيقَ لِلرَدى

بِكُلِّ كَريمِ الفِعلِ حُرِّ الشَمائِلِ

Despite the noses of the high-minded towards demise

With every generous deed and noble traits

عَلى أَنَّ مَن أَبقَتهُ لَيسَ بِخالِدٍ

وَلَيسَ اِمرُؤٌ يَرجو الخُلودَ بِعاقِلِ

Except that whoever it kept is not eternal

And no man hopes for immortality sensibly

رَأَيتُ المَنايا بَينَ غادٍ وَرائِحٍ

فَما لِلبَرايا بَينَ ساهٍ وَغافِلِ

I saw death amidst one who moves and one who rests

So why did it differentiate between one who is awake and one who sleeps

وَلَم أَرَ كَالدُنيا حَبيباً مَضَرَّةً

وَلَم أَرَ مِثلَ المَوتِ حَقّاً كَباطِلِ

And I did not see a more harmful lover than this world

Nor anything as false as death