أَبَا شُريحٍ فلا تَحزُنكَ عَشرَتُنا

فَالَمرءُ رَهنٌ لريبِ الدَّهرِ والُحمَمِ

Abu Shuraih, do not let our parting grieve you,

For man is hostage to the vicissitudes of fate.

إنَّ الأَسَى قَبلَنا جَمٌّ ونَعلَمُه

فِيما أُديلَ مِنَ الأَجدادِ والأُمَمِ

Grief has long been our precedent, as we know,

Among the ancestors and nations of old.

مِنهُم رَأَيتُ عِياناً أو تُخَبِّرُهُ

وما تُحَدِّثُ عَن عادٍ وعَن إرَمِ

Of them I saw with my eyes, or heard related,

Tales not only of Aad and of Iram,

ودُونَ ذلكَ كَم مَلكٍ ومَغبِطَةٍ

بادُوا وكانُوا كَفَيِّ الظِّلِّ والُحلُمِ

But apart from those, many a king and envy

Perished and were but like shadows and dreams.