ظَعَنَ الغريبُ لغيبةِ الأبدِ

حيَّ المخافةِ نائيَ البَلَد

The stranger lamented the absence for eternity

Alive with fear, far from home

حَيران يُؤنسُهُ ويكلؤُهُ

يومٌ توعَّدَهُ بشَرِّ غدِ

Perplexed, with solace and shade both denied

A day threatened him with the evil of tomorrow

سَنَح الغُرابُ له بأنكرِ ما

تَغدو النُّحوسُ بهِ على أحدِ

The raven swooped, boding ill

As misfortunes awoke to assail someone

وابتاعَ أشأمَهُ بأيمنهِ

الجَدُّ العثورُ له يداً بِيدِ

And bought his own ill omen with his right hand

Seriousness and difficulty walked with him hand in hand

حتَّى ينيخَ بأرض مهلَكةٍ

في حيثُ لم يُولَد ولم يَلدِ

Until he rested in a fatal land

Where he was neither born nor fathered children

جَزعت حليلتُهُ عليهِ فما

تخلو من الزفراتِ والكَمَدِ

His wife mourned him, her sighs and laments unceasing

Time's events fell heavy upon her

نَزلَ الزَّمانُ بها فأهلكَها

منهُ وأهدى اليُتمَ للولدِ

Destroying her, leaving orphans to her children

The days seized him, then recoiled

ظَفِرَت بهِ الأيَّامُ فانحَسَرت

عنهُ بفاقرةٍ ولم تَكدِ

Leaving him with neither shelter nor means

So that after he faded they left

فتركنَ منهُ بعدِ طيتهِ

مثل الذي أبقين من لُبَدِ

As much of him as they leave of a worn-out garment