أَلا أَيُّها الباكي أَخاهُ وَإِنَّما

يُبَكّى بِيَومِ الفَدفَدِ الأَخَوانِ

O you who weep for your brother, weep only

For the day of parting among dear ones

أَخي يَومَ أَحجارِ الثُمامِ بَكَيتُهُ

وَلَو حُمَّ يَومي قَبلَهُ لَبَكاني

My brother, the day the pigeons cried I wept for him

And had my day come before his, he would have wept for me

تَداعَت بهِ أَيّامهُ وَاِختَرَمنَهُ

وَأَبَقَينَ لي شَجواً بِكُلِّ مَكانِ

His days collapsed around him and fate assailed him

And left me with sorrow everywhere

فَلَيتَ الَّذي يَنعى سُلَمانَ غَدوَةً

بَكى عِندَ قَبري مِثلَها وَنَعاني

If only he who will lament Salman tomorrow morning

Would weep like that at my grave and comfort me

وَلَو قُسِمَت في الجِنِّ وَالإِنسِ لَوعَتي

عَلَيهِ بَكى مِن حَرِّها الثَقَلانِ

If my agony was apportioned among jinn and men it would have overwhelmed them

He wept for its intensity, the two races

وَلَو كانَتِ الأَيّامُ تَطلُبُ فِديَةً

إِلَيهِ وَصَرفُ الدَهرِ ما أَلواني

If the days sought ransom