يا عَينُ جودي بِدَمعٍ مِنكِ مِدرارِ

لا تُعذِري في البُكا لا حينَ إِعذارِ

O eye, be generous with flowing tears from you

Do not excuse me from crying, not even when excusing

أَبكانِيَ الدَهرُ مِمّا كانَ أَضحَكَني

وَالدَهرُ يَخلِطُ إِحلاءً بِإِمرارِ

Time made me laugh at what had made me cry

And time mixes sweetness with bitterness

إِقرا السَلامَ عَلى قَبرٍ تَضَمَّنَهُ

ماذا تَضَمَّنَ مِن جودٍ وَأَيسارِ

Say peace upon a grave that contains

What it contains of generosity and ease

حُلوُ الشَمائِلِ مَأمورُ الغَوائِلِ مَأ

مُولُ النَوافِلِ مَحَضٌ زَندُهُ واري

Of beautiful traits, commanded to avoid sins

Pure in his optional acts of worship

اللَهُ أَلبَسَهُ في عودٍ مَغرِسِهِ

ثِيابَ حَمدٍ نَقِيّاتٍ مِنَ العارِ

God dressed him in a planted stick

With clothes of praise, clean of disgrace

دَفّاعُ مُعضِلَةٍ حَمّالُ مُثقِلَةٍ

دَرّاكُ وِترٍ وَدَفّاعٌ لِأَوتارِ

Repeller of problems, bearer of burdens

Catcher of strings and defender of lutes

الجودُ شيمَتُهُ كَالبَدرِ سُنَّتُهُ

يَكادُ أَن يَهتَدي في نورِهِ الساري

Generosity was his trait, like the full moon was his way

That one could almost find guidance in its flowing light

جاءَ القَضاءُ بِمِقدارِ الحِمامِ لَهُ

فَحَلَّ قَعرَ ضَريحٍ بَينَ أَحجارِ

Fate came with the measure of destiny for him

So he settled at the bottom of a grave among stones

مُصيبَةٌ نَزَلَت كَأَنَّها قَذَفَت

لا بَل وَقَد فَعَلَت في القَلبِ بِالنارِ

An affliction came as if it had thrown

Rather, it had set the heart aflame

أَفنى البُكاءُ دُموعَ العَينِ فَاِنهَمَلَت

عَلى أَخي بِدِماءٍ فَيضُها جارِ

Crying exhausted the eye's tears, so they dripped

With blood for my brother, gushing

كَم قائِلاً بَعدَهُ حُزناً وَقائِلَةً

يا ضَيعَنا بَعدَ حَمّادِ بنِ سَيّارِ

How many speakers grieved after him, and how many

Said: "Woe unto us after Hammad ibn Sayyar"

إِن يُنصِتِ القَومُ لا يَنطِق بِفاحِشَةٍ

أَو يَنطِقوا فَمُصيبٌ غَيرُ مِهذارِ

If the people are silent, he does not speak obscenely

Or if they speak, he is a dignified, unfrivolous speaker

كانَ الرَبيعُ إِذا ضَنَّ السَحابُ لَهُم

وَفي اللَوازِبِ مُرتاداً لِمُمتارِ

Spring used to be stingy with its rain for them

And it frequented the pastures for the skilled horseman

يا حَسرَتا يا أَخي مَن ذا أُؤَمِّلُهُ

لِلدَهرِ بَعدَكَ في عُسري وَإِيساري

Oh what a loss, O brother of mine, who can I hope

For after you in ease and hardship

أَم مَن لَنا إِن مُلِمّاتٌ بِنا نَزَلَت

أَم مَن لِحاجَةِ ذي القُربى وَلِلجارِ

Or who is there for us if calamities befell us

Or for the need of a relative or neighbor

فَجَأتَني بِفِراقٍ لا لِقاءَ لهُ

وَكُنتُ أَبكيكَ في نَأيِي وَأَسفاري

You surprised me with a parting that has no meeting

And I used to cry for you in my remoteness and travels

فَالآنَ أَبكي بُكاءً لا اِنقِطاعَ لَهُ

بِدَمعِ عَينٍ غَزيرِ السَيبِ مِدرارِ

Now I cry a crying that has no end

With a streaming, pouring eye of tears

أَتى بِتَبلِ المَنايا يا أَخي قَدَرٌ

صَلّى عَلَيكَ الإِلَهُ الخالِقُ الباري

O brother, a fateful decree came with the cups of demise

The God, Creator and Righteous prayed over you

قَطَعتَني مِن رَجاءٍ كُنتُ آمُلُهُ

فَصِرتُ بَعدَكَ بَينَ البابِ وَالدارِ

You cut me off from a hope I was hoping for

So I became after you stuck between the door and the house

ما لِلحَوادِثِ لا يُغبِبنَ بَعدَكَ إِن

يَهِضنَ عَظمي بِإِقبالٍ وَإِدبارِ

Whatever happens after you, if they pass, will not make me heedless

If my bones get up for prosperity or decline