تَطاوَلَ هَذا اللَيلُ ما كادَ يَنجَلي

كَلَيلِ التِمامِ ما يُريدُ اِنصراما

This night has lingered as if unwilling to pass

Like a perfect night, refusing to end.

فَبِتُّ لِذِكرى مالِكٍ بِكآبَةٍ

أُأَرِّقُ مِن بَعدِ العِشاءِ نِياما

I lie awake, grieving for Malik in sadness,

Sleepless after night prayer.

أَبى جَزعي في مالِكٍ غَيرَ ذِكرِهِ

فَلا تَعذِليني أَن جَزِعتُ أُماما

My anguish for Malik allows no thought but of him.

So do not blame me for my open grief.

سَأَبكي أَخي ما دامَ صَوتُ حَمامَةٍ

يُؤَرِّقُ مِن وادي البِطاحِ حَماما

I will weep for my brother as long as the cooing dove

Disturbs the silence of the valley at dawn.

وَأَبعَثُ أَنواحاً عَليهِ بِسُحرَةٍ

وَتَذرِفُ عَينايَ الدُموعَ سِجاما

And I will send forth laments for him at nightfall,

My eyes shedding tears in streams.

وَأَدعو سَراةَ الحَيِّ يَبكونَ مالِكاً

وَأَبعَثُ نَوحاً يَلتَدِمنَ قِياما

I will call upon the sleepless living to weep for Malik,

And send forth a lament to be raised up.

يُقِلنَ ثَرى رَبِّ السَماحَةِ وَالنَدى

وَذو عِزَّةٍ يَأبى بِها أَن يُضاما

They will say little of the benevolent and generous one,

The proud man who scorned to be wronged.

وَفارِسُ خَيلٍ لا تُسايَرُ خَيلُهُ

إِذا اِضطَرَمَت نارُ العَدُوِّ ضِراما

The horseman whose steeds vied with no others

When the fires of battle blazed high.

وَأَحيا عَن الفَحشاءِ مِن ذاتِ كِلَّةٍ

يَرى ما يَهابُ الصالِحونَ حَراما

He who eschewed all shameful acts,

Fearing what the righteous hold sin.

وَأَجرَأُ مِن لَيثٍ بِخَفَّانَ مُخدِرٍ

وَأَمضى إِذا رامَ الرِجالُ صِداما

Bolder than a lion with unsheathed claws,

Most resolute when men clashed in war.

فَلا تَرجُوَن ذا إِمَّةٍ بَعدَ مالِكٍ

وَلا جازِراً لِلمُنشِئاتِ غُلاما

Do not, after Malik, hope for one like him

To lead the nation, nor a youth like him.

وَقُل لَهُمُ لا يَرحَلوا الأُدمَ بَعدَهُ

وَلا يَرفَعوا نَحوَ الجِيادِ لِجاما

Tell them to roam no more after him

Nor spur their steeds as if for battle.