أَلا مَن لي بِأُنسِكَ يا أُخَيّا

وَمَن لي أَن أَبُشَّكَ ما لَدَيَّ

Oh, who will comfort me, my brother,

And who will I confide my sorrows to?

طَوَتكَ خُطوبُ دَهرِكَ بَعدَ نَشرٍ

كَذاكَ خُطوبُهُ نَشراً وَطَيّا

Life's calamities folded you, as they unfold

Likewise they enfold and then unfold

فَلَو نَشَرَت قُواكَ لِيَ المَنايا

شَكَوتُ إِلَيكَ ما صَنَعَت إِلَيّا

If only death's pangs opened up your strength to me

I'd complain of what was done, if you could hear me

بَكَيتُكَ يا عَلِيُّ بِدَمعِ عَيني

فَما أَغنى البُكاءُ عَلَيكَ شَيّا

I wept for you O Ali with tears from my eyes

But weeping did not avail you in the least

كَفى حُزناً بِدَفنِكَ ثُمَّ إِنّي

نَفَضتُ اتُرابَ قَبرِكَ مِن يَدَيّا

It was enough grief just to bury you, but now

I brush the dust off your grave from my hand

وَكانَت في حَياتِكَ لي عِظاتٌ

وَأَنتَ اليَومَ أَوعَظُ مِنكَ حَيّا

In life, you taught me lessons galore

But today, more than ever, alive you implore