أَتَبكي لِهَذا المَوتِ أَم أَنتَ عارِفُ

بِمَنزِلَةٍ تَبقى وَفيها المَتالِفُ

Do you cry for this death or do you know

Of a station that remains and in it the congenial one

كَأَنَّكَ قَد غُيِّبتَ في اللَحدِ وَالثَرى

فَتَلقى كَما لاقى وَفيها السَوالِفُ

It is as if you were buried in the grave and soil

Thus you meet what he met and in it the storytellers

أَرى المَوتَ قَد أَفنى القُرونَ الَّتي مَضَت

فَلَم يَبقَ ذو إِلفٍ وَلَم يَبقَ آلِفُ

I see that death has destroyed the centuries that passed

So neither an intimate remained, nor did a dear one remain

كَأَنَّ الفَتى لَم يَغنَ في الناصِ ساعَةً

إِذا عُصِبَت يَوماً عَلَيهِ اللَفائِفُ

It is as if the youth had not sung in the melody for an hour

When one day shrouds were wrapped around him

وَقامَت عَلَيهِ عُضبَةٌ يَندُبونَهُ

فَمُستَعبِرٌ يَبكي وَآخَرُ هاتِفُ

And a group stood over him wailing him

One bidding farewell crying and another calling

وَغودِرَ في لَحدٍ كَريهٍ حُلولُهُ

وَتُعقَدُ مِن لِبنٍ عَلَيهِ السَقائِفُ

And he was dumped in a hated grave, his settlement

And curdled milk containers are tied upon it

لَقَلَّ الغِنى عَن صاحِبِ اللَحدِ وَالثَرى

بِما ذَرَفَت فيهِ العُيونُ الذَوارِفُ

The wealth missed the owner of the grave and soil

With what the glances dripping upon it, have shed

وَما مَن يَخافُ البَعثَ وَالنارَ آمِنٌ

وَلَكِن حَزينٌ موجَعُ القَلبِ خائِفُ

And none who fears the resurrection and hell is safe

But saddened, anguished at heart, apprehensive

إِذا عَنَّ ذِكرُ المَوتِ أَوجَعَ قَلبَهُ

وَهَيَّجَ أَحزاناً ذَنوبٌ سَوالِفُ

When the mention of death agonizes his heart

And provokes sorrows, sins, storytellers

وَأَعلَمُ غَيرَ الظَنِّ أَن لَيسَ بالِغاً

أَعاجيبَ ما يَلقى مِنَ الناسِ واصِفُ

And I know beyond guessing that none can convey

The wonders that he meets from people, the describer