أَلا إِنَّ خَيرَ الناسِ حَيّاً وَمَيِّتاً

بِوادي أَشِيٍّ غَيَّبَتهُ المَقابِرُ

Behold! The best of men alive or dead

Lies in the valley of Ashiyy, the graves obscure him.

تُبَكّي أَباها أُمُّ وَهبٍ وَقَد نَأى

وَرَيشانُ أَضحى دونَهُ وَيحابِرُ

The mother of Wahb weeps her father there

While the tribe of Riyshan remain aloof.

تَوَلّوا وَلا أَبو أُمَيَّة فيهمُ

لَقَد بَلَغَت كَظَّ النُفوسِ الحَناجِرُ

They turned away, and none like Abu Umamah among them.

Indeed the throats have reached the limit of grief.

تَرى دارَهُ لا يَبرَحُ الدَهر وَسطَها

مُجَعجِعَةٌ أَدمٌ سِمانٌ وَباقِرُ

You see his abode which time does not desert

With bleating camels, cattle and sheep.

ضَروبٌ بِنَصلِ السَيفِ سوقَ سِمانها

إِذا أَرمَلوا زاداً فَإِنَّكِ عاقِرُ

They strike with the blades of swords the camels’ necks

When widowed of provision you are barren.

وَإِن لَم يَكُن لَحمٌ غَريضٌ فَإِنَّهُ

تُمَرّى لَهُم أَخلافُهُنَّ الدَرائِرُ

If there be no savory meat, still it is passed around,

And their vessels filled with it are circulated.

فَيُصبِحُ آلُ اللَهِ بيضاً كَأَنَّما

كَسَتهُم حَبيراً رَيدَةٌ وَمَعافِرُ

So the family of Allah become white as though

Their outer wrappings were fine Yemeni textiles.