يا عين بكى فوادا

ولا تذوقي رقادا

O eye, weep a heart

And do not taste sleep

ويا لهيب فوادى

زد ما استطعت اتقادا

O flame of my heart

Increase your burning as much as you can

لم يبق في العيش خير

ومعدن الخير فادا

There is no good left in life

And the mine of good is exhausted

قضى الذي ما اطلقت

له القلوب بعادا

The one whose hearts

Never released for separation, has passed

ولم تكن تتمنى

سوى رضاه تلادا

And you never wished

Except for his approval, to be born

وكان يغنى ويقنى

الغياب والاشهادا

He used to sing and lament

Absence and testimony

وكان للملك ركنا

وللعباد عمادا

He was a pillar for the king

And a support for the servants

اني يموت همام

قد كان يحيى البلادا

Look, a protector has died

Who used to give life to the countries

اني يغيب في الترب

من اظل العبادا

Look, he is buried in the soil

Who used to shade the servants

وكان في الحرب يلقى

جيشا يسد السوادا

And in war he used to meet

An army that blocks all darkness

كانه كان يلقى

وفدا لجدواه غادى

As if he used to meet

A troop going to fight for his glory

ما سل يوما حساما

الا واعلى الجهادا

He never asked for a sword

Except for the highest jihad

ولم يخط كتابا

الا واغلى المدادا

And he never drew a line

Except with the most expensive ink

بعد الارائك امسى

له الحضيض مهادا

After the couches, he found

The ground as his bed

وبعد تلك المذاكى

قد وسد الاعوادا

And after those pleasures

The tent pegs have been pulled up

يا طالما قصدته

وفد الملوك اعتمادا

O how many times,

Caravans of kings sought him for support

واسرعت لرضاه

جماعة وفرادى

And hurried for his approval

Groups and individuals

فياله من مصاب

يقلقل الاطوادا

Oh what a calamity

That shakes the poles

ويا له من مناب

يفتت الاكبادا

And what a misfortune

That crushes the livers

ان الذي كان ينمى

الجماد صار جمادا

The one who used to grow

The inanimate has become inanimate

يا من رأى بدر مجد

هوى وحل الوهادا

O you who saw the full moon of glory

Set and the valleys became empty

يا من رأى طود عز

الى الثرى قد عادا

O you who saw the mountain of might

Return to dust

يا من رأى يوم بأس

فتى يلذ الجلادا

O you who saw a day of affliction

A young man who withstood torture

ويوم سلم يبر

العفاة والورادتا

And a day of peace he excels

In honoring the weak and the roses

صف لي التصبر ان لم

تعد على الرشادا

Describe to me patience if you

Do not return to guidance

قل لي انأسو أسانا

اذا لبسنا الحدادا

Tell me, should we complain

When we wear black

او ان شققنا جيوبا

او ان لزمنا السهادا

Or should we rend our collars

Or should we cling to sadness

هيهات ليس عزاء

وما اراه مفادا

Alas, there is no consolation

And I do not see any use

فالخطب اعظم من ان

يجيب فيه المنادى

The matter is too great for

The caller to respond

والقدر ليس يداعى

والدهر ليس يعادى

And fate is not to be blamed

And time is not to be reprimanded

فلا تحاةل مراما

ولا تجاول مرادا

So do not try your hopes

Or make your wishes wander

فما يرد صلاحا

ولا يرد فسادا

For it brings no righteousness

Nor corruption

ان الحمام كما قد

رووا يرى نقادا

They say the pigeons

Only see picking

فليس يختار منا

الا الخيار الجيادا

So they do not choose from us

Except the best seeds

اين الذثي ساس قوما

وساد دهرا وجادا

Where is the one who led nations

And presided over times and was generous?

ومن بنى واشادا

ومن جدا واجادا

And who built and constructed

And struggled and excelled

ومن اذال الاعادي

ومن اذل الشدادا

And who humiliated the enemies

And who weakened the tyrants

ومن اطال نجادا

ومن انال عتادا

And who helped the weak

And who attained armament

ومن حمى ما لديه

ومن حوى ما ارادا

And who protected what he had

And who accomplished what he wanted

عم البلاء اطرادا

والموت كلا ابادا

Trouble has become widespread

And death makes all perish

فما تحامى ثمودا

ولا تهيب عادا

So do not fear Thamud

Or dread 'Aad

فاعجب لشي يغول

الاضداد والاندادا

I am astonished that time decays

Equals and peers

واعجب لدنيا ملول

تمل منا الودادا

And I am astonished at a tiresome life

That makes us bored of affection

ان تبغ منها اقترابا

زادتك عنها ابتعادا

If you seek closeness from it

It takes you further from it

والعمر كالحلم فيها

لكنه لن يعادا

And life is like a dream in it

But it will not be repeated

ما طال للحي عمى

الا ولاقى نادا

No living being is immortal

Except he will hear the call

وكل ما حم آت

عن يومه لن يحادا

And all that came for a time

Will not come again

فكل من دب فان

وكل من عاش بادا

And all that crept will perish

And all that lived will be gone

وما نمى في ربيع

اذواه فعل جمادى

And nothing flourished in spring

Except its foliage withered in Jumada

لو كان حي يفادى

ما كان ذا الرزء آدا

If only the living could ransom

The departed would not have gone

فان الف فؤاد

منا ليفدى فؤادا

Oh how I wish I knew how far

Our hopes have extended

يا ليت شعري الى كم

بنا الاماني تمادى

And how much patience we have solicited

When we lost integrity

وكم نراود صبرا

وقد اضعنا السدادا

When they did good

On Thursday out of belief

اذا الورى احسنوا في

يوم الخميس اعتقادا

For remembering him almost

Led to belief

فان ذكراه كادت

توحى الى اعتقادا

When they carried his coffin

We shivered in horror

لما اقلوا سريرا

له صرعنا ارتعادا

And it was as if the ground

Shook in mourning for him

وامنا الارض مادت

حزنا عليه ممادا

As if the foundations

Had no tent pegs

فما كأن الرواسي

كانت لها اوتادا

I lament him while my eye is grateful

And patience is getting accustomed to sorrow

ارثيه والعين شكرى

والصبر عز ارتيادا

And my sadness for him

Until I am patient like ashes

والهف قلبي عليه

حتى اصبر رمادا

O you who asks why do I

See the day as dark

يا من يسائل مالي

ارى النهار سوادا

His date has come

A symbol that embraces a heart

تاريخه حل اد

رمس يضم فؤادا