ضاقَت بِيَ الأَرضُ وَاِنقَضَّت مَخارِمُها

حَتّى تَخاشَعَتِ الأَعلامُ وَالبيدُ

The land has become constricted for me, though its expanses are vast

Even the flags have bowed down and the tents collapsed

وَقائِلينَ تَعَزّي عَن تَذَكُّرِهِ

فَالصَبرَ لَيسَ لِأَمرِ اللَهِ مَردودُ

And those who console me say, “Stop remembering him!”

But patience in the face of God's will cannot be rejected

يا صَخرُ قَد كُنتَ بَدراً يُستَضاءُ بِهِ

فَقَد ثَوى يَومَ مُتَّ المَجدُ وَالجودُ

O rock, you were once a full moon by whose light we walked

But the day the glory and generosity died, you too passed away

فَاليَومَ أَمسَيتَ لا يَرجوكَ ذو أَمَلٍ

لَمّا هَلَكتَ وَحَوضُ المَوتِ مَورودُ

So today, no hopeful soul longs for you

Now that you are gone, and the basin of death brims over

وَرُبَّ ثَغرٍ مَهولٍ خُضتَ غَمرَتَهُ

بِالمُقرَباتِ عَلَيها الفِتيَةُ الصيدُ

You have plunged into many a dreadful whirlpool

With the finest youth as your victims instead of prey

نَصَبتَ لِلقَومِ فيهِ فَصلَ أَعيُنِهِم

مِثلَ الشِهابِ وَهى مِنهُم عَباديدُ

You erected the pinnacle of glory for your people

As radiant as a shooting star, though they are but moths