وَلَمّا طَواكَ البين واجتاحَكَ الرَدى

بَكَيناكَ ما لَم نَبكِ قَطُّ عَلى قِطِّ

When severance cast you adrift and bereavement assaulted you

We wept for you as we never wept for a kitten before

لَقَد كُنتَ أُنسي في الفِراشِ لِوحدَتي

إِذا بعدت ذاتَ الوشاحَينِ وَالقُرطِ

You were truly the companion during my lonely nights in bed

When she of the two veils and ear-rings departed

وَقَد كُنتَ تَحمي ما يَدبُّ مِن الأَذى

إِليَّ بدانٍ مِنكَ أَو كانَ في شَحطِ

And you used to guard me from whatever harm

Came to me from you or was due to my own misstep

وَتَحرُسُني كاللَيثِ يَحرسُ شَبلَهُ

وَيَقتل من ناواه بِاللَطمِ وَالخَبطِ

And you protected me like a lion guards his cub

And kills whoever dared approach it with slap and scratch

وَلَو كُنتُ أَدري أَن بِئراً يَغولني

بِمَهواك مِنهُ لاحتبستك بِالرَبطِ

Had I known that a well would swallow me

Along with you, I'd have tied you up lest you fall

وَلَكِنَّ أَيدي الحادِثاتِ مُصيبَة

إِذا أَرسلت سهم المَنيَّةِ لا تُخطي

But the hands of fate are devastating

When they unleash the arrow of death—none can stop it

فَماذا الَّذي أَنعاه مِنكَ وَما الَّذي

أَعدده من كَفِّكَ الباطِشِ السَبطِ

So what was it that I gained from you and what

Was it that I harvested from your strong, crushing grip?

وَمِن حُسنِ لَونٍ في قَميصِكَ بَعدَما

رأيتُكَ تَزجي لي وَتَحكم بِالقِسطِ

And from the fair hue on your shirt after I saw you

Bartering justice and rule justly for me?

وَهَل نافِعي أَنّي أَرثيك بَعدَما

رأَيتُكَ تَزجي لي وَتحكم بِالقِسطِ

What good is it that I now eulogize you after I saw you

Bartering justice and rule justly for me?

وَما أَنتَ إِلّا مثل حَظّي الَّذي نأى

وَتصحيفه يا مَن يُصَوِّر بِالخَطِّ

You were but an embodiment of my luck which has waned

And, O transcriber, misspelled and miswritten with every letter!