أَلا عَلِّلاني وَاِعلَما أَنَّني غَرَر

وَما خِلتُ يُجديني الشَفاقُ وَلا الحَذَر

Alas, comfort me and know that I am deceived

I was never helped by precaution or forethought

وَما خِلتُ يُجديني أَساتي وَقَد بَدَت

مَفاصِلُ أَوصالي وَقَد شَخَصَ البَصَر

I was never helped by my medicines though my joints

And limbs are disjointed and my sight grows dim

وَجاءَ نِساءُ الحَيِّ مِن غَيرِ أَمرَةٍ

زَفيفاً كَما زَفَّت إِلى العَطَنِ البَقَر

The women of the tribe came without a leader

Wailing like cows led to slaughter

وَجاؤوا بِماءٍ بارِدٍ وَبِغِسلَةٍ

فَيا لَكَ مِن غُسلٍ سَيتبَعُهُ عِبَر

They brought cold water and washing rags

Oh what a washing to be followed by tears

فَنائِحَةٌ تَبكي وَلِلنَوحِ دَرسَةٌ

وَأَمرٌ لَها يَبدو وَأَمرٌ لَها يُسَر

A wailing woman weeps while another laments

Some show grief plainly, some hide it within

وَمِنهُنَّ مَن قَد شَقَّقَ الخَمشُ وَجهَها

مُسَلِّبَةً قَد مَسَّ أَحشاءَها العِبَر

Among them one whose cheeks are furrowed

By flowing tears that pierce her heart

فَرَمّوا لَهُ أَثوابَهُ وَتفَجَّعوا

وَرَنَّ مُرِنّاتٌ وَثارَ بِه النَفَر

They cast his clothes over him and grieved

Keening arose and people gathered around

إِلى حُفرَةٍ يَأوي إِلَيها بِسَعيِهِ

فَذَلِكَ بَيتُ الحَقِّ لا الصوفُ وَالشَعَر

To a grave he's consigned as his final home

That is the house of truth, not wool or poetry

وَهالوا عَلَيه التُربَ رَطباً وَيابِساً

أَلا كُلُّ شَيءٍ ما سِوى تِلكَ يُجتَبَر

They heaped on him damp soil and dry

Nothing lasts but that, all else is fleeting

وَقالَ الَّذينَ قَد شَجَوتُ وَساءَهُم

مَكاني وَما يُغني التَأَمُّلُ وَالنَظَر

Those I made suffer and saddened said

Take my place, contemplation is in vain

قِفوا ساعَةً فَاِسَتمتِعوا مِن أَخيكُمُ

بِقُربٍ وَذِكرٍ صالِحٍ حينَ يُدَّكَر

Stay a while and find joy in remembering

Your brother in a prayer for his soul