أَبا بِشرٍ ذَهَبتَ بِكُلِّ أُنسٍ

فَما شَيءٌ لَدَينا مِنه يُعهَد

O Abū Bashr, you took away all our joy,

So nothing of it remains for us to rely upon.

أَأَنسى طيبَ أَيّامٍ تَوَلَّت

بِعِشرَتِكَ الَّتي تُرضى وَتُحمَد

Shall I forget the bliss of the days that have passed

With your company that brings contentment and praise?

إِذِ الأَحداثُ عَنّا غافِلاتٌ

وَخَطوُ صُروفِها عَنّا مُقيّد

When worries were oblivious to us

And the steps of vicissitudes were restricted from us.

وَإِذ تَشدو لَنا بِرَقيقِ لَحنٍ

تقاصرُ عِندَهُ ألحانُ مَعبد

And when you used to sing to us with soft melodies

That made the hymns of the temple seem inferior.

فَأمّا الموصِلِيُّ فَلَو وَعاهُ

لَكانَ لَدَيهِ يَستَخزي وَيَسجُد

As for Al-Mawṣilī, had he known you,

He would have felt humbled and bowed down before you.

وَلَو عاشَ الغَريضُ لَكانَ مِمَّن

يُقِرّ بِفَضلِ صَنعَتِهُ وَيَشهَد

And if Al-Gharīḍ had lived, he would have been among

Those who acknowledge your superior skill and bear witness to it.

بَعُدتَ فَما لَنا في الأُنسِ حَظٌّ

وَشَملُ اللَهوِ مُفتَرِقٌ مُبَدّد

You went away, so we have no more share of joy,

And the clothes of merriment lie scattered and torn.

أَلا هَل راجِعٌ عَيشٌ تَولّى

وَهَل مُتَبَدّلٌ عَيشٌ تَنكّد

Oh! Will a life that is gone ever come back?

And will a grieved life ever change?