مَن يَحفَظُ الفِيلَ بَعْدَ الشِّبْلِ والأَسَدِ

هَيْهاتَ والمَوْتُ لا يُبقي على أَحَدِ

Who can protect the elephant after the lion and tiger?

Alas, death spares no one.

مَنَ يَجْمَعُ الشَّمْلَ مَن يُرْضِي العَشِيرةَ مَن

يَجْلُو الضَّرورةَ مَن يَهْدِى إلى الرشَدِ

Who can unite the clan, satisfy the tribe, meet necessity, or guide to the right path?

None remain above the earth’s plain,

لَمْ يَبْقَ فَوْقَ بَسِيطِ الأَرْضِ من أَحَدٍ

إلا ثَنَتْهُ حَزِيناً صُبحَةُ الأَحَدِ

Except the morning of Sunday grieved them.

Thursday renewed for me a sorrow,

وَجَدَّدَتْ ليَ في يَومِ الخَمِيسِ أَسًى

لَمْ يَجْرِ مُشبهُهُ يَوْماً على أَحَدِ

The like of which no day had brought upon anyone.

How little attention people paid to this, though they looked

مَا أَغفَلَ النَّاسَ عَن هذا وَكَمْ نَظَرُوا

في وَالدٍ عِبَراً شَتَّى وفي وَلَدِ

At the abundant tears of a father for his son!

The loss of Musa's son was as severe as his father’s,

أَجَدَّ فَقْدُ ابنِ مُوْسَى مِثْلَ والدِهِ

فَيالَهُ كَمَداً وَافَى علَى كَمَدِ

So woe to him as much as to his namesake!

Had I been on the west side when the son of Musa

لَوْ كُنتُ بِالجَانِبِ الغَربيِّ حِينَ قَضَى

فِيهِ ابنُ مُوسَى لَنادَيْتُ الحِمامَ قَدِ

Died there, I would have called to the doves, “Enough!”

O Death, after him there is no ultimate goal you seek.

مَا بَعْدَهُ غَايَةٌ يَاموْتُ تَطْلُبُها

وَصَلْتَ لِلشُّهْبِ فى تَرْقَاكَ فاتئِدِ

You have reached the stars in your ascent, so stop!

Each day he gained more knowledge and experience

يَزِيدُ في كُلِّ يَوْمٍ عِلْمَ تَجْرِبَةٍ

حَتَّى أُتِيحَ لَهُ يَوْمٌ بِغَيْرِ غَدِ

Until finally a day came with no tomorrow.

He quenched the thirst of the people of Banu Yaghmour,

سَقَى الحَيايَا بَني يَغمُورَ أَعْظمكُمْ

فَطَالَما جُدْتُمُ والغَيْثُ لم يَجُدِ

Though long you struggled and the rain did not come.