لَعَمري لَقَد ماطَلتُ لَو دَفَعَ الرَدى

مِطالٌ وَقَد عاتَبتُ لَو سَمِعَ الدَهرُ

For my life, you have delayed, if only fate could be deflected

Waiting, and I have reproached you, if only time could hear

أَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ أَنتَ غادٍ مُشَيِّعٌ

حَبيباً إِلى دارٍ يُقالُ لَها القَبرُ

Each day are you moving away, escorting

A beloved to an abode called the grave

لَئِن كانَ لي في كُلِّ ما أَنا تارِكٌ

وَراءَ الثَرى أَجرٌ لَقَد عَظُمَ الأَجرُ

If for all I leave behind in the earth

I have reward, immense is the reward

سَقَيتُ أَبا بَكرٍ عَلى البُعدِ وَالنَوى

وَلا بَلَّ هامَ الشامِتينَ بِكَ القَطرُ

I gave drink to Abu Bakr in far off places

And never the rain of critics could diminish you

أَخي ما أَقَلَّ التابِعيكَ إِلى الثَرى

وَإِخوانُكَ الأَدنونَ مِن قَبلِها كُثرُ

My brother, how few are your followers to the grave

And your brethren before it are many

لَقَد كانَتِ النَكراءُ مِنكَ خَليقَةً

وَلا عُرفَ حَتّى يُتَّقى قَبلَهَ النُكرُ

The unknown were disposed to you

And none knew to avoid you before the unknown

إِلا إِنَّما الماضونَ مِنّا هُمُ الأَولى

أَراحوا وَحَطوا وَالبَواقي هُمُ السَفرُ

Except that those passed from us take priority

They rested, descended, and those remaining bear the journey

نُتَبِّعُهُ أَبصارَنا وَهوَ ذاهِبٌ

كَما مالَ قَرنُ الشَمسِ أَو وَجبَ البَدرُ

We follow him with our sights as he goes

As the sun's crown wheels or the moon wanes

عَلَيكَ سَلامُ اللَهِ فاتَ بِكَ الرَدى

وَلَم يَبقَ عَينٌ لِلِّقاءِ وَلا أَثرُ

Upon you, God's peace, time has taken you

No eye remains for a meeting, nor a trace