مَضى حَسَبٌ مِنَ الدُنيا وَدينٌ

وَأُعقِبَ مِنهُما عارٌ وَغَيُّ

A portion of worldly life and religion have passed,

And in their wake dishonor and ruin came to be.

فَذاكَ الطَيُّ لِلماضينَ نَشرٌ

وَهَذا النَشرُ لِلباقينَ طَيُّ

So the past is folded up for those now departed,

While the spreading out is for those remaining to see.

تَقَدَّمَتِ الذَوائِبُ وَالقُدامى

وَخُلِّدَ بَعدَها هَيٌّ وَبَيَّ

The brave heroes of old have gone ahead in time,

And after them, alas, but infamy and shame.

يَعِزُّ عَلَيَّ أَن يَمضي وَتَبقى

وَأَن يَرِدَ المَنونَ وَأَنتَ حَيُّ

How hard it is for me that they are gone while you remain,

And death should come, with you still living the same.