نَعَوا عَبدَ العَزيزِ فَقُلتُ هَذا

جَليلُ الرُزءِ وَالحَدَثُ الكَبيرُ

They mourned Abd al-Aziz, so I said: this

is a grave calamity and momentous event.

فَبِتنا لا نَقَرُّ بِطَعمِ نَومٍ

وَلا لَيلٌ نُكابِدُهُ قَصيرُ

We spent the night unable to savor sleep’s taste,

nor was it a brief night we endured.

فَهَدَّ الأَرضَ مَصرَعُهُ فَمادَت

رَواسيها وَنُضِّبَتِ البُحورُ

His death shook the earth, so its pillars gave way

and the oceans were stirred.

وَأَظلَمَتِ البِلادُ عَلَيهِ حُزناً

وَقُلتُ أَفارَقَ القَمَرُ المُنيرُ

The countries darkened in grief for him,

and I said: The shining moon is gone!

وَكُلُّ بَني الوَليدِ أَسَرَّ حُزناً

وَكُلُّ القَومِ مُحتَسِبٌ صَبورُ

All the clan of Al Walid sorrowed intensely,

and all the people resigned themselves with patience.

وَكَيفَ الصَبرُ إِذ نَظَروا إِلَيهِ

يُرَدُّ عَلى سَقائِفِهِ الحَفيرُ

But how to be patient when they looked upon him

brought back on his deathbed’s planks?

تَزورُ بَناتُهُ جَدَثاً مُقيماً

بِنَفسي ذَلِكَ الجَدَثُ المَزورُ

His daughters visit a permanent tomb—

by my life, that tomb they visit!

بَكى أَهلُ العِراقِ وَأَهلُ نَجدٍ

عَلى عَبدِ العَزيزِ وَمَن يَغورُ

The people of Iraq and the people of Nejd wept

for Abd al-Aziz—who will not weep?

وَأَهلُ الشامِ قَد وَجَدوا عَلَيهِ

وَأَحزَنَهُم وَزُلزِلَتِ القُصورُ

The people of Syria were stricken with grief for him,

and it saddened them and made their castles shake.