فَتىً خَبُثَتْ لَهُ الدُّنْيَا وَطَابَا

فَعَاشَ مُعَاقَبَاً وَقَضَى مُثَابَا

A wicked youth enjoyed the world and its pleasures,

So he lived condemned and met his punishment.

وَفِي الأَجْدَاثِ مُتَّسعٌ لِفَضْلٍ

إِذَا ضَاقَتْ بِهِ الدُّنْيَا رِحَابَا

The graves are spacious for a man of virtue,

When the wide world is too narrow to contain him.

وَمَا سَاءَتْكَ ظَالِمَةٌ وَكَانَتْ

بَمَا سَاءَتْ تٌعِدُّ لَكَ الثّوَابَا

No oppressor has ever wronged you but will be duly rewarded;

Do not think the respite will last forever.

وَلَمْ تَعْتَدَّهَا دَاراً لِخُلْدٍ

فِتَجْزَعَ مُزْمِعاً عَنْهَا اغْتِرَابا

Do not despair when it is time to leave this transient life,

Grieve not over the inevitable parting.

وَسَرَّكَ هَجْرُهَا مِمَّا تَجَنَّتْ

وَقَدْ قَمِنَ الرَّدَى أَنْ يُسْتَطَابَا

Be glad to abandon a world so filled with treachery,

For death will rid you of all cares.

وَكُنَّا بِالَّذِي أَرْضَاكَ نَرْضَى

لَو أَنَّ الْبَيْنَ لا يُسْقِي الصِّحَابا

We were pleased with whatever pleased you,

If only distance did not sunder friends.

بَكَوْا مِنْكَ الوَفَاءَ وَكُنْتَهُ اسْماً

وَفِعْلاً واكْتِسَاباً وانْتِسَابَا

They bewailed your loyalty which was but a name,

Not a deed or true belonging.

هُمُ يَبْكُونَ وَالمَكِيُّ فِيهِمْ

غَرِيبٌ لاَ جَوَابَ وَلاَ خِطَابَا

They cry for you but in their midst,

You are a stranger who answers not, speaks not.

فَمَنْ أَعْيَا لِسَانَكَ عَنْ بَيَانٍ

وأَلْزَمَ نَصْلَ هِمَّتكَ القِرَابا

Who has wearied your tongue of eloquence

And confined your aspirations to your family?

وَلَمْ تَكُ فَاعِلاً إِلاّ جَمِيلاً

وَلَمْ تَكُ قَائِلاً إِلاَّ صَوَابا

You have done only good, spoken only truth.

Know that the virtues of the righteous remain

أَلاَ فِي ذِمَّة الرّحْمَنِ مَاضٍ

تَيَتَّمتِ الفَضَائِلُ حِينَ غَابَا

When they are gone.