أَمُشَيِّع أَنَا كُلَّ يَوْمٍ ذَاهِباً

وَمُشَيِّع في الإِثْرِ قَلْباً ذَائِبا

I bid farewell each day as I depart

And bid farewell with a melting heart

يَا صَاحِبِي أَخْلَفْتَ لِي أُمْنِيَّةً

كَانَتْ دُعَائي لا عَدِمْتُكَ صَاحِبا

O my companion, you left behind a wish

That in my prayers for you would never diminish

أَقْوَتْ مَعَاهِدُنَا وَكَانَتْ بِالهَوَى

مَعْمُورَةً فَإِخَالُهُنَّ خَرَائِبَا

Our covenants grew strong with affection

Prosperous - yet now left in ruin and dejection

وَأَرَى وُجُوهَ الشَّاهِدِينَ كَأَنَّها

تَتَفَقَّدُ الوَجْهَ المُنِيرَ الغَائِبَا

I see the faces of friends as if they try

To find your shining face that's gone awry

كُنْتَ الأَخَ المَحْبُوبَ وَالإِلْفَ الَّذِي

لَمْ يَنْسَ مُفْتَرِضاً وَيُهْمِلَ وَاجِبَا

You were the beloved brother and cherished friend

Who did not forget a duty or break a bond to rend

إنْ كَانَ فِي عَيْشِي وَقَدْ فَارَقْتَهُ

طِيبٌ فَلَيْسَ العَيْشَ بَعْدَكَ طَائِبَا

If there was goodness in the life from which you fled

There is no goodness left in life now you are dead

إِنَّ الَّذِي كَابَدْتَ فِيهِ مُحَاذِراً

وَمُصَابِراً لَمْ يَبْقَ فيهِ رَاغِبَا

What you endured with patience and precaution

Remains no longer worth the yearning and temptation

تَوْفِيقُ أَخْطَأَكَ الَّذِي تُدْعَى بِهِ

وَالمَوْتُ لاَ يَرْعَى لِحَيٍّ جَانِبَا

Success misguided you, as you were oft implored

And death spares not the living as they are ignored

أَيْنَ الكَلاَمُ الحُلوُ تُسْقَاهُ المُنَى

كَالشُّهدِ مَهْمَا يَخْتَلِفْنَ مَشَارِبَا

Where is that sweet talk with which we were regaled

Like honey, no matter how different the sips we inhaled?

أَيْنَ الأَحَادِيث اللِطَافُ وَكُلُّهَا

سِيَرٌ مُلِئْنَ طَرَائِفاً وَغَرَائِبَا

Where are those gentle tales, each filled

With wonders and marvels newly distilled?

أَيْنَ المَلِيْحُ بِخُلْقِهِ وَبِخَلْقَهِ

أَلطَّاهِرُ الشِّيمِ النَّقيُّ مَآرِبَا

Where is the polite one, in manners and nature

The purest morals, untainted in nurture

سَامِي الشَّمائِلِ فِطْرَةً لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ

مِنْ غَيْرِهِنَّ مَرَاتِباً وَمَنَاصِبَا

Noble by birth, no titles did he take

No positions pursued, no ranks to make

يُجْنَى عَلَيْهِ فَمَا تَرَاهُ حَاقِداً

أَوْ يُسْتَفَزُّ فَمَا تَرَاهُ غَاضِبَا

If wronged, no vengeance would he demand

If provoked, no anger from him would you withstand

وَيَظَلُّ بَسَّاماً مَا هُوَ وَجْهَهُ

بَلْ قَلْبُهُ وَسِوَاهُ يَبْسِمُ كَاذِبَا

Ever smiling - not just his face, but his heart

While the rest of him plays an untruthful part

أَخْلاَقُ إِنْسَانٍ بِمَعْنَاهُ الَّذِي

صَقَلَتْهُ أَحْقَابٌ فَتَمَّ مَنَاقِبَا

A man's character in its truest sense

Perfected by time and well-honed common sense

أَحَسِيبُ إِنْ تُسْلَبْ أَخَاكَ فَإِنَّني

شَاكٍ كَمَا تَشْكُو الزَّمَانَ السَّالِبا

Can I be blamed for doubting if they steal you away?

I doubt time's thievery as much as you today

قَدْ كُنْتَ أُسْتَاذِي فَهَلْ أَنَا وَاجِدٌ

قَوْلاً يُثَبِّت مِنْكَ قَلْباً وَاجِبا

You were my mentor, yet can I profess

Words to steady the heart with rightfulness?

يَكْفِي عَزَاءً تَرْكُهُ الدُّنْيَا وَقَدْ

مُلِئَتْ أَسىً وَفَوَاجِعاً وَنَوَائِبا

It's comfort enough that you left this world full of woe

Replete with sorrows, grief and fatal blows

فَليَلْقَ عِنْدَ إِلهِهِ مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ

لِيُنَالَ فِيهَا مِنْ مُنَىً وَرَغَائِبَا

So may you find with your Maker what you never could gain

Of bliss and fortune you sought here in vain