أَصبَحتُ أَمشي بَعدَ سَلمى بنِ مالِكٍ

وَبَعدَ أَبي قَيسٍ وَعُروَةَ كَالأَجَب

I walk now after Salma son of Malik

And after Abi Qais and Urwa like a lost camel

يَضِجُّ إِذا ظِلُّ الغُرابِ دَنا لَهُ

حِذاراً عَلى باقي السَناسِنِ وَالعَصَب

He whimpers when the shadow of the raven draws near

Beware of what remains of the blades and sinews

وَبَعدَ أَبي عَمرٍ وَذي الفَضلِ عامِرٍ

وَبَعدَ المُرَجّى عُروَةَ الخَيرِ لِلكُرَب

And after Abi Amr and Dhi Al Fadl, Amir

And after Al Murajja, Urwa the good in hardships

وَبَعدَ طُفَيلٍ ذي الفِعالِ تَعَلَّقَت

بِهِ ذاتُ ظُفرٍ لا تُوَرَّعُ بِاللَجَب

And after Tufayl the active, attached herself

To him one with triumph, unrestrained in her zeal

وَبَعدَ أَبي حَيّانَ يَومَ حَمومَةٍ

أُتيحَ لَهُ زَأوٌ فَأُزلِقَ عَن رَتَب

And after Abi Hayyan on a day of great battle

A chance was afforded him, so he slipped from rank

أَلَم تَرَ فيما يَذكُرُ الناسُ أَنَّني

ذَكَرتُ أَبا لَيلى فَأَصبَحتُ ذا أَرَب

Did you not see, in what people mention, that I

Mentioned Abu Layla, so I became full of woe?

فَهَوَّنَ ما أَلقى وَإِن كُنتُ مُثبِتاً

يَقيني بِأَن لا حَيَّ يَنجو مِنَ العَطَب

Yet it lightened what I met, though I was steadfast

In my certainty that no living soul escapes decay