جاءَ البَريدُ بِقُرطاسٍ يَخُبُّ بِهِ

فَأَوجَسَ القَلبُ مِن قِرطاسِهِ فَزَعا

The mailman brought a letter bearing woeful news

So my heart shuddered in fear of its content

قُلنا لَكَ الوَيلُ ماذا في صَحيفَتِكُم

قالوا الخَليفَةُ أَمسى مُثبَتاً وَجِعا

We cried "Woe to you! What does your scroll contain?"

They said "The Caliph has fallen ill and frail"

مادَت بِنا الأَرضُ أَو كادَت تَميدُ كَما

كَأَنَّ ما عَزَّ مِن أَركانِها اِنقَلَعا

The earth beneath us shook as if about to sink

As though its firm pillars were being uprooted

مَن لَم تَزَل نَفسُهُ توفي عَلى شَرَفٍ

توشِكُ مَقاديرُ تِلكَ النَفسُ أَن تَقَعا

He whose soul had long led a virtuous life

His fate now seemed bound to fail

لَمّا وَرَدتُ وَبابُ القَصرِ مُنطَبِقٌ

لِصَوتِ رَملَةَ هُدَّ القَلبُ فَاِنصَدَعا

When I arrived and found the palace gate shut

My heart broke from the sound of quiet weeping