1. لا يَخدَعَنَّكَ صِحَّةٌ وَيَسارُ

    ما لا يَدومُ عَلَيكَ فَهوَ مُعارُ

    Let neither health nor wealth deceive you.

    What does not last for you is only lent.

  2. يَغشى الفَتى حُبَّ الحَياةِ وَزينَةَ الـ

    ـدُنيا وَيَنسى ما إِلَيهِ يُصارُ

    A young man is enveloped by love of life and the adornment of the

    world, and forgets what he is destined for.

  3. وَإِذا البَصائِرُ عَن طَرائِق رُشدِها

    عَمِيَت فَماذا تَنفَعُ الأَبصارُ

    And if insight, to the paths of its guidance,

    grows blind, what use is eyesight?

  4. لا تَغتَرر بِالدَهرِ إِن وافاكَ في

    حالٍ يَسُرُّكَ إِنَّهُ غَرّارُ

    Do not be deceived by time if it comes to you in

    a state that pleases you; it is a deceiver.

  5. انظُر إِلى مَن كانَ قَبلكَ وَاعتَبر

    سَتَصيرُ عَن كَثَبٍ إِلى ما صاروا

    Look at those who came before you, and take heed;

    you will soon come to what they came to.

  6. فَيَزولُ عَنكَ جَميعُ ما أوتيتَ في ال

    دُنيا وَلَو زُوِيَت لَكَ الأَمصارُ

    Then you will lose all you were given in the

    world, even if the cities were gathered for you.

  7. تُرزا الكِرامُ ولا كَرزءِ عَشيرَةٍ

    فُجِعَت بِمَن مِنهُم إِلَيهِ يُشارُ

    The noble suffer loss, but none like the loss of a clan

    bereaved of the one among them to whom people pointed.

  8. اللَهُ جارُكَ يا ابنَ يوسُفَ ثاوِياً

    وَسَقى ضَريحَكَ وابِلٌ مدرارُ

    May God be your protector, son of Yusuf, as you lie at rest,

    and may a copious downpour water your tomb,

  9. حَتّى تُرى جَنَباتُ قَبرِكَ رَوضَةً

    مُخضَرَّةً وَيَحُفُّهُ النوّارُ

    until the sides of your grave are seen as a garden,

    green, with blossoms surrounding it.

  10. أَبكي عَلَيكَ وَلَو وَفَت لَكَ أَدمُعي

    لَتَعجَّبَت مِن مَدِّها الأَنهارُ

    I weep for you; were my tears to do you justice,

    the rivers would marvel at their swelling flood.

  11. يا بَدرُ كُنتَ لَنا اليَمينَ وَما عَسى

    تُغني إِذا مَضَت اليَمينُ يَسارُ

    O Badr, you were our right hand; what use

    can a left hand be once the right is gone?

  12. كُنتَ المُعينَ عَلى الزَمانِ لَنا إِذا

    غاضَ المَعينُ وَعَزَّت الأَمطارُ

    You were our help against time, whenever

    the flowing water ebbed and the rains grew scarce.

  13. يا بَدرُ ضاقَ بِكَ الضَريحُ وَطالَما

    ضاقَت عَلى عَزَماتِكَ الأَقطارُ

    O Badr, the tomb is too narrow for you; how often

    were the regions too narrow for your resolves!

  14. أَعزز عَلَيَّ بِأَن يَضيقَ بِكَ الثَرى

    وَيَميلَ عَن عَرَصاتِكَ الزُوّارُ

    How grievous to me that the earth should hem you in,

    and visitors turn away from your courtyards!

  15. قَد كُنتَ ذُخراً لِلمُلوكِ وَعُمدَةً

    فَبِرَأيِكَ الإيرادُ وَالإِصدارُ

    You were a treasure and a mainstay for kings;

    your counsel governed bringing in and sending forth.

  16. وَلَكم بِرَأيِكَ مِن وَرائِكَ قَد سَرى

    نَحوَ الأَعادي جَحفَلٌ جَرّارُ

    And how often, at your counsel, from behind you marched by night

    toward the enemies a vast, mighty army.

  17. وَمِنَ العَجائِبِ أَنَّ بَدراً كامِلاً

    يَعتادُهُ عِندَ التَمامِ سِرارُ

    And it is a wonder that a full moon

    should be visited at its fullness by the moon's dark phase.

  18. كانَ الجَوادَ بِما حَوى وَقَد استَوى

    في مالِهِ الإِقلالُ وَالإِكثارُ

    He was generous with what he possessed; alike were

    scarcity and abundance in his wealth.

  19. صافي أَديمِ العَرضِ لا يَنأى النَدى

    عَنهُ وَلا يَدنو إِلَيهِ العارُ

    Pure was the surface of his honor; generosity never strayed

    from him, nor did disgrace draw near him.

  20. مِن أُسرَةٍ عَرَبِيَّةٍ جاءَت بِهِ

    عَرَبِيَّةٌ آباؤُها أَحرارُ

    From an Arab family, he was brought forth by

    an Arab woman whose forefathers were free.

  21. لَم يُغذَ مِن لَبَنِ الإِماءِ وَلَم تُحِل

    أَخلاقَهُ عَن طَبعِها الأَظآرُ

    He was not nourished on slave women's milk, nor did

    wet nurses turn his character from its inborn nature.

  22. قَد كانَ إِن خَفَّت حَلومُ ذَوي النُهى

    لِلهَولِ فيهِ رَزانَةٌ وَوَقارُ

    He was such that, when the judgment of the wise grew unsteady

    with terror, he had composure and dignity.

  23. يا بَدرُ لَو أَبصَرتَ بَعدَكَ حالَنا

    لَشَجاكَ ما جاءَت بِهِ الأَقدارُ

    O Badr, had you seen our condition after you,

    you would have grieved at what the fates had brought.

  24. سُرَّت أَعادينا وَأَدرَكَ حاسِدٌ

    فينا مُناهُ وَقَلَّتِ الأَنصارُ

    Our enemies rejoiced, and an envious man attained

    his wishes at our expense, while our supporters grew few.

  25. كُنّا نَخافُ وَيَرتجي إِحسانَنا

    أَعداؤُنا وَيَعِزُّ فينا الجارُ

    We were feared, and our kindness was hoped for

    by our enemies; the neighbor was honored among us.

  26. ما العَيشُ بَعدكَ بالهَنيءِ وَلَو صَفَت

    فيهِ الحَياةُ وَلا الدِيارُ دِيارُ

    Life after you is not sweet, though serene

    may be the life within it; nor are homes still homes.

  27. هَيهاتَ أَن يَلتَذَّ جَفني بِالكَرى

    مِن بَعدِ فَقدِكَ أَو يَقَرَّ قَرارُ

    Far be it that my eyelid should savor sleep

    after losing you, or that any repose should endure,

  28. أَو أَرتَجي خِلّاً سِواكَ أَبُثُّهُ

    الشَكوى وَتُحفَظُ عِندَهُ الأَسرارُ

    or that I should hope for a friend besides you, to whom I could confide

    my complaints, and with whom secrets would be safe.

  29. غَدَرَ الزَمانُ بِنا فَفَرَّقَ بَينَنا

    إِنَّ الزَمانَ بِأَهلِهِ غَدّارُ

    Time betrayed us and drove us apart;

    time is surely treacherous to its people.

  30. لَو أَنَّ قَلبَ المَوتِ رَقَّ لِهالِكٍ

    لَشَجاهُ أَطفالٌ وَراكَ صِغارُ

    Had death's heart softened for one who perished,

    the little children you left behind would have moved it to grief.

  31. لَم يَكفِ صَرفَ الدَهرِ دَفنُكَ في الثَرى

    حَتّى نَأَت بِكَ عَن دِمَشقَ الدارُ

    Your burial in the earth did not suffice for time's ravages,

    until your abode bore you far from Damascus.

  32. ما أَنصَفَ الدَهرُ المُفَرِّقُ بَينَنا

    أَفَبَعدَ مَوتٍ نُقلَةٌ وَسِفارُ

    Time, which parted us, dealt unjustly:

    must there be, even after death, removal and travel?