1. حَذارِ حَذارِ مِن رُكونٍ إِلى الزَمَن

    فَمَن ذا الَّذي يُبقي عَلَيهِ وَمَن وَمَن

    Beware, beware of putting trust in time!

    For whom does it spare—who, who?

  2. أَلَم تَرَ لِلأَحداثِ أَقبَلَها المُنى

    وَأَقتُلَها ما عَرَّضَ المَرءَ لِلفِتَن

    Have you not seen that wishes are the most welcome of life's happenings,

    and the deadliest are those that expose a man to trials?

  3. تُسَرُّ مِنَ الدُنيا بِما هُوَ ذاهِبٌ

    وَيَبكي عَلى ما كانَ مِنها وَلَم يَكُن

    You rejoice in this world over what is passing away,

    and he weeps over what it held and what it never held.

  4. أَرى دارَنا لَيسَت بِدارِ إِقامَةٍ

    أَرَدنا نَواءً عِندَها وَهيَ في ظَعَن

    I see that our dwelling is no place of lasting residence;

    we sought to stay with it while it was departing.

  5. فَكَم سَكَنَ الدُنيا مُلوكٌ أَعِزَّةٌ

    تَفانَوا فَلَم تَستَبِقِ مِنهُم لَها سَكَن

    How many mighty kings dwelt in this world!

    They all perished; it retained not one inhabitant among them.

  6. وَكَم في الثَرى دَسَّت جَبينَ مُتَوَّجٍ

    فَأَصبَحَ بِالإِقدامِ يوطا وَيُمتَهَن

    How many a crowned brow it buried in the dust,

    until it came to be trodden underfoot and debased!

  7. وَذي جُنَّةٍ كانَت تَقيهِ مِنَ الرَدى

    أَتاهُ الرَدى فَاِعتاضَ مِنها ثَرى الجَنَن

    And one whose shield used to protect him from death—

    death came to him, and he exchanged it for the grave's dust.

  8. وَكَالصَقرِ فَوقَ السابِقاتِ اِغتَضَت بِهِ

    أَعالِيَ أَعوادِ مِنَ النَعشِ فَاِرجَحَن

    And one, falcon-like above swift steeds, weighed upon

    the upper timbers of a bier, which sagged.

  9. وَمَن ضاقَت الدُنيا بِهِ وَبِجَيشِهِ

    طَوَت شَخصَهُ في قَيدِ شِبرٍ مِنَ الكَفَن

    And one for whom and for his army the world was too narrow—

    it folded his body within a handspan of shroud.

  10. وَمُحتَجِبٍ لا يَخرِقُ الإِذنَ حُجبَهُ

    وَلَجنَ مَناياهُ عَلَيهِ وَما أَذِن

    And one secluded, whose curtains even permission could not pierce—

    his deaths entered upon him, though he gave no leave.

  11. وَذي حَرَسٍ لا يَغفَلونَ اِحتِراسَهُ

    رَمَتهُ فَلَم يُنصَرُ عَلَيها وَلَم يُعَن

    And one with guards who never neglected his protection—

    it struck him; against it he was neither defended nor aided.

  12. وَما سِحِ عِطفَيهِ مِنَ الدَرَنِ اِنبَرَت

    لَهُ الدُودُ أَكلاً فَاِنثَنى دَرَنَ الدَرَن

    And one wiping dirt from his sides—there sprang

    upon him worms to devour him, and he became filth upon filth.

  13. وَذي أَمَلٍ مِن دونِهِ أَجَل لَهُ

    غَذا شَركاً ما كانَ قَبلُ لَهُ وَسَن

    And one with a hope, before which stood his appointed end,

    nourished a snare that had never before known sleep.

  14. فَما اِعثَرَ الآمالَ في أَجلِ الفَتى

    وَأَقرَبَ أَيّامَ السُرورِ مِنَ الحَزَن

    How readily hopes stumble at a young man's appointed end,

    and how close the days of joy are to grief!

  15. عَفاهُ عَلى الدُنيا فَإِنَّ نَعيمَها

    كَأَضغاثِ أَحلامٍ تَلَذُّ بِلا وَسَن

    Ruin upon the world! For its bliss

    is like tangled dreams, enjoyed without sleep.

  16. فَبَينا الفَتى في ظِلِّها إِذ تَقَلَّبَت

    بِهِ فَاِتَّقَتهُ وَهيَ قالِبَةُ وَالوَهَن

    While the young man is beneath its shade, it suddenly turns

    against him; it shuns him, overturning him and bringing weakness.

  17. لَعضمرُكَ إِنّي قَد حَزِنتُ فَلَم أَهِن

    وَكُنتُ جَديرَ الرُزءِ بِالحُزنِ وَالوَهَن

    By your life, I have grieved, yet I did not grow weak,

    though my loss gave me every cause for grief and weakness.

  18. دَهَتني المَنايا في أَبي حَكَم أِبي

    وَمِن قَبلُ وارَيتُ الشَقيقَ أَبا الحَسَن

    Death struck me with the loss of Abu Hakam, my father;

    and before him I had buried my brother, Abu al-Hasan.

  19. فَيا لَكُما بَدرَي عَلاءٍ تَساقَطا

    وَكانا سَنا عَيني وَأَسناهُما الأَسَن

    Alas for you two, full moons of glory that have fallen!

    You were the radiance of my eyes; the elder was the brighter.

  20. تَضَمَّنَ شَوّالُ مَناياهُما مَعاً

    فَبَينَهُما حَولٌ وَفَقدُهُما قَرَن

    Shawwal embraced both their deaths:

    a year lay between them, yet their loss was coupled.

  21. تَلا فَقدَ هَذا فَقدُ ذا مُتَتابِعاً

    فَشَمسٌ تَلَت بَدراً وَأَصلٌ تَلا غُصُن

    The loss of that one followed the loss of this, in succession:

    a sun followed a full moon, and a root followed a branch.

  22. خَلا مِنهُما النادي وَكانا وَقارَهُ

    فَزُلزِلَ رَضوى وَاِستُطيرتَ رُبا حَضَن

    The assembly was emptied of them; they had been its dignity.

    Radwa was shaken, and the heights of Hadan were sent flying.

  23. وَلَم يُبقِ رَوضي بَعدَ هَلَّكِهِما الحَيا

    وَكُنتُ أَسَقّي مِنهُما السُحُبَ الهَتَن

    Rain did not preserve my garden after their deaths,

    though from them I used to water the pouring clouds.

  24. فَلِلَهِ صَبري بَل شَجوني فَإِنَّني

    نَشَرتُ اِصطِباراً وَاِنطَوَيتُ عَلى شَجَن

    To God belongs my patience—rather, my sorrows! For I

    unfurled endurance and folded myself around grief.

  25. بَدا أَعظَمُ الأَرزاءِ وَاِكتَتَمَ الأَسى

    فَناقَضتُ جُلَّ الناسِ في السِرِّ وَالعَلَن

    The greatest calamity was plain, while anguish lay concealed;

    thus I differed from most people in private and in public.

  26. فَقُلتُ لِجِسمي خالِياً أَنتَ وَالضَنى

    وَلِلروحِ بِئسَ الروحُ مالَكَ لَم تَبِن

    Alone, I told my body, “You are left with wasting sickness,”

    and my soul, “Wretched soul, why have you not departed?”

  27. فَقالَ فُؤادي هَل أَذوبُ مِنَ الأَسى

    فَقُلتُ تَعَجَّل لا أَبا لَكَ وَاِفعَلَن

    My heart said, “Shall I melt from sorrow?”

    I said, “Hasten—may you have no father! Do it!”

  28. وَقالَت دُموعي هَل أَذوبُ مِنَ الأَسى

    مَعي الدَمُ مَسفوحاً فَقُلتُ اِفعَلي وَإِن

    My tears said, “Shall I melt from sorrow,

    with blood shed alongside me?” I said, “Do it, even so!”

  29. أَبَعدَ يَعيشٍ سَلوَةٌ وَتَصَبُّرٌ

    لَقَد فَسَدَت عِندي صَنائِعُهُ إِذَن

    After Ya'ish, can there be solace and patient endurance?

    Surely his kindnesses would then have been wasted on me.

  30. فَأَينَ الأَيادي السافِلاتُ الَّتي بِها

    شَهيدٌ عَلِيَّ الطَفلُ وَالكَهلُ وَاليَفَن

    Where are the former favors, for which

    child, grown man, and aged elder bear witness against me?

  31. وَأَينَ حَنانٌ كُنةتُ أَعرِفُهُ بِهِ

    فَيا قَلبُ ما أَشجى عَلَيهِ وَما أَحَن

    And where is the tenderness I used to know in him?

    O heart, how deep my grief for him, how great my longing!

  32. وَكَم مِنَنٍ مِن دونِ مَنٍ تَتابَعَت

    عَلَيَّ لَهُ وَالناسُ مَنٌّ بِلا مِنَن

    How many favors, without reproachful reminders, came in succession

    from him upon me—while others give reminders without favors!

  33. وَكَم مِن عَظيمٍ قَد وَقاني بِنَفسِهِ

    فَهانَ وَلَولا عَطفُهُ بي لَم يَهُن

    How many a grave ordeal he shielded me from with his own person!

    It grew slight; without his tenderness toward me, it would not have eased.

  34. سَأَثني عَلَيهِ بِالَّذي هُوَ أَهلُهُ

    وَإِن يَكُ تَقصيرٌ فَإِقصارُ ذي لَسَن

    I shall praise him as he deserves;

    and if I fall short, it is an eloquent man's shortcoming.

  35. أَبي ما أَبي لا يُبعِدِ اللَهُ مِثلَهُ

    وَمَن مِثلُهُ ذو اليُسرِ في عُسرَةِ الزَمَن

    My father—what a father! May God not take away his like!

    Who is like him, a man of ease in time's hardship?

  36. جَوادٌ يزينُ الجودَ مِنهُ تَواضُعٌ

    فَفَوقَ الَّذي أَبدى مِنَ الجودِ ما أَكَن

    A generous man, whose humility adorned his generosity:

    what he concealed of his giving surpassed what he displayed.

  37. إِذا سُئِلَ المَعروفَ أَسبَلَ وابِلا

    وَإِن هُوَ لَم يُسأَل تَفَجَّرَ أَو هَتَن

    When asked for kindness, he let loose a downpour;

    and even when unasked, he gushed forth or rained abundantly.

  38. وَلَم يَدَّخِر في أَمسِهِ قوتَ يَومِهِ

    نَزاهَةَ نَفسٍ لا كَمَن حاطَ وَاِختَزَن

    He did not store up yesterday the food he needed today,

    through purity of soul—not like those who guarded and hoarded.

  39. شَبيبَتُهُ بَينَ المَكارِمِ وَاللُها

    وَشَيبَتُهُ بَينَ الفَرائِضِ وَالسُنَنِ

    His youth was spent among noble deeds and generous gifts;

    his old age among religious obligations and prophetic practices.

  40. لَعَمري لَنِعمَ المَرءُ حَيّاً وَهالِكاً

    لِدافِنِهِ الفَخرُ العَظيمُ بِمَن دَفَن

    By my life, excellent was he, living and dead!

    His burier has great pride in the man he buried.

  41. فَبورِكَ مِن قَبرٍ وَطُهِّرَ مِن ثَرى

    وَقُدِّسَ مِن روحٍ وَعوفِيَ مِن بَدَن

    May his grave be blessed, and its dust purified;

    may his spirit be sanctified, and his body kept safe.

  42. رَجَوتُ لَهُ عَفوَ المُهَيمِنِ إِنَّهُ

    هُوَ المَلِكَ الغَفّارُ ذو الطَولِ وَالمِنَنِ

    I hope for him the pardon of the All-Watchful, for He

    is the King, the Oft-Forgiving, Lord of bounty and favors.

  43. لَهُ المُلكُ في الدارَينِ وَالحُكمُ مِثلَ ما

    لَهُ المَلَوانِ وَالَّذي فيهِما سَكَن

    His are sovereignty and judgment in both abodes, just as

    His are night and day and whatever dwells in them.

  44. وَأَرجو لَهُ حُبَّ النَبِيِّ مُحَمَّدٍ

    فَذَنبُ مُحِبّيهِ بِغُفرانِهِ قَمَن

    And I hope for him the love of the Prophet Muhammad,

    for the sin of those who love him is worthy of being forgiven.

  45. وَأَرجو لِسُقياهُ سِقايَةَ مَورِدٍ

    حَلا حَوضُهُ ما بَينَ أَيلَةَ وَاليَمَن

    And I hope he may drink from a watering place

    whose pool is sweet from Aylah to Yemen.

  46. فَقَد قامَ بِالتَوحيدِ وَالخَمسُ عُمرُهُ

    وَصَلّى عَلى المُختارِ وَاِتَّبَعَ السُنَن

    For he upheld God's oneness and the five prayers throughout his life,

    invoked blessings upon the Chosen One, and followed the prophetic practices.

  47. خَليلَيَّ إِنَّ الصَبرَ صَبرٌ وَلا أَرى

    سِواهُ لِشَجوي أَنَّهُ أَعصَمُ الجُنَن

    My two friends, patience is bitter aloe, and I see

    no alternative for my grief: it is the surest of shields.

  48. قِفا حَيِّيا القَبرَ الَّذي حَلَّهُ أَبي

    مَعي إِنَّهُ رَأيٌ بَريءٌ مِنَ الغَبَن

    Stand, you two, and greet the grave where my father came to rest,

    with me; this is a choice free from loss.

  49. وَلَستُ وَإِن أَنحى الزَمانُ بِصَرفِهِ

    عَلَيَّ وَنالَتني صُروفٌ مِنَ المِحَن

    I am not—though time has directed its reversals

    against me, and shifting ordeals have assailed me—

  50. بِفاقِدِ شَيءٍ مِن أَبي غَيرَ شَخصِهِ

    وَلا بائِعِ القُربى بِبَخسٍ مِنَ الثَمَن

    bereft of anything of my father but his bodily presence,

    nor selling kinship for a paltry price.

  51. عَسى اللَهُ في الفِردَوسِ يَجمَعُ بَينَنا

    فَإِنَّ الرَدى إِن كانَ يَجمَعُنا حَسَن

    May God bring us together in Paradise;

    for death, if it reunites us, is beautiful.