1. وَلدِي بَكَيْتُكَ بِالدُّمُوعِ سَخِينَةً

    هَيْهَاتَ يُغْنِي مِنْكَ طَرْفٌ دَامِعُ

    My son, I wept for you with hot tears.

    Alas, a weeping eye can do nothing for you.

  2. إِنَّي تَرَكْتُكَ وَالسَّلاَمَةُ كُلُّهَا

    فِي بُرْدَتَيْكَ وَنُورُ وَجْهِكَ سَاطِعُ

    Indeed, I left you in perfect health,

    In your two cloaks, your face's light radiant.

  3. ثمَّ انْثَنَيْتُ وَيَا لَهَا مِنْ أَوْبَةٍ

    قَلْبِي بِهَا وَاهٍ وَعَقْلِي ضَائِعُ

    Then I returned—and what a return it was!

    My heart was weakened by it, and my mind was lost.

  4. طَال الطَّرِيقُ وَكُنْتُ أَرْجُو أَنَّني

    سَأَذُودُ عَنْكَ وَأَنَّني سَأُدَافِعُ

    The road was long, and I hoped that I

    Would shield you, and that I would defend you.

  5. يَا لَيْتَهُ طَالَ المَسِيرُ وَلَمْ يَكنْ

    بَعْدَ النَّوَى هَذَا اللِّقَاءُ الْفَاجِعُ

    Oh, would that the journey had lasted longer, without

    This heartrending reunion after separation.

  6. أَفَأَنْتَ مَيْتٌ لاَ لَعَمْرِي لَمْ تَمُتْ

    مَا أَنْتَ إِلاَّ فِي سَرِيرِكَ هَاجِعُ

    Are you dead, then? No, by my life, you have not died.

    You are only sleeping in your bed.

  7. غَالَطْتُ عَيْنِي إِذْ رَأَتْك مُوسَّداً

    قُلْ يَا حَبِيبِي إِنَّني لَكَ سامِعُ

    I tried to deceive my eye when it saw you laid upon a pillow.

    Speak, my beloved; I am listening to you.

  8. وَاحسْرَتَا غَلبَ السُّكُوتُ وَلَمْ تُجِبْ

    وَقَضَى عَلَى الوَهْمِ القَضَاءُ الوَاقِعُ

    Alas! Silence prevailed, and you did not answer.

    And fate's decree, now fulfilled, put an end to the illusion.

  9. وَعَلَى مُحَيَّاكَ ابْتِسَامٌ رَائِقٌ

    يَجْلُو فَسَامَتَهُ وَضوْءٌ رَائِعُ

    And on your face is a serene smile,

    Revealing its beauty, and a splendid light.

  10. قَبْلَ الأَوَانِ طَوَتْكَ غَائِلَةُ الرَّدَى

    وَبِطِبِّه خَابَ الطَّبيبُ البَارِعُ

    Before your time, death's scourge folded you away.

    And with his medicine, the skilled physician failed.

  11. هَلْ يُقْطَعُ الفَرْعُ النَّضيرُ وَيَنْثَنِي

    عَدْلاً عَنْ الأَصْلِ القَدِيمِ القَاطِعُ

    Is the tender green branch cut off, while the cutter turns

    Justly away from the old root?

  12. وَلَدِي بِسُهْدِ العَيْنِ قَدْ رَبَّيتُهُ

    فَأَقَرَّ عَيْنَ الْمَجْدِ مُذْ هُوَ يَافِعُ

    My son, I raised him with a sleepless eye;

    So he gladdened glory's eye from his youth.

  13. بَدَتِ المَخَايِلُ للفَضائِلِ والعُلَى

    فِيهِ وَزَكَّاهَا تُقىً وَصَنائِعُ

    Signs of virtue and eminence appeared

    In him, and piety and good deeds nurtured them.

  14. حَفِظَ الوَصَايَا وَاسْتَقَامَ بِدَينِهِ

    وَلَهُ عنِ الخُطَطِ المُرِيبَةِ وَازِعُ

    He kept the commandments and remained upright in his faith,

    And an inner restraint kept him from dubious paths.

  15. عَلَّقْتُ آمَالِي بِهِ فَفَقَدْتُهُ

    وَفَقَدْتُ آمَالِي فَمَا أَنَا صَانِعُ

    I hung my hopes upon him, then lost him;

    And lost my hopes—what, then, am I to do?

  16. وَاحَسْرَتَاهُ لأَمِّك الثَّكلَى فَقَدْ

    أَوْدَى بِزَهْرَتِها المُصَابُ الفَاجِعُ

    Alas for your bereaved mother, for

    The heartrending calamity has destroyed her blossom.

  17. مَا كَانَ أَعْجَلَهَا لِحَاقاً بِابْنِهَا

    لَوْ لَمْ يُثَبِّتهَا اليَقِينُ الرَّادِعُ

    How swiftly she would have joined her son,

    Had restraining certainty not held her firm!

  18. يَا وَيْحَ لِلأَعْمَامِ لَوْ شَاهَدْتَهُمْ

    وَهُمُ حَنَايَا سُعِّرَتْ وَأَضَالِعُ

    Alas for the uncles—if you had seen them,

    With their chests and ribs set ablaze!

  19. بَثَّ الخَلِيلُ وَعادِلٌ شَجْوَيهِمَا

    فَإِذَا القوَافِي فِي الطُّرُوسِ مَدَامعُ

    Khalil and Adil poured out their griefs,

    And lo, the rhymes upon the pages were tears.

  20. مَا فِي الأُولَى عَرفُوكَ إِلاَّ وَاجِمٌ

    لِفَدَاحَةِ البَلْوَى وَإلاَّ جَازِعُ

    All who knew you are either silent with grief

    At the enormity of the affliction, or distraught.

  21. يَا سَاكِنَ الفِرْدَوْسِ إِنْ سَلَبَ الأَسَى

    أَلْبَابَنَا فَلأَنْتَ نِعْمَ الشَّافِعُ

    O dweller in Paradise, if sorrow has stolen

    Our minds, then what an excellent intercessor you are!

  22. قُلْ لِلَّذِي هُوَ خالِقِي وَمُجَرِّبِي

    إِنِّي لَهُ العَبْدُ المُطِيعُ الخَاضِعُ

    Tell the One who is my Creator and puts me to the test

    That I am indeed His obedient, submissive servant.

  23. وَاسَأَلْهُ غُفْرَاناً لِزَلاَّتِي فَقَدْ

    ثَقُلَتْ علَيَّ وَعَفْوُ رَبِّك وَاسِعُ

    And ask Him for forgiveness for my missteps, for they have

    Weighed heavily upon me, and your Lord's pardon is vast.

  24. وَاسْأَلْهُ لِي صَبْراً فَحَسْبِي مِنْ رِضىً

    بِاللِه أَنَّك فِي رِضَاهُ رَاتِعُ

    And ask Him for patience for me; it is enough for my contentment

    With God that you revel in His favor.

  25. أَرْجُو لِقاءَكُ حِيْنَ يَأْذَنُ مُنْعِماً

    إِنِّي لَهُ وَإِلَيهِ إِنِّي رَاجِعُ

    I hope to meet you when He graciously gives leave.

    Indeed, I am His, and to Him indeed I shall return.