Composed by Shaykh Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿĪsā Āl Khalīfah, recited during the funeral prayer over King Saud—may God have mercy on him— in the Sacred Mosque of Mecca
Circle his noble bier with your solemn procession,
And draw from patience solace for your loss.
Weep beside the grave, for truly it is
A tomb from whose foundations glory shines.
This is the resting place of the Lion of the Peninsula—
Read the chapters of his life inscribed by his own sword.
He who spread concord, and at whose beneficence
The world rejoiced and blessed his generosity.
If you should ask me, O companions, then know:
He passed away after winning the race in his own field.
The angels washed him, and they
Wrapped him, after death, in their pure shrouds.
They bore him toward eternity, to a realm
Where hatred finds no path into the human heart.
They carried him, purity filling their ranks,
And the fragrance of honor rising from his garments.
Virtue wept the day his bier was borne,
And lofty heights bowed down upon his body.
A voice stirred within the heart of nature—
A trembling call echoing through creation.
Mourn the hero of Arabism; lament
An eagle struck down, torn from his flight.
Festivities turned to sheer sorrow,
And birds poured grief into their melodies.
Saud has died—how could he become an exile
From his exalted throne and from his crowns?
A king who built his throne upon guidance,
And raised a structure whose very stones were honor.
Never was he called unjust in his rule—
For justice itself was the balance in his hand.
He lived in this world devout and humble,
And departed with the remembrance of God upon his tongue.