1. Is there anyone who can wrest
The throne of kingship in fever's duress?
١. هَلْ بِالْحِمَى عَنْ سَريرِ الْمُلْكِ مَنْ يَزَعُ
هَيهَاتَ قَدْ ذَهَبَ الْمَتْبُوعُ وَالتَبَعُ
2. Nay! For gone are the followed and the followers.
Behold this isle! Do you espy anyone
٢. هَذِي الْجَزِيرَةُ فَانْظُرْ هَلْ تَرَى أَحَداً
يَنْأَى بِهِ الْخَوْفُ أَوْ يَدْنُو بِهِ الطَّمَعُ
3. Whom fear makes shun or greed makes come?
Once inhabited, now a wilderness become
٣. أَضْحَتْ خَلاءً وَكَانَتْ قَبْلُ مَنْزِلَةً
لِلْمُلْكِ مِنْهَا لِوَفْدِ الْعِزِّ مُرْتَبَعُ
4. Whereat great men were wont to meet
And minds at their command would shake and beat.
٤. فَلا مُجِيبَ يَرُدُّ الْقَوْلَ عَنْ نَبَإٍ
وَلا سَمِيعَ إِذَا نَادَيْتَ يَسْتَمِعُ
5. None to answer questions now will deign,
None to harken when you call and complain.
٥. كَانَتْ مَنَازِلَ أَمْلاكٍ إِذَا صَدَعُوا
بِالأَمْرِ كَادَتْ قُلُوبُ النَّاسِ تَنْصَدِعُ
6. The homes of grandees where, when they opined,
Men's hearts would quake, terrified, undermined.
٦. عَاثُوا بِهَا حِقْبَةً حَتَّى إِذَا نَهَضَتْ
طَيْرُ الْحَوادِثِ مِنْ أَوْكَارِهَا وَقَعُوا
7. For an era they reveled hectically therein
Till, from deep lairs, the birds of time arose
٧. لَوْ أَنَّهُمْ عَلِمُوا مِقْدَارَ مَا فَغَرَتْ
بِهِ الْحَوَادِثُ مَا شَادُوا وَلا رَفَعُوا
8. To fill the air with disembodied woes.
Could they have known the measure of what doom
٨. دَارَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ رَحَى الأَيَّامِ فَانْشَعَبُوا
أَيْدِي سَبَا وَتَخَلَّتْ عَنْهُمُ الشِّيَعُ
9. Events contain, they would not have built nor assumed.
The millstones of days around them spun
٩. كَانَتْ لَهُمْ عُصَبٌ يَسْتَدْفِعُونَ بِهَا
كَيْدَ الْعَدُوِّ فَمَا ضَرُّوا وَلا نَفَعُوا
10. And their might shredded, their followers gone.
They had partisans to defend them still
١٠. أَيْنَ الْمَعَاقِلُ بَلْ أَيْنَ الْجَحَافِلُ بَلْ
أَيْنَ الْمَنَاصِلُ وَالْخِطِّيَّةُ الشَّرَعُ
11. And turn the saboteur's insidious will.
But naught could shield them from time's common ill;
١١. لا شَيءَ يَدْفَعُ كَيْدَ الدَّهْرِ إِنْ عَصَفَتْ
أَحْدَاثُهُ أَوْ يَقِي مِنْ شَرِّ مَا يَقَعُ
12. Availed them nothing, harmed them nothing.
Where are their forts? Nay, where their very armies?
١٢. زَالُوا فَمَا بَكَتِ الدُّنْيَا لِفُرْقَتِهِمْ
وَلا تَعَطَّلَتِ الأَعْيَادُ وَالْجُمَعُ
13. Where are their deadly arms? Where their adherencies?
Naught can defend against time's blow
١٣. وَالدَّهْرُ كَالْبَحْرِ لا يَنْفَكُّ ذَا كَدَرٍ
وَإِنَّمَا صَفْوُهُ بَيْنَ الْوَرَى لُمَعُ
14. Or stay the harm which from events may flow.
They passed away, unlamented. Nor for them
١٤. لَوْ كَانَ لِلْمَرْءِ فِكْرٌ فِي عَوَاقِبِهِ
مَا شَانَ أَخْلاقَهُ حِرصٌ وَلا طَبَعُ
15. Did the world weep, or gladsome days make grim.
Time's but an ocean that will never be still
١٥. وَكَيْفَ يُدْرِكُ مَا فِي الْغَيْبِ مِنْ حَدَثٍ
مَنْ لَمْ يَزَلْ بِغُرُورِ الْعَيشِ يَنْخَدِعُ
16. Though temporarily placid, clear and still.
Could man consider well his latter end,
١٦. دَهْرٌ يَغُرُّ وَآمَالٌ تَسُرُّ وَأَعْ
مَارٌ تَمُرُّ وَأَيَّامٌ لَهَا خُدَعُ
17. He would not covet, would no more offend.
How can one blind to what the future holds
١٧. يَسْعَى الْفَتَى لأُمُورٍ قَدْ تَضُرُّبِهِ
وَلَيْسَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يَأْتِي وَمَا يَدَعُ
18. Save by deceits which passing life unfolds
Hope to attain? Days beguile; dreams cheat;
١٨. يَا أَيُّهَا السَّادِرُ الْمُزْوَرُّ مِنْ صَلَفٍ
مَهْلاً فَإِنَّكَ بِالأَيَّامِ مُنْخَدِعُ
19. Fortunes delude; time deceives its sad defeat.
Man seeks what may hurt and knows not what may yet
١٩. دَعْ مَا يَرِيبُ وَخُذْ فِي مَا خُلِقْتَ لَهُ
لَعَلَّ قَلْبَكَ بِالإِيْمَانِ يَنْتَفِعُ
20. Befall him, what be shaken off or kept.
You wanton braggart, puffed up but lowly,
٢٠. إِنَّ الْحَيَاةَ لَثَوبٌ سَوْفَ تَخْلَعُهُ
وَكُلُّ ثَوْبٍ إِذَا مَا رَثَّ يَنْخَلِعُ