1. أيُّ فؤادٍ فيكَ لم يكلَفِ

    وأيُّ طرفٍ فيكَ لم يَذْرِفِ

    What heart has not been enamored of you?

    And what eye has not shed tears for you?

  2. لو عطفَ الصبرُ تجنبتُه

    فكيفَ أُلْفيه ولمْ يعطِفِ

    Had patience turned toward me, I would have shunned it;

    how, then, can I find it when it has not turned toward me?

  3. ما أحسبُ الأضلعَ ترْضى بما

    حوَتْ من البرحِ ولم تكْتَفِ

    I do not think the ribs are satisfied with what

    they hold of torment, nor have they had enough.

  4. قد قوي الخطبُ لهْ حيلةٌ

    لواهنِ المَنْكَبِ مُسْتَضْعِفِ

    Calamity has grown mighty; is there any remedy for it

    for one weak of shoulder, deemed powerless?

  5. لا يحرُسُ الموعِرَ في شاهقٍ

    من مصْرَعِ المسَهْلِ في نَفْنَفِ

    The rough-ground traveler on a lofty peak is not shielded

    from the death of the level-ground traveler in a low valley.

  6. والأزغبُ المَسلوبُ من ريشِه

    كصاحبِ القادمةِ المُنْكَفي

    And the downy fledgling stripped of its feathers

    is like the fallen bird possessing a flight-feather.

  7. ولو حَمى ذا الظِلْفِ أحجامه

    لم يقدِم الأغلبُ ذو المِخْصَفِ

    And if holding back protected the cloven-hoofed beast,

    the thick-necked lion with its awl-like claw would not charge.

  8. من حبَبِ النفسِ ثمارُ المُنى

    جَنى اللذاذاتِ ولم يَقطُفِ

    Whoever makes the fruits of wishes dear to his soul

    reaps delights without plucking them.

  9. وتابعُ الأمالِ تهوي به

    رياحُها في المسْلَك المُجْحِفِ

    And the pursuer of hopes is hurled down

    by their winds along a ruinous path.

  10. وللفتى بالموتِ شُغْل فما

    يصنعُ باللَدْنِ وبالمُرهَفِ

    And the young man is occupied with death, so what

    can he do with the supple lance and the keen sword?

  11. عمرو الفتى أُهْلِك في عامرِ

    وحاجبٌ أُسلِمَ في خَندَفِ

    Amr, the young man, was slain among Amir,

    and Hajib was abandoned among Khindif.

  12. والدهرُ لا تفرقُ أحداثُهُ

    بين دنيءِ القومِ والأشْرفِ

    And time's calamities make no distinction

    between the lowliest of the people and the noblest.

  13. ولو تحامى عنه ذو مَنعةٍ

    لم ينقصِ البدرُ ولم يُكْسَفِ

    And if one with protective strength could avoid it,

    the full moon would not wane or be eclipsed.

  14. قد حطّ عن مَفْرِقِ أيامِهِ

    تاجُ الرئاساتِ أبو يوسُفِ

    Now taken from the head of time's days is

    the crown of leadership—Abu Yusuf.

  15. وكوكبُ غيّبَهُ حادث

    كما بَدا في ليلِه المُسْدِفِ

    And a star that a calamity concealed

    just as it appeared in its darkening night;

  16. وكرمةٌ من أدبٍ كاد أن

    يعصُرَ منها عنبُ القَرْقَفِ

    and a vine of learning, almost ready

    for its wine-grapes to be pressed;

  17. وروضةٌ ما فتحتْها الصَبا

    حتى أحالتْها يدُ الحَرْجَفِ

    and a garden scarcely opened by the east wind

    before the hand of the icy wind laid it waste;

  18. وملةٌ قد نُسِخَتْ قبلَ أنْ

    ينسخَ فيها البَسْمُ في المُصحَفِ

    and a creed abrogated before

    the opening 'In God's name' was copied into its scripture.

  19. يا بنَ أبي يوسُف خُذْ بعدَهُ

    بصبرِ يعقوبٍ على يوسفِ

    O son of Abu Yusuf, after him, take up

    Ya'qub's patience over Yusuf.

  20. بحرُك لا ينزِفُهُ جدولٌ

    والبحرُ بالجدولِ لم يَنزِفِ

    Your sea cannot be drained by a rivulet,

    and the sea has never run dry through a rivulet.

  21. معرةُ الموتِ وباعِدْ بها

    كلٌّ على مسلكِها يقتفي

    The affliction of death—and away with it!—

    everyone follows along its path.

  22. والدهرُ لا خانتْكَ أيامُهُ

    عادَتْهُ مذ كانَ ألا يَفي

    And time—may its days never betray you!—

    has, since it began, made a habit of breaking faith.

  23. فاكتفِ باللهِ فإنّ الذي

    يفوّضُ الأمرَ له يكتفي

    So be content with God, for whoever

    entrusts the matter to Him has enough.