لِدوا لِلمَوتِ وَاِبنوا لِلخَرابِ

فَكُلُّكُمُ يَصيرُ إِلى ذَهابِ

Build for death and construct for ruin

For you will all end up vanishing

لِمَن نَبني وَنَحنُ إِلى تُرابٍ

نَصيرُ كَما خُلِقنا مِن تُرابِ

For whom do we build when we ourselves

Will become dust as we were created from dust

أَلا يا مَوتُ لَم أَرَ مِنكَ بُدّاً

أَبيتَ فَلا تَحيفُ وَلا تُحابي

Oh death, I see no escape from you

You are stubborn, you do not swerve or be partial

كَأَنَّكَ قَد هَجَمتَ عَلى مَشيبي

كَما هَجَمَ المَشيبُ عَلى شَبابي

As if you have assaulted my old age

As old age assaulted my youth

وَيا دُنيايَ ما لي لا أَراني

أَسومُكِ مَنزِلاً إِلّا نَبا بي

And oh my world, why do I not see myself

Take you as a home except for moving from place to place

أَلا وَأَراكَ تَبذُلُ يا زَماني

لي الدُنيا وَتَسرِعُ بِاِستِلابي

Lo, I see you give, my time

The world to me and hastily snatch it

وَإِنَّكَ يا زَمانُ لَذو صُروفٍ

وَإِنَّكَ يا زَمانُ لَذو اِنقِلابِ

You, oh time, are indeed prone to vicissitudes

You, oh time, are indeed prone to reversals

وَمالي لَستُ أَحلُبُ مِنكَ شَطراً

فَأَحمَدَ غِبَّ عاقِبَةِ الحِلابِ

Why do I not milk a share from you

And praise the absent result of milking

وَمالي لا أُلِحُّ عَلَيكَ إِلّا

بَعَثتَ الهَمَّ لي مِن كُلِّ بابِ

Why do I not persist with you

Except you have brought worries to me from every door

أَراكَ وَإِن طُلِبتَ بِكُلِّ وَجهٍ

كَحُلمِ النَومِ أَو ظِلَّ السَحابِ

I see you, even if sought in every manner

Like a dream's illusion, or shade of clouds

أَوِ الأَمسِ الَّذي وَلّى ذَهاباً

فَلَيسَ يَعودُ أَو لَمعِ السَرابِ

Or like yesterday which passed away in departure

And does not return, or like the mirage

وَهَذا الخَلقُ مِنكَ عَلى وَفازٍ

وَأَرجُلُهُم جَميعاً في الرِكابِ

And these people from you are on the summit

And all their feet are in the stirrups

وَمَوعِدُ كُلِّ ذي عَمَلٍ وَسَعيٍ

بِما أَسدى غَداً دارُ الثَوابِ

And the promise of everyone with deeds and efforts

Is tomorrow, the abode of reward

تَقَلَّدتُ العِظامَ مِنَ الخَطايا

كَأَنّي قَد أَمِنتُ مِنَ العِقابِ

I have worn sins like bones

As if I am safe from punishment

وَمَهما دَمتُ في الدُنيا حَريصاً

فَإِنّي لا أُوَفَّقُ لِلصَوابِ

However long I remain in the world greedy

I am not guided to righteousness

سَأَسأَلُ عَن أُمورٍ كُنتُ فيها

فَما عُذري هُناكَ وَما جَوابي

I will be asked about matters in which I was

What then are my excuse and my answer

بِأَيَّةِ حُجَّةٍ أَحتَجُّ يَومَ الـ

ـحِسابِ إِذا دُعيتُ إِلى الحِسابِ

With what argument will I contend on the day of

Reckoning, when I am called to account

هُما أَمرانِ يوضِحُ عَنهُما لي

كِتابي حينَ أَنظُرُ في كِتابي

Two matters that clarify for me

In my book when I look in my book

فَإِمّا أَن أُخَلَّدَ في نَعيمٍ

وَإِمّا أَن أُخَلَّدَ في عَذابِ

Either I will abide in bliss

Or I will abide in torment