أرى بَقايا البيوتِ قاطبَةً

أرى بَقايا البيوتِ قاطبَةً

ما فتئت بالقديمِ مُفْتخرهً

ما فتئت بالقديمِ مُفْتخرهً

I see the remnants of the houses, one and all,

I see the remnants of homes altogether

Still boasting of the past.

They have continuously taken pride in the old

من ماتَ حيٌّ بطيبِ مَحْمدةٍ

من ماتَ حيٌّ بطيبِ مَحْمدةٍ

والحيُّ بالذم أعظُمٌ نخِرهْ

والحيُّ بالذم أعظُمٌ نخِرهْ

Whoever has died lives on through the sweetness of praise,

Whoever died is alive with good praise

And the living, through blame, are rotten bones.

And the living with blame are most decayed

ولا يغرَّنْكَ مُبْتدى شَرفٍ

ولا يغرَّنْكَ مُبْتدى شَرفٍ

ومُنتهاهُ بلؤْمهِ غَمَرَهُ

ومُنتهاهُ بلؤْمهِ غَمَرَهُ

And let no noble beginning deceive you

Do not be fooled by one who boasts his nobility

When its end has engulfed it in its own baseness.

Whose endpoint is flooded with his worries

فأشْرَفُ الزادِ عند آكِلِهِ

فأشْرَفُ الزادِ عند آكِلِهِ

إذا تناهتْ أقسامهُ عَذِرَهْ

إذا تناهتْ أقسامهُ عَذِرَهْ

For the finest food, to its eater,

The most noble provision for one who eats

Is excrement once its portions have run their course.

Is when his excuses have come to an end