ثَمِلَ الكَبيرُ فَظَلَّ يَحسِبُ أَنَّهُ

كَرَّ الشَبابُ وَلانَ عَظمٌ يابِسُ

The elder ripened, so he reckoned he

Grew old, while no bone withered.

وَكَأَنَّها لَمّا دَنَت مِن شَيبِهِ

شَقِرٌ لِنورِ الإِقحِوانِ مَلابِسُ

When she drew near his grayness

It was like the brightness of Al-Iqhwan clothing fire.

وَيَظُنَّها نارَ الخَليلِ سَليمَةً

وَيَكادُ يَأخُذُ مِن سَناها القابِسُ

He thought she was the safe flame of Al-Khalil

And he almost took fire from her youth.

ضَحِكَت إِلَيهِ وَهِيَ هازِئَةٌ بِهِ

لَمّا حَساها وَهُوَ أَزوَرُ عابِسُ

She laughed at him while mocking him

When he reckoned her, gloomy and false.

ما الناسُ نّاسٌ إِذا تَغَيَّرَ شَكلُهُم

قُل ما بَدا لَكَ فَالدِيارُ بَسابِسُ

People are not people when their image changes.

Say, what seemed to you? For homelands have changed.

ما شَفَّني بُردٌ أَمَحُّ سِوى الصِبا

وَلَقَد تَمَزَّقَ لي سِواهُ مُلابِسُ

Neither cold nor hot worried me but youth,

And indeed, everything else I wore frayed.

حَبَسَتكَ أَقدارٌ ذَوَتكَ عَنِ المُنى

فَمَضى الصِحابُ وَأَنتَ ثاوٍ حابِسُ

Destinies confined you from wishes

So friends left while you sit desolate and waiting.