أَيا جَسَدي لا تَجزَعَنَّ مِنَ البِلى

أَيا جَسَدي لا تَجزَعَنَّ مِنَ البِلى

إِذا صِرتَ في الغَبراءِ تُحثى وَتُنبِثُ

إِذا صِرتَ في الغَبراءِ تُحثى وَتُنبِثُ

O my body, do not be dismayed by decay

O my body, do not despair of decay

When you come to lie in the earth, scooped up and scattered.

When you become dust and scattered remains

وَإِن كانَ هَذا الجِسمُ قَبلَ اِفتِراقِهِ

وَإِن كانَ هَذا الجِسمُ قَبلَ اِفتِراقِهِ

خَبيثاً فَإِنَّ الفِعلَ شَرٌّ وَأَحبَثُ

خَبيثاً فَإِنَّ الفِعلَ شَرٌّ وَأَحبَثُ

And if this body, before its dissolution,

Though this body before its dissolution

Was vile, then the deed is worse and viler still.

Was wicked, the deed is more evil and corrupt

مَناكِبَ ساعاتي رُكِبَت فَأَبتَغي

مَناكِبَ ساعاتي رُكِبَت فَأَبتَغي

لَباثاً وَسَيرُ الدَهرِ لا يَتَلَبَّثُ

لَباثاً وَسَيرُ الدَهرِ لا يَتَلَبَّثُ

The shoulders of my hours have been mounted; so I seek

The shoulders of my hours I rode

A pause, while time's march does not pause.

Seeking in vain, and time's march does not linger

نَهارٌ وَلَيلٌ عوقِبا أَنا فيهُما

نَهارٌ وَلَيلٌ عوقِبا أَنا فيهُما

كَأَنّي بِخَيطَي باطِلٍ أَتَشَبَّثُ

كَأَنّي بِخَيطَي باطِلٍ أَتَشَبَّثُ

Day and night have been made to alternate; I, within them,

A day and a night I oscillated between them

Seem to cling to two threads of illusion.

As if I were a worthless thread grasping

أَظُنُّ زَماني كَونَهُ وَفَسادَهُ

أَظُنُّ زَماني كَونَهُ وَفَسادَهُ

وَليداً بِتُربِ الأَرضِ يَلهو وَيَعبَثُ

وَليداً بِتُربِ الأَرضِ يَلهو وَيَعبَثُ

I deem my time—its coming-to-be and its decay—

I think my time, its existence and corruption

A child playing and trifling with the earth's dust.

A child playing in the dirt of earth, frolics and toys