مِن ايِّ صُروفِ الدَّهرِ أَصبَحتَ تَعجَبُ

مِن ايِّ صُروفِ الدَّهرِ أَصبَحتَ تَعجَبُ

وَفي أَي هَذا الدَّهرِ أَمسَيتَ تَرغَبُ

وَفي أَي هَذا الدَّهرِ أَمسَيتَ تَرغَبُ

At which of time’s vicissitudes have you come to marvel?

From what fortunes of time have you come to wonder?

And what in this age have you come to desire?

And in what era of this life have you come to yearn?

أَيَذهَبُ أَهلي بِالفَناءِ وَإِخوَتي

أَيَذهَبُ أَهلي بِالفَناءِ وَإِخوَتي

وَرَهطي وَقَد أَيقَنتُ أَن سَوفَ أَذهَبُ

وَرَهطي وَقَد أَيقَنتُ أَن سَوفَ أَذهَبُ

Will my family be lost to death, and my brothers,

Will my family and brethren depart into extinction?

and my clan, when I know for certain that I shall go?

And my tribe, though I'm certain that I will depart?

أَتَنسى عَدوّاً سارَ نَحوَكَ لَم يَزل

أَتَنسى عَدوّاً سارَ نَحوَكَ لَم يَزل

ثَمانينَ عاماً قبضَ نَفسِكَ يَطلبُ

ثَمانينَ عاماً قبضَ نَفسِكَ يَطلبُ

Do you forget an enemy who advanced toward you and never stopped

Can you forget a foe who has marched against you,

seeking to seize your soul for eighty years,

For eighty years grasping for your final breath?

وَتَذكُرُ سِرداحاً مِنَ الوَصلِ باقِياً

وَتَذكُرُ سِرداحاً مِنَ الوَصلِ باقِياً

طَويلَ القَرا أَنضَيتَهُ وَهوَ أَحدَبُ

طَويلَ القَرا أَنضَيتَهُ وَهوَ أَحدَبُ

and remember a long, broad frame of bones still remaining,

And recall a companion whose love still remains,

long-backed—you have worn it out, and it is hunched?

Though long-necked, you tamed and trained him as he grew?

تَقَعّدته عَصراً طَويلاً أَروضُه

تَقَعّدته عَصراً طَويلاً أَروضُه

يَلين وَيَنبو تارةً حينَ أَركَبُ

يَلين وَيَنبو تارةً حينَ أَركَبُ

I took it as my mount for a long while, training it;

For a long epoch you trained and gentled him,

it yields, and sometimes balks when I ride.

Now pliant, now lively when you ride.