أرَى نوبَ الأيَّام تَجني ولا أرَى

من النَّاسِ من يَعدُو عَليها إِذا تَجني

I see the days taking their turns, yet I see no one

Counting them as they pass, except Abdullah the generous,

وفي جُودِ عَبدِ اللَّهِ ما رَدَّ صَرفَها

كَما لا يُحبُّ الدَّهر مُنصَرَفاً عَنِّي

Whose open-handedness holds back their course,

As time does not like one who turns away from me.

أُلام عَلى حالي وطُولِ رُزُوحِها

كأنَّ الَّذي بي مِن نَوائِبهِ مِنِّي

I blame my state and the length of its estrangement,

As if my afflictions with it come from me.

وما حِيلةُ الباني إذا كانَ دَهرُهُ

أبَا البِشرِ لا ينفَكُّ يَهدِمُ ما يَبنِي

What can the builder do if his time

Is averse to mankind and does not stop destroying what he builds?

فدُونَكَ فانظُر لي فإن كنتَ مُنكِراً

لما أنا فيهِ من يَدِ الدَّهرِ فانظُرني

You who are immune, look on me, for if you disbelieve

What the days have done to me, just look at me!