تَقَضّاكَ دَهرُكَ ما سَلَّفا

وَكَدَّرَ عَيشَكَ بَعدَ الصَفا

Time has taken from you what it loaned,

And clouded your life after serenity.

فَلا تُنكِرَنَّ فَإِنَّ الزَمانَ

رَهينٌ بِتَشَتيتِ ما أَلَّفا

So do not deny that time

Is pledged to scatter what it brought together.

وَلَمّا رَآكَ قَليلَ الهُمومِ

كَثيرَ الهَوى ناعِماً مُترَفا

And when it saw you with few worries,

Much passion, living in comfort,

أَلَحَّ عَلَيكَ بِرَوعاتِهِ

وَأَقبَلَ يَرميكَ مُستَهدفا

It insisted on startling you

And set out to target you.

يَجورُ عَلى المَرءِ في حُكمِهِ

وَلَكِنَّهُ رُبَّما أَنصَفا

It wrongs a person in its rule,

But perhaps it has also been fair.