يا مَنزِلاً لَعِبَ الزَمانُ بِأَهلِهِ

طَوراً يُفَرِّقُهُم وَطَوراً يَجمَعُ

O dwelling place, time has toyed with its people

At times separating them, at others gathering them

أَينَ الَّذينَ عَهِدتُهُم بِكَ مَرَّةً

كانَ الزَمانُ بِهِم يَضُرُّ وَيَنفَعُ

Where are those I knew you with once

Time was harmful and beneficial to them

أَصبَحتَ تُفزِعُ مَن رَآكَ وَطالَما

كُنّا إِلَيكَ مِنَ الحَوادِثِ نَفزَعُ

You've become frightening to whoever sees you, yet we used to

Seek refuge in you from calamities

أَيّامَ لا أَغشى لِأَهلِكَ مَربَعاً

إِلّا وَفيهِ لِلمَسَرَّةِ مَربَعُ

Days where none of your people have shelter

Except what little joy shelters them

لَهفي عَلَيكَ لَو اِنَّ لَهفاً يَنفَعُ

أَو أَنَّ دَهراً راحِمٌ مَن يَجزَعُ

My yearning for you, if yearning avails

Or if fate pities those in anguish

ما كانَ ذاكَ العَيشُ إِلّا خُلسَةً

خَطفاً كَرَجعِ الطَرفِ أَو هُوَ أَسرَعُ

That life was but an instant

Snatched like the blink of an eye, or swifter