يا مَنْ بِتَوْزِرَ ضاقَ وَاسعُ صدرِه

وغدا يُكَابِدُ ما اقتضاه الحالُ

O you whose burden has narrowed his vast chest

And he has come to endure what the situation necessitated

وبدا تقلّصُ ظلّها عن شكلها

مُذْ غَيّرَت من حُسْنِهَا الأحوالُ

And the shadow of it seemed to shrink from its form

Since the conditions changed its beauty

ورأيتَها تشكو إليك بحالها

وذهاب حسنٍ سامه اضمحلالِ

And you saw her complain to you about her state

And the loss of good health that withered away

وغَدَتْ تنوح على الدّلال ودَلّها

حتّى رثيتَ لها ورقّ البالُ

She came to mourn over her charms and her graces

Until you elegized her and the days have gone by

بعد المديح لها بما تحويه من

حُلَلِ الجمال اللَّذْ به تختال

After praising her for what she contains of

The garments of beauty which she was boastful about

وشبيبة تزهو برونقها ومن

حسنٍ لها ضُرِبَتْ به الأمثالُ

And youth that prides itself on its splendor and of

A goodness she was given as examples

هَوِّنْ عليكَ ولا تضِقْ ذَرْعاً فما

دامت منازل والدّوام محالُ

Make it easy on yourself and don't fret so

As long as there are stages and permanence is impossible

وتَسَلَّ بالمدن التي نُهِكَتْ فما

هي وحدَها قد مَسَّها الزّلزال

And console yourself with the cities that were worn down for they

Are not alone, the earthquake has struck them

أتردُّها لشبابها من بَعْدِ ما

هرمت ومال قَوامُها العسّالُ

Shall I restore her to her youth after

She grew old and her slender figure bent

ثمّ امتطت متن المحدّب بعدما

لبّى بقيّةَ عمرها التّرحالُ

Then she mounted the back of the camel after

The rest of her life responded to wandering

إذْ هي في زمن مضت حسناتُه

لو لم يَجُرْ فَذَهَا بُهُنّ حلالُ

As during the time passed her virtues

Had it not changed, the permitted would have remained intact

لا سيّما مذ قد بدا خلفٌ به

وتَوَافَقَتْ في قبحه الأقوال

Especially since an unfitting one appeared after her

And the words matched in their ugliness

فعليك نفسَك فابْكِهَا لا تُوزرَا

واعْمِدْ لِخَيْرٍ والصّلاحُ كمالُ

So cry for her yourself, do not blame

And seek goodness as righteousness is perfection

نَهْنه فؤادَك من حُطام دنيّةٍ

وَاخْترْ لنفسك ما ارتضاه رجال

Comfort your heart from the rubble of inferiority

And choose for yourself what men have approved

ذِكْرُ الإلاه وخَوْفُه يوماً به

تُسْرَى الخطوبُ على الورى وتُهالُ

The mention of God and fear of Him one day in which

Hardships will be made easy in the land and put down

فَهُما النّجا لا سيّما يوماً به

تترادف الحَسَرَاتُ والأهوالُ

For they are the salvation, particularly one day in which

Regrets and horrors will come in succession