مِنّي السَلامُ عَلى الدُنيا وَبَهجَتِها

فَقَد نَعاها إِلَيَّ الشَيبُ وَالكِبَرُ

My peace be upon the world and its joys,

For old age and decrepitude have made it remote to me.

لَم يَبقَ لي لذَّةٌ إِلّا التَعَجُّبُ مِن

صَرفِ الزَمانِ وَما يَأتي بِهِ القَدَرُ

I have no pleasure left but to marvel at

The turns of fate and what destiny may bring.

إِحدى وَسَبعونَ لَو مَرَّت عَلى حَجر

لَكانَ مِن حُكمِهِ يُفلِقَ الحَجَرُ

If seventy-one years had passed over a stone,

It would have gained from experience the power to split the stone.