قَد كُنتُ أَسمَعُ بِالزَمانِ وَلا أَرى

أَنَّ الزَمانَ يُطيقُ نَتفَ جَناحي

I used to hear of time yet not see

That time could pluck the feathers of my wings

فَأَراهُ أَسرَعَ فِيَّ حَتّى أَصبَحَت

بيضاً مُتونُ عَوارِضي مِن أَراحي

So I see it swifter in me until my plumage

turned white, the quills of my pinions weary.

وَأَنا الكَبيرُ لِنِسبَةٍ في قَومِهِ

هَيهاتَ كَم ناسَمتُ مِن أَرواحي

And I, elder to a people,

Alas! How many souls have I outlived!

صافَحتُ ذا جَدَنٍ وَأَدرَكَ مَولِدي

شَمِرُ بنُ عَمرٍو يُتَّقى بِالراحِ

I clasped one with shriveled skin and my birth

overlapped with Shimr ibn ‘Amr feared for his soul.

وَالقَيلُ ذو يَزَنٍ رَأَيتُ مَحَلَّهُ

بِالقَهرِ بَنيَ جَنادِلٍ وَصِفاحِ

And Qayl, he of Yazan-I saw his place

seized through oppression by Janaadil's clan.

فَتَكَ الزَمانُ بِمُلكِ حِميَرَ فَتكَةً

تَسعى بِكُلِّ عَشِيَّةٍ وَصَباحِ

So time played havoc with the Himyarite rule,

raging at dusk and dawn.

أَودى أَبو كَرِبٍ وَعَمرٌو قَبلَهُ

وَأَبادَ مُلكَ أُذَينَةَ الوَضّاحِ

Abu Karib was undone, and ‘Amr before him,

And it destroyed the rule of Udhayna the Eloquent.

وَأَبادَ أَفريقيسَ بَعدَ مَقامِهِ

في المُلكِ بِالمُستَغرِقِ المُجتاحِ

And it destroyed Afriqis after his reign

in a kingdom swept by the overwhelming flood.

وَالصَعبُ ذو القَرنَينِ أَصبَحَ ثاوِياً

بِالحِنوِ بَينَ تَلاعُبِ الأَرواحِ

And Sa‘b, he of the two horns, lies desolate

amid the sand, the sport of spirits.

وَغَدا بِأَبرَهَةَ المَنار فَأَصبَحَت

أَيّامُهُ مَسلوبَةَ الإِصباحِ

And gone are the days of Abraha the Elephant,

robbed of dawn's first light.

أَخنى عَلى صَيفي بِحادِثِ صَرفِهِ

مُستَأثِراً بِجَذيمَةَ الوَضّاحِ

It grieved me in my summer days, diverting it

to monopolize al-Jadhimah, so eloquent.

آفآيْنَ عَلكَدَةُ الهُمامُ وَمُلكُهُ

أَم أَينَ عِزُّ عَبادَةَ الفَتّاحِ

Where is the glory of ‘Alqamah the Valiant and his rule?

Where is the might of ‘Abadah the Conqueror?

لا تُمسِ في شَكِّ المُنونِ أَما تَرى

أَيّامُهُ مَشهورَةَ الإيضاحِ

Do not doubt the unknown, can you not see

his days are famed for clarity?

لا تَأمَنَن مَكرَ الزَمانِ فَإِنَّهُ

أَردى الزَمانُ بِشَمَّرَ الوَضّاحِ

Do not feel safe from the cunning of Time,

for it ruined Shamr, so eloquent.

بَرَكَ الزَمانُ عَلى اِبنِ هاتِكِ عَرشِهِ

وَعَلى أُذَينَةَ سالِبِ الأَنواحِ

Time smiled on the son of Hatik, his throne,

and on Udhayna, tearer of wings,

وَعَلى الَّذي كانَت بِموكَلِ دارِهِ

نُهبُ القِيانِ وَكُلِّ أَجرِ وِشاحِ

and on him whose abode the looting of the Persians

and every bold plunderer once knew.

مِن بَعدِ مُلكِ الصينِ أَصبَحَ هالِكاً

أَكرِم بِهِ مِن هالِكٍ مُجتاحِ

After the rule of China, he was destroyed –

honor him, a generous conqueror.

إِنَّ الَّذينَ تَمَلَّكوا وَقَد أُهلِكوا

وَعَلى المُقَنَّعِ حَلَّ بِالأَبراحِ

Those who ruled and were then destroyed

and the contented man met with distress.

شَخَصَت عَلى بُعدِ النَوى أَشخاصُهُم

فَراتَهُم الأَوهامُ كَالأَشباحِ

Their forms loomed in the far horizon

and the mirage made them seem like ghosts.

أَفَبَعدَ أَملاكٍ مَضَوا مِن حِميَرِ

يُرجى الفَلاحُ وَلاتَ حينَ فَلاحِ

After the loss of kings from Himyar,

can triumph be hoped when no triumph comes?

مَن ذا تَصافَقَ كَفُّهُ كَفَّ الرَدى

يَشري التُقى عَن بَيعَةِ الأَرواحِ

Who ever clasped hands with loss

or bought the souls with faith?