أَقول لِدَهر ضلّ عَن مَنهَج الحَقِّ

وَسالم رَبّ العيّ وَاللؤم وَالفسقِ

I say to the unjust days that strayed from the path of truth,

Peace be upon the Lord of mankind, iniquity, and immorality.

وَعاند أَقواماً كِراماً عُلومُهم

قَد اِنتَشَرَت في مَغرب الأَرض وَالشرق

They opposed noble scholars whose knowledge

Spread in the west and east of the earth.

أَيا دَهرُ كم تَصبو لِغَمر وَجاهل

وَتَرغب عَن حَبرٍ لَبيب وَلا تُبقي

O days, how much you desire an ignorant and unwise man,

Yet dislike a perceptive and intelligent man, leaving no trace of him.

وَتَرفع مَخفوضاً وَتَخفض راقِياً

وَتَسطو عَلى الأَخيار مِنا بِلا رفق

You raise the lowly and debase the exalted,

And overpower the virtuous among us without mercy.

أَما أَنتَ حَيث ميزت

الرشدِ وَالفهمِ وَالنطق

Since when have you distinguished

Righteousness, wisdom and eloquence?

أَما كُنت تَرضى لِلرياسة فاضِلاً

سِوىلِلّه وَالرُسلِ وَالخَلق

Were you not content with a virtuous leader

Other than God, His messengers and all creation?

لَقد شَبتَ يا دَهري وَأَصبَحتَ عاجِزاً

عَن الحُكم لا تَدري خطاك مِن الحَق

You have aged, o my days, and become incapable

Of judging, not knowing your steps from the truth.

فَأَخَّرتَ سحباناً وَقسّاً وَأَحنَفاً

وَباقلُك المَعروف قَد فازَ بِالسبق

Thus you belittled Suhban, Qass and Ahnaf,

While the well-known Baqiluk won the race.

وَأَحوَجتَني أَني أَقول مُؤرخاً

رقى في وَقت وَصل بِلا حَق

You forced me to say, chronicling history,

That an unworthy man rose in his time without merit.