ما نَحنُ إِلّا لِلفَناءِ

وَإِن طَمِعنا في البقاء

We are but for perishing

Though we aspire for eternality

نُعطى وَيسلبُنا الّذي

أَعطى التمتّعَ بالعطاء

We are given and deprived by Him

Who granted us enjoyment of bestowal

وَالموتُ داءٌ ما لَهُ

عِندَ المُداوي مِن دواء

And death is a malady that has

No remedy with physicians

وَالناسُ فينا كلُّهم

ما بينَ يَأسٍ أو رجاء

And people among us are all

Between despair or hope

أَينَ الّذين سَقَتْهُمُ ال

أَيّامُ كاساتِ الرّخاء

Where are those who were given to drink

By days the cups of comfort

وَتَملّكُوا رِبَقَ الورى

وعَلَوْا على قممَ العَلاء

And possessed the meadows of the world

And towered over the peaks of loftiness

وَتَرى بعقْوةِ دارِهم

مَجثى الحميَّةِ والإباء

And you see by the threshold of their homes

Prostrated the zeal and glory

وَالساحِبونَ على قِنا

نِ المُلكِ هُدَّابَ المُلاء

And those drawing upon the bowstrings

Of sovereignty the bows of elevation

وَالمُرتَوونَ مِنَ النَّعيمِ

كما تَمَنَّوْا والثّراء

And those satiated with blessings

As they wished and wealth

وَالسائرونُ وَحَولهم

أُسدُ الشّرى تحت اللواء

And those marching with around them

The lion of evil under the banner

وَالهاجِمونَ عَلى الرّدى

وَاليومُ يجرى بالدّماء

And those assaulting adversity

And the day passes by in blood

لَم يَقنَعوا في مَغْرَمٍ

سيقوا إِلَيهِ باللّقاء

They were not content with being hauled

To it for the meeting

مِن كُلِّ مَملوءِ الأسر

رَةِ والجبين من الحَياء

Of every hand filled with capability

And forehead filled with bashfulness

تجري يداهُ بِكُلِّ ما

يَهوى المؤمّلُ من سخاء

His hands flow with whatever

The hopeful wishes of generosity

وَتراهُ كَالصَّقرِ الَّذِي

لَمحَ القنيصةَ مِن علاء

And you see him like an eagle

Who glanced at prey from loftiness

ما ضَلَّ قطُّ وإنْ هُمُ

غَدَروا بِهِ طُرقَ الوفاء

He never went astray though they

Betrayed him, the ways of loyalty

وَرُموا إِلى ظُلَمِ الصَّفا

ئحِ في صباحٍ أو مساء

And cast him into the darkness of misfortune

In the morn or eve

دَخَلوا وَلَكِنْ في الّذي

لا يَرتَضونَ مِنَ الخلاء

They entered but into that

Which they do not accept of seclusion

وَمَتى دَعَوتهُمُ فهمْ

صُمُّ المَسامعِ مِن دُعاء

And when you call them they are

Deaf of hearing from prayer

وبَغَوْا نجاءً حين سُد

دَتْ دونهم طُرُقُ النَّجاء

And they sought deliverance when

The ways of deliverance were blocked before them

وَنأَوْا كما اِقتَرحَ الحِما

مُ عن التنعّمِ والشّقاء

And turned away as the zealot turns

From luxury and misery

وَتَراهُمُ في ضَيّقِ ال

أَقطارِ من ذاك الفضاء

And you see them in the straits

Of regions from that expanse

وَتَطايَروا بِيَد البِلى

خَلفَ الجَنادِل كالهباء

And they scattered by the hand of oblivion

Behind the waves like dust

وَالقيظُ عِندهُمُ وَقَد

سُلبوا المِشاعرَ كالشّتاء

And hot winds are with them when

They were robbed of feelings like winter

ما في الرّدى ما في سوا

هُ مِنَ التّنازع والمِراء

There is not in misery what is in it

Of contention and dispute

وَإِذا نَظرت إلى الحِما

مِ فَما لِعَينك مِن غطاء

And if you look to the zealot

Then there is no cover for your eye

خَلِّ التعجُّبَ مِن قَذىً

وَخُذِ التعجُّبَ من صَفاء

Leave wondering over motes

And take wondering over clarity

يا قُربَ ما بَينَ الهنا

ءِ بِما يَسرّك وَالعزاء

O temporality! What is between luxury

That pleases you and bereavement

خَفِّض عَلَيكَ وَدَع تتب

بُعَ ما مضى بيد القضاء

Lower over yourself and stop following

What passed by the hand of destiny

وَإِذا بَقيتَ فَقُل لنا

أَيَعيشُ مَيْتٌ بالبكاء

And if you remain then say to us

Can a dead live by weeping

وَالخَوفُ صِرْفٌ رِيبَ غي

رُكَ إنّما هو للنساء

And fear is doubtful superstition

It is only for women

وَأَخوكَ أَفناهُ الّذي

كانَ السبيلَ إلى الإخاء

And your brother was destroyed by Him

Who was the way to brotherhood

أَعْراكَ مَنْ قِدْماً كَسا

وحباكَ مُرتجعُ الحِباء

Did you know who scorned you before

And who turned away from loving you

لَيسَ التهالكُ في المُصي

بَةِ بِالحميمِ من الوفاء

Perishing in calamity is not

Loyalty with intimacy

وَسِوى التجلّدِ في الشدي

دَةِ إِنْ أَتَتك من العناء

And other than perseverance in calamity

If it comes to you from tribulation

وَعَلى التجاربِ بانَ نب

عٌ تجتنيه مِنْ أَباء

And from trials emerged a progeny

You reap that your fathers sowed

وَإِذا بَقيتَ فَلا تَلُمْ

مَن خَصّ غَيركَ بِالفناء

And if you remain then do not blame

Who singled out others for perishing

وَسَقى الّذي وَارَى أَخا

كَ مِنَ الثّرى سَحُّ الرِّواء

And quenched your brother from the earth

The pouring of irrigating

صَخْبُ الترنّمِ حالِكُ ال

قطرينِ مَملوءُ الوعاء

The clamor of chanting is your state

Filled vessel of lament

وَلَرَحْمَةٌ مصبوبةٌ

خيرٌ له من فيضِ ماء

And a mercy poured forth

Is better for him than a torrent of water