إِنَّ داراً نَحنُ فيها لَدارُ

لَيسَ فيها لِمُقيمٍ قَرارُ

Indeed it is a house we are in

Where there is no permanence for an inhabitant

كَم وَكَم قَد حَلَّها مِن أُناسٍ

ذَهَبَ اللَيلُ بِهِم وَالنَهارُ

So many people have come and gone from it

The night took them, and the day

فَهُمُ الرَكبُ أَصابوا مُناخاً

فَاستَراحوا ساعَةً ثُمَّ ساروا

They were travelers who found a resting place

Rested an hour, then traveled on

وَهُمُ الأَحبابُ كانوا وَلَكِن

قَدُمَ العَهدُ وَشَطَّ المَزارُ

They were loved ones, but

Time has passed and the visiting place is far

عَمِيَت أَخبارُهُم مُذ تَوَلَّوا

لَيتَ شِعري كَيفَ هُم حَيثُ صاروا

News of them was obscured since they left

Would that I knew how they are where they went

أَبَتِ الأَجداثُ أَلّا يَزوروا

ما ثَوَوا فيها وَأَن لا يُزاروا

Fate refused that they visit

What they settled in, or that they be visited

وَلَكَم قَد عَطَّلوا مِن عِراصٍ

وَدِيارٍ هِيَ مِنهُم قِفارُ

So many abandoned houses they left

That because of them are empty

وَكَذا الدُنيا عَلى ما رَأَينا

يَذهَبُ الناسُ وَتَخلو الدِيارُ

Thus is the life we see

People depart and houses become vacant

أَيَّ يَومٍ تَأمَنُ الدَهرَ فيهِ

وَلَهُ في كُلِّ يَومٍ عِثارُ

What day can you feel safe from fate

When every day it has mishaps

كَيفَ ما فَرَّ مِنَ المَوتِ حَيٌّ

وَهوَ يُدنيهِ إِلَيهِ الفِرارُ

How can anyone escape death

When it draws him closer through fleeing

إِنَّما الدُنيا بَلاغٌ لِقَومٍ

هُوَ في أَيديهِمُ مُستَعارُ

The life of this world is but a loan

To people, while with them borrowed

فَاِعلَمَن وَاِستَيقِنَن أَنَّهُ لا

بُدَّ يَوماً أَن يُرَدَّ المُعارُ

Know and be certain that one day

The borrowed must be returned