نادَت بِوَشكِ رَحيلِكَ الأَيّامُ

أَفَلَستَ تَسمَعُ أَم بِكَ اِستِصمامُ

The days have announced your impending departure.

Are you not listening or has deafness come upon you?

وَمَضى أَمامَكَ مَن رَأَيتَ وَأَنتَ لِل

باقينَ حَتّى يَلحَقوكَ أَمامُ

Those you saw have passed before you

While you remain for those left behind to catch up with you.

ما لي أَراكَ كَأَنَّ عَينَكَ لا تَرى

عِبَراً تَمُرُّ كَأَنَّهُنَّ سِهامُ

Why do I see you as though your eyes do not see

Tears flowing as if they were arrows.

تَأتي الخُطوبُ وَأَنتَ مُنتَبِهٌ لَهَا

فَإِذا مَضَت فَكَأَنَّها أَحلامُ

Hardships come while you remain oblivious to them,

Then pass as though they were dreams.

قَد وَدَّعَتكَ مِنَ الصِبا نَزَواتُهُ

فَاِحذَر فَما لَكَ بَعدَهُنَّ مُقامُ

The impetuosities of youth have bid you farewell,

So beware, for after them you have no respite.

عَرَضَ المَشيبُ مِنَ الشَبابِ خَليفَةً

وَكِلاهُما لَكَ حِليَةٌ وَنِظامُ

Gray hair has succeeded youth as your companion,

And both are beautiful adornments and decorum for you.

وَكِلاهُما حُجَجٌ عَلَيكَ قَوِيَّةٌ

وَكِلاهُما نِعَمٌ عَلَيكَ جِسامُ

And both are compelling proofs against you,

And both are blessings bestowed generously upon you.

أَهلاً وَسَهلاً بِالمَشيبِ مُؤَدَّباً

وَعَلى الشَبابِ تَحِيَّةٌ وَسَلامُ

Greetings and welcome to gray hair, well-mannered,

And to youth, regards and peace.

وَلَقَد غَنيتَ مِنَ الشَبابِ بِغِبطَةٍ

وَلَقَد كَساكَ وَقارَهُ الإِسلامُ

You were blessed with the glory of youth,

And gray hair has clothed you with dignity and faith.

لِلَّهِ أَزمِنَةٌ عَهِدتُ رِجالَها

في النائِباتِ وَإِنَّهُم لَكِرامُ

To God belong eras whose men I knew

To be honorable in vicissitudes, and they are noblemen.

أَيّامَ أَعطِيَةُ الأَكُفِّ جَزيلَةٌ

إِذ لا يَضيعُ لِذي الذِمامِ ذِمامُ

Days when the generous hands gave abundantly,

For the honored man does not lose his honor.

فَلِعِبرَةٍ أُخِّرتَ لِلزَمَنِ الَّذي

هَلَكَ الأَرامِلُ فيهِ وَالأَيتامُ

You have been spared for the lessons of an era in which

Widows and orphans have perished.

زَمَنٌ مَكاسِبُ أَهلِهِ مَدخولَةٌ

دَخَلاً فُروعُ أُصولِهِ الآثامُ

An era whose earnings are ill-gotten,

Whose origins and branches are sins.

زَمَنٌ تَحامى المَكرُماتِ سَراتُهُ

حَتّى كَأَنَّ المَكرُماتِ حَرامُ

An era whose generous deeds are rare,

As though acts of generosity have become forbidden.

زَمَنٌ هَوَت أَعلامُهُ وَتَقَطَّعَت

قِطَعاً فَلَيسَ لِأَهلِهِ أَعلامُ

An era whose luminaries have fallen and whose banners are torn,

So its people no longer have banners.

وَلَقَد رَأَيتُ الطاعِمينَ لِما اِشتَهَوا

وَهُمُ لِأَطباقِ التُرابِ طَعامُ

I have seen those who gorged on what they lusted for,

Yet became a repast of dust over their plates.

ما زُخرُفُ الدُنيا وَزِبرِجُ أَهلِها

إِلّا غُرورٌ كُلُّهُ وَحُطامُ

The ornaments and glitter of this life and its people

Are nothing but delusions and rubble.

وَلَرُبَّ أَقوامٍ مَضَوا لِسَبيلِهِم

وَلَتَمضِيَنَّ كَما مَضى الأَقوامُ

Many a people have passed away on their path,

And so too will pass as passed the ancients.

وَلَرُبَّ ذي فُرُشٍ مُمَهَّدَةٍ لَهُ

أَمسى عَلَيهِ مِنَ التُرابِ رُكامُ

Many who slept on cushioned beds,

Awoke to rubble piled upon them from dust.

وَعَجِبتُ إِذ عِلَلُ الحُتوفِ كَثيرَةٌ

وَالناسُ عَن عِلَلِ الحُتوفِ نِيامُ

I wondered that the ailments of graves are numerous

While people sleep to the ailments of their graves.

الغَيُّ مُزدَحَمٌ عَلَيهِ وُعورَةٌ

وَالرُشدُ سَهلٌ ما عَلَيهِ زِحامُ

Misguidance is crowded with perils

While righteousness is smooth, unencumbered.

وَالمَوتُ يَعمَلُ وَالعُيونُ قَريرَةٌ

تَلهو وَتَلعَبُ بِالمُنى وَتَنامُ

Death wages on while eyes are content,

Playing and sleeping in wishes and slumber.

وَاللَهُ يَقضي في الأُمورِ بِعِلمِهِ

وَالمَرءُ يُحمَدُ مَرَّةً وَيُلامُ

God decrees all matters with His knowledge,

And man is sometimes praised and sometimes blamed.

وَالخَلقُ يَقدُمُ بَعضُهُ بَعضاً يَقو

دُ الخَلفَ مِنهُ إِلى البِلى القُدّامُ

People present each other, the latter

Driving the former to old ruins.

كُلٌّ يَدورُ عَلى البَقاءِ مُؤَمِّلاً

وَعَلى الفَناءِ تُديرُهُ الأَيّامُ

All hope for survival, while days

Spin them round to oblivion.

وَالدائِمُ المَلَكوتِ رَبٌّ لَم يَزَل

مَلِكاً تَقَطَّعُ دونَهُ الأَوهامُ

Everlasting is the Kingship of the Lord of Majesty,

The One beyond all limitations of thought.

وَالناسُ يَبتَدِعونَ في أَهوائِهِم

بِدَعاً فَقَد قَعَدوا بِهِنَّ وَقاموا

People innovate in their whims,

Innovations they have sat and stood by.

وَتَخَيَّرَ الشُبَهاتِ مَن لَم يَنهَهُ

عَنهُنَّ تَسليمٌ وَلا اِستِسلامُ

Whoever does not forbid himself

From dubious matters has neither yielded nor found peace.

وَمُحَمَّدٌ لَكَ إِن سَلَكتَ سَبيلَهُ

في كُلِّ خَيرٍ قائِدٌ وَإِمامُ

Muhammad, if you follow his path

In all good, is your guide and imam.

ما كُلُّ شَيءٍ كانَ أَو هُوَ كائِنٌ

إِلّا وَقَد جَفَّت بِهِ الأَقلامُ

All that was or is to be

Has been transcribed by the pens.

فَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذي هُوَ دائِمٌ

أَبَداً وَلَيسَ لِما سِواهُ دَوامُ

So praise be to God, the Everlasting,

Beyond whom nothing endures eternally.

وَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذي لِجَلالِهِ

وَلِحِلمِهِ تَتَصاغَرُ الأَحلامُ

And praise be to God whose Majesty and Forbearance

Dwarf all aspirations.

وَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذي هُوَ لَم يَزَل

لا تَستَقِلُّ بِعِلمِهِ الأَوهامُ

And praise be to God, who has always been,

Beyond the grasp of thoughts.

سُبحانَهُ مَلِكٌ تَعالى جَدُّهُ

وَلِوَجهِهِ الإِجلالُ وَالإِكرامُ

Glorified is He, the Exalted King,

To His Essence is awe and honor.