لَكَم فَجَعَ الدَهرُ مِن والِدٍ

وَكَم أَثكَلَ الدَهرُ مِن والِدَه

How many a father has time aggrieved,

And how many a mother has it left bereaved,

وَكَم تَرَكَ الدَهرُ مِن سَيِّدٍ

يَنوءُ عَلى قَدَمٍ واحِدَه

And how many a lord has it caused to grieve,

Who totters on one foot that's weakly heaved.

وَكَم قَد رَأَينا فَتىً ماجِداً

تَفَرَّعَ في أُسرَةٍ ماجِدَه

And how oft have we seen a hero brave

Shoot branches in a family noble and grave,

يُشَمِّصُ في الحَربِ بِالدارِعينَ

وَيُطعِمُ في اللَيلَةِ البارِدَه

Fending the enemy off with armor bright,

Feeding the poor on a cold dark night.

رَماهُ الزَمانُ بِسَهمِ الرَدى

فَأَصبَحَ في الثُلَّةِ الهامِدَه

Time shot him with the arrow of evil fate,

And he woke among the silent crowd sedate.

فَما لي أَرى الناسَ في غَفلَةٍ

كَأَنَّ قُلوبَهُمُ سامِدَه

Why do I see people in negligence sunk?

As if their hearts were deaf, cold, and shrunk.

شَرَوا بِرِضا اللَهِ دُنياهُمُ

وَقَد عَلِموا أَنَّها بائِدَه

They sold God's pleasure for worldly pelf,

Yet they know it shall soon disperse itself.

إِذا أَصبَحوا أَصبَحوا كَالأُسو

دِ باتَت مُجَوَّعَةً حارِدَه

At morn they rise like ragged lions blind,

Kept hungry over night by the chill wind.

يُطيعونَ في الغَيِّ أَهواءَهُم

وَقَد زَعَموا أَنَّها راشِدَه

They follow but their passions and conceits,

Yet pretend to walk the path which reason meets.

تَرى صُوَراً تُعجِبُ الناظِرينَ

وَمَخبَرَةً تَحتَها فاسِدَه

You see faces that the lookers enchant,

While underneath are hearts that are decadent.