كُلٌّ عَلى الدُنيا لَهُ حِرصٌ

وَالحادِثاتُ أَناتُها عَفصُ

Everyone desires the life of this world

Yet fate's occurrences are unforeseen

أَبغي مِنَ الدُنيا زِيادَتَها

وَزِيادَتي فيها هِيَ النَقصُ

I seek from this life an increase

While my own increase in it is decrease

وَكَأَنَّ مَن وارَتهُ حُفرَتُهُ

لَم يَبدُ مِنهُ لِناظِرٍ شَخصُ

As though whom the grave has swallowed

No trace of him is left for eyes to see

لِيَدِ المَنِيَّةِ في تَلَطُّفِها

عَن ذُخرِ كُلِّ شَفيقَةٍ فَحصُ

The hand of death in its gentle touch

Takes every cherished hoard and treasury