أَينَ القُرونُ بَنو القُرونِ

وَذَوُو المَدائِنِ وَالحُصونِ

Where are the generations, sons of the generations,

And those of cities and fortresses,

وَذَوُو التَجَبُّرِ في المَجا

لِسِ وَالتَكَبُّرِ في العُيونِ

And those of arrogance in gatherings

And haughtiness in eyes?

كانوا المُلوكَ فَأَيُّهُم

لَم يُفنِهِ رَيبُ المَنونِ

They were kings - so which of them

Was not undone by the visitor of death?

أَو أَيُّهُم لَم يُلفَ في

دارِ البِلى غَلِقَ الرُهونِ

Or which of them was not wrapped in the abode of ruin,

With debts sealed shut?

وَلَقَد غَنوا في عيشَةٍ

لَيسَت لِأَنفَسِهِم بِدونِ

They lived in luxury

That was not theirs forever to own.

صاروا حَديثاً بَعدَهُم

إِنَّ الحَديثَ لَذو شُجونِ

After them they became tales -

And a tale is mournful.

وَالدَهرُ دائِبَةٌ عَجا

إِبُ صَرفِهِ جَمُّ الفُنونِ

Time constantly turns

With the changes of all things.

لا بُدَّ فيهِ لِئامِنِ ال

أَيّامِ مِن يَومٍ خَأُونِ

In it, for the days of man's life,

There is no escape from an evil day.