أَلا طالَما خانَ الزَمانُ وَبَدَّلا

وَقَسَّرَ آمالَ الأَنامِ وَطَوَّلا

Alas, time has often betrayed and changed

And frustrated people's hopes, and prolonged

أَرى الناسَ في الدُنيا مُعافاً وَمُبتَلى

وَمازالَ حُكمُ اللَهِ في الأَرضِ مُرسَلا

I see people in life as fortunate and afflicted

And God's judgment on earth continues imposed

مَضى في جَميعِ الناسِ سابِقُ عِلمِهِ

وَفَصَّلَهُ مِن حَيثُ شاءَ وَوَصَّلا

His knowledge has already gone out to all people

And differentiated it as He willed and connected

وَلَسنا عَلى حُلو القَضاءِ وَمُرِّهِ

نَرى حَكَماً فينا مِنَ اللَهِ أَعدَلا

And we do not, for the sweetness of fate and its bitterness

See a judgment in us from God more just

بِلا خَلقَهُ بِالخَيرِ وَالشَرِّ فِتنَةً

لِيَرغَبَ فيما في يَدَيهِ وَيَسأَلا

Without creating good and evil as a test

To make us desire what is in His hands and implore

وَلَم يَبغِ إِلّا أَن نَبوءَ بِفَضلِهِ

عَلَينا وَإِلّا أَن نَتوبَ فَيَقبَلا

And He only wanted us to benefit from His bounty

And that we repent so He accepts

هُوَ الأَحَدُ القَيومُ مِن بَعدِ خَلقِهِ

وَما زالَ في دَيمومَةِ الخَلقِ أَوَّلا

He is the One, the Eternal, after His creation

And continues in the eternity of creation first

وَما خَلَقَ الإِنسانُ إِلّا لِغايَةٍ

وَلَم يَترُكِ الإِنسانَ في الأَرضِ مُهمَلا

And man was not created but for a purpose

And man was not left neglected on earth

كَفى عِبرَةً أَنّي وَأَنَّكَ يا أَخي

نُسَرَّفُ تَصريفاً لَطيفاً وَنُبتَلى

It is enough of a lesson that I and you, my brother

Go through gentle manipulation and are tested

كَأَنّا وَقَد صِرنا حَديثاً لِغَيرِنا

يُخاضُ كَما خُضنا الحَديثَ بِمَن خَلا

It is as if we have become a talk for others

The talk is broached as we did with those who passed

تَوَهَّمتُ قَوماً قَد خَلَوا فَكَأَنَّهُم

بِاجمَعِهِم كانوا خَيالاً تَخَيَّلا

I imagined a people who passed so it is as if

Together they were imagined fancy

وَلَستُ بِأَبقى مِنهُمُ في دِيارِهِم

وَلَكِنَّ لي فيها كِتاباً مُؤَجَّلا

And I will not outlast them in their homes

But I have in them a deferred book

وَما الناسُ إِلّا مَيِّتٌ وَابنُ مَيِّتٍ

تَأَجَّلَ حَيٌّ مِنهُمُ أَو تَعَجَّلا

For people are but dead and son of dead

A living hastened or was patient among them

فَلا تَحسَبَنَّ اللَهَ يَخلُفُ وَعدَهُ

بِما كانَ أَوصى المُرسَلينَ وَأَرسَلا

So do not suppose God breaks His promise

With what He instructed the Messengers and sent