لا تَعجَبَنَّ مِنَ الأَيّامِ وَالدُوَلِ

وَمِن خُطوبٍ جَرَت بِالرَيثِ وَالعَجَلِ

Do not be surprised by the days and fortunes

And by events that happened slowly or hastily.

مَن يَأمَنُ المَوتَ إِذ صارَت لَهُ عِلَلٌ

تَكونُ في الزُبدِ أَحياناً وَفي العَسَلِ

Who feels secure from death now that he has ailments

That sometimes come with joy and sometimes misery?

وَلَيسَ شَيءٌ وَإِن طالَ الزَمانُ بِهِ

إِلّا سَيَفنى عَلى الآفاتِ وَالعِلَلِ

Nothing lasts, no matter how long it remains

Except it will perish by afflictions and disease

أَمّا الجَديدانِ في صَرفِ اِختِلافِهِما

فَقَد وَجَدتَ مَقالاً فيهِما فَقُلِ

As for the two new ones in the way they differ

You have found in them a saying, so just repeat

وَقَد أَتاكَ نَذيرُ المَوتِ يَقدُمُهُ

في عارِضَيكَ مَشيبٌ غَيرُ مُنتَقِلِ

And the warner of death has come to you advancing it

In your temples, white hair not to be displaced

يا لِلَّيالي وَلِلأَيامِ إِنَّ لَها

في الخَلقِ خَطفاً كَخَطفِ البَرقِ في مَهَلِ

Oh nights and days! They truly

Snatch people like the bolt’s snatch in an instant

ماذا يَقولُ اِمرُؤٌ لَيسَت لَهُ قَدَمٌ

يَومَ العِثارِ وَيَومَ الكَبوِ وَالزَلَلِ

What can a man with no grounding say

On the day of stumbling and falling and slipping?

رُبَّ اِمرِئٍ لاعِبٍ لاهٍ بِزُخرُفِ ما

يُلهيهِ عَن نَفسِهِ بِاللَهوِ مُشتَغِلِ

How many a distracted frivolous man is busy

With the trinkets that distract him from his soul

اِصرِب بِطَرفِكَ في الدُنيا فَإِنَّ لَهُ

ما شِئتَ مِن عِبَرٍ فيها وَمِن مَثَلِ

Restrain your gaze in the world; it surely has for you

Whatever lessons and examples you want from it