والعَصر إنَّ عدَاك في العَصرِ

وقد انتَهَوا لِهدَاية الخسرِ

By the declining day, they were lost ere the decline,

Having failed to walk the path of guidance,

ظلموا فما أبقوا لهم وَزَراً

يُنجى ولا سَلمُوا من الوِزرِ

They wronged themselves, leaving no excuse,

Nor did they find safety from sin’s burden.

ظهروا لنورك وهو شَمسُ ضُحىً

فتضاءلوا كتَضَاؤل الذَّرِّ

They saw your light, the dawn’s radiance,

Yet they faded like the fading stars.

مكروا وقد مكرَ الإلهُ بهم

شَتَّانَ بين المَكرِ والمَكرِ

They schemed, though God schemed against them -

Great is the difference between schemer and Schemer!

دَعهُم فلا بَرح التَّغَابُن من

حَسَد يُوَاصلهم إلى الحشرِ

Leave them be, they persist in deceit,

Envy accompanies them to the grave.

وانشد إذا ما زرت تُربَتَهُم

مُتَهَكِّماً في السِّرِّ والجَهرِ

And recite, if you visit their tombs,

Mockingly, in secret and aloud:

ماتوا بغيظهمُ وما ظَفرُوا

بمرادهم واضَيعَةَ العُمرِ

They died in rage, achieving nothing

Of their hopes, having wasted life away.

ومن العجائب كَونُهُم جهلوا

أن العلوم وديعهُ الصَّدرِ

And of wonders - their ignorance

That knowledge is a trust of the breast.

لولا أخاف اللَه قلتُ لمن

يَروى مديحك اتلُ يا مُقرِي

Were it not for fear of God, I would say

To one who relates your praise: Recite!

حَجَّت لك العافونَ فازدحموا

كتزاحم الآمال في الفكرِ

They pleaded to you, so they crowded around

Like hopes crowding the mind.

نالوا المَنَى جنابك فاخ

تاروا المُقَامَ بها على النَّفرِ

They attained wishes in your presence, so they chose

To take this station over all people.