الناسُ ما بَينَ مَسرورٍ وَمَحزونِ

وَذي سَقامٍ بِكَفِّ المَوتِ مَرهونِ

People are divided between the joyful and the grieving,

And the ailing, held pledge within the palm of death.

مَن ذا يُسَرُّ بِدُنياهُ وَبَهجَتِها

بَعدَ الخَليفَةِ ذي التَوفيقِ هارونِ

Who is there to take pleasure in his world and its splendor,

After the Caliph, the divinely favored Harun?