أَبكيكَ إِسماعيلَ مِصرَ وَفي البُكا

بَعدَ التَذَكُّرِ راحَةُ المُستَعبِرِ

I weep for you, O Egypt, with copious tears

After remembering brings comfort to the grieving soul

وَمِنَ القِيامِ بِبَعضِ حَقِّكَ أَنَّني

أَرقى لِعِزِّكَ وَالنَعيمِ المُدبِرِ

And part of doing you justice is that I

Aspire to your glory and enduring bliss

هَذي بُيوتُ الرومِ كَيفَ سَكَنتَها

بَعدَ القُصورِ المُزرِياتِ بِقَيصَرِ

Are these the houses of Rome that you have occupied

After the splendid palaces of Caesar?

وَمِنَ العَجائِبِ أَنَّ نَفسَكَ أَقصَرَت

وَالدَهرُ في إِحراجِها لَم يُقصِرِ

And among the wonders is that you yourself have diminished

While time in its cruelty did not fail you

ما زالَ يُخلي مِنكَ كُلَّ مَحِلَّةٍ

حَتّى دُفِعتَ إِلى المَكانِ الأَقفَرِ

It kept emptying you of all your dwellings

Until you were driven to the most barren place

نَظَرَ الزَمانُ إِلى دِيارِكَ كُلِّها

نَظَرَ الرَشيدِ إِلى مَنازِلِ جَعفَرِ

Time looked upon all your abodes

As al-Rashid looked upon Ja'far's dwellings