سُنونٌ تُعادُ وَدَهرٌ يُعيد

لَعَمرُكَ ما في اللَيالي جَديد

Years pass and time brings them back,

By your life, the nights have nothing new,

أَضاءَ لِآدَمَ هَذا الهِلالُ

فَكَيفَ تَقولُ الهِلالُ الوَليد

This crescent illuminated for Adam,

How can the new crescent say so?

نَعُدُّ عَلَيهِ الزَمانَ القَريبَ

وَيُحصي عَلَينا الزَمانَ البَعيد

We count on it the near past,

And it counts on us the distant future,

عَلى صَفحَتَيهِ حَديثُ القُرى

وَأَيّامُ عادٍ وَدُنيا ثَمود

On its surface, the talk of villages,

And the days of ‘Aad and the life of Thamud,

وَطيبَةُ آهِلَةٌ بِالمُلوكِ

وَطيبَةُ مُقفِرَةٌ بِالصَعيد

And Taybah populated with kings,

And Taybah deserted with ruins.

يَزولُ بِبَعضِ سَناهُ الصَفا

وَيَفنى بِبَعضِ سَناهُ الحَديد

With some of its years, Mount Safa passes away

And with some of its years, iron perishes.

وَمِن عَجَبٍ وَهوَ جَدُّ اللَيالي

يُبيدُ اللَيالِيَ فيما يُبيد

And of wonders, as it is the new of nights,

It destroys nights in what it destroys.

يَقولونَ يا عامُ قَد عُدتَ لي

فَيالَيتَ شِعري بِماذا تَعود

They say: O year, you have returned to me,

So I wonder what you will bring back?

لَقَد كُنتَ لي أَمسِ ما لَم أُرِد

فَهَل أَنتَ لي اليَومَ ما لا أُريد

You were for me yesterday what I did not want,

Will you be for me today what I do not want?

وَمَن صابَرَ الدَهرَ صَبري لَهُ

شَكا في الثَلاثينَ شَكوى لَبيد

Whoever endured time, my endurance suffices him,

Labeed complained in thirty, complaints,

ظَمِئتُ وَمِثلي بَرِيٍّ أَحَقُّ

كَأَنّي حُسَينٌ وَدَهري يَزيد

I got thirsty, and the like of me is more deserving,

As if I am Husain and my time is Yazid.

تَغابَيتُ حَتّى صَحِبتُ الجَهولَ

وَدارَيتُ حَتّى صَبِحتُ الحَسود

I turned away until I accompanied the ignorant,

And associated with them until I became envied.