خُلِقنا لِلحَياةِ وَلِلمَماتِ

وَمِن هَذَينِ كُلُّ الحادِثاتِ

We were created for life and for death

And from these two derive all occurrences

وَمَن يولَد يَعِش وَيَمُت كَأَن لَم

يَمُرَّ خَيالُهُ بِالكائِناتِ

Whoever is born lives and dies as though his phantom

Had not passed among the existents

وَمَهدُ المَرءِ في أَيدي الرَواقي

كَنَعشِ المَرءِ بَينَ النائِحاتِ

A man's cradle is in the hands of the mourning women

Like his bier amid the wailing ladies

وَما سَلِمَ الوَليدُ مِنِ اِشتِكاءٍ

فَهَل يَخلو المُعَمَّرُ مِن أَذاةِ

No newborn is free from defect

So how can the aged be free from affliction?

هِيَ الدُنيا قِتالٌ نَحنُ فيهِ

مَقاصِدُ لِلحُسامِ وَلِلقَناةِ

This life is battle, we therein

Are objects of swords and lances

وَكُلُّ الناسِ مَدفوعٌ إِلَيهِ

كَما دُفِعَ الجَبانُ إِلى الثَباتِ

And all mankind is driven unto it

As the coward was driven unto standing his ground

نُرَوَّعُ ما نُرَوَّعُ ثُمَّ نُرمى

بِسَهمٍ مِن يَدِ المَقدورِ آتي

We are terrified however terrified until we are shot

With an arrow from the hand of Destiny coming

صَلاةُ اللَهِ يا تِمزارُ تَجزي

ثَراكِ عَنِ التِلاوَةِ وَالصَلاةِ

O Taimuzar, may God's prayers recompense

Your soil instead of reciting and praying

وَعَن تِسعينَ عاماً كُنتِ فيها

مِثلَ المُحسِناتِ الفُضلَياتِ

And for ninety years you were

Like the virtuous, righteous ladies

بَرَرتِ المُؤمِناتِ فَقالَ كُلُّ

لَعَلَّكِ أَنتِ أُمُّ المؤمِناتِ

You excelled the faithful women, so each

Said, perhaps you are the Mother of the Faithful

وَكانَت في الفَضائِلِ باقِياتٌ

وَأَنتِ اليَومَ كُلُّ الباقِياتِ

In virtues some persisted

While today you are all of the persisting

تَبَنّاكِ المُلوكُ وَكُنتِ مِنهُم

بِمَنزِلَةِ البَنينِ أَوِ البَناتِ

The kings adopted you and you were to them

Like sons or daughters

يُظِلّونَ المَناقِبَ مِنكِ شَتّى

وَيُؤوُنَ التُقى وَالصالِحاتِ

They shaded diverse glories from you

And practiced piety and righteousness

وَما مَلَكوكِ في سوقٍ وَلَكِن

لَدى ظِلِّ القَنا وَالمُرهَفاتِ

They did not buy you in a market, but

Beside the shade of the spear and the tents

عَنَنتِ لَهُم بِمورَةَ بِنتَ عَشرٍ

وَسَيفُ المَوتِ في هامِ الكُماةِ

You cooed to them in the voice of Morat daughter of ten

While the sword of death was in the tyrant's grasp

فَكُنتِ لَهُم وَلِلرَحمَنِ صَيداً

وَواسِطَةً لِعِقدِ المُسلِماتِ

Thus you were to them and the Merciful a prey

And a link in the bond of Muslim women

تَبِعتِ مُحَمَّداً مِن بَعدِ عيسى

لِخَيرِكِ في سِنيكِ الأولَياتِ

You followed Muhammad after Jesus

For your excellence in your early years

فَكانَ الوالِدانِ هُدىً وَتَقوى

وَكانَ الوِلدُ هَذي المُعجِزاتِ

So the parents were guidance and piety

And the child was these miracles

وَلَو لَم تَظهَري في العُربِ إِلّا

بِأَحمَدَ كُنتِ خَيرَ الوالِداتِ

Even if you had not appeared among the Arabs except through

Ahmad, you would be the best of mothers

تَجاوَزتِ الوَلائِدَ فاخِراتٍ

إِلى فَخرِ القَبائِلِ وَاللُغاتِ

You surpassed the proudly child-bearing

To the pride of tribes and languages

وَأَحكَمِ مَن تَحَكَّمَ في يَراعٍ

وَأَبلَغِ مَن تَبَلَّغَ مِن دَواةِ

And most decisive of those who gained mastery in meadows

And most eloquent of those who were eloquent of pen

وَأَبرَإِ مَن تَبَرَّأَ مِن عَداءٍ

وَأَنزَهِ مَن تَنَزَّهَ مِن شَماتِ

And most innocent of those who were innocent of enmity

And purest of those who were pure of censure

وَأَصوَنِ صائِنٍ لِأَخيهِ عِرضاً

وَأَحفَظِ حافِظٍ عَهدَ اللِداتِ

And most chaste guardian of a brother's honor

And most protective keeper of the bond of amity

وَأَقتَلِ قاتِلٍ لِلدَهرِ خُبراً

وَأَصبَرِ صابِرٍ لِلغاشِياتِ

And deadliest killer of Time's news

And most patient enduring one of calamities

كَأَنّي وَالزَمانُ عَلى قِتالٍ

مُساجَلَةً بِمَيدانِ الحَياةِ

It is as though I and Time are in combat

Rivaling on the battleground of life

أَخافُ إِذا تَثاقَلَتِ اللَيالي

وَأُشفِقُ مِن خُفوفِ النائِباتِ

I fear when the nights grow heavy

And dread the lightly visiting fates

وَلَيسَ بِنافِعي حَذَري وَلَكِن

إِباءً أَن أَراها باغِتاتِ

But my caution avails me naught, rather

Disdain that I see them taking me by surprise

أَمَأمونٌ مِنَ الفَلَكِ العَوادي

وَبَرجَلُهُ يَخُطُّ الدائِراتِ

Is one who steps describing circles with his feet

Safe from the returning heavenly sphere?

تَأَمَّل هَل تَرى إِلّا شِباكاً

مِنَ الأَيّامِ حَولَكَ مُلقَياتِ

Consider, do you see anything but the hunting nets

Of days cast around you?

وَلَو أَنَّ الجِهاتِ خُلِقنَ سَبعاً

لَكانَ المَوتُ سابِعَةَ الجِهاتِ

Had the directions been created seven

Death would be the seventh direction

لَعاً لِلنَعشِ لا حُبّاً وَلَكِن

لِأَجلِكِ يا سَماءَ المَكرُماتِ

Accursed is the bier! Not out of love, but

For your sake, O heaven of the venerated

وَلا خانَتهُ أَيدي حامِليهِ

وَإِن ساروا بِصَبرِيَ وَالأَناةِ

Nor did the hands of its bearers betray it

Though they walked with my patience and deliberation

فَلَم أَرَ قَبلَهُ المَريخَ مُلقىً

وَلَم أَسمَع بِدَفنِ النَيِّراتِ

Never had I seen Mars cast down before it

Nor heard of the burial of metals

هُناكَ وَقَفتُ أَسأَلُكِ اِتِّئاداً

وَأُمسِكُ بِالصِفاتِ وَبِالصَفاةِ

There I stood to ask you for consolation

And hold to the noble deeds and nobility

وَأَنظُرُ في تُرابِكِ ثُمَّ أُغضي

كَما يُغضي الأَبِيُّ عَلى القَذاةِ

And look into your soil, then withdraw my eyes

As the streaming one withdraws from the mote

وَأَذكُرُ مِن حَياتِكِ ما تَقَضّى

فَكانَ مِنَ الغَداةِ إِلى الغَداةِ

And remember of your life what transpired

From morning to morning