أَرِقْنا وَأسْرابُ النُّجومِ هُجوعُ

نُعالِجُ هَمّاً أَضْمَرَتْهُ ضُلوعُ

We are awake while the stars withdraw

We wrestle with anguish hidden in our ribs

وَنُعْرِضُ عَنْ بِيضٍ تُديرُ وَراءَنا

عُيونَ مَهاً فيها دَمٌ وَدُموعُ

And we turn away from the white that circles behind us

Eyes filled with tears and blood

وَنَنْهَضُ لِلْعَلْياءِ وَالجَدُّ عاثِرٌ

وَنَحْنُ بِمُسْتَنِّ الهَوانِ وُقوعُ

And we stand up to the arrogant while seriousness trips us up

And we are in the grip of disgrace and submission

وَهَلْ تَرْفَعُ الأَيامُ إِلّا عِصابَةً

عَفَتْ بِهِمُ لِلْمَكْرُماتِ رُبوعُ

And does time raise up anything but a gang

Whose heights are deserted by the noble?

لَهُمْ ثَرْوَةٌ يَمْتَدُّ في اللُّؤْمِ باعُها

حَواهَا نَعامٌ في النَّعيمِ رَتُوعُ

They have wealth that stretches out in adversity

Containing ostriches enjoying bliss and ease

إِذَا شَبِعوا باتُوا نِياماً وَجَارُهُمْ

يُصارِمُ جَفْنَيْهِ الكَرَى وَيَجُوعُ

When they are full they sleep as their neighbor

Battles his eyelids, hungering

شَكَتْ عُقَبَ المَسْرَى مَطَايَا تَؤُمُّهُمْ

وَتَذْرَعُ أَجْوازَ الفَلا وَتَبوعُ

The heels of the course complained of bearing them

And the vast expanse of wilderness roams and wanders

فَلا زِلْنَ حَسْرَى لِمْ حَمَلْنَ إِلَيْهِمُ

فَتىً لا يُناغِي نَاظِرَيْهِ خُشوعُ

So cease your sorrow that we carried to them

A youth whose gaze knows no arrogance or humility

وَهُمْ نَفَضُ الآفاقِ قَدْ خَبُثَتْ لَهُمْ

أُصُولٌ فَما طَابَتْ لَهُنَّ فُروعُ

And they are the elite while morals have corrupted for them

Roots whose branches are no good

إِذَا زَارَ مَغْناهُمْ كَريمٌ فَما لَهُ

إِليْهَمْ إِذَا حُمَّ الفِرَاقُ رُجوعُ

When a generous one visits their magnificence

He has no way back to them when separation arrives