أَرى العُمر في غَير السُرور مضيعاً

وَمن وَدّع الأَحباب روحاً مُوَدّعا

I see life wasted without joy,

And one who bids farewell to loved ones, a departing soul.

فَإِنّي قَد نازَلت كُل كَريهَةٍ

وَقَضَيت في النَعماءِ عِزّاً منوعا

For I have endured every tribulation,

And spent my glory days denied of pleasure.

وَجالَستُ أَرباب الفَضائل يافِعاً

وَشاَهدتُ أَقمار الكَمالات طلعا

I sat with the virtuous in my prime,

And saw the moons of perfection rise.

وَصادَفتُ فَضل اللَهِ وَاِبن مَحبهِ

أَجل بَني الدُنيا وَأَكرَم مَن سَعا

I was blessed by God and the son He loves—

The greatest of earth’s children and most generous who aspires.

وَعَلياهُ عَليا كُل يَمن وَدَولة

وَلَم يَرَ مِنها غَيرَهُ الدَهر اِصبَعا

Elevated over all, every glory and kingdom his;

None but he has the world seen clutching at power.

فَلا مَن كَساهُ الدَهر ثَوباً كَمَن غَدا

عَلَيهِ لِثَوب مُستَعار مُرَقَعا

Not like one the world robes is he who comes

Cloaked in borrowed garb, patchworked and poor.

وَلا مَن يَصيبُ الناس أَنواء فَضلِهِ

كَمَن راحَ يَرضى بِالقَليل تَقنَعا

Nor like one who harms people despite his merit,

Is he, who is pleased with little, content in his need.