أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ جِسمِيَ فيهِ فَضلٌ

وَجِسمَكَ قَد أَضَرَّ بِهِ الشُسوفُ

Have you not seen that my body has merit

While your body is harmed by decline?

تُطَيِّبُ جاهِداً وَتُعِلُّ دوني

فَما أَغناكَ أَنَّكَ فَيلَسوفُ

You perfume yourself while disparaging me

Yet your philosophy does not avail you.

كَأَنَّكَ في يَدِ الأَيّامِ مالٌ

وَكُلُّ المالِ عَن قَدَرٍ يَسوفُ

You are as wealth in the hands of fate -

And all wealth passes beyond its destined hour.

وَأَحسِبُ أَنَّنا إِبلٌ رَذايا

أَجَدُّ وَراءَها حادٍ عَسوفُ

And I reckon we are barren camels driven on,

Behind them a harsh driver urging speed.

أَسِفتُ لِفائِتٍ وَسَلَوتُ عَنهُ

وَهَل مِثلي عَلى ماضٍ أَسوفُ

I grieved over one departed and asked about him -

Does one like me grieve over a past already gone?

لَقَد عِشتُ الكَثيرَ مِنَ اللَيالي

وَلَم أَرقُب مَتّى يَقَعُ الكُسوفُ

I have lived for many nights

Yet did not keep vigil for when an eclipse would come.

فَهَل لِطَوالِعِ الأَقمارِ عَقلٌ

فَتَعلَمَ حينَ يُدرِكُها الخُسوفُ

Do the stars that rise have any wisdom

That they would know when an eclipse will overtake them?

أَتَسمَعُ أَو تُعايِنُ أَو تُعاني

بِلاءً أَو تَذَوُّقُ أَو تَسوفُ

Can you hear, see, suffer,

Taste, perceive or decline?