أَنِفتُ وَقَد أَنِفتُ عَلى عُقودٍ

سِواراً كَي يَقولَ الناسُ حالِ

I refused, and I have long refused bracelets,

So people would say in my time, “He is distinguished!”

وَكَيفَ أُشيدُ في يَومي بِناءً

وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّ في غَدي اِرتِحالي

How can I build in my days an edifice,

Knowing that tomorrow I shall depart?

مِحالُكَ زَلَّةٌ وَالدَهرُ خَبٌّ

يَسيرُ بِأَهلِهِ قَلِقَ المَحالِ

Your abode is liable to fail, and time is wicked;

It moves along with people anxiously.

أَقَمنا في الرِحالِ وَنحنُ سَفرٌ

كَأَنّا قاعِدونَ عَلى الرِحالِ

We stayed put in places while we are a journey,

As though sitting still on the saddlebags.

أَراكَ الجَهلُ أَنَّكَ في نَعيمٍ

وَأَنتَ إِذا اِفتَكَرتَ بِسوءِ حالِ

Ignorance makes you see that you are comfortable,

While when you ponder your state, it is evil.

إِذا ما كانَ إِثمِدُنا تُراباً

فَأَيُّ الناسِ يَرغَبُ في اِكتِحالِ

When our sins turn into dust,

Then which of mankind longs for kohl?

وَما سَمَحَت لَنا الدُنيا بِشَيءٍ

سِوى تَعليلِ نَفسٍ بِالمُحالِ

The world did not allow us anything

Except for nourishing the soul with the impossible.

وَأَعوَزَتِ الفَضيلَةُ كُلَّ حَيٍّ

فَما هُوَ غَيرُ دَعوى وَاِنتِحالِ

Virtue has eluded every living being,

So he is nothing but pretense and false claim.