إِذا صَقَلَت دُنياكَ مِرآةَ عَقلِها

أَرتكَ جَزيلَ الأَمرِ غَيرَ جَزيلِ

When life polishes the mirror of her mind,

She shows you not truly precious at all.

فَبُعداً لَحاكَ اللَهُ يا شَرَّ مَنزِلٍ

ثَواهُ مِنَ الإِنسانِ شَرُّ نَزيلِ

So evil was your abode, may God keep you far away!

The worst lodger of all from mankind.

وَقَد زالَ عَنهُ ساكِنٌ بَعدَ ساكِنٍ

فَهَل هُوَ ماضٍ مَرَّةً بِمُزيلِ

One by one, all have gone from that place,

Will it too one day go, left vacant and bare?

عَجِبتُ لِثَوبٍ مِن ظَلامٍ مُمَزَّقٍ

وَخَيطِ صَباحٍ مِن ذُكاءَ غَزيلِ

A robe of shredded darkness amazes me,

With threads of radiant dawn, gleaming and fair.

وَما تَترُكُ الأَيّامُ وَهيَ كَثيرَةٌ

وِلايَةَ والٍ وَاِنصِرافَ عَزيلِ

The days are many and they will not cease,

To bring regrets that mourners bitterly wail,

يُضَلِّلنَ حَتّى الرَكبَ يَبعَثُ بَزلَهُ

لِأَزهَرَ مِن صَفوِ المُدامِ بَزيلِ

Misleading even travelers mid-journey,

With wine more pure than stars when they pale.

وَما يَفرِقُ التُربُ الَّذي هُوَ آكِلٌ

لَنا بَينَ جِسمَي بادِنٍ وَهَزيلِ

And what can dust that eats all things divide

Between two bodies, one gaunt and one hale?