فَوَيحَهُم بِئسَ ما رَبّوا وَما حَضَنوا

فَهيَ الخَديعَةُ وَالأَضغانُ وَالحَسَدُ

Alas, how poorly they nurtured and cradled their young!

They are all deceit, rancor and envy,

وَكُلُّنا في مَساعيهِ أَبو لَهبٍ

وَعِرسُهُم لَم يَقَع في جَيدِها مَسَدُ

And we are all in our pursuits like Abu Lahab,

Whose lineage never attained high status.

وَما الدَنيُّ ذِراعُ الخَودِ نُمرُقُه

مِثلَ السَنيِّ ذِراعَ الجِسرِ يَتَّسِدُ

This world is not worth the blink of an eyelid that we dote on it,

Like a temporary bridge we use to cross over.

وَالجِسمُ لِلرَوحِ مِثلُ الرَبعِ تَسكُنُهُ

وَما تُقيمُ إِذا ما خُرِّبَ الجَسَدُ

The body is to the soul like a tent it inhabits

And cannot stand when the body is destroyed.

وَهَكَذا كانَ أَهلُ الأَرضِ مُذ فُطِروا

فَلا يَظُنُّ جَهولٌ أَنَّهُم فَسَدوا

And so it has been with the people of earth since they were created;

Let no ignorant man think they have decayed.

ما أَنتَ وَالرَوضَ تَلقى مِن غَمائِمِهِ

فيهِ المَفارِشُ لِلثاوَينَ وَالوَسَدُ

You and the meadow receive no showers from the clouds

Wherein are bedding for the wanderers and pillows.

كَأَنَّما شُبَّ في أَقطارِهِ قُطُرٌ

بِالغَيثِ أَن بالَ فيهِ الثَورُ وَالأَسَدُ

As if the rain clouds in their regions were pierced

So that the bull and lion Drink their fill of water.

أَهلُ البَسيطَةِ في هَمٍّ حَياتُهُمُ

وَلا يُفارِقُ أَهلَ النَجدَةِ النَجَدُ

The people of the desert are anxious in their lives,

And separation never leaves the people of Najd.