كَأَنَّ مُنَجِّمَ الأَقوامِ أَعمى
لَدَيهِ الصُحُفُ يَقرَؤُها بِلَمسِ
The fortune teller of people is as though blind,
With scrolls before him which he reads by touch.
لَقَد طالَ العَناءُ فَكَم يُعاني
سُطوراً عادَ كاتِبُها بِطَمسِ
How wearying it is! How much he suffers!
Lines crossed out, erased again by smudge.
دَعا موسى فَزالَ وَقامَ عيسى
وَجاءَ مُحَمَّدٌ بِصَلاةِ خَمسِ
Moses called and was done, Jesus arose,
And Muhammad came with his prayers, a five.
وَقيلَ يَجيءُ دينٌ غَيرُ هَذا
وَأَودى الناسُ بَينَ غَدٍ وَأَمسِ
It's said another faith will come, not this,
And people wander 'twixt tomorrow and yesteryeves.
وَمَن لي أَن يَعودَ الدينُ غَضّاً
فَّيَنقَعَّ مَن تَنَسَّكَ بَعدَ خِمسِ
Would that religion become verdant again
To spatter those feigning devotion of late!
وَمَهما كانَ في دُنياكَ أَمرٌ
فَما تُخليكَ مِن قَمَرٍ وَشَمسِ
But no matter what happens in your world
You'll not be devoid of moonlight or sunlight.
وَآخِرُها بِأَوَّلِها شَبيهٌ
وَتُصبِحُ في عَجائِبِها وَتُمسي
The end's like the start, the strange familiar,
Marvels appear at dawn and eve both.
قُدومُ أَصاغِرٍ وَرَحيلُ شيبٍ
وَهِجرَةُ مَنزِلٍ وَحُلولُ رَمسِ
Small ones arrive and old ones depart,
Homes are deserted, new tents pitched.
لَحاها اللَهُ داراً ما تُداري
بِمِثلِ المَينِ في لُجَجٍ وَقَمسِ
God has clad it in a garment—see how
It cannot be torn, drenched in mire and bleak!
إِذا قُلتُ المُحالَ رَفَعتُ صَوتي
وَإِن قُلتُ اليَقينَ أَطَلتُ هَمسي
When I say what's impossible I raise my voice,
When I speak certainty I whisper meek.
