المَشيداتُ الَّتي رُفِعَت

أَربَعٌ مِن أَهلِها دُرُسُ

The palaces that were erected

Four of its inhabitants taught a lesson

قامَ لِلأَيّامِ في أُذُني

واعِظٌ مِن شَأنِهِ الخَرَسُ

A silent preacher arose in my ears

For the days, though his trait is being dumb

أَخلَقَت جِسمَ الفَتى جُدُدٌ

ذاتُ خُلقٍ لينُهُ شَرَسُ

The body of the youth is renewed

By a temperament whose softness is harshness

فَشِتاءٌ بَعدَهُ وَمَدٌ

وَمَصيفٌ إِثرَهُ قَرَسُ

After it a winter and a time

And after it a summer that is hot

لُبتُ حَولَ الماءِ مِن ظَمَإٍ

إِنَّ غَربي ما لَهُ مَرَسُ

I roamed around the water thirstily

Indeed my west has no place to alight

كَم أَبَنَّ الغابَ مِن أَسَدٍ

أَيُّ لَيثٍ لَيسَ يُفتَرَسُ

How many lions the forests raised

What beast is there that doesn't get preyed on

مُهجَتي ضِدٌّ يُحارِبُني

أَنا مِنّي كَيفَ أَحتَرِسُ

My disposition is an adversary battling me

How can I be on guard against myself

إِنَّما دُنياكَ غانِيَةٌ

لَم يُهَنِّئ زَوجَها العُرُسُ

Verily your world is a singing girl

Whose wedding was not gladdened by the groom

أُمُّ شِبلٍ فَوقَها لِبَدٌ

ظُفرُها مِن قَتلِنا وَرِسُ

Umm Shibl above her is a lion cub

Whose prey is our killing and stoning

فالِقَها بِالزُهدِ مُدَّرِعاً

في يَدَيكَ السَيفُ وَالتُرُسُ

Split her with asceticism, armed

In your hands the sword and shield

إِن دَنا مِن فارِسٍ أَجَلٌ

حارَ لا يَجري بِهِ الفَرَسُ

If the appointed time of a horseman draws near

Bewildered, the steed does not race with him

كُلُّ مَن حانَت مَنيَّتُهُ

لَم يُدافِع دونَهُ حَرَسُ

All whose death time arrived

No guards can defend them

لَيسَ يَبقى فَرعُ نابِتَةٍ

أَصلُها في المَوتِ مُغتَرِسُ

No branch of a tree remains

Whose roots are not planted in death

خَبَّرَتني كُلُّ ناطِقَةٍ

ذاكَ حَتّى الزيرُ وَالجَرَسُ

Every speaker informed me

Even the bell and the clapper