ما حُرِّكَت قَدَمٌ وَلا بُسِطَت يَدٌ

إِلّا لَها سَبَبٌ مِنَ المِقدارِ

No foot was moved, no hand outstretched

Except by destiny's command.

خَطبٌ تَساوى فيهِ آلُ مُحَرِّقٍ

وَمُلوكُ ساسانٍ وَرَهطُ قُدارِ

Speeches are equal where the sons of Muharriq

And the Kings of Persia and the horde of Qudar,

يَدري الفَتى كَم عاشَ مِن أَيّامِهِ

يَوماً وَما هُوَ كَم يَعيشُ بِداري

Are concerned. A young man may know how many days

Of his life he has lived, and how many remain for him

وَتَجوزُ مَعرِفَتي بِمَسقِطِ هامَتي

في الوِردِ بِالقَبرِ في الإِصدارِ

In his abode. But my knowledge of where my fortune lies

Is as obscure as the grave, as the heart's mysteries.

دارانِ أَمّا هَذِهِ فَمُسيئَةٌ

جِدّاً وَلا خَبَرٌ لِتِلكَ الدارِ

Two abodes: as for this one, it is hateful,

Utterly; of that other world no reports have reached us.

ما جاءَ مِنها وافِدٌ مُتَسَرِّعٌ

فَنَقولُ لِلنَّبإِ الجَديدِ بَدارِ

No courier has come to us from it, in frantic haste,

That we might ask him of the strange, new dwelling place.

وَالمُلكُ ثُبِّتَ لِلقَديمِ وَأُبرِزَت

بِلقيسُ عارِيَةً بِغَيرِ صِدارِ

Empires are confirmed for those long settled there,

And Laila is exposed, without her veil.

وَلَرُبَّ أَجسادٍ جَديراتِ الثَرى

بِالصَونِ عادَت في طَلاءِ جِدارِ

Many are the bodies, worthy of the dust,

That have returned to dust, plastered on a wall.

جَسَدٌ تَوى إِن تَفتَرِق أَجزاؤُهُ

لَم تَنأَ عَن فَلَكٍ عَلَيهِ مُدارِ

A body, if its parts once separate,

Cannot avoid its destiny's decree.

وَإِذا بُدورُ المالِ هِبتَ مَحاقَها

فَهِلالٌ مَجدِكَ غَيرُ ذي إِبدارِ

And when the rounds of wealth left it bare,

Did not your Fortune show unchanging constancy?