نَوائِبُ إِن جَلَّت تَجَلَّت سَريعَةً

وَإِمّا تَوالَت في الزَمانِ تَوَلَّتِ

The strokes of fate, should they descend, descend swiftly,

Or follow on in time, they follow ceaselessly.

وَدُنياكَ إِن قَلَّت أَقَلَّت وَإِن قَلَت

فَمِن قَلَتٍ في الدينِ نَجَّت وَعَلَّتِ

And if your world contracts, greatly contracts, and wanes,

By waning faith, from such it gains and climbs immensely.

غَلَت وَأَغالَت ثُمَّ غالَت وَأَوحَشَت

وَحَشَّت وَحاشَت وَاِستَمالَت وَمَلَّتِ

It climbed and towered, then it climbed and frightened,

It frightened and alarmed, importuned and wearied.

وَصَلَّت بِنيرانٍ وَصَلَّت سُيوفُها

وَسَلَّت حُساماً مِن أَذاةٍ وَسَلَّت

It joined with fires, its swords did join and strike,

It drew a blade of harm and verily it struck.

أَزالَت وَزَلَّت بِالفَتى عَن مَقامِهِ

وَحَلَّت فَلَمّا أُحكِمَ العَقدُ حَلَّت

It passed and slipped away with the lad from his place there,

Until the knot was tied securely, then it slipped away.