أُمسي وَأَمسِيَ في شَحطٍ وَإِنَّ غَدي

وَإِنَّ يَومي بِلا رَيبٍ لِأَمسانِ

My past and tomorrow are in decline, and indeed my day is undoubtedly like two yesterdays.

The two young men are playing with the boys, each felt bitter, though they don't feel it.

إِنَّ الفَتِيِّينَ بِالفِتيانِ في لَعِبٍ

كُلٌّ أُحِسَّ وَمُرّاً لا يُحِسّانِ

They wish for what they said and did, so much that a people's misdeeds are like benevolence.

God replaces eras with similar ones, just as He substitutes one man for another.

وَيودِيانِ بِما قالوا وَما صَنَعوا

حَتّى إِساءَةُ قَومٍ مِثلُ إِحسانِ

Fates cast disasters in their noses, leading them to their deaths efficiently.

The houses of Zuhayr's family drank morning draughts, and the tribe of Hasan tasted death.

وَاللَهُ يُخلِفُ أَزماناً بِمُشبِهِها

كَما يُبَدِّلُ إِنساناً بِإِنسانِ

Will the host feed the guest in good and bad times? And will the brave witness war with just a man and horses?

They gathered intellects, and their camels gathered bounty, but betrayal was not known to the wise.

تُلقي المَقاديرُ في آنافِهِم خُطُماً

يَقُدنَهُم لِمَناياهُم بِأَرسانِ

أَذوَينَ آلَ زُهَيرٍ وَاِرتَعَينَ بَني

نَبتٍ وَحَسَّينَ مَوتاً رَهطَ حَسّانِ

أَلِمُطعِمي الضَيفَ عَن يُسرٍ وَعَن عَدَمٍ

وَالشاهِدِيُّ الحَربَ مِن رَجلٍ وَفُرسانِ

كاسوا عُقولاً وَكاسَت إِبلُهُم كَرَماً

وَالغَدرُ في الناسِ لَم يُعرَف بِكَيسانِ