أَزولُ وَلَيسَ في الخَلّاقِ شَكُّ

فَلا تَبكوا عَلَيَّ وَلا تُبَكّوا

I pass away, of the Creator there is no doubt

So weep not for me, lament me not

خُذوا سِيَري فَهُنَّ لَكُم صَلاحٌ

وَصَلّوا في حَياتِكُم وَزَكّوا

Take my life lessons, for in them is goodness for you

In your lives, pray and purify

لا تَصغوا إِلى أَخبارِ قَومٍ

يُصَدَّقُ مَينَها العَقلُ الأَرَكُّ

Listen not to the tales of a people

Whose lies even the soundest mind believes

أَرى عَمَلاً كَلا عَمَلٍ وَأَمراً

يَجُرُّ فَسادَهُ قَدَرٌ مِصَكُّ

I see actions, yet no action, and a matter

Whose corruption is preordained

وَأَسطاراً تُمَثَّلُ فَوقَ طِرسٍ

وَتُطمَسُ بَعدَ ذَلِكَ أَو تُحَكُّ

And lines that pretend atop a throne

Then are erased after or scratched out

وَلَولا أَنَّكُم ظُلُمٌ غُواةٌ

لَصَدَّكُمُ الذَكاءُ فَلَم تَذَكّوا

And were you not unjust tyrants

Sense would have corrected you, yet you came not to your senses

كَأَنَّكُم بَني حَوّاءَ وَحشٌ

تَضَمَّنَها السَماوَةُ وَالأَبكُّ

As if you are savage sons of Eve

Whom heaven itself could not reform

أَتى المَسرى عَلى شُرُفاتِ كِسرى

وَأورِثَ مُلكَهُ خانٌ وَكُكُّ

The Hegira came to the balconies of Ctesiphon

And bequeathed its kingdom to a spineless fool

فَهَل عايَنتُمُ في الرَرضِ حَيّاً

وَلَيسَ عَلَيهِ لِلحَدَثانِ صَكُّ

Have you ever in this life seen

One not bound by the shackles of events?

هِيَ الأَيّامُ مِن وَهدٍ يُعَلّى

بِأَبنِيَةٍ وَمِن قَصرٍ يُدَكُّ

These are days wherefrom a glorious edifice is built

And from a palace laid to waste

وَما نَفَعَ الأَوائِلَ مِن قُرَيشٍ

وُلاةَ الحِجرِ ما اِجتَذَبوا وَمَكّوا

Of no use to the ancients of Quraysh

Were the governors of the Sacred House, despite all they amassed and hoarded

فَلا تَشقوا بِنَصرِكُمُ أَميراً

كَما شَقِيَت بِهِ كَلبٌ وَعَكُّ

So vex not through your fealty a prince

As a dog was vexed, and a monkey too

وَما الإِنسانُ في التَطوافِ إِلّا

أَسيرٌ لِلزَمانِ فَهَل يُفَكُّ

For man in his revolutions is but

A prisoner of time, can he e'er break free?