ما أَقبَحَ المَينَ قُلتُم لَم يَشِب أَحَدٌ

حَتّى أَتى الشَيبُ إِبراهيمَ عَن أُمَمِ

How ugly is blame! You said no one grows old

Until old age came upon Abraham among the nations

كَذَبتُمُ وَنُجومُ اللَيلِ شاهِدَةٌ

إِنَّ المَشيبَ قَديماً حَلَّ في اللِمَمِ

You lied, and the stars of the night bear witness

That gray hair has long dwelled in the tents

هَذا البَياضُ رَسولُ المَوتِ يَبعَثُهُ

في كُلِّ عَصرٍ إِلى الأَجيالِ وَالأُمَمُ

This whiteness is a messenger of death sent

In every age to generations and tribes

وَما أَسيتُ عَلى الدُنيا مُزايَلَةً

وَلا تَأَسَّت عَلى البالي مِنَ الرِمَمِ

And I have not grieved over parting with this world

Nor has the ruined one grieved over rubble

شَقَّت وَعَقَّت وَلَم أَحمُد وَلا حَمَدَت

ثُمَّ اِنصَرَفنا كِلانا سَيِّئُ الهِمَمِ

It cracked and collapsed, and I neither praised nor was praised

Then we both turned away, both wretched of purpose

وَرَغبَتي في بَنيها غَيرُ كائِنَةٍ

وَكَيفَ يَرغَبُ خِدنُ العَقلِ في اللَمَمِ

And my desire for its children will not come to pass

How can the cheek of reason desire rubble?

لا خَيرَ فيهِم وَإِن هُم عَظَّموا رَجَباً

دونَ الشُهورِ فَقَد شانوهُ بِالصَمَمِ

There is no good in them, though they exalt Rajab

Above the months, so they have deafened it with blindness

لَم تُعطِ قَطُّ أُنوفاً جُدِّعَت شَمَماً

فَلَيتَ كَفَّكَ لَم تَجدَع أَخا الشَمَمِ

Snub noses that were cut off never smelled roses

If only your hand had not cut off the nose of the snub-nosed one

لا تُحكمِ العَقدَ في حِلفٍ وَلا عِدَةٍ

فَإِنَّ طَبعَكَ يُدعى ناقِضَ الذِمَمِ

Do not tie the knot in an oath or period of waiting

For your nature is called violator of pacts

وَلِلزَمانِ مَغارٌ في نُفوسِهُمُ

يَكفيكَ أَن تَضَعَ الهِندِيَّ بِالقِمَمِ

And time has a cave in their souls

It is enough for you to put the Indian in ruins