أَوالِيَ هَذا المِصرِ في زِيِّ واحِدٍ
أَواخِرَ مِن أَيّامِنا وَأَوالِ
The cycle of this land in one attire
The ends of our days and the beginnings
إِذا ما حِبالُ الناسِ عادَت بَوالِياً
فَإِنَّ حِبالَ الشَمسِ غَيرُ بَوالِ
When people's ropes return worn out
But the sun's ropes do not wear out
تَوالِيَ بَعضِ القَومِ ليسَ بِنافِعٍ
وَتَمضي هَوادٍ لِلرَدى وَتَوالِ
The succession of some people is useless
And periods pass into decline and succession
جَوالِيَ أَحداثِ الزَمانِ سَفاهَةً
وَأَنفُسُنا عَمّا يَحُلُّ جَوالِ
The vagaries of time’s events are folly
While we are oblivious to what is proper
تَظَلُّ حَوالي قُرَّحٍ وَبَوازِلٍ
حَوالِيَ قَد أَعيَيتُها بِحِوالِ
The environs of wounds and calamities remain
Environs I have tired with environments
خَوى لِيَ نَجمٌ في قَديمٍ وَحادِثٍ
وَتُذكَرُ أَوقاتٌ مَضَينَ خَوالِ
An old and new star yearns for me
And past times are remembered, yearnings
دَواليكَ يا رَيبَ الخُطوبِ فَهَذِهِ
ثِقالُ غُروبٍ ما لَهُنَّ دَوالِ
Your cycling, O varying fate, so here is
The weight of a sunset that has no cycling
إِذا ما الإِماءُ الثاكِلاتُ رَأَيتَها
سَوالِيَ لِلأَحياءِ فَهيَ سَوالِ
When you see the crying slave women
Seeking the living, they are seeking
وَإِنَّ طَوالَ الدَهرِ صَيَّرَ أَينُقي
رَذايا وَجَربى ما لَهُنَّ طَوالِ
And the length of time has made graceful
Delicate, with no length
عَوى لِيَ ذِئبٌ فَاِنتَبَهتُ لِزَجرِهِ
رُوَيدَكَ إِنَّ النَيِّراتِ عَوالِ
A wolf howled, so I was alert to its snarling
Gently, the howlers are environments
مَتى ما تَبِت خوصُ المَطايا مَوالِياً
بِنا في اِبتِغاءِ العِزِّ فَهيَ مَوالِ
When the saddles of steeds begin to wrap around
Taking us in pursuit of honor, they are wrappings
وَما الناسُ إِلّا كَالقَنيصِ إِزاءَهُ
كَوالِئُ مِن أَخطارِهِ وَكَوالِ
People are but like a shirt against him
Dangers orbit them and wrappings
غَوى لَيلُ مُثرٍ فَاِستَقَلَّ بِفِتنَةٍ
وَقَد رَخُصَت لِلسائِمينَ غَوالِ
An abundant night went astray with sedition
And aberrations were cheapened for the insomniacs
وَكَيفَ اِحتِيالي في الصَديقِ وَقَد نَوى
لِيَ الشَرَّ مُحتاجٌ أَصابَ نَوالي
How can I scheme against a friend when
A needy enemy intending me harm obtains wrappings
