إِذا كُنتُ قَد جاوَزتُ خَمسينَ حِجَّةً

وَلَم أَلقَ خَيراً فَالمَنِيَّةُ لي سِترُ

If I have passed fifty pilgrimages

And have not achieved any good, death becomes my veil

وَما أَتَوَقّى وَالخُطوبُ كَثيرَةٌ

مِنَ الدَهرِ إِلّا أَن يَحِلَّ بِيَ الهِترُ

I do not expect, though tribulations are many

Anything from fate but to be clad in rags

أَحاديثُ عَن قَيلِ بنِ عِترٍ وَرَهطِهِ

رُوَيدَكَ ما قَيلٌ وَوالِدُهُ عِترُ

Enough of the tales about Qayl son of 'Itr and his kin

No matter what is said of Qayl and his father 'Itr

غَدَت أُمُّنا الدُنيا إِلَينا مُسيئَةً

لَها عِندَنا مِن كُلِّ ناحِيَةٍ وِترُ

Our mother, this world, has turned hostile towards us

We have nothing from her but shreds from all directions

وَنَحنُ كَرَكبِ المَوجِ ما بَينَ بَعضِهِم

وَبَينَ الرَدى إِلّا الذِراعُ أَوِ الفِترُ

We are like the waves of the sea with naught between us

And destruction but an arm's length or less