دَع آدَماً لا شَفاهُ اللَهُ مِن هَبَلٍ

يَبكي عَلى نَجلِهِ المَقتولِ هابيلا

Leave Adam, may God not heal his lips of raving,

Weeping for his murdered son Abel.

فَفي عِقابِ الَّذي أَبداهُ مِن خَطَإٍ

ظَلنا نُمارِسُ مِن سُقمٍ عَقابيلا

So in punishment for his sin

We keep contracting illnesses.

وَنَحنُ مِن حَدَثانٍ نَمتَري عَجَباً

وَمَعشَرٌ يَقِفونَ الغَيَّ تَسبيلا

While we, from folly, regard with wonder

A band standing confused, losing the way.

هُمُ الغَرابيبُ مِن إِثمٍ وَإِن أَمِنوا

عَلى سِرارِكَ لَم تُعدَم غَرابيلا

They are naughty children, though they feel secure,

If they guard their secrets, that won't lack naughtiness.

دَهرٌ يَكُرُّ وَيَومٌ ما يَمُرُّ بِنا

إِلّا يَزيدُ بِهِ المَعقولُ تَخبيلا

An age that changes and a day that doesn't pass us

Without increasing the reasonable one's madness.

مِن أَنكَرِ النُكرِ سودانٌ شَرامِحَةٌ

تَكونُ أَبناؤُها بيضاً تَنابيلا

Of the strangest strangeness, black-faced impudent ones

Whose children would be white rabbits.

تَنَسَّكَ الأَسَدُ الضِرغامُ وَاِبتَكَرَت

جَآذِرُ العَينِ آساداً رَآبيلا

The lion, the biting one, acted pious,

And the tree roots produced lions, mounts.

إِنَّ القِيانَ وَشُربَ الراحِ مَفسَدَةٌ

مِن قَبلِ لَمكٍ وَقَينانٍ وَقابيلا

Drinking alcohol corrupts

Through the fault of Lamech, Cain, and Abel.

أَمّا سَرابيلُ دُنياكُم فَضافِيَةٌ

وَما كُسيتُم مِنَ التَقوى سَرابيلا

As for your worldly garments, they are fleeting,

And you haven't been clothed with piety.

فَقابَلَ التُربُ سِمطَي لُؤلُؤٍ بِفَمٍ

يَرومُ لِلمومِسِ الغَيداءِ تَقبيلا

So the dust met the scattered pearls with a mouth

That tries to kiss the wanton singing girl.

وَما وَجَدتُ مَنايا القَومِ مُغفِلَةً

شِبلاً بِغابٍ وَلا غَفراً بِإِشبيلا

And I didn't find the deaths of the heedless people

Neglect a lion cub or pardon a young lion.

أَرى التَطَوُّلَ في الأَقوامِ طالَ بِكُم

إِلى النُجومِ وَإِن كُنتُم حَنابيلا

I see pretentiousness in people has reached you

To the stars, though you are insignificant.