عَرَفتُ سَجايا الدَهرِ أَمّا شُرورُهُ

فَنَقدٌ وَأَمّا خَيرُهُ فَوُعودُ

I have known the ways of fate, for its evils are cash, while its goods are mere promises.

If this is how the world is, then leave it, even if all fortunes were ascent.

إِذا كانَتِ الدُنيا كَذاكَ فَخَلِّها

وَلَو أَنَّ كُلُّ الطالِعاتِ سُعودُ

We slept, owning no repose from harm, and it rose with what we feared while we sat.

So let not death appall you, borne on a rider’s shadow, for to sink in dust is to rise.

رَقَدنا وَلَم نَملِكَ رُقاداً عَنِ الأَذى

وَقامَت بِما خِفنا وَنَحنُ قُعودُ

And how many times have lightning bolts in torrents warned us, and how many times have thunders in the clouds alarmed us.

فَلا يَرهَبَنَّ المَوتَ مِن ظِلِّ راكِباً

فَإِنَّ اِنحِداراً في التُرابِ صُعودُ

وَكَم أَنذَرَتنا بِالسُيولِ صَواعِقٌ

وَكَم خَبَّرَتنا بِالغَمامِ رُعودُ