غَدَت هَذي الحَوافِلُ راتِعاتٍ

وَما جادَت لَنا بِقَليلِ رِسلِ

These caravans have become sluggish,

And brought us little news.

لَقَد دَرِنَت بِيَ الدُنِّيا زَماناً

وَسَوفَ يُجيدُ عَنها المَوتُ غَسلي

The world has certainly cheated me for a time,

And death will perform my final ablution.

وَكَم شاهَدتُ مِن عَجَبٍ وَخَطبٍ

وَمَرُّ الدَهرِ بِالإِنسانِ يُسلي

How much wonder and calamity I have witnessed,

As the passage of fate strips man bare.

تَغَيُّرُ دَولَةٍ وَظُهورُ أُخرى

وَنَسخُ شَرائِعٍ وَقِيامُ رُسلِ

The changing of one dynasty for another,

The advent of creeds and the sending of prophets.

وَضَبٌّ ما رَأى في العَيشِ خَيراً

وَما يَنفَكُّ مِن تَربيتِ حِسلِ

None have seen any good in this life,

Nor cease grooming their steeds.

لَوَ اِنَّ بَنِيَّ أَفضَلَّ أَهلِ عَصري

لَما آثَرتُ أَن أُحظى بِنَسلِ

If my sons were the best of their age,

I would not prefer that they beget offspring.

فَكَيفَ وَقَد عَلِمتُ بِأَنَّ مِثلي

خَسيسٌ لا يَجيءُ بِغَيرِ فَسلِ

So how is it when I know that the likes of me

Are miserable wretches who bring nothing but ruin?