مُريدي بَقائي طالَما لَقِيَ الفَتى

عَناءً بِطولِ العَيشِ وَاللَهُ يَعلَمُ

My desire for longevity has long brought hardship to the young man

Through the burden of prolonged life, and Allah knows best

إِذا كانَ بَسطُ العُمرِ لَيسَ بِكاسِبٍ

سِوى شِقوَةٍ فَالمَوتُ خَيرٌ وَأَسلَمُ

If the reach of life brings no profit

Other than misery, then death is better and safer

أَفادَ غَوِيٌّ غَيَّهُ عَن شُيوخِهِ

فَهُم دَرَجاتٌ لِلضَلالِ وَسُلَّمُ

An astray man led his people astray from their elders

So they are steps to misguidance and a ladder

وَأَهلَكَهُ جَهلانِ بادٍ مُرَكَّبٌ

قَديماً وَتالٍ بَعدَهُ يُتَعَلَّمُ

And two ignorant winds destroyed him

One old and one recent graduate

تَفَكَّرتُ وَاِستَثبَتُّ أَنَّ سُكوتَهُ

هُدىً وَتُقىً فَليَغدُ لا يَتكَلَّمُ

I contemplated and affirmed that his silence

Is guidance and piety, so let him not speak going forward

أَرى النَبتَ أَولى أَن يُحِسَّ بِحَطمِهِ

إِذا زَعَموا أَنَّ الصُخورَ تَأَلَّمُ

I see the plants as more deserving to feel their destruction

If they claim that even rocks feel pain

وَأَشهَدُ أَنَّ الدَهرَ كَالحُلمِ زائِلٌ

وَأَنَّ أَديمَ البَدرِ يَبلى وَيَحلَمُ

And I testify that time is fleeting like a dream

And that the eternal full moon will fade and wane

وَجَدتُ يَدَ الوَهّابِ تُطوى وَعَينَهُ

تُكَفُ وَأَظفارَ اللُيوثِ تُقَلَّمُ

I found the hand of the Giver withdrawing and His eye

Turning away, and the claws of lions blunted