فيما مَضى كُنتَ بِالأَعيادِ مَسرورا

فَساءَكَ العيدُ في أَغماتَ مَأسورا

In the past, you were joyful during holidays,

Yet the holiday saddened you, imprisoned in sorrows.

تَرى بَناتكَ في الأَطمارِ جائِعَةً

يَغزِلنَ لِلناسِ ما يَملِكنَ قَطميراً

You see your daughters starving, wearing rags,

Spinning whatever meager threads they own.

بَرَزنَ نَحوَكَ لِلتَسليمِ خاشِعَةً

أَبصارُهُنَّ حَسراتٍ مَكاسيرا

They came to greet you humbly,

Their eyes full of miserable regrets.

يَطأنَ في الطين وَالأَقدامُ حافيَةٌ

كَأَنَّها لَم تَطأ مِسكاً وَكافورا

They walk in the mud, barefoot,

As if their feet never touched musk and camphor.

لا خَدَّ إِلّا تَشكّى الجَدبَ ظاهِرهُ

وَلَيسَ إِلّا مَعَ الأَنفاسِ مَمطورا

Every cheek complains of drought, apparent on its surface,

And every breath is accompanied by a moan.

أَفطَرتَ في العيدِ لا عادَت إِساءَتُهُ

فَكانَ فِطرُكَ لِلأكبادِ تَفطيرا

You broke your fast during the holiday, but could not reverse its misfortune,

So your breaking of the fast tore open hearts.

قَد كانَ دَهرُكَ إِن تأمُرهُ مُمتَثِلاً

فَرَدّكَ الدَهرُ مَنهيّاً وَمأمورا

Your fortune used to obey if you commanded,

Yet fortune returned you denied and commanding.

مَن باتَ بَعدَكَ في مُلكٍ يُسرُّ بِهِ

فَإِنَّما باتَ بِالأَحلامِ مَغرورا

Whoever spent the night after you reigning happily

In fact spent the night deluded by dreams.