تَصابى وَأَمسى عَلاهُ الكِبَر

وَأَمسى لِجمرَةَ حَبلٍ غَرَر

He grew old and gray besieged him,

And grew used to the glowing embers.

وَشابَ وَلا مَرحَباً بِالبَيا

ضِ وَالشَيبِ مِن غائِبٍ يَنتَظِر

He grew youthful but no welcome of youth

In the barren land and gray hair of an absent one he awaits.

فَلَو أَنَّ جَمرَةَ تَدنو لَهُ

وَلَكِنَّ جَمرَةَ مِنهُ سَفَر

If only the glowing embers would approach him,

But the glowing embers from him traveled.

سَلامُ الإِلَهِ وَرَيحانُهُ

وَرَحمَتُهُ وَسَماءٌ دَرَر

The peace of God and His grace,

And His mercy and starry heavens.

غَمامُ يُنَزِّلُ رِزقَ العِبادِ

فَأَحيا البِلادَ وَطابَ الشَجَر

A cloud that sends down the sustenance of servants,

Reviving the countries and the trees thrived.

أَرى الناسَ قَد أَحدَثوا شيمَةً

وَفي كُلِّ حادِثَةٍ يُؤتَمَر

I see the people innovated a flaw,

And in every incident they confer.

يُهينونَ مَن حَقَّروا سَيبَهُ

وَإِن كانَ فيهِم يَفي أَو يَبَر

They humiliate those whose lineage they belittled,

Even if among them he shelters or acts virtuously.

وَيُعجِبُهُم مَن رَأَوا عِندَهُ

سَواماً وَإِن كانَ فيهِ الغَمَر

And they admire those they saw have,

Dark-skinned slaves, even if among them lies deceit.

أَلا يا لِذا الناسِ لَو يَعلَمو

نَ لِلخَيرِ خَيرٍ وَلِلشَرِّ شَر

Oh people! If only they know,

For good, good, and for evil, evil.

فَيَومٌ عَلَينا وَيَومٌ لَنا

وَيَومٌ نُساءُ وَيَومٌ نُسَر

For upon us is a day, and for us is a day,

And a day women, and a day men.