فرشوها لآلئاً ونُضارا

ثمّ قالوا هذي الطريقُ فسارا

They covered it with pearls and freshness

Then they said, "This is the way," so they walked

لا تلوموهُ غَرَّهُ الوصفُ حتَّى

فاتهُ أنْ قضى سواهُ اغترارا

Do not blame him, the description deceived him until

It missed that he had fulfilled his delusion

رُبَّ سعدٍ يجيءُ للمرء عفواً

وشقاءٍ لكلن يجيءُ اضظرارا

There is many a happiness that comes to a person spontaneously

And misery that comes to everyone forcibly

طمعٌ في النفوس أن يحسب المر

ء طريق الغنى تكون اختصارا

A greed in the souls that the person thinks

The way of wealth will be a shortcut

وفسادٌ في الرأي أن لا يُرينا

الوهمُ إلاّ سعادةً ويسارا

And a corruption in opinion that does not show us

Illusion except happiness and ease

شهدوها في الغربِ تبني قصوراً

مَا رأوها في الغربِ تمحو ديارا

They witnessed it in the West building palaces

They did not see it in the West erasing homes

غرَّهم ظاهرُ البها فتعامَوا

عن قبيحٍ تحت البهاء توارى

Deceived them the outward beauty so they were inattentive

To an ugliness that hid under the beauty

وأتونا بها وقد عرَّبوها

فقرأنا فيها الشقا والبوارا

And they brought it to us and had Arabized it

So we read in it misery and affliction

إنَّ في بعض مَا اقتبسنا من الغر

بِ كمالاً وإن في البعض عارا

Verily, in some of what we borrowed from the West

There is perfection, and in some disgrace

فخلعنا التمدُّنَ الحقَّ عنّا

ولبسنا التمدنَ المستعارا

So we took off civilization the truth about us

And we wore civilization the borrowed

يا ابنة الغربِ حجّبي وجهَكِ الكا

لحَ عنِّي وأَوسعيني نفارا

O daughter of the West, veil your cheek that is

Repulsive from me and give me aversion

واستُري ذلكَ الجمالَ المُدَاجي

وامنعي ذلك البها الغرّارا

And conceal that beauty that is falsely obtained

And forbid that deceiving splendor

قبَّحَ اللُه كلَّ حسنٍ يحليك

ولو كانَ يُخجلُ الأقمارا

May God make ugly any beauty that adorns you

Even if it shames the moons

يا ابنةً الغربِ مَلّقي الناسَ مهما

شئتِ واستلفتي لك الأنظارا

O daughter of the West, flirt with people whatever

You want and attract eyes to you

فصعودٌ طوراً وطوراً هبوطٌ

لعنَ الله هذهِ الأسعارا

So ascending for a while and descending for a while

Cursed by God these prices

كان ما كان بيننا وتقضّى

فاغربي اليومَ لا وُقيتِ العثارا

What was between us has been fulfilled

So emigrate today, do not wait for regret

ربِّ هل كانَ مثلَ حظَي حظٌّ

لبسَ الليلَ في الحياةِ شعارا

My Lord, has there been a fate like my fate

That wore the night in life as a motto

أفأسعى وراءَ زقيَ دهراً

وألاقي في لحظتينِ الدمارا

Shall I strive after sustenance a lifetime

And find in two moments destruction

زادُ شيخوختي جناهُ شبابي

ضاع لكنْ في النفسِ أبقى شرارا

The injustice of my old age increased the wrongdoing of my youth

It was lost, but in the soul remains an ember

طائرٌ كانَ في يميني فلما

ملقوهُ غنّى قليلاً وطارا

A bird that was on my right so when

They shot it, it sang a little and flew away

أيُّها الناسُ حكمة من شقيٍ

زاده البؤْسُ في الزمان اختبارا

O people, wisdom from a miserable one

Misery in time increased his experience

إنَّ هذي التي تسمُّون بورصة

فتغُّر الأبكارَ والأبصارا

Verily this that you call the stock exchange

Deceives the chaste and sights

هي أفعى رقطاءُ لا تقربوها

وهي نارٌ تكوي حذارِ النارا

It is a spotted snake, do not go near it

And it is a fire that burns, beware of the fire