إِذا كَشَفَ الزَمانُ لَكَ القِناعا

وَمَدَّ إِلَيكَ صَرفُ الدَهرِ باعا

When time unveils its mask to you

And the turns of fate offer you their wares,

فَلا تَخشَ المَنيَّةَ وَاِلقَيَنها

وَدافِع ما اِستَطَعتَ لَها دِفاعا

Fear not death and its meeting,

Repel it as much as you're able.

وَلا تَختَر فِراشاً مِن حَريرٍ

وَلا تَبكِ المَنازِلَ وَالبِقاعا

Choose not a bed of silk,

Nor mourn the houses and lands.

وَحَولَكَ نِسوَةٌ يَندُبنَ حُزناً

وَيَهتِكنَ البَراقِعَ وَاللِفاعا

Women around you wail in sorrow

As they rend their veils and gowns.

يَقولُ لَكَ الطَبيبُ دَواكَ عِندي

إِذا ما جَسَّ كَفَّكَ وَالذِراعا

The doctor tells you "I have your cure at hand

If you extend your palm and arm."

وَلَو عَرَفَ الطَبيبُ دَواءَ داءٍ

يَرُدُّ المَوتَ ما قاسى النِزاعا

If the doctor knew a cure for illness

That could defy the grip of death,

وَفي يَومِ المَصانِعِ قَد تَرَكنا

لَنا بِفِعالِنا خَبَراً مُشاعا

On the day we come to our maker,

Our deeds will speak of what we were.

أَقَمنا بِالذَوابِلِ سوقَ حَربٍ

وَصَيَّرنا النُفوسَ لَهَ مَتاعا

We set up in this life a market of war,

And made souls into merchandise.

حِصاني كانَ دَلّالَ المَنايا

فَخاضَ غُبارَها وَشَرى وَباعَ

My steed was a broker of death,

Who charged through its dust, buying and selling.

وَسَيفي كانَ في الهَيجا طَبيباً

يُداوي رَأسَ مَن يَشكو الصُداعا

My sword in battle was a healer

Who cured the headache of him who complained.

أَنا العَبدُ الَّذي خُبِّرتَ عَنهُ

وَقَد عايَنتَني فَدَعِ السَماعا

I am the slave you've heard of,

And now that you see me, cease your hearing.

وَلَو أَرسَلتُ رُمحي مَع جَبانٍ

لَكانَ بِهَيبَتي يَلقى السِباعا

Had I sent my spear along with a coward

My awe would make him face lions.

مَلَأتُ الأَرضَ خَوفاً مِن حُسامي

وَخَصمي لَم يَجِد فيها اِتِّساعا

I filled the earth with dread of my blade,

And my foe found no breadth in it to spread.

إِذا الأَبطالُ فَرَّت خَوفَ بَأسي

تَرى الأَقطارَ باعاً أَو ذِراعا

When champions flee from my might

You see the horizons shrink to yards or arms.