دَهَتني صُروفُ الدَهرِ وَاِنتَشَبَ الغَدرُ

وَمَن ذا الَّذي في الناسِ يَصفو لَهُ الدَهرُ

Time's vicissitudes have confused me, and betrayal has taken root,

And who is there amongst people whom time treats purely?

وَكَم طَرَقَتني نَكبَةٌ بَعدَ نَكبَةٍ

فَفَرَّجتُها عَنّي وَما مَسَّني ضُرُّ

And how many misfortunes have befallen me, one after another,

I overcame them, and harm never touched me,

وَلَولا سِناني وَالحُسامُ وَهِمَّتي

لَما ذُكِرَت عَبسٌ وَلا نالَها فَخرُ

Were it not for my teeth and sword and my determination,

The Abs would not have been mentioned nor gained pride,

بَنَيتُ لَهُم بَيتاً رَفيعاً مِنَ العُلا

تَخُرُّ لَهُ الجَوزاءُ وَالفَرغُ وَالغَفرُ

I built them a lofty abode of glory,

To which the locust, hoopoe and pard bow down,

وَها قَد رَحَلتُ اليَومَ عَنهُم وَأَمرُنا

إِلى مَن لَهُ في خَلقِهِ النَهيُ وَالأَمرُ

And now today I depart from them while our matter

Is to Him to whom belongs, in His creation, prohibition and command

سَيَذكُرُني قَومي إِذا الخَيلُ أَقبَلَت

وَفي اللَيلَةِ الظَلماءِ يُفتَقَدُ البَدرُ

My people will remember me when horses charge,

And on a dark night the full moon is missed,

يَعيبونَ لَوني بِالسَوادِ جَهالَةً

وَلَولا سَوادُ اللَيلِ ما طَلَعَ الفَجرُ

They fault my colour as black out of ignorance,

And were it not for night's darkness, dawn would not rise,

وَإِن كانَ لَوني أَسوَداً فَخَصائِلي

بَياضٌ وَمِن كَفَّيَّ يُستَنزَلُ القَطرُ

And if my colour be dark, my qualities are white,

And from my palms descends the falling rain,

مَحَوتُ بِذِكري في الوَرى ذِكرَ مَن مَضى

وَسُدتُ فَلا زَيدٌ يُقالُ وَلا عَمروُ

I have erased the memory of those who passed away,

And I blocked up the pass, no Zayd and no Amr are talked about.