مِن شيمَةِ الدَهرِ إِعراضٌ وَإِقبالُ

فَما يَدومُ عَلى حالاتِهِ حالُ

It is the way of fate, to turn away and return,

Nothing lasts in its states, nothing at all,

وَكُلُّ شَيءٍ وإنٍ أَعيا لَهُ أَجَلٌ

يَقضي كَما تَنقَضي لِلناسِ آجالُ

And everything, though it seems eternal, has an end,

Passing away just as people's lives pass away.

بَينا تَكونُ رَحاءُ الحَربِ دائِرَةٌ

تَلقى الرِجالَ تَراها وَهي قِفالُ

While the wheels of war turn,

Men meet them, now open, now closed.

لِلشامِتينَ بِنا يَومٌ نَصولُ بِهِ

عَلَيهِمُ بِالأَماني مِثل ما صالوا

For those who gloat over our state, there will come a day

When we pounce on them with hopes, just as they pounced.

كَم أَحمِلُ الضَيمَ وَالأَهوالِ واحرَبا

مِن عَيشِهِ كُلّها ضَيمٌ وَأَهوالُ

How much blame and horrors I've borne,

Of his life, all is but blame and horrors.

ذَنبي إِلى الدَهرِ أَقوامٌ صَحِبتُهُم

أَنّى يَميلُ زَمان بِالفَتى مالوا

My sin against fate - people I befriended;

How could time favor a man they spurned?

كانَت مَحَبَّةُ قَلبي فيكُمُ مثلاً

وَاليَومَ تُضربُ بي في الحُبِّ أَمثالُ

My heart's love for you was an example;

Today in love examples are made of me.

لا أَبعَدَ اللَهُ أَيّاماً نَعِمتُ بِها

مُستَهتِراً في بُرودِ اللَهوِ أختالُ

God forbid the days when I lived at ease,

Lost in the coolness of play, heedless.

عَصرُ الشَبابِ مَواتٌ وَالهَوى أُمَمٌ

وَالكاشِحونَ عَنِ اللَذّاتِ غفّالُ

Youth is death, passion a nation,

And those who seek pleasures, forgetful.

آصالُ لَهوي وَأَسحاري لَها اِنصَرَمَت

فَلَيسَ لِيَ اليَومَ أَسحارٌ وَآصالُ

My nights of revelry and dawns have passed away;

No more nights and dawns for me today.

مَن ذا أُؤَمِّلُهُ هَيهاتَ يوعِدُني

بِالنَجحِ بَعدَهُم في الناسِ آمالُ

Who can I hope will promise me success among men?

Alas, after them among men, there is no hope.

بِالأَمنِ وَالمالِ بِعتُ الروحَ عِندَكُم

وَاصفَقة الغَبن لا أَمنٌ وَلا مالُ

For safety and wealth, I sold you my soul;

A losing deal - no safety, no wealth.

بِحُرمَةِ الوُدِّ وَالعَهد القَديم لَهُ

في سائِرِ الناسِ إِعظامٌ وَإِجلالُ

By the sanctity of love and ancient covenant,

You have, among all men, reverence and honor.

لا تَقطَعوا الحَبلَ ما بَيني وَبَينَكُم

إِنَّ الكَريمَ لِقَطعِ الحَبلِ وَصّالُ

Do not cut the cord between me and you -

The noble soul keeps cords bound.

لي حُرمَةُ الضَيفِ وَالجارِ القَديمِ وَمَن

ناداكُم وَكُهولُ الحَيِّ أَطفالُ

I have the rights of guest and old neighbor;

And those who called you in youth, children.