سَلَوتُ عَنِ الدَهرِ الَّذي كانَ مُعجِباً

وَمِثلُ الَّذي قَد كانَ مِن دَهرِنا يُسلي

I asked about the days of old that were so wondrous,

And the like of which have passed in our time,

وَأَيقَنتُ أَنّي لا مَحالَةُ مَيِّتٌ

فَمُتَّبِعٌ آثارَ مَن قَد خَلا قَبلي

And I knew for sure that I will inevitably die,

So I follow in the footsteps of those who went before me.

وَأَنّي الَّذي لا بَدَّ أَن سَيُصيبُهُ

حِمامُ المَنايا مِن وَفاةٍ وَمِن قَتلِ

And I who must inevitably be struck

By the blows of death, whether gently or violently.

فَما أَنا بِالباقي وَلا الدَهرُ فَاِعلَمي

بِراضٍ بِما قَد كانَ أَذهَبَ مِن عَقلي

So I am not remaining, nor is time to blame.

Be content with what had addled my mind.

وَلا مُنصِفي يَوماً فَأُدرِكَ عِندَهُ

مَظالِمَهُ عِندي وَلا تارِكاً أَكلي

It will not make me just one day so I would find in it

Its injustices against me or leaving me hungry.

وَأَينَ أَخِلّائي الَّذينَ عَهِدتُهُم

وَكُلُّهُمُ قَد كانَ في غِبطَةٍ مِثلي

And where are my dear friends whom I was accustomed to,

While all of them were in a bliss like mine?

دَعَتهُم مَقاديرٌ فَأَصبَحتُ بَعدَهُم

بَقِيَّةُ دَهرٍ لَيسَ يُسبَقُ بِالذَحلِ

Fates called them and after them I remained

A remnant of a lifetime that does not withstand aridity.

بَلَوتُ مِنَ الدَهرِ الَّذي فيهِ واعِظٌ

وَجارَيتُ بِالنُعمى وَطالَبتُ بِالتَبلِ

I experienced from time things I should be preached about

And I sought blessings and asked to be tested.

وَجُرِّبتُ عِندَ المُضلِعاتِ فَلَم أَكُن

ضَريعَ زَمانٍ لا أُمِرَّ وَلا أُحلي

And when calamities happened, I was not

As a loving son of a time that does not command or make cheerful.

وَبَيداءُ تَغتالُ المَطِيَّ قَطَعتُها

بِرَكّابِ هَولٍ لَيسَ بِالعاجِزِ الوَغلِ

And the open country that kills the rider, I crossed it

With a riding beast not crippled or stumbling.

إِذا الأَرضُ سَدَّتها الهَواجِرُ وَاِرتَدَت

مُلاءَ سَمومٍ لَم يُسَدَّينَ بِالغَزلِ

When the land closes its burrows, I returned

Wearing the garments of poisons not pierced.

وَكانَ الَّذي يَبدو لَنا مِن سَرابِها

فُضولُ سُيولِ البَحرِ مِن مائِهِ الضَحلِ

And what appears to us from its mirage

Is the floods of the sea from its shallow water.

وَيَدعو القَطا فيها القَطا فَيُجيبُهُ

تَوائِمُ أَطفالٍ مِنَ السَبسَبِ المَحلِ

And the male partridge calls out the female in it, so she answers him

With twins of chicks from the finely scattered foreground.

دَوارِجُ أَخلَفنَ الشَكيرَ كَأَنَّما

جَرى في مَآقيها مَراوِدُ مِن كُحلِ

Young pigeons left the chickpea plant as if

In its watering places flew decisive kohl.