يا دَهرُ يا صاحِبَ الفَجيعاتِ
في كُلِّ يَومٍ تُسيءُ مَرّاتِ
O fate, O friend of calamities
Each day you bring distress repeatedly
يا دَهرُ إِنَّ القَومَ الأُلى شَحَطَت
بِهِم نَوىً أَكثَروا مُصيباتي
O fate, my dear people were carried off
By misfortune though they increased my sorrows
حَرَّمتُ مِن بَعدِهِم مَسيرَ يَدي
إِلى فَمي شارِباً بِكاساتِ
After them I forbade my hand
From bringing a cup to my lips
وَأَن أُرى ضاحِكاً إِلى أَحَدٍ
إِلّا بِقَلبٍ جَمِّ الكَآباتِ
And that I see anyone laughing
Except with a heart full of sadness
ما زالَ صَرفُ الزَمانِ يَقسِمُنا
عَلى المَسَرّاتِ وَالمَساءاتِ
The wheel of time continues to divide us
Between joys and sorrows
مالي إِذا قُلتُ قَد ظَفِرتُ بِإِخ
وانٍ أَرى فيهِمُ مَحَبّاتِ
What good is it if I say I found
Brothers I see affection in them
شَتَّتَهُم حادِثٌ فَأَفرَدَني
مِنهُم وَكانَ مُشتاقَ لَحَظاتي
An event scattered them leaving me
Without them though I longed for their company
يا شَملَ قَلبِيَ لِلَّهوِ بَعدَهُمُ
حَتّى أَراهُم فَذاكَ ميقاتي
O desires of my heart after them
Until I see them again that is my appointed time
عَسى أُرَجّي رُجوعَ غايَتِهِم
فَكَيفَ لا كَيفَ بِأَمواتِ
Perhaps I hope for the return of their absence
How not, how with the dead
قَد كُنتُ أَبكي أَهلَ المَوَدّاتِ
فَصِرتُ أَبكي أَهلَ المُروءاتِ
I used to cry for the people of affection
I came to cry for the people of integrity
خُلِّفتُ في شَرِّ عُصبَةٍ خُلِقَت
أَثكَلَنيها رَبُّ السَماواتِ
I was left among the worst of mobs created
May the Lord of the heavens forsake them
كِلابُ حَيٍّ إِذا حَضَرتُ فَإِن
غِبتُ فُواقاً فَأُسدُ غاباتِ
Living dogs when I attend but
If I am absent ruthless lions of the jungles
إِن أودِعوا السِرَّ ضَيَّعوهُ وَلا
يُغضونَ طَرفاً عَنِ الجِناياتِ
If they safeguard a secret they lose it and do not
Turn their eyes away from crimes
وَإِن أَرَدتَ اِنتِهاكَ عِرضِكَ فَاِر
دُدهُمُ يُعذَروا لِحاجاتِ
And if you want to violate your honor then beware
They justify it for their needs
يَلقَونَ ذا الفَقرِ بِالقُطوبِ وَذا ال
وَفرِ بِلَبَّيكَ وَالتَحِيّاتِ
They meet the poor with harshness and the
Rich with greetings and salutations
فَهُم لَها لا لِدَفعِ نائِبَةٍ
يَومَ اِفتِقارٍ إِلى المَوَدّاتِ
It is for the latter not to ward off adversity
On a day of need for affections
كُلٌّ عَلى مَن يُريدُ نَفعَهُمُ
لَكِنَّهُم مِنهُ في جِناياتِ
Each one intends benefit for those
He wants but they are in his crimes
