قَسَمَ الزَّمانَ عَلى البِلادِ وَلَم يَقُم

للوَقت يَرصُدُهُ وَيَحسُبُ بِاليَدِ

Time divided the countries and did not stand

To watch it and count it with the hand

لما حَوى الرُّومَ الشِّتاءُ رَمى بِها

عرضَ الفِجاجِ إِلى المغارِ الأَبعَدِ

When winter took Rome, it threw it

To the breadth of the crevices, to the farthest cave

يَأوي إِلى قُطْبِ الجَنُوبِ إِذا شَتا

وَيَصيفُ حينَ يَصيفُ تَحتَ الفَرقَدِ

It takes refuge in the south pole when it wishes

And spends summer when summer is under the quilt

نِعمَ الخَليفَةُ لِلرَّعِيَّةِ مَن إِذا

رَقَدَت وَطابَ لَها الكَرى لَم يَرقُدِ

How good the caliph is to the flock, who when

They fell asleep and rest came to them, he did not sleep