ما أَخشنَ الدَّهرَ على لينهِ

وأَخدعَ المرءَ بتلوينِه

How cruel time can be in its gentleness,

And how it deceives man with its changes,

ينقُل الإِنسانَ من عِزِّه

أَسْرَعَ ما كان إِلى هُونِه

It moves man from his glory,

To his abasement with utmost speed.

ويفجأُ المرَ بتحريكه

أَوْثَقَ ما كان بتسكِينهِ

And it surprises man by stirring him,

When he feels most secure in its tranquility.

ولا يساوِي بعْضَ تقبيحِه

إِلى البرايا كُلُّ تحسِينهِ

And none of its vileness equals,

Any of its adornment to the wilds.

كلُّ بني الدنيا يُرَى جائراً

تخْييرُهُ علَّةُ تَجْبِينِه

All the people of this world are seen as unjust,

The cause of their injustice being their human weakness.

وأَشْكَلَ الأَمْرُ إِلى أَنْ غَدا

إِشكالُه غايَةَ تَبْيِينِه

And the matter has become so confusing,

That its confusion has become clarification.

وإِن للأَلْبابِ لو فكَّرَتْ

سِتْراً يَشِفُّ الحقُّ من دُونِه

If minds reflect, they find,

A veil through which truth appears.

من ذا الذي أَدْرَكَ تأمِيلهُ

مِنْ دَعَةِ الدْهرِ وتأْمِينه

Who has ever grasped his desires,

From the submissiveness and security of time?

ما أُمِنَتْ منه سُطاهُ على

أَمينهِ الماضي ومأَمونهِ

It was never safe from its tyranny,

For one who trusted its past and present.

إِنَّا إِلى اللهِ بشخصٍ مَضَى

حفاظُه غايةُ تَهْجِينهِ

We belong to Allah through one who passed away,

Guarding him being the goal of its humiliation.

قد وفَّر الأَجْرَ على أَهْلِه

توفيرَ راضِي الحُكْمِ مَغْبُونِهِ

He has granted the reward to his people,

Like one whose judgment makes the contented aggrieved.

وإِنَّهُ أَبكى على فَقْدِه

عيونَ حُورِ الخُلْد مَع عِيْنِهِ

He made the eyes of the immortal Houri weep over his loss,

Along with his own eyes.

واختارَ حُجْبَ التُّربِ من رَغبةٍ

في سَتْره عنَّا وتَصْوِينِهِ

And he chose the veil of dust out of a desire,

To conceal himself from us and be isolated.

وكُلُّ قلبٍ واجِدٌ بَعْدَه

كأَنَّه في عِقْدِ تِسْعِينه

And every heart after him,

Is as if bound with chains.

وكُلُّ طَرْفٍ صَارَ مَبذُولَهُ

مالم يَزَلْ يُسْمَى بمَخْزُونِه

And every eye whose possession he was,

Has now become offered for free.

يا سيِّداً يدعوه خِلٌّ له

دُعاءَ باكي العين محزونِهِ

O Master, called Khall by a friend of his,

With the prayer of one with tearful, grieving eyes.

تعزَّ أَو قابِلْ حفاظاً ولا

تستقبلْ الخَطْبَ بِتَهْوِينهِ

Be patient or accept those who guard you,

And do not face this calamity with weakness.

ولا تَلُمْ دَمْعَكَ في سَكْبِه

فإِنَّه وافاك في حِينهِ

Do not blame your flowing tears,

For they have come to you at the right time.

فسيّدُ الخلق بكى عمَّهُ

ولم يَكُنْ قطُّ على دينهِ

The Master of creation wept for his uncle,

Yet he was never deficient in his faith.