قف بالديار ولا تحفل بذي عذل

وقل سلام على أيامنا الأول

Stand among the abodes and pay no heed to the blamer,

And say, "Peace be upon our early days."

لهفي عليها وإن ضاقت بما رحبت

واسترجعت صفوها منا على عجل

I yearn for them, though they narrowed with what they had expanded,

And regained their clarity from us in haste.

لهفي عليها وإن طارت بها حنقا

عنقاء مغرب فانقضت على الأمل

I yearn for them, though they flew away in rancor,

A proud darkening sunset that swooped down on hope.

لهفي عليها وإن دارت دوائرها

في القوم حتى تقاعسنا عن العمل

I yearn for them, though their cycles turned

Among the people until we were remiss in deed.

لهفي عليها وإن سالت محاجرنا

حتى تشوفت للباقي من البلل

I yearn for them, though our eyelids flowed

Until the remnants of tears were exhausted.

لهفي عليها وإن نادت معالمها

ولا مصيخ لمن نادى من الدول

I yearn for them, though their landmarks called out,

While none who called out from the nations had good hearing.

هي الليالي كمثل النحل لاسعة

واللسع قيمة ما تعطيه من عسل

They are nights like busy bees,

Whose sting is the price of the honey they give.

الدهر يومان والأيام منصفة

وكل شيء فمحدود إلى أجل

Fate is two days, and the days are fair,

And everything is limited to an appointed term.

فاصبر ولا تلم الدنيا على عمل

فما تصاريفها إلا من الأزل

So be patient and do not blame the world for deed,

For its changes are only from fate.

واردد لك الصدر من قولي على عجز

قف بالديار ولا تحفل بذي عذل

And I repeat at the end of my words in weakness,

"Stand among the abodes and pay no heed to the blamer."