دنيايَ ناشِزَةٌ فإن فارَقتُهَا

طوعاً وإلا فارقَتْنِي كارِهَا

My stubborn life, if I leave it willingly

Or else it will leave me unwillingly

إنّا لَنُنْكِرُ سوءَ عاقبةِ الورَى

فيها ونَهْوَاها على إِنكارها

We surely deny the evil consequence of fate

In it, and disapprove it in denial

كلٌّ بها كَلِفٌ ومن يزهدْ يكُنْ

في زُهْدِهِ متكلِّفاً مُتَكارها

Everyone in it feels burdened, and whoever detaches

In their detachment is pretentious and reluctant

أَذْكَرتُ نَفْسي مَصْرَع الآباءِ مِنْ

قَبْلي فَمَا أَصْغَتْ إلى إِذْكَارِهَا

I reminded myself of my forefathers' death

Before me, but it did not listen to my reminder

وعجِبْتُ منها كَيفَ لم يَجْرِ الذِي

خُلِقَتْ لهُ يَوْماً عَلى أَفْكَارِهَا

And I wondered at it, how has it not flowed

For that which it was created one day in its thoughts

والمَوتُ إن لم يأتِ في إِمْسائها

وافَى معَ الإِصْباح في إِبْكَارِهَا

And if death does not come at nightfall

It meets at dawn in its blossoming

وأمَامَها السَّفَرُ البَعيدُ وقَطْعُهُ

بِالبِرِّ لا بِقُرومِها وبِكَارِها

And ahead of it is the long journey, traversing it

With righteousness, not with its food or its vehicles

والدَّهرُ يَطْرقُ بالخطوبِ وما لَنَا

بعَوانِها أَيْدٌ ولا أَبْكارِها

And time stalks with calamities, and we have

No hands against its helpers, no riders against them

والتُرْبُ أوكارُ الأنامِ وكُلُّنَا

كالطَّيرِ رائحةً إلى أَوْكارِها

And dust are the burrows of mankind, and all of us

Are birds flying towards their burrows