أَيّها الغافِلُ كم هَذا الهجوعُ
أعلنَ الدَّاعيِ فهل أنتَ سَميعُ
O heedless one, for how long will you turn away?
The caller has made his call, are you not hearing?
أنت عَمّا هو آتٍ غافلٌ
وكأَنْ قد فاجأَ الخطبُ الفَظيعُ
You are oblivious to what is coming,
As if the terrible news has caught you unawares.
نحن فرْعٌ لأصولٍ ذَهبتْ
كم تُرى من بَعدِها تبقى الفُروعُ
We are branches whose roots have gone,
How many branches remain after they perish?
وزُروعٌ للمنايا حُصِدَتْ
بيَدَيْها قبلَنَا مِنَّا زُروعُ
And crops for death that were harvested
By its hands before us from among us were crops.
بادِرِ الخَوفَ وقَدِّم صالحاً
ما لِمَن مات إلى الدُّنيا رُجوعُ
Show fear and do good deeds,
What return is there for one who died to this world?
نحن سَفْرٌ سارَ مِنّا سلَفٌ
وعَلى آثارِهم يَمضي الجميعُ
We are a journey, predecessors travelled on,
And after their tracks the rest proceed.
وإلى المورِدِ ميعادُهُمُ
يلتقي فيه بطيءٌ وسريعُ
To the destined watering place is their appointment,
Where slow and swift meet.
أُمّنَا الدُّنيا رَقوبٌ يستوي
عندَها في الفقدِ كَهلٌ ورضيعُ
Our mother, this world, is a saddle, equal before her
In loss are elderly and infant.
ما رأيْنا ثاكلاً مِنْ قَبْلها
مالَها في إثْرِ مفقودٍ دُموعُ
Never have we seen a mourner for her loss,
For one departed she has no tears.
كلُّنَا منها ومنّا كلُّها
فهيَ لا تشبعُ أوْ نحنُ صَريعُ
We are all from her and she is all from us,
Neither does she satisfy, or we lie vanquished.
بئستِ الأمُّ رَمَتْ أولادَها
برزاياها ألا بِئْسَ الصَّنيعُ
Evil is the mother who cast her children away,
By her finery! Evil is such work.
ما هناهُم فوقَها نَومُهُمُ
فهُمُ فيها إلى الحشرِ هُجوعُ
Not rousing them above her is their sleep,
In it till the resurrection they toss and turn.
أبداً تجفو علينا ولَنا
نحوَهَا الدّهرَ حنينٌ ونزوعُ
She is forever harsh to us, and we toward her,
Have yearning and inclination all our days.
هي ليلَي والوَرى أجمعُهم
قَيسُها كلٌّ بها صبٌّ وَلوعُ
She is my night, and all people altogether,
Each has measured her - ecstasy or agony.
جِدَّ يا مطلوبُ من جدَّ نَجا
إنَّ ذا الطّالِبَ مِدراكٌ تَبوعُ
Strive, O sought one, strive with true striving,
The seeker will attain the pursued.
ليس يُنْجي الجحفلُ الجَرّارُ مِن
يدهِ الطُولى ولا الحِصنُ المنيعُ
Neither mighty entourage nor impregnable fortress
Saves from His death-grip or His irresistible decree.
يأخذُ السلطانَ ذا الجمعِ فَلا
يدفعُ السلطانُ عنه والجموعُ
He seizes the empowered sultan, who has no power
To defend himself or the crowds around him.
ليسَ يَرعى حرمةَ الجارِ ولا
يُنقذُ الشّاسِعَ في البُعدِ الشُّسُوعُ
He spares no neighbor, nor saves the far-wandering,
On distant rugged hills.
ما معَ السَّبعينَ تسويفٌ فلا
يخدعَنْكَ الأملُ الواهي الخَدوعُ
Do not be deluded by weak, false hopes,
In your seventies, no delays remain.
قد تحمّلْتَ على ضعفِك مِن
ثِقْل أوزارِك ما لا تَستطيعُ
You have borne in your weakness the heavy burden
Of sins beyond your capacity to bear.
وتَقضَّتْ عنك أيّامُ الصِّبا
وعلى مفرقِكَ الشَّيبُ الشَّنيعُ
The days of your youth have passed you by
And despicable old age is upon your temples.
ثمَّ أفضَتْ مدّةُ الشَّيبِ إلى
هرمٍ يَعقُبه الموتُ الذّريعُ
Then the period of old age led to decrepit senility,
Which is followed by swift-coming death.
صوَّحَ المرعَى فماذا تَرتجي
بعد ما صوَّح مَرْعاك المَريعُ
The pasture was emptied, so what do you expect
After the pasture of your life is empty?
هل تَرى إلاّ هشيماً ذاويا
تجْتويهِ العينُ إن ولَّى الرَّبيعُ
Do you see anything left but withered remnants
Scorched as the spring disappears?
