انظر إلى لَعِبِ الزَّمانِ بأهلِهِ

فكأنَّهم وكأنَّهُ أحلامُ

Look at the plays of time with its people

As if they and as if it were dreams

قد كانَ كَفِّي مألفاً لمهنَّدٍ

تُعرَى القلوبُ له وتُفرى الهَامُ

My palm was once a habitat for a lover

Hearts are bare for him and thoughts are uncovered

ولأسْمرٍ لدْنِ الكعوبِ وِجارُهُ

حيثُ استَمَرَّ الفكرُ والأوهامُ

And for a brown one, with supple calves, his neighbor

Where thoughts and fantasies persisted

تَتَزايلُ الأبطالُ عَنّي مثلَما

نَفَرت من الأَسدِ الهَصُورِ نَعامُ

The heroes disappear from me just as

Ostriches fled from the lion, in alarm

فرَجَعتُ أحملُ بعد سبعينَ العصَا

فاعْجبْ لما تأتِي بهِ الأيَّامُ

So I returned, carrying my staff after seventy

Be amazed at what days bring

وإذا الحِمامُ أبى مُعاجلَةَ الفتى

فحياتُهُ لا تُكْذَبنَّ حِمامُ

And if the dove refuses to heal the young man

Then his life will not be deemed a dove