1. إساءاتٌ وإحسانٌ

    وإعطاءٌ وحِرمانُ

    Ill treatment and kindness,

    And giving and deprivation,

  2. ونقضٌ ثمّ إبرامٌ

    وسرٌّ ثمّ إعلانُ

    And unbinding, then binding,

    And secrecy, then disclosure.

  3. فكْم ذا أيها الدّهر

    زياداتٌ ونقصانُ

    How long is this, O Time—

    Increase and decrease?

  4. ولِمْ أنتَ لمن عاهد

    تَ أوْ عاقدتَ خَوّانُ

    And why, to those you have pledged to

    Or covenanted with, are you treacherous?

  5. فَلا وصلُك مَوصولٌ

    ولا هجرُك هِجرانُ

    Your bond is not sustained,

    Nor is your parting a true parting.

  6. فمن تكسوه عُريانٌ

    ومَن تسقيه ظمآنُ

    Whoever you clothe is naked,

    And whoever you give drink to is thirsty.

  7. ومَن يرجوك محرومٌ

    ومن يعروك أَسوانُ

    And whoever hopes in you is denied,

    And whoever approaches you is sorrowful.

  8. ومَنْ تُدْينهِ أوْ تَهْدِي

    ه مُقْصىً ثمّ حَيْرانُ

    And whoever you draw near or guide

    Is cast away, then bewildered.

  9. مضى شِيبٌ إلى المَوْت

    كما شاءَ وشُبّانُ

    The grey-haired have gone to death,

    As it willed, and the young too.

  10. ولمّا يُغنِ أنصارٌ

    من الموتِ وأعوانُ

    And supporters have not availed

    Against death, nor helpers,

  11. ولا جاهٌ ولا مالٌ

    ولا عزٌّ وسلطانُ

    Nor rank, nor wealth,

    Nor might and power,

  12. ولا قومٌ لَهمْ في قل

    لَةِ العلياءِ بُنيانُ

    Nor a people who have, on the summit

    Of eminence, an edifice.

  13. وما يبقى من النّاس

    على الأيّامِ إِنسانُ

    And among humankind there remains,

    Through the days, not one person.

  14. ألا أين بهاليلٌ

    عهدناهمْ وغُرّانُ

    Ah, where are the magnanimous ones

    We knew, and the radiant nobles?

  15. عُراةٌ من لباسِ العا

    رِ ما خانوا ولا مانوا

    Bare of the garment of shame,

    They neither betrayed nor lied.

  16. رؤوسٌ وجميعُ النّا

    سِ أجسادٌ وأبدانُ

    They were heads, while all other people

    Were bodies and frames.

  17. لَهمْ في أَزَماتِ العُس

    رِ إطعامٌ وضِيفانُ

    Amid the crises of hardship, they had

    Food to give and guests to feed.

  18. وأَوطانُهُمُ للجو

    دِ والإنعامِ أوطانُ

    And their homelands were the abodes

    Of generosity and bounty.

  19. قَضى كِسرى وقد سِيق

    إلى الأحداثِ خاقانُ

    Kisra perished; and driven

    Into calamity was Khaqan.

  20. ولم يبقَ لنا عَدنا

    نُ في باقٍ وقحطانُ

    And Adnan has not remained for us

    Among the survivors, nor has Qahtan.

  21. وطاحتْ عنهمُ بالمو

    تِ أطواقٌ وتيجانُ

    And through death there fell from them

    Necklaces and crowns,

  22. وأحراسٌ وآناسٌ

    وولدانٌ وندمانُ

    And guards and companions,

    And young attendants and boon companions,

  23. وأفراسٌ لَهنّ السُّمْ

    رُ في الهيجاء أرْسانُ

    And horses for whom the brown lances

    Were reins in the tumult of battle,

  24. وسُمْرٌ من سَبايا الخط

    طِ تعلوهنّ خُرصانُ

    And brown lances from the captives of al-Khatt,

    With spearheads rising above them,

  25. وأسيافٌ لَهنّ الهْا

    مُ أغمادٌ وأجفانُ

    And swords for which heads

    Were sheaths and scabbards,

  26. وزوْراءٌ لغيرِ الثَّكْ

    لِ بالأهلين مِرْنانُ

    And a curved bow that, without mourning

    For lost kin, rang aloud.

  27. فقلْ يا صاحبَ الإيوا

    نِ لم ينجِك إيوانُ

    So say, O master of the Iwan:

    No Iwan saved you.

  28. ومَن بات على غُمدا

    نَ ماذا ردّ غُمدانُ

    And whoever spent the night upon Ghumdan—

    What did Ghumdan fend off?

  29. وقد خفّ الأُلى كان

    لَهمْ كالخِيسِ خَفّانُ

    And departed are those for whom

    Khaffan was like a lion's thicket.

  30. وزالتْ نعمٌ غُودِرْ

    نَ يحويهنّ نَعْمانُ

    And bounties vanished, left behind,

    With Nu'man holding them within.

  31. وقد ذلّ وقد كان

    محلَّ العزِّ نَجْرانُ

    And humbled—though once it was

    The seat of glory—is Najran.

  32. ألا إنّ ذوي الأموا

    لِ للوُرّاثِ خُزّانُ

    Indeed, those who possess wealth

    Are treasurers for the heirs.

  33. تعامَيْنا وكلّ النّا

    س في ذي الدّار عُمْيانُ

    We have feigned blindness, and all people

    In this abode are blind.

  34. ونودينا ولكنْ أي

    ن أسماعٌ وآذانُ

    We have been called, but where

    Are hearing and ears?

  35. فكمْ ذا نبتغي الرِّبْح

    وبعضُ الرّبحُ خُسرانُ

    How long shall we seek gain,

    When some gain is loss?

  36. وما ننجو وباغينا

    سريعُ الخَطْوِ غَرْثانُ

    And we do not escape, while our pursuer

    Is swift of step and ravenous.

  37. ولا خُلْدَ وَطرْفُ المو

    تِ للأحياءِ يَقْظانُ

    There is no immortality, and death's eye

    Keeps watch upon the living.

  38. وفي دارِ الأُلى كانوا

    وبادوا نحن سُكّانُ

    And in the abode of those who once lived

    And perished, we now dwell.

  39. أتاني والفتى يأتي

    ه همٌّ وهْوَ جَذْلانُ

    There came to me—and a young man is visited

    By sorrow while he is joyful—

  40. نعيٌّ أنَا من جرّا

    هُ بالأحزانِ ملآنُ

    News of death, on account of which I

    Am filled with grief.

  41. كأنّي خَبَلاً منه

    وما بي السُّكْرُ سكرانُ

    As though, deranged by it,

    I were drunk, though no intoxication is in me.

  42. ذوى غصنٌ من الأصحا

    بِ والأصحابُ أغصانُ

    A branch among my companions withered,

    And companions are branches.

  43. ولم يُغنِ الّذي يُغني

    هِ أهلونَ وإخوانُ

    Nor did the help avail

    That kinsfolk and brothers gave him.

  44. وإنْ تمضي ففي قلبي

    عليك الدّهرَ نيرانُ

    And though you pass away, in my heart

    Fires burn for you forever.

  45. وإنْ بنتَ فما أنتَ

    كقومٍ بالرّدى بانوا

    And though you have departed, you are not

    Like people who departed through death.

  46. وإن سُلِّيتُ ما عندي

    لمُسلٍ عنك سُلوانُ

    Even if I am offered comfort, I have

    No solace from anyone who would console me for you.

  47. ولي مِن بعدِ فِقداني

    ك للسّرّاءِ فِقدانُ

    And after my loss

    Of you, I have lost all joy.

  48. وما للقلبِ أفراحٌ

    ولا للغمضِ أجفانُ

    The heart has no joys,

    Nor are there eyelids for slumber.

  49. سقى قبرك هطّالٌ

    من الأنواءِ هتّانُ

    May a downpour water your grave,

    Pouring steadily from the rain-bearing stars.

  50. له في الصّبحِ والإمسا

    ءِ إرزامٌ وإرْنانُ

    At dawn and evening it has

    Rumbling and resounding peals.

  51. ولا زالَ به رَوْحٌ

    تلقّاه وريحانُ

    And may there always be repose there

    For you to receive, and fragrant herbs,

  52. وغفرانٌ عن الإجرا

    مِ إِنْ كانتْ ورضوانُ

    And forgiveness for sins,

    If there were any, and divine favor.

  53. فقد كنتَ من القومِ

    لهمْ باللَّه إيمانُ

    For you were among the people

    Who have faith in God,

  54. وإيقانٌ إذا شكَّ

    أُولو الشكّ وإِذْعانُ

    And certainty when

    The doubters doubt, and submission.

  55. وقد والَيْتَ مَن في عَرْ

    صَةِ البعثِ لهمْ شانُ

    And you were loyal to those who, in the arena

    Of resurrection, have high standing,

  56. وإنعامٌ على الموْلى

    إِذا شاؤوا وإحسانُ

    And bestow favors upon their follower,

    And kindness, whenever they choose.

  57. فكن يوم نشور الخَلْ

    قِ فيهمْ حيثما كانوا

    So be, on the day creation rises,

    Among them, wherever they are.