أرَى نوبَ الأيَّام تَجني ولا أرَى

أرَى نوبَ الأيَّام تَجني ولا أرَى

من النَّاسِ من يَعدُو عَليها إِذا تَجني

من النَّاسِ من يَعدُو عَليها إِذا تَجني

I see the days’ calamities do wrong, yet I do not see

I see the days taking their turns, yet I see no one

Anyone among people who assails them when they do wrong.

Counting them as they pass, except Abdullah the generous,

وفي جُودِ عَبدِ اللَّهِ ما رَدَّ صَرفَها

وفي جُودِ عَبدِ اللَّهِ ما رَدَّ صَرفَها

كَما لا يُحبُّ الدَّهر مُنصَرَفاً عَنِّي

كَما لا يُحبُّ الدَّهر مُنصَرَفاً عَنِّي

And in Abd Allah’s generosity lies what has repelled their ravages,

Whose open-handedness holds back their course,

Even as Time is loath to turn away from me.

As time does not like one who turns away from me.

أُلام عَلى حالي وطُولِ رُزُوحِها

أُلام عَلى حالي وطُولِ رُزُوحِها

كأنَّ الَّذي بي مِن نَوائِبهِ مِنِّي

كأنَّ الَّذي بي مِن نَوائِبهِ مِنِّي

I am blamed for my plight and how long it has weighed me down,

I blame my state and the length of its estrangement,

As though what I suffer from its calamities were of my own making.

As if my afflictions with it come from me.

وما حِيلةُ الباني إذا كانَ دَهرُهُ

وما حِيلةُ الباني إذا كانَ دَهرُهُ

أبَا البِشرِ لا ينفَكُّ يَهدِمُ ما يَبنِي

أبَا البِشرِ لا ينفَكُّ يَهدِمُ ما يَبنِي

And what recourse has the builder when his Time,

What can the builder do if his time

O Abu al-Bishr, never ceases to tear down what he builds?

Is averse to mankind and does not stop destroying what he builds?

فدُونَكَ فانظُر لي فإن كنتَ مُنكِراً

فدُونَكَ فانظُر لي فإن كنتَ مُنكِراً

لما أنا فيهِ من يَدِ الدَّهرِ فانظُرني

لما أنا فيهِ من يَدِ الدَّهرِ فانظُرني

So take this and consider my case; and if you doubt

You who are immune, look on me, for if you disbelieve

What I suffer at Time’s hand, then look at me.

What the days have done to me, just look at me!