وَقَد دَلَّتِ الدُنيا عَلى عَيبِ نَفسِها

وَقَد دَلَّتِ الدُنيا عَلى عَيبِ نَفسِها

إِذِ اِلتَفَتَت لِلُّؤمِ بَعدَ التَكَرُّمِ

إِذِ اِلتَفَتَت لِلُّؤمِ بَعدَ التَكَرُّمِ

The world itself has indeed revealed its own flaw:

And indeed the world has revealed her own flaw,

when, after nobility, it turned toward the base.

When she turned to baseness after generosity.

فَما نَوَّلتَ حَتّى اِستَرَدَّت نَوالَها

فَما نَوَّلتَ حَتّى اِستَرَدَّت نَوالَها

وَشَنَّت عَلَينا أَبؤُساً بَعدَ أَنعُمِ

وَشَنَّت عَلَينا أَبؤُساً بَعدَ أَنعُمِ

It never bestowed a gift but took its gift back,

For no sooner had she bestowed than she reclaimed her bounty,

and unleashed miseries upon us after blessings.

And unleashed miseries upon us after blessings.

وَلَكِن سَيُعديني عَلَيها اِبنُ أَحمَدٍ

وَلَكِن سَيُعديني عَلَيها اِبنُ أَحمَدٍ

نَبِيَّ الهُدى وَاِبنُ الوَصِيِّ المُكرَمِ

نَبِيَّ الهُدى وَاِبنُ الوَصِيِّ المُكرَمِ

But the son of Ahmad will aid me against it—

But against her I shall be aided by the son of Ahmad—

Ahmad, Prophet of Guidance—and the honored legatee’s son.

the Prophet of guidance—and son of the honored legatee.

وَإِنّي مَتى أَعلُقُ بِسالِفِ وُدِّهِ

وَإِنّي مَتى أَعلُقُ بِسالِفِ وُدِّهِ

تَبَدَّلتُ مِن أَمري سَناماً بِمَنسَمِ

تَبَدَّلتُ مِن أَمري سَناماً بِمَنسَمِ

Indeed, whenever I lay hold of his long-standing favor,

And indeed, whenever I cling to his affection of old,

I gain, in my fortunes, a camel’s hump in exchange for its hoof.

I exchange, in my fortunes, a camel’s hoof for a hump.