يا دهر ما أقساك يا دهر — Almikala

يا دَهرُ ما أَقساكَ يا دَهرُ

لَم يَحظَ فيكَ بِطائِلٍ حُرُّ

O Time, how cruel you are, O Time!

No noble man has gained anything worthwhile from you.

أَمّا اللّئامُ فَأَنتَ صاحِبُهُم

وَلَهُم لَدَيكَ العَطفُ وَالنَصرُ

As for the base, you are their companion,

And with you they have kindness and support.

يَبقى اللَئيمُ مَدى الحَياةِ فَلا

يَرتاعُ مِنهُ لِحادِثٍ صَدرُ

The base man lives his whole life, and never

Does his breast quake at any calamity.

تَصفُو لَهُ الدُنيا بِلا كَدَرٍ

وَيُطِيعُهُ في عَيشِهِ اليُسرُ

The world is clear for him, without murk,

And ease obeys him in his life.

فَمرامُهُ سَهلٌ وَكَوكَبُهُ

سَعدٌ وَغُصنُ سُرورِهِ نَضرُ

So his goal is easily reached, and his star

Is auspicious, and the bough of his joy is verdant.

وَعَلى الكَريمِ يَدٌ يُسَلِّطُها

مِنكَ الجَفاءُ المُرُّ وَالقَسرُ

And against the noble man a hand is wielded

By your bitter harshness and coercion.

إِن نابَ خَطبٌ فَهوَ عُرضَتُهُ

يَفريهِ مِنهُ النابُ وَالظِفرُ

If a calamity strikes, he is its target;

Its fang and claw rend him.

أَو يَبغِ مَعروفاً لَدَيكَ غَداً

يَنحى عَلَيهِ حادِثٌ نُكرُ

Or if he seeks a kindness from you tomorrow,

A dreadful misfortune bears down upon him.

مَرعاهُ جَدبٌ وَالحُظوظُ لَهُ

حَربٌ وَجانِبُ عَيشِهِ وَعرُ

His pasture is barren, and his fortunes

Are at war with him; the terrain of his life is rugged.

وَجَناهُ شَوكٌ وَالبُحورُ لَهُ

وَشَلٌ وَحَشوُ فُؤادِهِ جَمرُ

And his harvest is thorns, and the seas for him

Are a trickle, and his heart is filled with embers.

يا دَهرُ دَع ظُلمَ الكِرامِ فَهُم

عَقدٌ لِنَحرِكَ لَو دَرى النَحرُ

O Time, cease wronging the noble, for they

Are a necklace for your throat—if only the throat knew.

سالِمهُمُ وَاِستَبقِ وُدَّهُمُ

فَهمُ نُجومُ ظَلامِكَ الزهرُ

Make peace with them, and preserve their affection,

For they are the radiant stars of your darkness.