يا والياً طالتْ ولايُتهُ

يا والياً طالتْ ولايُتهُ

ولكلِّ أَمرٍ ينتهي أَجَلُ

ولكلِّ أَمرٍ ينتهي أَجَلُ

O governor whose tenure has grown long,

O governor, your rule has been long

and every affair has a term that ends.

And every matter has an end

لا تحسَبنَّ الشمسَ طالعةً

لا تحسَبنَّ الشمسَ طالعةً

فالشَّمْسُ بالأفياءِ تَنْتَقِلُ

فالشَّمْسُ بالأفياءِ تَنْتَقِلُ

Do not suppose the sun will stay aloft,

Do not think the sun is rising

for the sun moves with the shadows.

For the sun moves to different horizons

ابْنِ الذي قد جئتَ تَهْدِمُهُ

ابْنِ الذي قد جئتَ تَهْدِمُهُ

انْ اعوزتْ في منعكَ الحِيَلُ

انْ اعوزتْ في منعكَ الحِيَلُ

Build what you have come to demolish,

Son of he whom you have come to destroy

if stratagems for restraining you have failed.

If you are unable in preventing him

فالعنكبوتُ ولا أَقلُّ يُرى

فالعنكبوتُ ولا أَقلُّ يُرى

في بيتها مع نقصهِ العَمَلُ

في بيتها مع نقصهِ العَمَلُ

For even the spider—none is lowlier—shows

Even a spider, however small, can be seen

handiwork in its home, despite its flaws.

In its home with its imperfect web

أَقفرتُ من أَهلي وحَاربني

أَقفرتُ من أَهلي وحَاربني

من ليس لي بقتاله قِبَلُ

من ليس لي بقتاله قِبَلُ

I have been bereft of my kin, and assailed

I am deserted by my people and attacked

by one I have no strength to fight.

By one I had no intention to fight

أُزْرِي رجالاً لستُ أَخلقهم

أُزْرِي رجالاً لستُ أَخلقهم

والدهرُ فيه الثُّكلُ والحَبَلُ

والدهرُ فيه الثُّكلُ والحَبَلُ

I belittle men whose creator I am not,

I befriended men I did not create

and time holds bereavement and pregnancy.

And time brought separation and pregnancy

وبَقيتُ أُزجي العيشَ بعدَهُمُ

وبَقيتُ أُزجي العيشَ بعدَهُمُ

وأسدُّ وهياً كلهُ جَلَلُ

وأسدُّ وهياً كلهُ جَلَلُ

And I have remained, eking out life after them,

I continued living after them

and mend a breach grievous throughout,

Lonely and sad, all is agony

في منزلٍ مَنْ مَرَّ يسألُني

في منزلٍ مَنْ مَرَّ يسألُني

عنهم كما يُسْتَخْبَرُ الطَّلَلُ

عنهم كما يُسْتَخْبَرُ الطَّلَلُ

in a dwelling where whoever passes asks me

In an abode where a passerby asks me

about them, as the ruins are asked for news.

About them as ruins are asked about

صَفِرَ الشتاءُ من الدُّخانِ بهِ

صَفِرَ الشتاءُ من الدُّخانِ بهِ

وذَوائبُ النِّيْرَانِ تَشْتَعِلُ

وذَوائبُ النِّيْرَانِ تَشْتَعِلُ

Winter there was devoid of smoke,

Winter blew smoke into it

and the fires’ tresses blaze.

And the tails of fires blaze