أَلا رُبَّ ذي أَمَلٍ كاذِبٍ

أَلا رُبَّ ذي أَمَلٍ كاذِبٍ

بَعيدُ الرَجاءِ قَوِيُّ الطَمَع

بَعيدُ الرَجاءِ قَوِيُّ الطَمَع

Lo, many a man with a false hope,

Alas, for every vain hopeful

Far-reaching in hope, strong in greed,

Of distant hope, and greedy dreams,

تَمَنّى البَقاء تَمادى بِهِ

تَمَنّى البَقاء تَمادى بِهِ

أَجابَ القَضاءُ فَماذا صَنَع

أَجابَ القَضاءُ فَماذا صَنَع

Wished to live on; life stretched on for him.

Who longs for lasting days, persisting,

Fate answered his wish—what, then, did it do?

Until the Judge's will prevails, then what avails?

تَجَرَّدَ أَكثَرُ جُثمانِه

تَجَرَّدَ أَكثَرُ جُثمانِه

وَفَرّق ما كانَ مِنهُ جُمِع

وَفَرّق ما كانَ مِنهُ جُمِع

Most of his body was stripped bare,

His body sheds its vestments fair,

And it scattered what had been gathered within him.

Once joined, dispersed as by knives,

وَدَلَّ المَشيبُ عَلى رَأسِهِ

وَدَلَّ المَشيبُ عَلى رَأسِهِ

وَأَعقَبَ مِن بَعدِ شَيبِ صَلَع

وَأَعقَبَ مِن بَعدِ شَيبِ صَلَع

And gray hair gave its sign upon his head,

Grey hairs descend on his head,

And after graying came baldness.

Baldness succeeds youthful locks.

وَقَوَّسَ مَتنَيهِ بَعدَ اِعتِدالِ

وَقَوَّسَ مَتنَيهِ بَعدَ اِعتِدالِ

وَأَثبَتَ في الرِجلِ مِنهُ الظَلَع

وَأَثبَتَ في الرِجلِ مِنهُ الظَلَع

And it bent his back after it had been straight,

His upright form bends double,

And made lameness take hold in his leg.

His limbs acquire a limp.

فَمَن ذا يُسَرُّ بِطولِ البَقاء

فَمَن ذا يُسَرُّ بِطولِ البَقاء

إِذا كانَ يُبدِعُ هَذي البِدَع

إِذا كانَ يُبدِعُ هَذي البِدَع

So who can rejoice in living long,

Who then takes joy in length of days

When it invents such novelties as these?

When such strange fates arise?