‫لكل شـيء إذا مـا تـم نقصـان فال يغر بطيـب العيـش إنسـان‬

‫ـان‬
ُ ‫سرهُ زمـن ساءتـه أزم‬
َّ ‫هي األمـور كمـا شاهدتهـا دول من‬

Everything declines after reaching perfection, therefore let no man be beguiled by the sweetness of a
pleasant life.

As you have observed, these are the decrees that are inconstant: he whom a single moment has made happy,
has been harmed by many other moments;

‫ـان‬
ُ ‫وهذه الدار ال تبقـي علـى أحـد وال يدوم على حـال لهـا ش‬
‫حتمـا كـل سابغـة إذا نبـت مشرفيـات وخرصـان‬ ‫ق‬
ً ‫يمز الدهر‬
And this is the abode that will show pity for no man, nor will any condition remain in its state for it.

Fate irrevocably destroys every ample coat of mail, when Mashrifi1 swords and spears glance off without
effect;

‫وينتضي كل سيـف للفنـاء ولـوكان ابن ذي يزن والغمد غمـدان‬

‫ـان‬
ُ ‫أين الملوك ذوو التيجان من يمـن وأيـن منهـم أكاليـل وتيـج‬

It unsheathes each sword only to destroy it, even if it be an Ibn Dhi Yazan2 and the scabbard Ghumdan.

Where are the crowned kings of Yemen and where are their jewel-studded diadems and crowns?

ُ ‫وأين مـا شـاده ش َّـد ُاد فـي إرم وأين ما ساسه في الفرس ساس‬
‫ـان‬
ُ ‫وأين ما حازه قارون مـن ذهـب وأيـن عـاد وشـداد وقحـط‬
‫ـان‬

Where are [the buildings] Shaddad raised in Iram3 and where [is the empire] the Sassanians ruled in Persia?

Where is the gold Qarun4 once possessed; where are ‘Ad and Shaddad and Qahtan5?

‫أتى على الكل أمـر ال مـرد لـه حتى قضوا فكأن القوم مـا كانـوا‬
‫وسنان‬ ِ
‫الطيف‬ ‫وصار ما كان من ُملك ومن َملـك كما حكى عن خيال‬
ُ

An irrevocable decree overcame them all so that they passed away and the people came to be as though they
had never existed.

The kingdoms and kings that had been, come to be like what a sleeper has told about [his] dream vision.

1
Mashrifi swords were known for their excellence.
2
Saif ibn Dhi Yazan was a pre-Islamic Yemenite king and Ghumdan was his castle.
3
Shaddad was a king of the legendary people of `Ad of Hadramaut, who built a city called "many-columned Iram" (Qur’an 89:6).
4
A very wealthy man during the time of Musa – (Qur’an 28:76).
5
Qahtan was the ancestor of the South Arabians.
 ُ ‫دار الزمـان علـى دا ار وقاتلـه و َّأم كسـرى فمـا آواه إي ـو‬
‫ان‬
‫يومـا وال َملـك الدنيـا سليمـان‬
ً ‫ـب‬ ُ ‫كأنما الصعب لم يسهل لـه سب‬
Fate turned against Darius6 as well as his slayer, and as for Khosrow7, no vaulted palace offered him
protection.

It is as if no cause had ever made the hard easy to bear, and as if Solomon had never ruled the world.

‫ان‬
ُ ‫فجائـع الدهـر أنـواع منوعـة وللزمـان مـسـرات وأح ـز‬
‫ان‬
ُ ‫وللحـوادث سـلـوان يسهلـهـا وما لما حـل باإلسـالم سلـو‬

The misfortunes brought on by Fate are of many different kinds, while Time has causes of joy and of
sorrow.

For the accidents [of fortune] there is a consolation that makes them easy to bear, yet there is no consolation
for what has befallen Islam.

ُ ‫دهى الجزيرة أمر ال عـزاء لـه هـوى لـه أحـد وانهـد نه‬
‫ـالن‬
‫ـدان‬
ُ ‫العين في اإلسالم فارتزأت حتى خلت منـه أقطـار وبل‬ ُ ‫أصابها‬

An event which cannot be endured has overtaken the peninsula; one such that Uhud8 has collapsed because
of it and Thahlan9 has crumbled!

The evil eye struck [the peninsula10] in its Islam, so that [the land] decreased until whole regions and
districts were despoiled of [the faith].

‫ـان‬
ُ ‫ـأن مرسيـة وأيـن شاطبـة أم أيـن ج َّـي‬
ُ ‫فاسأل بلنسي َة مـا ش‬
‫ـان‬
ُ ‫دار العلـوم فكـم من عالم قد سما فيهـا لـه ش‬ُ ‫وأيـن قرطبـة‬
Therefore, ask Valencia what is the state of Murcia; and where is Jativa, and where is Jaen?

Where is Cordoba11, the home of the sciences, and many a scholar whose rank was once lofty in it?

‫ـآلن‬
ُ ‫حمص وما تحويه من نـزه ونهرها العـذب فيـاض وم‬ ُ ‫وأين‬
َ ‫قواعد ك َّـن أرك‬
‫ـان البـالد فمـا عسى البقاء إذا لم تبقـى أركـان‬

Where is Seville and the pleasures it contains, as well as its sweet river overflowing and brimming full?

[They are] capitals which were the pillars of the land, yet when the pillars are gone, it may no longer endure!

6
Darius the Great was the King Persian Achaemenid Empire.
7
Khosrow was the Shahanshah (King of Kings) of the Persian Sasanian Empire.
8
A mountain near Medina.
9
A mountain near Mecca.
10
Al-Andalus (Islamic Spain)
11
Valencia, Murcia, Jatvia, Jaen and Cordoba are cities and provinces in Spain.
 ‫ـان‬
ُ ‫البيضاء من أسـف كما بكى لفـراق اإللـف هيم‬
َ ‫تبكي الحنيفي َة‬
ُ ‫كنائس مافيه َّـن إال نواقـيـس وصلـب‬
‫ـان‬ َ ‫المساجد قد أضحت‬
ُ ‫حيث‬

The tap of the white ablution fount weeps in despair, like a passionate lover weeping at the departure of the
beloved;

Over dwellings emptied of Islam that were first vacated and are now inhabited by unbelief; In which the
mosques have become churches wherein only bells and crosses may be found.

‫ـدان‬
ُ ‫المنابر ترثي وهـي عي‬
ُ ‫يب تبكي وهي جامـدة حتى‬ ُ ‫حتى المحار‬
ِ
ُ ‫يا غافالً وله في الده ِـر موعظـة إن كنت في س َنة فالدهـر يقظ‬
‫ـان‬

Even the mihrabs weep though they are solid; even the pulpits mourn through they are wooden!

O you who remain heedless though you have a warning in Fate: if you are asleep, Fate is always awake!

‫ـان‬
ُ ‫غر المـرَء أوط‬
ُّ َ‫مرحـا يلهيـه موطن ُـه أبعد حمص ت‬
ً ‫وماشيـا‬
ً
ُ ‫طول الده ِـر نسي‬
‫ـان‬ َ ‫تقدمهـا وما لها مع‬ َّ ‫تلك المصيب ُة أن َسـت مـا‬

And you who walk forth cheerfully while your homeland diverts you [from cares], can a homeland beguile
any man after [the loss of] Seville?

This misfortune has caused those that preceded it to be forgotten, nor can it ever be forgotten for the length
of all time!

‫ـان‬
ُ ‫ـق عقب‬ ِ ‫عتاق الخي ِـل ضامـرًة كأنها في مجـال السب‬
َ ‫يا راكبين‬
‫ان‬ ِ
ُ ‫ـوف الهنـد مرهقـ ُة كأنها فـي ظـالم النقـع نيـر‬
َ ‫وحاملين سي‬

O you who ride lean, thoroughbred steeds which seem like eagles in the racecourse;

And you who carry slender, Indian blades which seem like fires in the darkness caused by the dust cloud [of
war].

‫ـان‬
ُ ‫وراتعين وراء البحـر فـي دعـة لهـم بأوطانهـم عـز وسلط‬
ِ
ُ ‫أعندكم نبـأ مـن أهـل أندلـس فقد سرى بحديث القـو ِم ركب‬
‫ـان‬

And you who are living in luxury beyond the sea enjoying life, you who have the strength and power in your
homelands,

Have you no news of the people of Andalus, for riders have carried forth what men have said [about them]?

‫كم يستغيث بنا المستضعفون وهـم قتلى وأسرى فمـا يهتـز إنسـان‬
‫ان‬
ُ ‫لماذا التقاطع في اإلسـالم بينك ُـم وأنتـم يـا عبـاد هللا إخ ـو‬

How often have the weak, who were being killed and captured while no man stirred, asked our help?
 What means this severing of the bonds of Islam on your behalf, when you, O worshipers of God, are [our]
brethren?

‫ان‬ ِ
ُ ‫الخير أنصـار وأعـو‬ ‫أبيـات لهـا هـمـم أما على‬ َّ ‫أال نفـوس‬
‫ـان‬
ُ ‫ـور وطغي‬ ِ ‫يا من لذل ِـة قـوم بع َـد‬
ُ ‫عزُه ُـم أحـال حالهـم ج‬
Are there no heroic souls with lofty ambitions; are there no helpers and defenders of righteousness?

O, who will redress the humiliation of a people who were once powerful, a people whose condition injustice
and tyrants have changed?

‫ـدان‬ ِ
ُ ‫اليوم هم في بالد الضـد عب‬ َ ‫ملوكا فـي منازلهـم و‬
ً ‫باألمس كانوا‬
‫ان‬ ِ ‫ـاب ال‬
ُ ‫ـذل ألـو‬ ِ ‫فلو تراهم حيـارى ال دليـل لهـم عليهم مـن ثي‬
ُ
Yesterday they were kings in their own homes, but today they are slaves in the land of the infidel!

Thus, were you to see them perplexed, with no one to guide them, wearing the cloth of shame in its different
shades.

‫ان‬
ُ ‫ـك أحـز‬
َ ‫األمر واستهوت‬
ُ ‫لهالك‬ َ ‫بكاهـم عن َـد بيعه ُـم‬
ُ ‫ـت‬ َ ‫ولو أري‬
ُ ‫رب أم وطفـل حي َـل بينهمـا كمـا تـفـر َق أرواح وأبـ‬
‫ـدان‬ َّ ‫يا‬

And were you to behold their weeping when they are sold, the matter would strike fear into your heart, and
sorrow would seize you.

Alas, many a mother and child have been parted as souls and bodies are separated!

‫ـان‬
ُ ‫ـس إذ طلعت كأنما ياقـوت ومرج‬ ِ ‫وطفلـة مثـل حس ِـن الشـم‬
‫ان‬
ُ ‫ـب حيـر‬
ُ ‫ـج للمكـروه مكرهـ ًة والعي ُـن باكيـ ُة والقل‬
ُ ‫يقودها العل‬
ُ
‫ـان‬
ُ ‫القلب مـن كمـد إن كان في القلب إسـالم وإيم‬
ُ ‫يذوب‬ُ ‫لمثل هذا‬

And many a maiden fair as the sun when it rises, as though she were rubies and pearls,

Is led off to abomination by a barbarian against her will, while her eye is in tears and her heart is stunned.

The heart melts with sorrow at such [sights], if there is any Islam or belief in that heart!