1. With every turn of anger that did him wrong
And every turn that brought me benefit

2. And every day I see in its events
Signs and lessons that prod its side

3. It oscillates between sermons for a time, then is followed
By sermons that make easy what has passed and belittled

4. Blessed is God, the traces of knowledge have vanished
Or has the nature of righteousness changed in creation?

5. To the extent etiquette was hypocritical
And craved, etiquette started to die out

6. Patience, knowledge and news are lost
Good is scorned and evil spread

7. Most wretched of creatures in an evil time is he whose days
Were among a people, all of them fools

8. And the nights left him after losing them
Among people of the time, all of them cattle

9. Indeed I have come to a people who when they claim descent
Neither Rabi'a shelters them nor Mudar

10. A guest hopes not for provisions from their stinginess
Not even for crumbs, neither Moses nor Al-Khidr

11. The evildoers have lanterns, so if they attended
The market of virtues in their homelands they would lose

12. Whoever saw what my eyes have seen of a band
Who used to be leaders in hearing and sight

13. Then insolence grew between this generation following them
Their ignorance took refuge and cautiousness left his heart

14. That stranger for certain did not emigrate from a house
That contained him, and fate busied itself with his concerns

15. God has kept me until I came to be among a band
Whose marketplace contains no virtue or wares

16. When roused to glory, they are absent
And if nearby, they are present when ignored

17. Long hands for wrongdoing they are unable
And in building virtues their trait is falling short

18. The most eager of them in his companion's affection
Is at ease, but in hardship there is no consolation

19. Like a bow in war, no singing is expected from it
Nor fighting if the bowstring betrays it

20. Or a date palm of evil on which an owl roosts since it bore fruit
While it has neither clusters nor abundance

21. And an evil companion, no benefits are hoped from him
Like the friendship of a wolf, neither wool nor hair

22. The sun may rise but fog hides it
Or mist, yet the river protects its roses

23. And rain descends on arid land
Yet turns away while it has no plants or trees

24. I heard of a people who settled the wilderness,
And al-Dumatayn became pleasant to inhabit

25. They sold their dwellings and homelands and moved
The evil of a neighbor expelled them after they endured

26. Holy is God, livelihoods have been apportioned
What has been brought and what hardship has not judged

27. The share of the intelligent scholar is water and crumbs
And the share of the ignorant is wealth and full moons

28. How many a foolish scholar in his turns
And many a poor fool, his wealth is broken

29. Surely the miser acts self-sufficient and hoards
While the noble is never self-sufficient and needs

30. Of the signs of the evildoers is that whenever
Their wealth increased, they disbelieved

31. And of the noble are signs that if they refused to give
They would excuse with patience, and if gave wealth, thank

32. Indeed I have been handed an ordeal
Which destroyed life, and in its affairs the worst

33. I act according to my nature in disciplining their ignorance
And correcting him from an ugliness like it, another ugliness

34. And he turns angrily toward me, fighting me
While I turn away behind the truth, apologizing