1. Experience is a bird that gets used to wine
And is caught by one who gains insight and life
١. إِنَّ التَجارُبَ طَيرٌ تَألَفُ الخَمَرا
يَصيدُها مَن أَفادَ اللُبَّ وَالعُمرا
2. How many months have I been rewarded and how many years have I sinned
Yet I still see myself as an ignorant lad
٢. كَم جُزتُ شَهراً وَكَم جَرَّمتُ مِن سَنَةٍ
وَما أَرانِيَ إِلّا جاهِلاً غُمُرا
3. Ignorance is like a naked star without a veil
And rights have faces that are veiled
٣. وَالغَيُّ كَالنَجمِ عُرياناً بِلا سُتُرٍ
وَلِلحُقوقِ وُجوهٌ أُلبِسَت خُمُرا
4. Shall I extend a ship or lesson so he may be saved
From a peril that has flooded him
٤. أَلا سَفينَةَ أَو عِبراً أَمُدُّ لَهُ
كَفّي فَأَنجُوَ مِن شَرٍّ لَها غَمَرا
5. So let not the groups of our readers deceive you
Who in the dark recite the Furqan and Gatherings
٥. فَلا يَغُرَّنكَ مِن قُرّائِنا زُمَرٌ
يَتلونَ في الظُلَمِ الفُرقانَ وَالزُمَرا
6. They gamble with the wisdom they were given
And the owner of darkness is buried when there is moonlight
٦. يُقامِرونَ بِما أوتوهُ مِن حِكَمٍ
وَصاحِبُ الظُلَمِ مَقمورٌ إِذا قَمَرا
7. Their outward piety conceals their deceitful consciences
Unlike a beautiful body whose insides fester
٧. يُبدي التَدَيُّنَ مُحتالاً ضَمائِرُهُ
غَيرُ الجَميلِ إِذا ماجَسمُهُ ضَمَرا
8. They sing the psalms of David and prefer
Over devotion, one who blows a flute and leads gatherings
٨. يَشدو مَزاميرَ داوُدٍ وَيُفَضِّلُهُ
في النُسكِ نافِخُ مِزمارٍ لَهُ زُمَرا
9. Do not cry over a house just to see it
For he who cried over a people is like one who destroyed them
٩. وَلا تُشيفَن عَلى دارٍ لِتَنظُرَها
فَمَن أَشافَ عَلى قَومٍ كَمَن دَمَرا
10. Their preacher fulfills his duty on the lofty pulpit
Yet he preaches to lions and leopards
١٠. يوفي عَلى المِنبَرِ العالي خَطيبُهُمُ
وَإِنَّما يَعِظُ الآسادَ وَالنُمُرا
11. They are beasts when their prey becomes inattentive
And if you call them to good, they turn red
١١. هُمُ السِباعُ إِذا عَنَّت فَرائِسُها
وَإِن دَعَوتَ لِخَيرٍ حُوِّلوا حُمُرا
12. The people have believed what the wise would nullify
To the point they thought an old woman was milking the moon
١٢. قَد صَدَقَّ الناسُ ما الأَلبابُ تُبطِلُهُ
حَتّى لَظَنّوا عَجوزاً تَحلُبُ القَمَرا
13. Is it a she-camel or ewe that he gifts
A staff with which to serve guests or flooding
١٣. أَناقَةٌ هُوَ أَم شاةٌ فَيَمنَحَها
عُسّاً تَغيثُ بِهِ الأَضيافَ أَو غُمَرا
14. And men told you about their beginnings
So listen to the tales of Mayn that resemble nocturnal conversation
١٤. وَحَدَّثَتكَ رِجالٌ عَن أَوائِلِها
فَاِسمَع أَحاديثَ مَينٍ تُشبِهُ السَمَرا
15. I hoped the branches of a jujube tree would shade me
But its shade has narrowed and folded up
١٥. رَجَوتُ أَغصانَ سِدرٍ أَن تُظَلِّلَني
وَقَد تَقَلَّصَ مِنها الظِلُّ وَاِنشَمَرا
16. Reason opposes disposition if you possess it
So accept if the mind prohibits or commands
١٦. يُخالِفُ الطَبعَ مَعقولٌ خُصِصتَ بِهِ
فَاِقبَل إِذا ما نَهاكَ العَقلُ أَو أَمَرا
17. The house decays from everything yet my goal
Is not decay though a decayed dwelling
١٧. وَالدارُ تَدمُرُ مِن كُلٍّ وَما غَرَضي
كَونٌ بِتَدمُرَ لَكِن مَنزِلٌ دَمَرا
18. People are trees that produced a homestead for someone
And most of the folk doubt and miss the fruits
١٨. وَالإِنسُ أَشجارُ ناسٍ أَثمَرَت مَقِراً
وَأَكثَرُ القَومِ شاكٍ يَفقِدُ الثَمَرا
19. Nor is the pious one a people even if he performed Hajj and Umrah
The heart is tempted by what the winds blow to it
١٩. وَما التَقِيُّ بِأَهلٍ أَن تُسَمِّيَهُ
بَرّاً وَلَو حَجَّ بَيتَ اللَهِ وَاِعتَمَرا
20. Like their blowing from Zayd to Umar
Be steadfast with grit when you cannot hunt prey
٢٠. وَالقَلبُ يَغرى بِما تُهدي الرِياحُ لَهُ
كَحَملِها الريحَ مِن زَيدٍ إِلى عُمَرا
21. And be like Tamimi who was steadfast and buried
٢١. ثِب مِن طِمارٍ إِذا لَم تَستَطِع سَرَباً
وَثِب شَبيهَ التَميمِيِّ الَّذي طَمَرا