1. For which companion of present times shall I keep company,
When most I meet are false and hypocritical?
١. لِأَيِّ خَلِيلٍ فِي الزَّمَانِ أُرَافِقُ
وَأَكْثَرُ مَنْ لاقَيْتُ خِبٌّ مُنَافِقُ
2. I tested the sons of this world and found no one truthful,
So where are the noble and truthful?
٢. بَلَوْتُ بَنِي الدُّنْيَا فَلَمْ أَرَ صَادِقَاً
فَأَيْنَ لَعَمْرِي الأَكْرَمُونَ الأَصَادِقُ
3. I strive for a matter beyond the grasp of advice,
And persist though departures fell short of reaching its extent.
٣. أُحَاوِلُ أَمْرَاً قَصَّرَتْ دُونَهُ النُّهَى
وَشَابَتْ وَلَمْ تَبْلُغْ مَدَاهُ الْمَفَارِقُ
4. The greatest of what you hope for is what you cannot attain,
And most of those you meet do not agree.
٤. وَأَعْظَمُ مَا تَرْجُوهُ مَا لا تَنَالُهُ
وَأَكْثَرُ مَنْ تَلْقَاهُ مَنْ لا يُوَافِقُ
5. Not everyone who tells tales is wise,
Nor is everyone who claims integrity, upright.
٥. وَمَا كُلُّ مَنْ حَدَّ الرَّوِيَّةَ حَازِمٌ
وَلا كُلُّ مَنْ رَامَ السَّوِيَّةَ فَارِقُ
6. A cheerful face hiding rage underneath,
A melody of love masking betrayal between.
٦. أَضَعْتُ زَمَانِي بَيْنَ قَوْمٍ لَوَ انَّ لِي
بِهِمْ غَيْرَهُمْ مَا أَرْهَقَتْنِي الْبَوائِقُ
7. The morals of youth - when tested -
Reveal ignorance spreads among people.
٧. فَإِنْ أَكُ مُلْقَى الرَّحْلِ فِيهِمْ فَإِنَّنِي
لَهُمْ بِالْخِلالِ الصَّالِحَاتِ مُفَارِقُ
8. I learned to swallow my rage among them though
It is forbearance, but destructive to the restrained one.
٨. مَعَاشِرُ سَادُوا بِالنِّفَاقِ وَمَا لَهُمْ
أُصُولٌ أَظَلَّتْهَا فُرُوعٌ بَوَاسِقُ
9. They called me to distraction so I raced forth,
And I always race to the like of that.
٩. فَأَعْلَمُهُمْ عِنْدَ الْخُصُومَةِ جَاهِلٌ
وَأَتْقَاهُمُ عِنْدَ الْعَفَافَةِ فَاسِقُ
10. But when hardship dragged on they led their camels
To where neither guide nor driver reached.
١٠. طَلاقَةُ وَجْهٍ تَحْتَهَا الْغَيْظُ كَاشِرٌ
وَنَغْمَةُ وُدٍّ بَيْنَهَا الْغَدْرُ نَاعِقُ
11. May Allah not have mercy on one who sells his religion
For a world other than it, while aspiring for truth.
١١. وَأَخْلاقُ صِبْيَانٍ إِذَا ما بَلَوْتَهُمْ
عَلِمْتَ بِأَنَّ الْجَهْلَ فِي النَّاسِ نَافِقُ
12. I warned them of the obscured state of their affairs,
And cautioned them, had one with insight comprehended.
١٢. تَعَلَّمْتُ كَظْمَ الْغَيظِ فِيهِمْ وَإِنَّهُ
لَحِلْمٌ وَلَكِنْ لِلْحَفِيظَةِ مَاحِقُ
13. And I said: Cease evil and you will profit,
For evil will have a day of inevitable destruction.
١٣. دَعَوْنِي إِلَى الْجُلَّى فَقُمْتُ مُبَادِراً
وَإِنِّي إِلَى أَمْثَالِ تِلْكَ لَسَابِقُ
14. But they thought my words were other than my beliefs,
Despite my being truthful in all I said.
١٤. فَلَمَّا اسْتَمَرَّ الْجِدُّ سَاقُوا حُمُولَهُمْ
إِلَى حَيْثُ لَمْ يَبْلُغْهُ حَادٍ وَسَائِقُ
15. Did they know I was candid with my argument,
And truths emerged after being hidden?
١٥. فَلا رَحِمَ اللَّهُ امْرَأً بَاعَ دِينَهُ
بِدُنْيَا سِوَاهُ وَهْوَ لِلْحَقِّ رَامِقُ
16. Away with a people among whom is no wise person,
Nor a sincere friend among them.
١٦. عَلَى أَنَّنِي حَذَّرْتُهُمْ غِبَّ أَمْرِهِمْ
وَأَنْذَرْتُهُمْ لَوْ كَانَ يَفْقَهُ مَائِقُ
17. I thought good of them, so I was struck with sorrow,
That clings between bosoms, adhered.
١٧. وَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ كُفُّوا عَنِ الشَّرِّ تَغْنَمُوا
فَلِلشَّرِّ يَوْمٌ لا مَحَالَةَ مَاحِقُ
18. Oh how I wish I had curbed my forbearance and had not been
A leader, as obstacles befell me for that reason.
١٨. فَظَنُّوا بِقَوْلِي غَيْرَ مَا فِي يَقِينِهِ
عَلَى أَنَّنِي فِي كُلِّ مَا قُلْتُ صَادِقُ
19. Oh how I wish I had awakened atop a towering peak,
And not seen what became of agreements.
١٩. فَهَلْ عَلِمُوا أَنِّي صَدَعْتُ بِحُجَّتِي
وَقَدْ ظَهَرَتْ بَعْدَ الْخَفَاءِ الْحَقَائِقُ
20. They exposed me to spears then hastily turned away,
With not a knocker knocking from harm.
٢٠. فَتَبَّاً لَهُمْ مِنْ مَعْشَرٍ لَيْسَ فِيهِمُ
رَشِيدٌ وَلا مِنْهُمْ خَلِيلٌ مُصَادِقُ
21. They swore an oath not to waver, but no sooner
Did dawn's light emerge except their women were divorced.
٢١. ظَنَنْتُ بِهِمْ خَيْرَاً فَأُبْتُ بِحَسْرَةٍ
لَهَا شَجَنٌ بَيْنَ الْجَوَانِحِ لاصِقُ
22. They left without excuse, no camel bags visible,
No egg white in the palms of dove handlers dripping.
٢٢. فَيَا لَيْتَنِي رَاجَعْتُ حِلْمِي وَلَمْ أَكُنْ
زَعِيمَاً وَعَاقَتْنِي لِذَاكَ الْعَوائِقُ
23. But a rumor called them so they scattered,
As a flock of birds bolts with a loud cry.
٢٣. وَيَا لَيْتَنِي أَصْبَحْتُ فِي رَأْسِ شَاهِقٍ
وَلَمْ أَرَ مَا آلَتْ إِلَيهِ الْوَثَائِقُ
24. How many escapees has he met without a pursuer,
And how many deserters has he met though the mind escapes?
٢٤. هُمْ عَرَّضُونِي لِلْقَنَا ثُمَّ أَعْرَضُوا
سِرَاعاً وَلَمْ يَطْرُقْ مِنَ الشَّرِّ طَارِقُ
25. When they see a person they say "a rabble,"
Yet the cowardice of the youth is a shining sword to his eyes.
٢٥. وَقَدْ أَقْسَمُوا أَلَّا يَزُولُوا فَمَا بَدَا
سَنَا الْفَجْرِ إِلَّا وَالنِّسَاءُ طَوَالِقُ
26. Lions near the tents among their women,
But near fervor they are mewing old cats.
٢٦. مَضَوا غَيْرَ مَعْذُورِينَ لا النَّقْعُ سَاطِعٌ
وَلا الْبِيضُ فِي أَيْدِي الْكُمَاةِ دَوَالِقُ
27. When a man does not rise with his upright sword,
My, how can truths be protected?
٢٧. وَلَكِنْ دَعَتْهُمْ نَبْأَةٌ فَتَفَرَّقُوا
كَمَا انْقَضَّ في سِرْبٍ مِنَ الطَّيْرِ بَاشِقُ
٢٨. فَكَمْ آبِقٍ تَلْقَاهُ مِنْ غَيْرِ طَارِدٍ
وَكَمْ واقِفٍ تَلْقَاهُ وَالْعَقْلُ آبِقُ
٢٩. إِذَا أَبْصَرُوا شَخْصَاً يَقُولُونَ جَحْفَلٌ
وَجُبْنُ الْفَتَى سَيْفٌ لِعَيْنَيْهِ بَارِقُ
٣٠. أُسُودٌ لَدَى الأَبْيَاتِ بَيْنَ نسَائِهِمْ
وَلَكِنَّهُمْ عِنْدَ الْهيَاجِ نَقَانِقُ
٣١. إِذَا الْمَرْءُ لَمْ يَنْهَضْ بِقَائِمِ سَيْفِهِ
فَيَا لَيْتَ شِعْرِي كَيْفَ تُحْمَى الْحَقَائِقُ