1. The peace of time is like its afflicted one
And its abundant like its war-torn one
١. سليمُ الزمان كمنكوبِهِ
وموفورُهُ مثلُ محروبِهِ
2. And its granted like its forbidden one
And its clothed like its plundered one
٢. وممنوحهُ مثلُ ممنوعِهِ
ومكسوُّهُ مثلُ مسلوبِهِ
3. And its loved one is hostage to its hated one
And its hated one is hostage to its loved one
٣. ومحبوبُهُ رَهْنُ مكروهِهِ
ومكروهُهُ رهنُ محبوبِهِ
4. And its safe is under its hazardous one
And its hoped for is under its feared one
٤. ومأمونُهُ تحت محذورِهِ
ومرجوُّهُ تحت مرهوبِهِ
5. And the doubt of time tomorrow will happen
And its conqueror is like its conquered one
٥. وريبُ الزمان غداً كائنٌ
وغالبُهُ مثلُ مغلوبِهِ
6. So do not flee to disgrace
The disgraced of time is like its afflicted one
٦. فلا تهربنَّ إلى ذِلَّةٍ
ذليلُ الزمانِ كمنكوبِهِ
7. Is there not in time a glorious youth
Who relieves the anguish of its anguished one
٧. أمَا في الزمان فتىً ماجدٌ
ينفِّسُ كربةَ مَكْرُوبِهِ
8. Shall I conceal my soul, did he who is generous
Withhold from me his gifted one
٨. سأستُر نفسي أجادَ اللئيـ
ـمُ أم ضنَّ عنّي بموهوبِهِ
9. And if my lot was usurped
My concealment, I'm not usurped
٩. فَحَظِّي وإن كنتُ مغصوبَهُ
فَسِتْرِيَ لستُ بمغصوبِهِ
10. And it grows on land you see its thorns
Prolonging the protection of its blighted one
١٠. ويَنْبُوتِ أرضٍ ترى شوكَهُ
يُطيلُ حماية خَرُّوبِهِ
11. I rose above the stigma of its stainer
By myself and the stigma of its felled one
١١. ترفَّعتُ عن لؤْمِ مَجنِيِّهِ
بنفسي وعن لؤم محطوبِهِ
12. And the eater of the foods of the lowly
Is hostage to being derided by it
١٢. وآكِلُ أطعمةِ الأدنيا
ء رهنٌ بأن يستخفُّوا بِهِ
13. Have you not seen their companion still
Among them wretched with his accompanied one
١٣. ألم تَرَ صاحبَهُمْ لا يزا
لُ فيهم شقيّاً بمصحوبِهِ
14. When a meal makes them full they worship it
Like worshipping a Lord for its worshipped one
١٤. إذا امتاحهم أكْلَةً عبَّدُو
هُ تعبيدَ ربٍّ لمربوبِهِ
15. They think that with sustenance they have given it
The best of its sought one
١٥. يخالون أنهمُ بَلَّغُو
هُ بالقوتِ أفضلَ مطلوبِهِ
16. And that they have protected it
From the perils of its feared one
١٦. وأنَّهمُ حرسوا نفسَهُ
بِهِ من غوائلِ مرهوبِهِ
17. Their host trails his guest
Like his dressed one and his mounted one
١٧. يُذيل مُضيفُهُمُ ضيفَهُ
كملبوسِهِ وكمركوبِهِ
18. So let no man give his dignity
For his eaten one and his drunk one
١٨. فلا يُؤتِغَنَّ امرُؤٌ عرضَهُ
لمأكولِهِ ولمشروبِهِ
19. Nor seek from the meanest of men
What is inferior from his earned one
١٩. ولا يلتمسْ من خسيسِ الرجا
لِ ما خسَّ من فضل مكسوبِهِ
20. Like one seeking from the meanest palm tree
A drop to revive his crucified one
٢٠. كملتمسٍ من خسيسِ الجذو
عِ قَطْرَ إهالةِ مصلوبِهِ
21. And a rude one I gave him wisdom
And hoped for the bestowed of its gifted one
٢١. ووغدٍ وهبتُ له حُكْمَهُ
وأمَّلتُ منكودَ موهوبِهِ
22. So I became like the worshipper of his idol
And the bread-seeker of his appointed one
٢٢. فكنتُ كعابِدِ منحوتِهِ
ومسترزقٍ رزقَ منصوبِهِ
23. And if insult had insisted on him
The snarling of every molared one
٢٣. ولو قد ألحَّ عليه الهجا
ءُ جَرْجرَ من عضِّ كلُّوبِهِ
24. And when all of these realms become
And its praised one like its tasked one
٢٤. ولمَّا غدا كلُّ هذه الورى
وممدوحُهُ مثلُ مندوبِهِ
25. I praised a God of beautiful praise
Its truthful one, not its lying one
٢٥. مدحتُ إلهاً جميلَ الثنا
ءِ مصدوقُهُ غيرُ مكذوبِهِ
26. Oh, take it Farasiy from the insightful poet
Its poured one from the piercing of its pouring one
٢٦. ألا يا فراسِيُّ خذها إليـ
ـكَ من ثاقب الحدّ مشبوبِهِ
27. Forbearing, seeking refuge from its ignorant one
When afflicted by the misfortune of its misfortuning one
٢٧. حليمٍ تَعَوَّذُ من جهلِهِ
إذا ما حُصِبْتَ بِشُؤبوبِهِ