1. I praise Allah with thanks of a grateful one
Repaying his Lord’s blessings, not denying them

2. A people flew lightly till
They attained high ranks, the zenith of glory

3. While the distinguished ones among the people
Descended the mountain slopes and plateaus

4. That’s not for the vile out of pride
Nor is this for the noble out of dignity

5. Thus is the weighty boulder set firm
And the light pebble descends, falls

6. So let a band fly high, I see them
Only at the lowest bottom

7. I do not count their elevation an ascent
Rather buoyancy without lying

8. A carcass rotted and lay atop refuse
While the pearl underneath veil and cover

9. And scum rose over clear water
And coral sank beneath the turbid

10. And rabble prevailed in an era
I feel estranged amongst them

11. They overwhelmed me in it over every fortune
Except a fortune escaping all grasp

12. I’m a believer and brother of Truth
Knowledgeable of its ways and laws

13. I said: If they overcome by an overwhelming victor
Then my victory suffices, the Omnipotent’s victory

14. And by a miser, when I slip
Regarding that between us reasons and causes

15. Accountant thinker, he has made
Proportion between me and him in accounting

16. He does not cease from repaying me
If the days favor me or punish me

17. Whenever time is good he refuses kindness
Oh what strange wonder!

18. Oh Abu Sahl easy access
To hopes of seekers

19. The admirable youth to unravel issues
When complicated and parse discourse

20. Why when time benevolently provides
Do I miss your kindness, experience your disdain?

21. Do you see time not amazed by your refusal
If I intend its rebuke while it grants favor?

22. And your aloofness when it draws near
Though it should request clouds’ downpour?

23. Why when you see my time irrigate me
With sins not water me with gifts?

24. Where are your competitions known
Among the people of merit?

25. Where are your evaluations known
Among the people of minds?

26. Difficulties exposed you, so you recoiled
From the diving steadfast swift

27. Where is a horse too hard to bridle
Charging to confront eagles?

28. Is it justice that you count a lot
For me what you resent for time?

29. Do you see me beneath the sublime that attained
Wishes of authority and writers?

30. And merchants like cattle succeeded
In desire and beloved ones?

31. Vulgarity covers them but
Under it lies pagan ignorance of nomads

32. They play in a time’s shadow
Equally foolish, jesters

33. Not defending with swords or pens
A place of glory, just flies’ buzzing

34. No guardian of a sanctuary among them
Nor a steadfast bookkeeper

35. Falsely labeled ‘Trustworthy’
While termites ruin ruins

36. Liars flatter, but God knows them
Witnesses of oppression and blame

37. Their names have replaced titles
In fact, the vilest names

38. The best of them, no good in them
Is not backbiting the flawed

39. Luxuriating forever in extravagance
Among lovely tender fair maidens

40. Them are singing girls delighting hearing
And cupbearers with cups

41. Fruits for their desires
And aged women resembling ravens

42. Old bags when they relax
Wear aprons over their humps

43. Daughter of bounty circled by bounty
Firebrand vintage abundant grapes

44. A crystal cup of aquamarine amidst
A spring of rubies, glowing embers

45. Over cups of Gaindah leaving sober
One whose head an ignorant raven

46. Her cup color, she stands
Color of her glowing ruby

47. Foam on her cup rivals
What crowns her hair of that foam

48. She carries the cup and jewelry appearing
Tempting all onlookers and drinkers

49. With a cupbearer circulating his hands
Delightfully drawing delightful drafts

50. Taste of drink and kiss of lips
Inviting passion, answered supplications

51. Around her, eyes of a gazelle
Whose hunting never misses lions in the jungle

52. The beautiful hands enhance
The eye before she serves and necks’ beauty after

53. So a mouth drinks pure wine
And a gaze drinks the juice of fresh dew

54. And their drink's blend, if they taste it
Is a gentle pounding. Beautiful pounding!

55. Of companions as if they are companions
Flowing down from the water of torment

56. Wearing transparent clothes
Like gentle air or drafts

57. And radiant jewels clothing them
Torches aflame with fires

58. You see the water then the fire and then
Those cheeks and wrists

59. The night fears their movements, so it departs
Though your state is isolation

60. Faces as if they are suns
And full moons risen from clouds' veil

61. The Pleiades bid them peace
When they by their delicate beauty warrant tears

62. Faces constantly targeted but never
Hit by the shooting arrows

63. Rather the arrows recoil blunted
Striking hearts, no penetration

64. Nobility and charm are granted those
Infants and kin

65. Swaying with the branches’ gentle rustle
And trees' shaking, delicate bodies

66. Gazelles with languid eyes resist
Their charming with coquetry

67. If you saw the people amongst them, you would
Surely force to declare openly, not feign

68. Of people unacceptable as slaves
While at masters’ stations

69. Their case is like one owning phantoms
Though water poured on poles

70. And so is the lowly, lowly world
Daring to confront the discourse of masters

71. Empowered with shoes of Maysir and Tiyat
While our companions atop bare mounts

72. Like Son of Imam whom time’s foolishness
Left perplexed and confused

73. A young man, if you saw him, your eye would see
Wisdom and intelligence in his clothes

74. Time stripped him of what it clothed people
Except his flesh and furs

75. Or the jewels of his sophistication
Which if he could, he would sell for a sack

76. Bad, bad is company of worldly life
That provoked one like him from companions

77. My soul yearns for swords dispelling
Anger of champions, sharp blades

78. Washing the earth with blood until
Its dust becomes purified soil

79. Of dogs, the farthest from loyalty
More treasonous than wolves

80. Pouncing on gazelles, weak
From lions pouncing ferociously

81. Officers enabled to earn white bread
Not by their merits, rather gain

82. From gentle prey those women who
Leave seekers in agony

83. So when people are amazed, they say
Do gazelles hunt without dogs?

84. Oblivious to people’s passion
Though their rope frays

85. Engrossed in matters, wines, musk perfume
Sesame oil, chamomile, and antimony

86. In brocade embroidered
With gold, and fine fabrics

87. In saffron, sandalwood and Indian ambergris
Spread on cheek and beard as dye

88. Them are hyacinths’ tails so white
Rivaling alloyed gold’s ingots

89. I would not be without these riches
If time was equitable in its gifts

90. You are fair in that but have denied
And supported every wrong, unjust person

91. Bring what the days brought of injustice
And bring from you the stick of punishment

92. May God destroy or evenly engulf our time
For it has totally flipped

93. Feeding the vocal its tyranny’s fodder
And the braying sheer nonsense

94. Then meets the wise whom it makes
Sway in its passions each and every day

95. Deviating in its desires judging falsely
Against the prophets for the factions

96. Not considering truth that only those
Of corrupt minds overflow in wealth

97. Not counting the ignorant’s abundance much
Though numerous as dust

98. When it sees a bearer of knowledge’s
Livelihood for a day, it sees him prosper

99. But when it sees his living for a month
It counts him owning property in his prime

100. Do not persist in punishing me
When time treats me well

101. For perhaps its prosperity leads
What the Bestower grants me

102. So when you cut ties, the gifts’ ties are cut
For all companions

103. Many blessed gifts for you
Could have led gifts comfortably to me

104. Matters facilitated and matters
Unlocked by your keys and means

105. Do not counter my fortune with you
With rejection or doubting my sincerity

106. Restrain self-conceit that my hope
In you equal an idolater's hope

107. My duty is to see your response to my blame
So do not make silence my response

108. Then you will be the one who dodged
Blows with swords' sides

109. In that you deny me some displeasure
And insult me, lies my displeasure

110. You used to bestow good then deny
So I blamed you inclusively

111. So repent and redo deeds
The ancestors consent for posterity