مُسوَدُّ فَودِكَ بِالمبيضِّ مُشتعِل

مُسوَدُّ فَودِكَ بِالمبيضِّ مُشتعِل

وَأَنتَ بِالهزل وَقتَ الجدِّ مُشتغِلُ

وَأَنتَ بِالهزل وَقتَ الجدِّ مُشتغِلُ

The blackness at your temples is ablaze with white,

Your temple’s dark hair is ablaze with white,

yet you are busy with jest when earnestness is due.

while you are busy with jest when it is time for earnestness.

أَما اتَّعظتَ بِفِعلٍ كُله خَطأٌ

أَما اتَّعظتَ بِفِعلٍ كُله خَطأٌ

أَلا اِمتَعَظتَ لقَولٍ كُلّه خَطَلُ

أَلا اِمتَعَظتَ لقَولٍ كُلّه خَطَلُ

Have you not taken warning from deeds all full of error?

Have you not taken warning from conduct wholly wrong?

Have you not heeded words that are wholly foolish?

Have you not felt disgust at speech that is all folly?

ناهَزتَ ستِّينَ عاماً ما اِنتَهَزت إِلى

ناهَزتَ ستِّينَ عاماً ما اِنتَهَزت إِلى

رُجعاكَ مِن فُرصَةٍ يُمحى بِها الزَلَلُ

رُجعاكَ مِن فُرصَةٍ يُمحى بِها الزَلَلُ

You have neared sixty years, yet seized no chance

You have neared sixty years, yet have not seized, for

to turn back—a chance by which transgressions are erased.

your return, any chance by which your missteps might be erased.

زَلَّت بِكَ القدمُ الخَسرى وَزالَ بِها

زَلَّت بِكَ القدمُ الخَسرى وَزالَ بِها

عَنِ الهُدى قَدَم بِالضدِّ يَتَّصِلُ

عَنِ الهُدى قَدَم بِالضدِّ يَتَّصِلُ

Your ruin-bound foot slipped and, through that fall,

Your ruinous foot has slipped, and with it has strayed

a foot strayed from guidance to join its opposite.

a foot from guidance, bound to its opposite.

فَأَنتَ تُسرِعُ قُدماً في الضَلال وَما

فَأَنتَ تُسرِعُ قُدماً في الضَلال وَما

يَرُدُّك الوازِعانِ الخَوفُ وَالخَجَلُ

يَرُدُّك الوازِعانِ الخَوفُ وَالخَجَلُ

Headlong you hasten onward into error, while

So you hasten onward in error, and neither

the two restraints—fear and shame—do not hold you back.

of the two restraints—fear and shame—turns you back.

قَسَت قُلوبٌ فَلا ذِكرى تُلَيِّنُها

قَسَت قُلوبٌ فَلا ذِكرى تُلَيِّنُها

جَفَّت جُفونٌ فَما للحُزنِ تَنهَمِلُ

جَفَّت جُفونٌ فَما للحُزنِ تَنهَمِلُ

Hearts have hardened, and no reminder softens them;

Hearts have hardened, and no reminder softens them.

eyelids have dried, and shed no tears of sorrow.

Eyelids have dried; they do not stream with sorrow.

إِنَّ السَلامَةَ في تَركِ الأَنامِ هُمُ

إِنَّ السَلامَةَ في تَركِ الأَنامِ هُمُ

كَالسُمِّ كُل أَديمٍ حَلَّ يِنتَغِلُ

كَالسُمِّ كُل أَديمٍ حَلَّ يِنتَغِلُ

Truly, safety lies in forsaking humankind: they are

Indeed, safety lies in shunning people; they are

like poison—whatever skin it enters begins to fester.

like poison: every skin in which it settles rots.

يَصِحُّ دينُكَ إِذ ما كُنتَ منفرِداً

يَصِحُّ دينُكَ إِذ ما كُنتَ منفرِداً

عَنهُم وَإِن تَرَهُم دَبَّت لَهُ العِلَلُ

عَنهُم وَإِن تَرَهُم دَبَّت لَهُ العِلَلُ

Your faith stays sound so long as you remain apart

Your faith stays sound when you are secluded

from them; but if you see them, maladies creep into it.

from them; if you see them, ailments creep into it.

وَا رَحمَتا لِفُؤادي كَم أَعنِّفُهُ

وَا رَحمَتا لِفُؤادي كَم أَعنِّفُهُ

فَلَيسَ يَردعُهُ قَولٌ وَلا عَمَلُ

فَلَيسَ يَردعُهُ قَولٌ وَلا عَمَلُ

Alas, have mercy on my heart! How often I rebuke it,

Ah, pity my heart! How often I rebuke it!

yet neither word nor deed can make it desist.

Yet neither word nor deed restrains it.

مَرَّت عَلَيهِ دُهورٌ لا يَصيخُ إِلى

مَرَّت عَلَيهِ دُهورٌ لا يَصيخُ إِلى

داعي الهُدى وَلَهُ نَحوَ الصَبا مَيَلُ

داعي الهُدى وَلَهُ نَحوَ الصَبا مَيَلُ

Ages have passed over it, yet it gives no ear

Ages have passed over it; it does not listen to

to the caller of guidance, while yearning for youth.

the caller to guidance, yet it inclines toward youthful folly.