تفت فؤادك الأيام فتا — أبو إسحاق الإلبيري

تَفُتُّ فُؤادَكَ الأَيّامُ فَتّا

وَتَنحِتُ جِسمَكَ الساعاتُ نَحتا

The days grind your heart to pieces,

And the hours whittle away your body.

وَتَدعوكَ المَنونُ دُعاءَ صِدقٍ

أَلا يا صاحِ أَنتَ أُريدُ أَنتا

Death calls you with a truthful summons:

Listen, my friend: it is you I want—you!

أَراكَ تُحِبُّ عِرساً ذاتَ غَدرٍ

أَبَتَّ طَلاقَها الأَكياسُ بَتّا

I see you loving a treacherous bride,

Whom the discerning have irrevocably divorced.

تَنامُ الدَهرَ وَيحَكَ في غَطيطٍ

بِها حَتّى إِذا مِتَّ اِنْتبَهْتَا

You sleep your whole life—woe to you!—snoring

With her, until you die and then awaken.

فَكَم ذا أَنتَ مَخدوعٌ وَحَتّى

مَتى لا تَرعَوي عَنها وَحَتّى

How long will you remain deceived, and until

When will you fail to turn away from her—and until when?

أَبا بَكرٍ دَعَوتُكَ لَو أَجَبتا

إِلى ما فيهِ حَظُّكَ إِن عَقَلتا

Abu Bakr, I have called you, if you would answer,

To what holds your good fortune, if you understand:

إِلى عِلمٍ تَكونُ بِهِ إِماماً

مُطاعاً إِن نَهَيتَ وَإِن أَمَرتا

To knowledge, through which you become a leader,

Obeyed when you forbid and when you command.

وَتَجلو ما بِعَينِكَ مِن عشاها

وَتَهديكَ السَبيلَ إِذا ضَلَلتا

And you clear the dimness clouding your eye,

And it guides you to the path when you stray.

وَتَحمِلُ مِنهُ في ناديكَ تاجاً

وَيَكسوكَ الجَمالَ إِذا اِغتَرَبتا

From it you bear a crown in your assembly,

And it clothes you in beauty when you go abroad.

يَنالُكَ نَفعُهُ مادُمتَ حَيّاً

وَيَبقى ذُخرُهُ لَكَ إِن ذَهَبتا

Its benefit reaches you as long as you live,

And its treasure remains yours when you depart.

هُوَ العَضبُ المُهَنَّدُ لَيسَ يَنبو

تُصيبُ بِهِ مَقاتِلَ مَنْ ضَرَبتا

It is the sharp, Indian-forged sword that never glances off;

With it you strike the vital parts of whomever you attack.

وَكَنزاً لا تَخافُ عَلَيهِ لِصّاً

خَفيفَ الحَملِ يوجَدُ حَيثُ كُنتا

And a treasure for which you need fear no thief,

Light to carry, found wherever you are.

يَزيدُ بِكَثرَةِ الإِنفاقِ مِنهُ

وَينقُصُ إن بِهِ كَفّاً شَدَدتا

It increases the more you spend from it,

And diminishes if you close your hand tightly upon it.

فَلَو قَد ذُقتَ مِن حَلواهُ طَعماً

لَآثَرتَ التَعَلُّمَ وَاِجتَهَدتا

Had you tasted a little of its sweetness,

You would have preferred learning and striven hard.

وَلَم يَشغَلَكَ عَنهُ هَوى مُطاعٌ

وَلا دُنيا بِزُخرُفِها فُتِنتا

No desire you obeyed would distract you from it,

Nor a world whose glitter bewitched you.

وَلا أَلهاكَ عَنهُ أَنيقُ رَوضٍ

وَلا خِدرٌ بِرَبرَبِهِ كَلِفتا

No lovely garden would divert you from it,

Nor a secluded chamber whose gazelles you adored.

فَقوتُ الروحِ أَرواحُ المَعاني

وَلَيسَ بِأَن طَعِمتَ وَأِن شَرِبتا

For the soul's nourishment is the spirits of meanings,

Not your eating and drinking.

فَواظِبهُ وَخُذ بِالجِدِّ فيهِ

فَإِن أَعطاكَهُ اللَهُ أَخَذتا

So persevere in it and pursue it earnestly;

If God grants it to you, you will obtain it.

وَإِن أوتيتَ فيهِ طَويلَ باعٍ

وَقالَ الناسُ إِنَّكَ قَد سَبَقتا

And if you are granted great mastery of it,

And people say you have surpassed others,

فَلا تَأمَن سُؤالَ اللَهِ عَنهُ

بِتَوبيخٍ عَلِمتَ فَهَل عَمِلتا

Do not feel safe from God's questioning about it,

With the rebuke: You knew—but did you act?

فَرَأسُ العِلمِ تَقوى اللَهِ حَقّاً

وَلَيسَ بِأَن يُقال لَقَد رَأَستا

For the essence of knowledge is truly fearing God,

Not having it said that you have become a leader.

وَضافي ثَوبِكَ الإِحسانُ لا أَن

تُرى ثَوبَ الإِساءَةِ قَد لَبِستا

And goodness is your ample robe—not that

You should be seen wearing the robe of wrongdoing.

إِذا ما لَم يُفِدكَ العِلمُ خَيراً

فَخَيرٌ مِنهُ أَن لَو قَد جَهِلتا

If knowledge brings you no good,

It would have been better to remain ignorant.

وَإِن أَلقاكَ فَهمُكَ في مَهاوٍ

فَلَيتَكَ ثُمَّ لَيتَكَ ما فَهِمتا

And if your understanding casts you into abysses,

Would that—would that—you had never understood!

سَتَجني مِن ثِمارِ العَجزِ جَهلاً

وَتَصغُرُ في العُيونِ إِذا كَبُرتا

You will reap ignorance from the fruits of inaction,

And grow smaller in people's eyes as you grow older.

وَتُفقَدُ إِن جَهِلتَ وَأَنتَ باقٍ

وَتوجَدُ إِن عَلِمتَ وَقَد فُقِدتا

If ignorant, you are absent though still alive;

If learned, you remain present though you have departed.

وَتَذكُرُ قَولَتي لَكَ بَعدَ حينٍ

وَتَغبِطُها إِذا عَنها شُغِلتا

You will remember my words to you after a while,

And yearn for them when distracted from them.

لَسَوفَ تَعَضُّ مِن نَدَمٍ عَلَيها

وَما تُغني النَدامَةُ إِن نَدِمتا

You will surely bite in regret over them,

But regret will not help you when you regret.

إِذا أَبصَرتَ صَحبَكَ في سَماءٍ

قَد اِرتَفَعوا عَلَيكَ وَقَد سَفَلتا

When you see your companions in the sky,

Risen above you while you have sunk low,

فَراجِعها وَدَع عَنكَ الهُوَينى

فَما بِالبُطءِ تُدرِكُ ما طَلَبتا

Return to my counsel and put aside indolence:

Through slowness you will not attain what you seek.

وَلا تَحفِل بِمالِكَ وَاِلهُ عَنهُ

فَلَيسَ المالُ إِلّا ما عَلِمتا

Pay no heed to your wealth, and turn away from it;

True wealth is only what you have learned.

وَلَيسَ لِجاهِلٍ في الناسِ مَعنىً

وَلَو مُلكُ العِراقِ لَهُ تَأَتّى

An ignorant man has no significance among people,

Even if sovereignty over Iraq should come to him.

سَيَنطِقُ عَنكَ عِلمُكَ في نَدِيٍّ

وَيُكتَبُ عَنكَ يَوماً إِن كَتَبتا

Your knowledge will speak for you in an assembly,

And your words will one day be written down, if you write.

وَما يُغنيكَ تَشيِيدُ المَباني

إِذا بِالجَهلِ نَفسَكَ قَد هَدَمتا

Raising buildings will not benefit you

If through ignorance you have demolished yourself.

جَعَلتَ المالَ فَوقَ العِلمِ جَهلاً

لَعَمرُكَ في القَضيَّةِ ماعَدَلتا

In ignorance you placed wealth above knowledge;

By your life, you were unjust in that judgment.

وَبَينَهُما بِنَصِّ الوَحيِ بَونٌ

سَتَعلَمُهُ إِذا طَهَ قَرَأتا

Revelation's explicit words set a gulf between them;

You will know it when you read Ta-Ha.

لَئِن رَفَعَ الغَنيُّ لِواءَ مالٍ

لَأَنتَ لِواءَ عِلمِكَ قَد رَفَعتا

If the rich man raises a banner of wealth,

You have surely raised the banner of your knowledge.

وَإِن جَلَسَ الغَنيُّ عَلى الحَشايا

لَأَنتَ عَلى الكَواكِبِ قَد جَلَستا

And if the rich man sits upon cushions,

You have surely sat upon the stars.

وَإِن رَكِبَ الجِيادَ مُسَوَّماتٍ

لَأَنتَ مَناهِجَ التَقوى رَكِبتا

And if he rides fine, marked steeds,

You have ridden the paths of piety.

وَمَهما اِفتَضَّ أَبكارَ الغَواني

فَكَم بِكرٍ مِنَ الحِكَمِ اِفتَضَضتا

However many virgin beauties he deflowers,

How many virgins of wisdom have you deflowered!

وَلَيسَ يَضُرُّكَ الإِقتارُ شَيئاً

إِذا ما أَنتَ رَبَّكَ قَد عَرَفتا

Poverty will not harm you at all

If you have come to know your Lord.

فَما عِندَهُ لَكَ مِن جَميلٍ

إِذا بِفِناءِ طاعَتِهِ أَنَختا

What goodness He holds for you

When you make camp in the courtyard of obedience to Him!

فَقابِل بِالقَبولِ صَحيحَ نُصحي

فَإِن أَعرَضتَ عَنهُ فَقَد خَسِرتا

Receive my sound advice with acceptance;

If you turn away from it, you have lost.

وَإِن راعَيتَهُ قَولاً وَفِعلاً

وَتاجَرتَ الإِلَهَ بِهِ رَبِحتا

And if you observe it in word and deed,

And trade with God through it, you will profit.

فَلَيسَت هَذِهِ الدُنيا بِشَيءٍ

تَسوؤُكَ حُقبَةً وَتَسُرُّ وَقتا

This world amounts to nothing:

It grieves you for an age and pleases you briefly.

وَغايَتُها إِذا فَكَرَّت فيها

كَفَيئِكَ أَو كَحُلمِكَ إِن حَلَمتا

Its utmost extent, if you reflect upon it,

Is like your shadow, or your dream when you dream.

سُجِنتَ بِها وَأَنتَ لَها مُحِبٌّ

فَكَيفَ تُحِبُّ ما فيهِ سُجِنتا

You are imprisoned in it, yet you love it;

How can you love that in which you are imprisoned?

وَتُطعِمُكَ الطَعامَ وَعَن قَريبٍ

سَتَطعَمُ مِنكَ ما مِنها طَعِمتا

It feeds you food, and before long

It will eat from you what you ate from it.

وَتَعرى إِن لَبِستَ لَها ثِياباً

وَتُكسى إِن مَلابِسَها خَلَعتا

You become naked if you wear its clothes,

And clothed if you cast its garments off.

وَتَشهَدُ كُلَّ يَومٍ دَفنَ خِلٍّ

كَأَنَّكَ لا تُرادُ بِما شَهِدتا

Every day you witness a friend's burial,

As though what you witnessed were not meant for you.

وَلَم تُخلَق لِتَعمُرها وَلَكِن

لِتَعبُرَها فَجِدَّ لِما خُلِقتا

You were not created to build it up, but

To pass through it—so strive for what you were created for.

وَإِن هُدِمَت فَزِدها أَنتَ هَدماً

وَحَصِّن أَمرَ دينِكَ ما اِستَطَعتا

If it is demolished, add further to its demolition,

And fortify your religion as much as you can.

وَلا تَحزَن عَلى ما فاتَ مِنها

إِذا ما أَنتَ في أُخراكَ فُزتا

Do not grieve over what you have missed of it

If you have triumphed in your hereafter.

فَلَيسَ بِنافِعٍ ما نِلتَ فيها

مِنَ الفاني إِذا الباقي حُرِمتا

What you gained in it will not benefit you—

The perishable—if you are denied the everlasting.

وَلا تَضحَك مَعَ السُفَهاءِ لَهواً

فَإِنَّكَ سَوفَ تَبكي إِن ضَحِكتا

Do not laugh heedlessly with fools,

For you will weep if you have laughed.

وَكَيفَ لَكَ السُرورُ وَأَنتَ رَهنٌ

وَلا تَدري أَتُفدى أَم غَلِقتا

How can you rejoice while you are a pledge,

Not knowing whether you will be redeemed or forfeited?

وَسَل مِن رَبِّكَ التَوفيقَ فيها

وَأَخلِص في السُؤالِ إِذا سَأَلتا

Ask your Lord for right guidance in it,

And be sincere in your asking when you ask.

وَنادِ إِذا سَجَدتَ لَهُ اِعتِرافاً

بِما ناداهُ ذو النونِ بنُ مَتّى

When you prostrate to Him, call out in acknowledgment

With what Dhu al-Nun, son of Matta, called to Him.

وَلازِم بابَهُ قَرعاً عَساهُ

سَيفتَحُ بابَهُ لَكَ إِن قَرَعتا

Keep knocking at His door; perhaps He

Will open His door to you if you knock.

وَأَكثِر ذِكرَهُ في الأَرضِ دَأباً

لِتُذكَرَ في السَماءِ إِذا ذَكَرتا

Remember Him often on earth, tirelessly,

So you may be remembered in heaven when you remember.

وَلا تَقُل الصِبا فيهِ مَجالٌ

وَفَكِّر كَم صَغيرٍ قَد دَفَنتا

Do not say that youth leaves you ample time;

Reflect on how many little ones you have buried.

وَقُل لي يا نَصيحُ لَأَنتَ أَولى

بِنُصحِكَ لَو بِعَقلِكَ قَد نَظَرتا

And tell me: O adviser, you have greater need

Of your own advice, had you considered with reason.

تُقَطِّعُني عَلى التَفريطِ لَوماً

وَبِالتَفريطِ دَهرَكَ قَد قَطَعتا

You tear me apart with blame for negligence,

Yet you have spent your lifetime in negligence.

وَفي صِغَري تُخَوِّفُني المَنايا

وَما تَجري بِبالِكَ حينَ شِختا

In my youth you frighten me with death,

Yet it does not cross your mind now you are old.

وَكُنتَ مَعَ الصِبا أَهدى سَبيلاً

فَما لَكَ بَعدَ شَيبِكَ قَد نُكِستا

In youth you followed a better-guided path;

Why have you fallen back after your hair turned gray?

وَها أَنا لَم أَخُض بَحرَ الخَطايا

كَما قَد خُضتَهُ حَتّى غَرِقتا

I have not plunged into the sea of sins

As you plunged into it until you drowned.

وَلَم أَشرَب حُمَيّاً أُمِّ دَفرٍ

وَأَنتَ شَرِبتَها حَتّى سَكِرتا

I never drank Umm Dafr's heady wine,

Yet you drank it until you were drunk.

وَلَم أَحلُل بِوادٍ فيهِ ظُلمٌ

وَأَنتَ حَلَلتَ فيهِ وَاِنهَمَلتا

I never settled in a valley of injustice,

Yet you settled there and grew careless.

وَلَم أَنشَأ بِعَصرٍ فيهِ نَفعٌ

وَأَنتَ نَشَأتَ فيهِ وَما اِنتَفَعتا

I did not grow up in an age offering benefit,

Yet you grew up in it and gained no benefit.

وَقَد صاحَبتَ أَعلاماً كِباراً

وَلَم أَرَكَ اِقتَدَيتَ بِمَن صَحِبتا

You have accompanied great guiding figures,

Yet I never saw you follow those you accompanied.

وَناداكَ الكِتابُ فَلَم تُجِبهُ

وَنَهنَهَكَ المَشيبُ فَما اِنتَبَهتا

The Book called you, but you did not answer it;

Gray hair restrained you, but you did not awaken.

لَيَقبُحُ بِالفَتى فِعلُ التَصابي

وَأَقبَحُ مِنهُ شَيخٌ قَد تَفَتّى

Acting childish is ugly in a young man,

And uglier still is an old man pretending to be young.

فَأَنتَ أَحَقُّ بِالتَفنيدِ مِنّي

وَلو سَكَتَ المُسيءُ لَما نَطَقتا

You deserve censure more than I do;

Had wrongdoers kept silent, you would not have spoken.

وَنَفسَكَ ذُمَّ لا تَذمُم سِواها

بِعَيبٍ فَهِيَ أَجدَرُ مَن ذَمَمتا

Blame yourself, and do not blame another

For a fault: yours is the self most deserving of your blame.

فَلَو بَكَت الدَما عَيناكَ خَوفاً

لِذَنبِكَ لَم أَقُل لَكَ قَد أَمِنتا

Even if your eyes wept blood in fear

Of your sin, I would not tell you that you were safe.

وَمَن لَكَ بِالأَمانِ وَأَنتَ عَبدٌ

أُمِرتَ فَما اِئتَمَرتَ وَلا أَطَعتا

Who can guarantee you safety when you are a servant

Who was commanded, yet neither complied nor obeyed?

ثَقُلتَ مِنَ الذُنوبِ وَلَستَ تَخشى

لِجَهلِكَ أَن تَخِفَّ إِذا وُزِنتا

You are heavy with sins, yet do not fear,

In your ignorance, being light when you are weighed.

وَتُشفِقُ لِلمُصِرِّ عَلى المَعاصي

وَتَرحَمُهُ وَنَفسَكَ ما رَحِمتا

You feel concern for one persisting in sins,

And pity him, yet have not pitied yourself.

رَجَعتَ القَهقَرى وَخَبَطتَ عَشوا

لَعَمرُكَ لَو وَصَلتَ لَما رَجَعتا

You turned backward and stumbled blindly;

By your life, had you arrived, you would not have turned back.

وَلَو وافَيتَ رَبَّكَ دونَ ذَنبٍ

وَناقَشَكَ الحِسابَ إِذاً هَلَكتا

Even if you met your Lord without a sin,

And He scrutinized your account, you would perish.

وَلَم يَظلُمكَ في عَمَلٍ وَلَكِن

عَسيرٌ أَن تَقومَ بِما حَمَلتا

He would not wrong you in any deed, but

It is difficult to fulfill what you have undertaken.

وَلَو قَد جِئتَ يَومَ الفَصلِ فَرداً

وَأَبصَرتَ المَنازِلَ فيهِ شَتّى

Had you come alone on the Day of Judgment,

And seen the varied abodes there,

لَأَعظَمتَ النَدامَةَ فيهِ لَهَفاً

عَلى ما في حَياتِكَ قَد أَضَعتا

You would have felt immense regret and anguish

Over what you wasted in your life.

تَفِرُّ مِنَ الهَجيرِ وَتَتَّقيهِ

فَهَلّا عَن جَهَنَّمَ قَد فَرَرتا

You flee the midday heat and shield yourself from it;

Why, then, have you not fled from Hell?

وَلَستَ تُطيقُ أَهوَنَها عَذاباً

وَلَو كُنتَ الحَديدَ بِها لَذُبتا

You cannot endure its mildest torment;

Even if you were iron, you would melt within it.

فَلا تُكذَب فَإِنَّ الأَمرَ جِدٌّ

وَلَيسَ كَما اِحتَسَبتَ وَلا ظَنَنتا

So do not be misled: the matter is serious,

Not as you reckoned or imagined.

أَبا بَكرٍ كَشَفتَ أَقَلَّ عَيبي

وَأَكثَرَهُ وَمُعظَمَهُ سَتَرتا

Abu Bakr, you have exposed the least of my faults,

And concealed the greater part, the bulk of it.

فَقُل ما شِئتَ فيَّ مِنَ المَخازي

وَضاعِفها فَإِنَّكَ قَد صَدَقتا

Say whatever disgraces you wish of me,

And double them—you have spoken truly.

وَمَهما عِبتَني فَلِفَرطِ عِلمي

بِباطِنَتي كَأَنَّكَ قَد مَدَحتا

Whatever faults you find in me, so deeply do I know

My inner self that it is as though you praised me.

فَلا تَرضَ المَعايِبَ فَهِيَ عارٌ

عَظيمٌ يُورِثُ الإِنسانَ مَقتا

Do not accept faults: they are a disgrace

So great that it brings hatred upon a person.

وَتَهوي بِالوَجيهِ مِنَ الثُرَيّا

وَتُبدِلُهُ مَكانَ الفَوقِ تَحتا

They cast the distinguished down from the Pleiades,

And replace his place above with one below.

كَما الطاعاتُ تَنعَلُكَ الدَراري

وَتَجعَلُكَ القَريبَ وَإِن بَعُدتا

Just as acts of obedience make the bright stars your sandals,

And bring you near, however far you were.

وَتَنشُرُ عَنكَ في الدُنيا جَميلاً

فَتُلفى البَرَّ فيها حَيثُ كُنتا

They spread a good name for you throughout the world,

And you are found righteous in it wherever you are.

وَتَمشي في مَناكِبَها كَريماً

وَتَجني الحَمدَ مِمّا قَد غَرَستا

You walk its shoulders with dignity,

And reap praise from what you have planted.

وَأَنتَ الآن لَم تُعرَف بِعابٍ

وَلا دَنَّستَ ثَوبَكَ مُذ نَشَأتا

You are not yet known for any flaw,

Nor have you stained your robe since growing up.

وَلا سابَقتَ في ميدانِ زورٍ

وَلا أَوضَعتَ فيهِ وَلا خَبَبتا

You have not raced in falsehood's arena,

Nor galloped there, nor trotted.

فَإِن لَم تَنأَ عَنهُ نَشِبتَ فيهِ

وَمَن لَكَ بِالخَلاصِ إِذا نَشِبتا

If you do not keep away from it, you will become entangled;

Who can secure your escape once you are entangled?

وَدَنَّسَ ما تَطَهَّرَ مِنكَ حَتّى

كأَنَّكَ قَبلَ ذَلِكَ ما طَهُرتا

It will stain what was pure in you, until

It is as though you had never been pure before.

وَصِرتَ أَسيرَ ذَنبِكَ في وَثاقٍ

وَكَيفَ لَكَ الفُكاكُ وَقَد أُسِرتا

You will become your sin's captive, bound in fetters;

How can you find release once you are captive?

وَخَف أَبناء جِنسِكَ وَاِخشَ مِنهُم

كَما تَخشى الضَراغِمَ وَالسَبَنتا

Fear your own kind, and be wary of them

As you fear lions and the leopard.

وَخالِطهُم وَزايلهُم حِذاراً

وَكُن كالسامِريَّ إِذا لَمِستا

Mingle with them, and part from them warily;

Be like al-Samiri when you make contact.

وَإِن جَهِلوا عَلَيكَ فَقُل سَلاماً

لَعَلَّكَ سَوفَ تَسلَمُ إِن فَعَلتا

If they behave ignorantly toward you, say: Peace.

Perhaps you will remain safe if you do so.

وَمَن لَكَ بِالسَلامَةِ في زَمانٍ

يَنالُ العُصمَ إِلّا إِن عُصِمتا

Who can guarantee you safety in an age

That reaches even mountain goats—unless you are protected?

وَلا تَلَبَث بِحَيٍّ فيهِ ضَيمٌ

يُميتُ القَلبَ إِلا إِن كُبِّلتا

Do not remain in a settlement where oppression

Kills the heart, unless you are shackled.

وَغَرِّب فَالغَريبُ لَهُ نَفاقٌ

وَشَرِّق إِن بَريقَكَ قَد شَرِقتا

Go west: the stranger is in demand;

And go east if you have choked on your saliva.

وَلَو فَوقَ الأَميرِ تَكونُ فيها

سُمُوّاً وَاِفتِخاراً كُنتَ أَنتا

Even if you were above the prince there,

In eminence and pride—you yourself.

وَإِن فَرَّقتَها وَخَرَجتَ مِنها

إِلى دارِ السَلامِ فَقدَ سَلِمتا

If you part from it and leave it

For the abode of peace, you have found safety.

وَإِن كَرَّمتَها وَنَظَرتَ مِنها

بِإِجلالٍ فَنَفسَكَ قَد أَهَنتا

And if you honor it and look from within it

With reverence, you have dishonored yourself.

جَمَعتُ لَكَ النَصائِحَ فَاِمتَثِلها

حَياتَكَ فَهِيَ أَفضَلُ ما اِمتَثَلتا

I have gathered counsels for you: follow them

Throughout your life, for they are the best you could follow.

وَطَوَّلتُ العِتابَ وَزِدتُ فيهِ

لِأَنَّكَ في البَطالَةِ قَد أَطَلتا

I have prolonged my reproach and added to it,

Because you have prolonged your idleness.

فَلا تَأخُذ بِتَقصيري وَسَهوي

وَخُذ بِوَصِيَّتي لَكَ إِن رَشَدتا

Do not follow my shortcomings and forgetfulness;

Follow my counsel to you, if you are rightly guided.

وَقَد أَردَفتُها سِتّاً حِساناً

وَكانَت قَبلَ ذا مِئَةً وَسِتّا

I have appended six fine verses to it;

Before these, it numbered one hundred and six.