1. قالَ السَماءُ كَئيبَةٌ وَتَجَهَّما

    قُلتُ اِبتَسِم يَكفي التَجَهّمُ في السَما

    He said, "The sky is gloomy," and scowled.

    I said, "Smile; there is enough frowning in the sky."

  2. قالَ الصِبا وَلّى فَقُلتُ لَهُ اِبتَسِم

    لَن يُرجِعَ الأَسَفُ الصِبا المُتَصَرِّما

    He said, "Youth is gone." I said to him, "Smile;

    Regret will not bring back vanished youth."

  3. قالَ الَّتي كانَت سَمائِيَ في الهَوى

    صارَت لِنَفسِيَ في الغَرامِ جَهَنَّما

    He said, "She who was my heaven in love

    Has become a hell for my soul in passion.

  4. خانَت عُهودي بَعدَما مَلَّكتُها

    قَلبي فَكَيفَ أُطيقُ أَن أَتَبَسَّما

    She betrayed my vows after I made her mistress of

    My heart—how can I bear to smile?"

  5. قُلتُ اِبتَسِم وَاِطرَب فَلَو قارَنتَها

    قَضَّيتَ عُمرَكَ كُلَّهُ مُتَأَلِّما

    I said, "Smile and be merry; for had you married her,

    You would have spent your whole life suffering."

  6. قالَ التِجارَةُ في صِراعٍ هائِلٍ

    مِثلُ المُسافِرِ كادَ يَقتُلَهُ الظَما

    He said, "Trade is caught in a terrible struggle,

    Like a traveler whom thirst has almost killed,

  7. أَو غادَةٍ مَسلولَةٍ مُحتاجَةٍ

    لِدَمٍ وَتَنفُثُ كُلَما لَهَثَت دَما

    Or a lovely consumptive maiden in need

    Of blood, who spits blood whenever she gasps."

  8. قُلتُ اِبتَسِم ما أَنتَ جالِبَ دائِها

    وَشِفائِها فَإِذا اِبتَسَمتَ فَرُبَّما

    I said, "Smile; you bring about neither its illness

    Nor its cure; so if you smile, perhaps...

  9. أَيَكونُ غَيرُكَ مُجرِماً وَتَبيتُ في

    وَجَلٍ كَأَنَّكَ أَنتَ صِرتَ المُجرِما

    Is someone else the criminal, while you spend the night in

    Fear, as though you yourself had become the criminal?"

  10. قالَ العِدى حَولي عَلَت صَيحاتُهُم

    أَأُسَرُّ وَالأَعداءُ حَولِيَ الحِمى

    He said, "The foes are around me; their cries have risen.

    Can I rejoice, with enemies around me in the sanctuary?"

  11. قُلتُ اِبتَسِم لَم يَطلُبوكَ بِذَمِّهِم

    لَو لَم تَكُن مِنهُم أَجَلَّ وَأَعظَما

    I said, "Smile; they would not have targeted you with their disparagement

    Had you not been nobler and greater than they."

  12. قالَ المَواسِمُ قَد بَدَت أَعلامُها

    وَتَعَرَّضَت لي في المَلابِسِ وَالدُمى

    He said, "The festive seasons' banners have appeared,

    And the seasons confront me in clothes and dolls.

  13. وَعَلَيَّ لِلأَحبابِ فَرضٌ لازِمٌ

    لَكِنَّ كَفّي لَيسَ تَملُكُ دِرهَما

    And I owe my loved ones a binding duty,

    But my hand possesses not a dirham."

  14. قُلتُ اِبتَسِم يَكفيكَ أَنَّكَ لَم تَزَل

    حَيّاً وَلَستَ مِنَ الأَحِبَّةِ مُعدَما

    I said, "Smile; it is enough for you that you are still

    Alive, and not bereft of loved ones."

  15. قالَ اللَيالي جَرَّعَتني عَلقَماً

    قُلتُ اِبتَسِم وَلَئِن جَرَعتَ العَلقَما

    He said, "The nights have made me swallow bitter colocynth."

    I said, "Smile; even if you have swallowed colocynth,

  16. فَلَعَلَّ غَيرَكَ إِن رَآكَ مُرَنَّماً

    طَرَحَ الكَآبَةَ جانِباً وَتَرَنَّما

    Then perhaps someone else, if he sees you being sung to,

    Will cast gloom aside and sing.

  17. أَتُراكَ تَغنَمُ بِالتَبَرُّمِ دِرهَماً

    أَم أَنتَ تَخسَرُ بِالبَشاشَةِ مَغنَما

    Do you think grumbling gains you a dirham,

    Or cheerfulness costs you any profit?

  18. يا صاحِ لا خَطَرٌ عَلى شَفَتَيكَ أَن

    تَتَلَثَّما وَالوَجهِ أَن يَتَحَطَّما

    O friend, your lips run no risk of

    Being veiled, nor your face of being shattered.

  19. فَاِضحَك فَإِنَّ الشُهبَ تَضحَكُ وَالدُجى

    مُتَلاطِمٌ وَلِذا نُحِبُّ الأَنجُما

    So laugh, for the bright stars laugh while the darkness

    Surges in waves; that is why we love the stars."

  20. قالَ البَشاشَةُ لَيسَ تُسعِدُ كائِناً

    يَأتي إِلى الدُنيا وَيَذهَبُ مُرغَما

    He said, "Cheerfulness does not gladden a being

    Who comes into the world and departs against his will."

  21. قُلتُ اِبتَسِم ما دامَ بَينَكَ وَالرَدى

    شِبرٌ فَإِنَّكَ بَعدُ لَن تَتَبَسَّما

    I said, "Smile, as long as between you and death

    A handspan remains; for afterward you will never smile."