رَدَّت عَلَيَّ اللَومَ ظَلّامَةٌ

وَيحَكِ لا أُغلَبُ بِالعاذِلين

Blame's darkness assailed me, yet

I'll not be overcome by censurers;

هَل يَحبُسُ النَفسَ عَلى جِسمِها

جارٌ هَزيلٌ وَاِبنُ بِنتٍ سَمين

Can a frail neighbor confine her soul

To her body, Ibn Bint's robust daughter?

قَد أَقبَلَت تَعذُلُني باطِلاً

وَاِنصَرَفَت عَن وَجهِ حَقٍّ مُبين

She came to blame me unjustly,

Then turned her face from manifest truth;

لا أَحمِلُ البُخلَ إِلى حُفرَتي

لِتَأكُلي البُخلَ مَعَ الآكِلين

I'll not take greed to my grave

That you may eat greed with the gluttons;

مَن مُبلِغٌ قَومي عَلى قُربِهِم

وَبُعدِ أَسماعٍ عَنِ الواعِظين

Who will inform my clan, though they be near,

And the preachers' hearing far removed?

هُبّوا فَقَد طالَت بِكُم رَقدَةٌ

مِن بَعدِها أَحسَبُ لا تَرقُدون

Rouse yourselves, for long has been your slumber;

After it, I reckon, you'll not sleep again;

حُثّوا مَطايا الجِدِّ تُرقِل بِكُم

ناجينَ بَينَ الناسِ أَو مُعذَرين

Urge on the steeds of earnestness with you,

Whispering among men or making excuses;

يا عَجَباً مِن ناصِحٍ لَم يُطَع

كَم حازِمٍ قَد ضاعَ في جاهِلين

Wondrous is the adviser who was not obeyed,

Many resolute men went astray among the ignorant;

رَأى مِنَ الشَرِّ الَّذي لَم يَرَوا

وَكانَ يَهتَمُّ وَهُم يَفرَحون

He saw an evil they did not see,

He was anxious while they rejoiced;

إِنّي أَرى الأَعداءَ قَد رَسَّخوا

دَواهِياً أَنتُم لَها حافِرون

I see the enemies firmly entrenched,

Trenches you yourselves are digging;

سَلوا قِبابَ المُلكِ عَن مَعشَرٍ

كانوا لَها مِن قَبلِكُم مُبتَنين

Ask the halls of empire about a band

Who long ago were loyal to them;

تُخبِركُمُ عَن زَمَنٍ لَم يَزَل

يَجِدُّ بِالقَومِ وَهُم يَلعَبون

They will tell you about a time that went on

Oppressing the people while they played;

كَذاكَ ما أَنتُم عَلَيهِ وَما

أَشبَهُ ما كانَ لِشَيإِن يَكون

Such are you now, and the like of what

May happen to two similar things;

عانَقتُمُ الأَحلامَ في مَضجَعٍ

سَيُنبِتُ الشَوكَ لَكُم بَعدَ حين

You embraced dreams in a sofa

That will grow thorns for you after a while;

يا لَهفَ قُربايَ عَلى مَعشَرٍ

إِن لَم تَثِق بِاللَهِ ما يَتَّقون

Would that my neighbor were a band

Who, if they trust not in God, fear Him.