لا تركنن إلى الهوى — Ibn Duraid Al Azde

لا تَركُنَنَّ إِلى الهَوى

وَاِذكُر مُفارَقَةَ الهَواءِ

Do not yield to desire,

and remember your parting from the air.

يَوماً تَصيرُ إِلى الثَرى

وَيَفوزُ غَيرُكَ بِالثَراءِ

One day you will end in the soil,

and another will gain the wealth.

كَم مِن صَغيرٍ في رَجا

بِئرٍ لِمُنقَطِعِ الرَجاءِ

How many a little one at the rim

of a well, bereft of all hope,

غَطّى عَلَيهِ بِالصَفا

أَهلُ المَوَدَّةِ وَالصَفاءِ

was covered over with smooth stones

by those of affection and sincerity!

ذَهَبَ الفَتى عَن أَهلِهِ

أَينَ الفَتِيُّ مِنَ الفَتاءِ

The young man has gone from his family;

how far the vigorous youth is from youthfulness!

زالَ السَنا عَن ناظِرَي

هِ وَزالَ عَن شَرَفِ السَناءِ

The radiance has left his two eyes,

and he has fallen from the distinction of high honor.

ما زالَ يَلتَمِسُ الخَلا

حَتّى تَوَحَّدَ في الخَلاءِ

He kept seeking fresh grass

until he was alone in the wilderness.

قَطَعَ النسا مِنهُ الزَما

نُ فَلَم يُمَتَّع بِالنَساءِ

Time severed his sciatic nerve,

and he was granted no prolonged life.

وَأَرى العَشا في العَينِ أَك

ثَرَ ما يَكونُ مِنَ العَشاءِ

And I see dimness in the eye most

often arise from the evening meal.

وَأَرى الخَوى يُذكي عُقو

لَ ذَوي التَفَكُّرِ في الخَواءِ

And I see hunger sharpen the minds

of those who ponder in emptiness.

وَلَرُبَّ مَمنوعِ العَرا

وَلَسَوفَ يُنبَذُ بِالعَراءِ

How many a man shielded from nakedness

will surely be cast into the open!

مَن خافَ مِن أَلَمِ الحَفا

فَليَجتَنِب مَشيَ الحَفاءِ

Whoever fears the pain of sore feet

should avoid walking barefoot.

كَم مَن تَوارى بِالنَقا

بَعدَ النَظافَةِ وَالنَقاءِ

How many have been hidden in the dunes

after cleanliness and purity!

وَأَخو الغَرا مَن لا يَزا

لُ بِما يَضُرُّ أَخا غَراءِ

The man of infatuation is he who never ceases

to cling to what does him harm.

إِنَّ الحَياةَ مَعَ الحَيا

وَأَرى البَهاءَ مَعَ الحَياءِ

Life comes with rain,

and I see beauty joined to modesty.

عَقلُ الكَبيرِ مِنَ الوَرى

في الصالِحاتِ مِنَ الوَراءِ

The mind of the elder among mankind

lags behind in righteous deeds.

لَو تَعلَمُ الشاةُ النَجا

مِنها لَجَدَّت في النَجاءِ

If the ewe knew of the hide

taken from her, she would strive to escape.

وَأَرى الدَوا طولَ السَقا

مِ فَلا تُفَرِّط في الدَواءِ

And I see disease as prolonged sickness;

so do not neglect the remedy.

وَإِذا سَمِعتَ وَحَى الزَما

نِ فَلا تُقَصِّر في الوَحاءِ

And when you hear the voice of time,

then do not be slow to make haste.

فَلَرُبَّما وَدّى السَفا

نَحوَ السَفا أَهلَ السَفاءِ

For often dust has carried

the foolish toward the dust of the grave.

يا اِبنَ البَرى إِنَّ الأحِب

بَةَ يوذِنونكَ بِالبَراءِ

O son of dust, your loved ones

announce their parting from you.

فَكُلِ الفَنا إِن لَم تَجِد

حَلّاً فَإِنَّكَ في الفَناءِ

Eat nightshade if you cannot find

sesame oil, for you are bound for extinction.

وَأَراكَ قَد حالَ العَمى

ما بَينَ عَينِكَ وَالعَماءِ

And I see that blindness has come

between your eye and the clouds.

فَاِنظُر لِعَينِكَ في الجَلا

إِن خِفتَ مِن يَومِ الجَلاءِ

So seek eye-salve for your eye,

if you fear the day of departure.

فَلَرُبَّما وَدّى الفَضا

مُتَزَوِّديهِ إِلى الفَضاءِ

For often mixed dates and raisins have brought

those provisioned with them into the wilderness.

فَاِهدَأ هُديتَ إِلى الذَكا

إِن كُنتَ مِن أَهلِ الذَكاءِ

So be still—may you be guided to keenness—

if you are among the intelligent.

فَالمَرءُ نُبِّهَ بِالعَفا

إِن لَم يُفَكِّر في العَفاءِ

A man is admonished by dust,

if he has not reflected on extinction.

سَيَضيقُ مُتَّسَعُ المَلا

بِالمُخرَجينَ مِنَ المَلاءِ

The desert's wide expanse will grow cramped

with those taken out of their robes.

فَاِرغَب لِرَبِّكَ في الجَدا

ما أَنتَ عَنهُ ذو جَداءِ

So seek your Lord's bounty;

you cannot do without Him.

توصي وَعَقلُكَ في بَذا

فَلِذاكَ رَأيُكَ ذو بَذاءِ

You give counsel while your mind is in Badhā;

hence your judgment is full of foulness.

فَكَأَنَّما ريحُ الصَبا

تَجر بِطُلّابِ الصَباءِ

It is as though the east wind

were dragging along the seekers of youthful folly.

باعوا التَيَقُّظَ بِالكَرى

فَعُقولُهُم بِذُرى كَراءِ

They sold wakefulness for sleep;

their minds are on the heights of Karāʾ.

فَكَأَنَّهُم مَعزُ الأَبا

أَو كَالحُطامِ مِنَ الأَباءِ

They seem like goats stricken with abā,

or like shattered reed-stalks.

كَم مِن عِظامٍ بِاللِوى

قد فارَقَت خَفقَ اللِواءِ

How many bones in the curving dunes

have parted from the flutter of the banner!

وَأَرى الغِنى يَدعو الغَنِي

يَ إِلى المَلاهي وَالغِناءِ

And I see wealth summon the rich man

to amusements and singing.

يُمضي الإِنا بَعدَ الإِنا

وَمُناهُ في مَلءِ الإِناءِ

He lets hour pass after hour,

his desire fixed on filling the vessel.

فَلَرُبَّما فَضَحَ الرِجا

لَ ذَوي اللِحى كَشفُ اللِحاءِ

For often men have been disgraced—

bearded men—by the stripping away of bark.

وَلَرُبَّما صادَ العِدى

ذا السَبقِ في صَيدِ العِداءِ

And often enemies have caught

one foremost at taking quarry in succession.

وَلَرُبَّما هُجِرَ البِنا

بَعدَ التَأَنُّقِ في البِناءِ

And often buildings have been abandoned

after painstaking elegance in their construction.

فَلِيَستَوي أَهلُ الكِبا

وَذَوو التَعَطُّرِ بِالكِباءِ

Let the people of refuse-heaps be equal

to those who perfume themselves with incense.

وَلَرُبَّ ماءٍ ذي رِوى

يُحتاج فيهِ إِلى الرِواءِ

And many a plentiful source of water

still requires a rope for carrying waterskins.

وَأَرى البِلى يُبلي الجَدي

دَ وَكُلُّ شَيءٍ لِلبَلاءِ

And I see decay wear out the new,

and everything is destined for decay.

كَم مِن إِنا يُفني اللَيا

لي ثُمَّ يَفنى بِالأَناءِ

How many a span of time consumes the nights,

then is consumed by time's slow passage!

وَأَرى القِرى ما لا يُدو

مُ عَلى الزَمانِ لِذي قراءِ

And I see hospitality as something that does not endure

through time for its giver.

وَذَوو السِوى يَرِثُ الفَتى

وَليَنزَعَنَّ مِنَ السَواءِ

Others inherit the young man,

and he shall surely depart from the midst.

حُبُّ النِساءِ إِلى قِلى

وَأَرى الصَلاحَ مَعَ القلاءِ

Love of women leads to loathing,

and I see righteousness joined to aversion.

ماءُ الحَياةِ رِوىً وَأَن

نى لِلمُجَلّى بِالرَواءِ

The water of life quenches thirst; but how

can one adorned with fine looks obtain it?

كَم مِن إِيا شَمسٍ رَأَي

تُ وَلا تَرى مِثلَ الأَياءِ

How much sunlight have I seen—

yet you see nothing like that radiance!

تَهوى لقى ما لا يَحِل

لُ وَبَعدَهُ يَومُ اللِقاءِ

You long to encounter what is not lawful,

and after it comes the Day of Meeting.

وَسَكَنتَ بَيتاً ذا غَمى

وَلَتَخرُجَنَّ مِنَ الغِماءِ

You have dwelt in a house with a roof,

and you shall surely leave its covering.

فَاِنظُر لِسَمهِكَ في غَرا

لا تَستَقيمُ بِلا غِراءِ

So consider glue for your [arrow];

it cannot be set straight without adhesive.

وَاِحذَر صَلى نارِ الجَحي

مِ فَإِنَّهُ شَرُّ الصِلاءِ

And beware the burning heat of Hell's fire;

it is the worst of burnings.

فَجَرى الشَبابُ يَزولُ عَن

كَ وَقَلَّ ما أَغنى الجِراءِ

So youth's vigor is slipping away

from you, and racing has seldom availed.

وَأَرى الغذا لا يُستطا

عُ فَمن لِنَفسِكَ بِالغِذاءِ

And I see that food is beyond reach;

who, then, will supply you with nourishment?

كَم قَد وَرَدتَ إِلى أَضا

وَصَدَرتَ عَن ذاكَ الإِضاءِ

How often have you come to pools,

and departed from those pools!

وَأَراكَ تَنظُرُ في السَحا

لا ضَيرَ في نَظَرِ السِحاءِ

And I see you examining a writing-sheet;

there is no harm in examining such sheets.

شَمسُ الضُحى طَلَعَت عَلَي

كَ وَلا تَرى شَمسَ الضَحاءِ

The morning sun has risen upon you,

yet you do not see the late-morning sun.