باتَت أَساطيرُ الهَوى تُتلَى

علَيهِ فاستَعذَبَ واستَملَى

The tales of love are recited to him

He found them sweet and was enthralled

واعتَرضَ الأهواءَ في طرقها

واتَّخذَ الأَلطافَ والرُّسلا

He crossed the paths of passions

And took to gentle messengers

وَصارَ يَرعَى البُعدَ والقُربَ في

وَقتَيهِما والهَجرَ والوَصلا

He began to tend to distance and nearness

In their times, estrangement and union

ولا يَزالُ القَولُ مُستَحسَناً

في الحبِّ ما لَم يَجلِبِ الفِعلا

Speech of love remains fair

Unless it leads to action

كيفَ اصطِباري والهَوى نافِثٌ

في عُقَدِ الصَّبرِ لينحلا

How can I show patience, while passion

Assails the knots of endurance to undo them

وما أَرى إِلا هَوىً مُقبِلاً

أقبلَ مَن أَهواهُ أَو وَلَّى

I see naught but passion drawing near

Whether the loved one comes or turns away

عمَّ الضَّنَى جِسمِي وأَجفانَهُ

أَهلاً بسُقمٍ يَجمَعُ الشَّملا

Sorrow has filled my body and eyelids

A welcome to an illness that unites kin

أَلقى عَلَىالأَعناقِ مِن جُودِه

قَلائِداً تَخِذتُها رُسلا

He placed around necks from his bounty

Necklaces I took as messengers

فهيَ إن انقادَت لَه قادَها

أو جَمَحَت مدَّ لَها حَبلا

If they bow to him, he guided them

Or if they recoiled, he pulled their rope

مكارِمٌ لَم يَبقَ مِن رَسمِها

إِلا بَقايا وَزَنَت ثِقلا

Of noble traits no trace remains

Except remnants weighed heavy

عِندَ بَني أَفلحَ مكتوبَةٌ

ومِن بَني أفلَحَ تُستَملَى

Written at the house of Aflah

And from the house of Aflah are sought

فتىً دعَتهُ الشَّيخَ أفعالُهُ

وربَّ فِعلٍ شَيَّخَ الطِّفلا

A youth whose deeds aged him

And many a deed made a child gray

وهكَذا الناسُ إِذا فُتِّشوا

أكبرهُم أكبرهُم فِعلا

And so it is with people, when examined

The greatest of them in deed is the oldest

إن أدرَكَ العيدَ وأفعالَه

فَالعيدُ لَم يُدرِك لَه مِثلا

If one lives to see the feast and its deeds

The feast never saw the likes of him