اليَأسُ مِن طولِ الثَواءِ رَواحُ
وَالمُكثُ فيهِ تَثَبُّتٌ وَنَجاحُ
Despair not of relief though remote the goal
Stay fast and firm and you shall reach your soul
وَفي التَعَفُّفِ عَن مسائِلَ جَمَّةٍ
تُزري بِصاحِبِها حَياً وَفَلاحُ
In modesty from probing into vice
Lies virtue in this life and paradise
لا يُلبِسَنَّ أَخٌ أَخاهُ مَواعِداً
خُلُفاً كَما لَبِسَ السَرابَ رُماحُ
Let no man wear deceit as garb to cheat
As mirage duped the lances in defeat
إِنَّ القَصائِدَ خَيرَها وَشِرارَها
مِثلُ المَناهِلِ عَذبَةٌ وَمِلاحُ
For poems their virtues and their faults alike
Are waters both fresh and bitter in their type
فَسَلِ الجَوادَ إِذا تَبَرَّعَ بِالنَدى
وَذَرِ البَخيلَ فَإِنَّهُ أَنَاحُ
When a steed volunteers with gifts of dew
Accept, and leave the miser his false pride too
لا يَستَوي ذو بَسطَةٍ نالَ العُلا
وَمُقَصِّرٌ وَهنُ القُوى دَحداحُ
Not equal are the noble and the base
One reached the peak, one stumbled in disgrace
المُشتَري حُسنَ الثَناءِ بِمالِهِ
فَلَهُ بِذاكَ مَزِيَّةٌ وَرَباحُ
Who buys fair praise with riches has the gain
Profit and merit both his skill attain
وَالجَهلُ ما لَم تَخشَ يَوماً ذِلَّةً
غَيٌّ وَعاقِبَةُ الحُلومِ صَلاحُ
Ignorance fears no shame until the end
Folly it is, though gentle be its blend
فَاِنفَع صَديقَكَ ما اِستَطَعتَ وَلا تَخِم
إِن جَدَّ وَعاقِبَةُ الحُلومِ صَلاحُ
Aid your friend what you can, and curb excess
For gentleness leads on to righteousness
وَالمَرءُ يُدرِكُ في الأَناةِ بِحِلمِهِ
وَيُضامُ وَهُوَ مُدَرَّبٌ مِلحاحُ
With patience one attains in life's quick tide
Though buffeted, like wrestler well tried
وَمِنَ الفُحولِ أَبٌ يَزينُ وَشائِنٌ
وَمِنَ الطَروقَةِ رِشدَةٌ وَسِفاحُ
The best of sires adorns; the worst demeans
One shows wisdom; one shamelessness demeans
وَالوَعدُ مِنهُ مُنجَزٌ وَخِلابَةٌ
وَمِنَ النُفوسِ سَخِيَّةٌ وَشِحاحُ
His word he keeps inviolate and rare
While souls are generous, and souls are spare
وَالعَيشُ شَتّى شَربَتانِ فَمِنهُما
مَحضٌ يُعاشُ بِطَعمِها وَضَياحُ
Life is two drafts: one pure we love to quaff
One bitter poison that we only laugh
أَفنى القُرونَ وَجَذَّ كُلَّ قَبيلَةٍ
دَهرٌ يُقَلِّعُ غَرسَها مُجتاحُ
Time ruins generations without cease
Uprooting all their works in war's caprice
يُبلي الجَديدَ وَيَعتَقي أَيدَ الفَتى
لَيلٌ يَكُرُّ عَلَيهِمُ وَصَباحُ
It wears the new and frees the hands of youth
Night's darkness comes, then morning's radiant truth
حَتّى يَعودَ مِنَ البِلى وَكَأَنَّهُ
قَدَحٌ تَثَّلَمَ ناحِلٌ رَحراحُ
Till worn by age he seems molded anew
Like cup its cracks by bees cemented true
وَلَهُ حِفافٌ ما يُواري قَملَةً
خَزئ النَباتِ كَأَنَّهُ رُبّاحُ
He owns a cloak his lousy rags to hide
Like shrub whose shoots spring fresh on every side
ثُمَّ المَنايا لَيسَ عَنها مَزحَلٌ
بَل لَيسَ دونَ سِهامِهِنَّ وِجاحُ
Then death - no refuge can its stroke efface
No shield withstand the fury of its chase
وَلَقَد سَمِعتُ بِطائِراتٍ في الدُجى
شُرُدُ النَهارِ وَما لَهُنَّ جَناحُ
By night I've heard birds flying, yet none could see
Their wings by daylight - mystery!
بَل لَيسَ يَخفى فاجِرٌ مِن رَبِّهِ
كِنٌّ يَكونُ بِهِ وَلا بَرواحُ
No lewd man from his God can cover sin
Though doors and walls conceal him, shutting him in
وَنَوافِذٍ خَلَّ القُلوبَ سِهامُها
ما إِن تُرى لِكُلومِهِنَّ جِراحُ
Glances like arrows pierce the heart outright
Yet no wounds show in cheek however white
وَلَقَد دَعاني لِلبَطالَةِ رَبرَبٌ
هِيفٌ نَواعِمُ كَالظِباءِ صِباحُ
An imp with form of fawn put me to the test
Seduction's snare - I stood above the rest
يَبسِمنَ عَن بَرَدٍ كَأَنَّ غُروبَهُ
مِسكٌ يُخالِطُ عَرفَهُ الفُقّاحُ
His smile concealed a frost, but setting seemed
Ambergris portions where sweet musk had streamed
تَهوى مُواصَلَتي وَتَرضى شِيمَتي
بِيضٌ وَأُدمٌ في الفَريدِ مِلاحُ
He sought my company, approved my ways
A confluence of charms in perfect maze
فَأَجَبتُهُنَّ بِلا جُناحٍ رابَهُ
يَكفي الفَواحِشَ رِيبَةٌ وَجُناحُ
I answered with no rudeness, yet aloof -
Chaste rigor foils temptation's weary proof
