لَمَّا استقامَ ولم يَفُز بِمَرامِهِ

إعوَجٌّ كي تُقضَى لهُ الأوطارُ

When he was straightforward but did not attain his goal

Crooked, so that successes come his way

وكذا الزَّمان فَمُستقيمٌ خائبٌ

وأخو اعوِجاجٍ نال ما يَختارُ

And so is time, straightforward yet failing

While the brother of crookedness attains what he desires

يَختارُ مَن بَينِ الدِّنانِ كَواعباً

مِنهنَّ أجيادُ الظِّباءِ تَغارُ

He chooses from among the beauties, captivating

Among them the does of the sand dunes are jealous

من كلِّ عَذراءٍ كَعابٍ رأسُها

يَعلوهُ من فَرطِ الحَياءِ خِمارُ

Of every maiden whose neck is alluring

Veiled by extreme shyness over her face

وعليه فَضُّ خِتامِها قَسراً وإن

عَلِقَت بِوَصمَةِ فِعلهِ الأنظارُ

And he takes her seal by force though

Eyes blame him for his deed

لولاهُ ما طابَ السُّرورُ لنا وما

دارت على جَمعِ السَّراةِ عُقارُ

Had it not been for him, joy would not be sweet for us

Nor would the rounds flow for all the drinking-companions

يسعى بها حُلوُ الدَّلالِ إذا يتي

هُ كمِعصَمٍ وله العُيونُ سِوارُ

The smooth seducer runs after her when

He comes to her in bracelets and necklaces

ألمى تَأَلَّق طلعةً مِن لُطفِه

رقَّت لوَصف جَمالِه الأشعارُ

I saw the rising of his charm shine

Poetry melts describing his beauty

يا رُبَّ ناهٍ ناصِحٍ لي مُرشدٍ

قد ضَلَّ سَعيُه إنَّه أمَّارُ

O Lord of an advisor who guides me

His efforts went astray, he is only human

أمُعَذِّباً بِحَديثهِ أفكارَنا

أشفِق عليها إنَّها أفكَارُ

Does he torment our thoughts with his talk

I fear for them, they are but thoughts

ما بي سِوى وطنٍ عَقيمٍ يَرتَجي

أبناءَ تَهذيبٍ عليه تَغَارُ

I have nothing but a barren homeland that hopes

For cultivated youths it envies

روحُ التَعَصُّبِ قد فَشَت في شِيبِه

وشَبابُه نحوَ التَّزندُقِ ساروا

The spirit of bigotry has spread through his old age

And his youth leaned towards heresy

وكذا تَضيعُ حَقائقُ الأشياء في ال

إفراطِ والتَّفريطِ وهو بَوارُ

And so truths are lost in

Excess, neglect, and confusion

ما حُزنُ يَعقوبٍ على ابنِه يوسفٍ

أو حُزنُ قائلَةٍ برَأسِه نارُ

Jacob’s sorrow for Joseph

Or the sorrow of Layla’s head on fire

بأشَدَّ مَن حُزني على وَطَني الذي

هو ما عملتَ وربُّنا قَهَّارُ

Is not more intense than my sorrow for my homeland

Which you did, and our Lord is Capable

آهٍ على هذا الزَّمان وأهلِه

آهٍ على مَن فِيهمُ يَمتارُ

Alas, for this time and its people

Alas, for those among them who excel

نارُ الجَحيمِ بِقلبِهم ولِسانُهم

جنَّاتُ عَدنٍ تَحتَها الأنهارُ

The hellfire is in their hearts and tongues

Gardens of Eden underneath which rivers flow

خَبُثَت سَريرَتُهُم وعَزَّ صَفاؤُهُم

فَتَشابَه الأخيارُ والأشرارُ

Their inner self is wicked and their purity is difficult

So the good and the bad became indistinguishable

لَؤمُوا وإن جادَ الزَّمانُ بِفاضِلٍ

إنكَارُ فَضلِه ماله إنكارُ

They were ungrateful even when time brought out a virtuous one

Denying his merit, they cannot deny

فتَجارِبي قد حذَّرَتني منهمُ

إن التَّجارِبَ يا أخي مِعيارُ

My experiences warned me about them

Experiences, my brother, are the criterion

فارفق بِنَفسك يا مُحاوِل غايتي

فَالمَهرُ مَهرٌ والحِمارُ حِمارُ

So be gentle with yourself, my aspiring friend

For the professional is the professional, and the donkey is the donkey