لقيتُ حِمامي إذ فقدتُ حميمي

وعوضتُ من همّاتِهِ بهمومِ

I found my dove when I lost my bosom friend

And I substituted its worries for my worries

وعاشرتُ من لا ترتضيه خلائقي

ولا يقتضيهِ مَنصبي وصَميمي

And I associated with those my nature does not approve

And my position and temperament do not require

وقلتُ هو الدهرُ اللئيمُ ولم يكن

لتظفَرَ كفّي عندَهُ بكريمِ

And I said it is the miserable fate and it was not

That my palm would find generosity in it

ولو أنّني والحزمُ ما زال شيمتي

أخذتُ به جانبتُ كلَّ نَديمِ

And if I and prudence, my manners would still be

I would take hold of it, avoiding every companion

فما عندهُم إلا خداعٌ مسالمٌ

يبيتُ له قلبي بليلِ سليمِ

For they have nothing but a peaceful deception

For which my heart spends the night safely

فكنْ جانباً عن معشرٍ ذاك شأنُهُمْ

حديثُهُمُ فيه كمثلِ قَديمِ

So keep away from a group whose way is this

Their talk is like that of old

ومنْ كان ذا جهلٍ بأهلِ زمانِه

فإنّي بهِمْ مذْ كنتُ جدُّ عليمِ

And whoever is ignorant of the people of his time

Then I have been, since I was very knowing, with them