وزهَّدني في الناس معرفتي بهم

وطُول اختياري صاحباً بعد صاحبِ

My knowledge of people turned me away from them,

And my long testing of companion after companion.

فلم تُرِني الأيامُ خِلّاً يسرُّني

بَواديه إلا ساءني في العواقبِ

The days have never shown me a friend who pleased me

In his first appearances, only to pain me in the end.

ولا صِرتُ أدعوهُ لدفعِ ملمّةٍ

من الدهر إلا كان إحدى النوائبِ

Nor did I ever call upon him to ward off an affliction

Of Time, but he himself was one of its calamities.