أُحَاجِيكَ عَنْ تُفَّاحَةٍ ذَاتِ بَهْجَةٍ

وَلَيْسَ لَهَا رِيحٌ ذَكِيٌّ فَتَنْفَحُ

I give you a riddle about a delightful apple,

That has no sweet fragrance to exhale.

تُزَيِّنُ لِلنَّاظِرِ أَكْلَ نَظِيرِهَا

وَفِي أَكْلِهَا دَاءٌ دَوِيٌّ مُبَرَّحُ

It tempts the onlooker into eating its counterpart,

Yet eating it brings a severe and agonizing disease.

علَى ذَاكَ لاَ تُلْفِي لَهَا الدهْرَ عائِباُ

وَلَيْسَ لَهَا فِي رُؤْيَةِ الْعَيْنِ مَِقْدَحُ

Despite this, you will never find anyone to fault it,

Nor does the seeing eye find any flaw within it.

فَأَعْجِبْ بِهَا مُخْضَرَّةً بَعْدَ صُفْرَةٍ

عَلَى أَنَّهَا مِنْ قَبْلُ أَبْهَى وَأَمْلَحُ

So marvel at it, turning green after being yellow,

Even though it was more beautiful and splendid before.

وَيَحْمِلُهَا خُوطٌ كَخَيْطٍ نَحَافَةً

وَكُبْرَى وَصُغْرَى دُونَهَا لَيْسَ يَرْجَحُ

It is borne upon a twig as slender as a thread,

And larger or smaller ones beside it cannot outweigh it.

وَعَنْ أَشْعَثٍ ذِي جُمَّةٍ لَيْسَ يَبْرَحُ

إِذَا أَكْثَرَ النَّاسُ الْمَفَاسِدَ يَصْلُحُ

And about a disheveled one with a thick mane who never departs,

Who sets things right when people spread ruin.

تَراهُ علَى رَيْبِ الزَّمَانِ مًنَكَّساً

وَيَحْنُو علَى الْمَظْلومِ دَأْباً وَيَنْصَحُ

You see him turned upside down through the vicissitudes of time,

Habitually bending over the wronged, offering guidance.

وَيَصْبِرُ لِلْبَلْوَى وَيَحْتَمِلُ الأَذَى

وَيَحْلُمُ عَمَّنْ قَدْ أَسَاءَ وَيَصْفَحُ

He endures affliction and patiently bears harm,

Showing forbearance to the wrongdoer, and forgiving.

مَنَافِعُهُ بَيْنَ الأَنَامِ شَهِيرَةٌ

عَلَى أَنَّهُ مِنْ أَجْلِهَا لَيْسَ يَمْدَحُ

His benefits among mankind are widely renowned,

Yet for all of them, he receives no praise.