رَأَيتُكَ فيما يُخطِئُ الناسُ تَنظُرُ

وَرَأسُكَ مِن ماءِ الخَطيئةِ يَقطُرُ

I saw you looking where people err

With your head dripping with the water of sin

تَوارى بِجُدرانِ البُيوتِ عَنِ الوَرى

وَأَنتَ بِعَينِ اللَهِ لَو كُنتَ تَشعُرُ

You hide behind house walls from people’s sight

Yet to God’s eye you would see if you were aware

وَتَخشى عُيونَ الناسِ أَن يَنظُروا بِها

وَلَم تَخشَ عَينَ اللَهِ وَاللَهُ يَنظُرُ

You fear people’s eyes that they may look with them

Yet you did not fear God’s eye and God does look

وَكَم مِن قَبيحٍ قَد كَفى اللَهُ شَرَّهُ

أَلا إِنَّهُ يَعفو القَبيحَ وَيَستُرُ

How much ugliness has God sufficed you from its evil

Indeed He pardons the ugly and veils

إِلى كَم تَعامى عَن أُمورٍ مِنَ الهُدى

وَأَنتَ إِذا مَرَّ الهَوى بِكَ تُبصِرُ

To how much have you been blind to matters of guidance

Yet when desire passes you, you do see

إِذا ما دَعاكَ الرُشدُ أَحجَمتَ دونَهُ

وَأَنتَ إِلى ما قادَكَ الغَيُّ تَبدُرُ

When righteousness calls you, you refrain from it

While to what fancy leads you, you hasten

وَلَيسَ يَقومُ الشُكرُ مِنكَ بِنِعمَةٍ

وَلَكِن عَلَيكَ الشُكرُ إِن كُنتَ تَشكُرُ

Gratitude does not arise from you for a blessing

But gratitude is upon you if you are grateful

وَما كُلُّ ما لَم تَأتِ إِلّا كَما مَضى

مِنَ اللَهوِ في اللَذاتِ إِن كُنتَ تَذكُرُ

Not all that has passed was but as it went

Of frivolity in pleasures if you remember

وَماهِيَ إِلّا تَرحَةٌ بَعدَ فَرحَةٍ

كَذالِكَ شُربُ الدَهرِ يَصفو وَيَكدُرُ

They are but comfort after joy

Thus is the drinking of fate, it clears and muddies

كَأَنَّ الفَتى المُغتَرَّ لَم يَدرِ أَنَّهُ

تَروحُ عَلَيهِ الحادِثاتُ وَتَبكُرُ

As if the deceived youth did not know

That events pass upon him and come early

أَجَدَّكَ أَمّا كُنتَ وَاللَهوُ غالِبٌ

عَلَيكَ وَأَمّا السَهوُ مِنكا فَيَكثُرُ

What an earnest you were while heedlessness prevailed

Over you and forgetfulness from you is plentiful

وَأَمّا بَنو الدُنيا فَفي غَفَلاتِهِم

وَأَمّا يَدُ الدُنيا فَتَفري وَتَجزُرُ

As for the people of the world, they are in their neglect

And the hand of the world flows and ebbs

وَأَمّا جَميعُ الخَلقِ فيها فَمَيِّتٌ

وَلَكِنَّ آجالاً تَطولُ وَتَقصُرُ

And all the creation in it is dead

But lifespans are long and short

لَهَوتَ وَكَم مِن عِبرَةٍ قَد حَضَرتَها

كَأَنَّكَ عَنها غائِبٌ حينَ تَحضُرُ

You sported and how much admonition attended you

As if you were absent when it attended

تَمَنّى المُنى وَالريحُ تَلقاكَ عاصِفاً

وَفَوقَكَ أَمواجٌ وَتَحتَكَ أَبحُرُ

You wished for wishes and the winds met you stormy

With waves above you and seas below you

أَلَم تَرَ يا مَغبونُ ما قَد غُبِنتَهُ

وَأَنتَ تَرى في ذاكَ أَنَّكَ تَتجُرُ

Have you not seen, O deceived, what you have been deceived of

Yet you see that you are gaining in that

خُدِعتَ عَنِ الساعاتِ حَتّى غُبِنتَها

وَغَرَّتكَ أَيّامٌ قِصارٌ وَأَشهُرُ

You were tricked out of the hours until you lost them

And days were short and months deceived you

فَيا بانِيَ الدُنيا لِغَيرِكَ تَبتَني

وَيا عامِرَ الدُنيا لِغَيرِكَ تَعمُرُ

So builder of the world for others you build

And populator of the world for others you populate

وَمالَكَ إِلّا الصَبرُ وَالبِرُّ عُدَّةٌ

وَإِلّا اعتِبارٌ ثاقِبٌ وَتَفَكُّرُ

And you have nothing but patience and righteousness as equipment

Except penetrating consideration and reflection