لا يُحمَدُ السَجلُ حَتّى يُحكَمَ الوَذَمُ
وَلا تُرَبُّ بِغَيرِ الواصِلِ النِعَمُ
Blame is undeserved till the critic is tried,
Nor should you, save by unbroken tie, good deem.
وَفي الجَواهِرِ أَشباهٌ مُشاكِلَةٌ
وَلَيسَ تَمتَزِجُ الأَنوارُ وَالظُلَمُ
In jewels are semblances which disputes breed
Light mingles not with darkness, and extremes.
وَرُبَّ خَطبٍ رَمى إِلفَينِ فَاِنصَدَعا
عَنِ المَوَدَّةِ وَالأَسبابُ تَلتَئِمُ
Oft hath a compact two together thrown
Then friends are parted and reunion comes.
يَصورُ قَلبَيهِما عَهدٌ يُجَدِّدُهُ
طولُ الزَمانِ وَلا يَغتالُهُ القِدَمُ
Long years renew the troth in two fond hearts
Which age enfeebles not nor time benumbs.
ذَمّا العُقوقَ وَرَدّا فَضلَ حِلمِهِما
وَراجَعا الوَصلَ وَاِستَثناهُما الكَرَمُ
Who blame their sin and to their worth return
Are quit of fault, and nobles self o'ercomes.
كُنّا وَكُنتَ عَلى عَهدٍ مَضى سَلَفاً
وَفي عَواقِبِ حالِ القاطِعِ النَدَمُ
We were and 'thou' wast in one pact and then
Of severance the sad repentance comes.
لَنا قَريبانِ في قَلبَينِ رَدَّهُما
إِلى الصَفاءِ هَوىً بادٍ وَمُكتَتَمُ
We have two familiars whose hearts still tend
To hoarded passion none but Allah plumbs.
حَتّى إِذا لَم نَخَف نَقضَ الهَوى وَصَفَت
لَنا المَوَدَّةُ حَتّى ماؤُها سَجِمُ
Till we fear not the breaking of the tie
Cementing friendship jealousy benumbs.
وَنَحنُ في كَنَفَي حالٍ مُساعِدَةٍ
كُلٌّ عَلى صَبوَةِ العُشّاقِ مُعتَزِمُ
We live in calmest life, each one content
To play the worthy lover while breath comes.
كَوارِدِ الخِمسِ شَهرَ القَيظِ جادَ لَهُ
حِسيٌ وَمَدَّ عَلَيهِ ظِلَّهُ السَلَمُ
Like one athirst who finds in hottest time
A runnel shaded, and the hot troop shuns,
أَلهَتكَ عَن حاجَةٍ ضَيَّعتَ حُرمَتَها
وِلايَةٌ وَدَواعي النَفسِ تُتَّهَمُ
Whom joys detain from need and urgencies,
His hopes convict him and his deed condemns.
أَحينَ قُمتَ مِنَ الأَيّامِ في كَبِدٍ
كَما أَنارَ بِنارِ الموقِدِ العَلَمُ
Whenas you woke the watches of the night
With lively blaze which dimmed the rascal nums,
أَنشَبتَ نَفسَكَ في ظَلماءَ مُسدِفَةٍ
وَأَفسَدَتكَ عَلى إِخوانِكَ النِعَمُ
You hung self on a blackness fate and foul
Whereby unlike yourself you changed, and comes
دُنيا وَلَكِنَّها دُنيا سَتَنصَرِمُ
وَآخِرُ الحَيَوانِ المَوتُ وَالهَرَمُ
This world! But 'tis a world that passes by
And death draws near, lays hand on hoary head.
