أَتَنقِمُ ما يُريبُكَ مِن خِلالي

وَتُنكِرُ ما يَروعُكَ مِن مَقالي

Do you resent what perplexes you of my nature?

And deny what alarms you of my words?

وَما ذَنبي إِلَيكَ إِذا تَعامَت

عُيونُ الناقِصينَ عَنِ الكَمالِ

It is not my fault if the imperfect are blinded

To perfection.

وَما بي غَيرُ جَهلِكَ مِن خَفاءٍ

وَما بِكَ غَيرُ عِلمي مِن ضَلالِ

There is in me nothing but your ignorance of obscurity,

And nothing in you but my knowledge of misguidance.

كِرامُ الناسِ أَكثَرُ مَن تُعادي

بَنو الدُنيا وَأَتعَبُ مَن تُوالي

The noblest people have the most enemies -

The people of this world are the most tiring of companions.

وَما يَنفَكُّ ذو أَدَبٍ يُعاني

جَفاءَ عَشيرَةٍ وَصُدودَ آلِ

A well-mannered man cannot avoid

The frigidity of his clan and the aloofness of his family.

أُعادى بِالمَوَدَّةِ مِن أُناسٍ

وَأُنكَبُ بِالكَرامَةِ مِن رِجالِ

I make enemies through friendliness from some people,

And I am exhausted by generosity from some men.

كَفى بِالمَرءِ شَرّاً أَن تَراهُ

بَعيدَ الوُدِّ مُقتَرِبَ الحِبالِ

It is enough evil for a man that you see him,

Far from affection, intimate with ropes.

أَمِنتُ بَني الزَمانِ فَعاقَبوني

بِداءٍ مِن خِيانَتِهِم عُضالِ

I trusted the people of this era so they betrayed me

With a chronic treachery.

وَرُمتُ شِفاءَهُم فَرُميتُ مِنهُم

بِما أَعيا الطَبيبَ مِنَ الخَبالِ

I sought their remedy but I was spurned by them

With what makes the doctor despair of quacks.

وَمَن يَصحَب بَني الدُنيا يَجِدهُم

وَإِن صَحِبَ السَلامَةَ كَالسُلالِ

Whoever accompanies the people of this world will find them

Disloyal, even if he accompanies the secure they are like thiefs.

صَبَرتُ عَلى المَكارِهِ صَبرَ حُرٍّ

تَميلُ بِهِ الأَناةُ عَنِ المَلالِ

I endured hardships with the patience of a freeman

Whereby composure turns from boredom.

فَلَم أَجهَل لِخَلقٍ جاهِلِيٍّ

وَلَم أَجزَع لِحادِثَةِ اللَيالي

So I did not act ignorantly towards an ignorant creation,

Nor panic at the events of nights.

وَفي الأَخلاقِ إِن عَظُمَت دَليلٌ

عَلى عِظَمِ المَكانَةِ وَالجَلالِ

Moral character, if great, is evidence

Of the greatness of status and majesty.

وَلَولا مَوقِفٌ لِلنَفسِ عالٍ

لَما سيقَت لِأَهليها المَعالي

If it were not for the lofty stand of the soul

The high objectives would not be set for it.

تَخَلَّ عَنِ الدَنِيَّةِ وَاِجتَنِبها

وَلا تُؤثِر سِوى شَرَفِ الفِعالِ

Turn away from baseness and avoid it

And prefer nothing but the nobility of deed.

وَنَفسَكَ لا تَبِع إِن كُنتَ حُرّاً

بِزائِلِ مَنصِبٍ وَخَسيسِ مالِ

And your soul, if you are free, do not follow

Fleeting position and despicable money.

لَكَ الوَيلاتُ إِنَّ العَيشَ فانٍ

وَإِنَّ الحَيَّ يُؤذِنُ بِاِرتِحالِ

Woe to you! Life is vanishing

And the living are forewarning of departure.

وَما أَبقَت عَوادي الدَهرِ إِلّا

بَقايا الذِكرِ لِلأُمَمِ الخَوالي

Naught remains of the vicissitudes of fate

Save the remnants of mention for past nations.

مَتى تُؤثِر حَياةَ السوءِ تَعلَق

جِنايَتُها بِعَظمٍ مِنكَ بالِ

When will you choose the life of evil and so

Its crimes stick to your bones?

تَأَمَّل في نَواحي الدَهرِ وَاِنظُر

وَقِف بَينَ الحَقيقَةِ وَالخَيالِ

Contemplate the aspects of fate and look,

Stop between fact and imagination,

وَسَل عَمّا يُريبُكَ مِن خَفايا

يُجيبُكَ وَحيُها قَبلَ السُؤالِ

And ask about what makes you doubtful of mysteries -

Its inspiration will answer before asking.

إِذا ما اِرتابَ فَهمُكَ فَاِتَّهِمهُ

بِنَقصٍ في التَبَيُّنِ وَاِختِلالِ

If your comprehension is suspicious then accuse it

Of inadequacy in discernment and disorder.

وَما خَفِيَ الصَوابُ عَلى عَليمٍ

وَلا اِحتاجَ الضِياءُ إِلى مِثالِ

What is hidden from the knowledgeable is not right

Nor does light need an example.

وَلَكِنَّ الحَقائِقَ عائِذاتٌ

بِرَأسِ مُمَنَّعٍ صَعبِ المَنالِ

But the facts have taken refuge

In an inaccessible, difficult summit.

يَرُدُّ يَدَ الفَتى التِنبالِ كَلمي

وَيَشدَخُ هامَةَ الرجلِ الطِوالِ

It spurns the hands of the archer, my words,

And splits the skull of the tall man.

تَعاطى شَأوَها قَومٌ فَخَرّوا

وَلَمّا يُدرِكوا شَأوَ التِلالِ

A group have taken up its affairs and so are demolished,

And they do not attain the glory of hills.

تَبيتُ حَقائِقُ الأَشياءِ وَلهَى

تَضُجُّ حِيالَها الحِكَمُ الغَوالي

The realities of things disappear while the ignorant

Clamor over them and the unjust judge.

تُعاني المَوتَ مِن زَمَنٍ ضَلالٍ

وَتَشكو البَثَّ مِن ناسٍ مُحالِ

Suffering death in an era of misguidance

And complaining of intractable people.

أُراعُ لِخَطبِها وَالدَهرُ أَمنٌ

وَنُعمى العَيشِ وارِفَةُ الظِلالِ

I am wary due to its concerns while fate is safe,

And the comfort of life casts its shadows.

كَأَنَّ رُماتَها تَفري فُؤادي

بِأَنفَذ ما تَريشُ مِنَ النِبالِ

It is as if its spears tear my heart

With the sharpest arrows.

إِذا اِنكَفَأَت قَوارِبُها ظِماءً

غَضِبتُ لَها عَلى الشَبِمِ الزُلالِ

If its ships return thirsty

I am angry at the fresh water for it.

وَإِن وَجَدَت قِلىً وَرَأَت صُدوداً

صَدَدتُ عَنِ الحَياةِ صُدودَ قالِ

And if it finds scarcity and obstacles

I block off speech from life, blocking speech.

خَلَعتُ شَبيبَتي وَلَبِستُ شَيبي

وَسُستُ الدَهرَ حالاً بَعدَ حالِ

I have cast off my youth and donned old age

And I asked fate about state after state.

فَلَم أَجِدِ الهَوى إِلّا نَذيراً

يُؤَذِّنُ في المَمالِكِ بِالزَوالِ

So I found love only forewarning

Announcing decay in the realms.

يَصونُ الشَعبُ سُؤدُدَهُ فَيَبقى

وَلا يَبقى عَلى طولِ اِبتِذالِ

The nation preserves its pillars and so remains,

And nothing remains with prolonged degradation.

وَإِن صَغَتِ القُلوبُ إِلى شِقاقٍ

فَإِنَّ قُوى الشُعوبِ إِلى اِنحِلالِ

And if hearts incline to conflict

Then the strength of nations is towards collapse.

تَعادى الناسُ في مِصرٍ جَميعاً

وَخاضَ الكُلُّ في قيلٍ وَقالِ

The people fight each other in a country all together

And everyone indulges in talk and arguments.

فَما بَينَ المَذاهِبِ مِن وِفاقٍ

وَلا بَينَ القُلوبِ مِنِ اِتِّصالِ

So between doctrines there is no concord

Nor between hearts affection and connection.

وَما لِلقَومِ إِن طَلَبوا حَياةً

سِوى مَوتٍ يُلَقَّبُ بِاِحتِلالِ

The people, even if they seek life, have nothing

But a death titled occupation.

أَرى في مِصرَ شَعباً لَيسَ يَدري

أَفي سِلمٍ يُغامِرُ أَم قِتالِ

I see in Egypt a people who do not know

Whether they are in peace or war.

تُمَزِّقُهُ السِهامُ فَلا يَراها

وَتَأخُذُهُ السُيوفُ فَلا يُبالي

Arrows tear them but they do not see them

And swords seize them but they are not troubled.

تَثاقَلَ إِذ رَفَعتُ إِلَيهِ صَوتي

وَخَفَّ لَهُ الرَكينُ مِنَ الجِبالِ

It was burdened when I raised my voice to it

And the mountains were light for it.

فَلَولا اللَهُ وَالبَعثُ المُرَجّى

نَفَضتُ يَدَيَّ مِن أُمَمِ الهِلالِ

If not for God and expected resurrection

I would have washed my hands of the crescent nations.

نَظَرتُ فَلَم أَجِد لِلقَومِ شَيئاً

سِوى الأَطلالِ وَالدِمَنِ البَوالي

I looked but did not find anything for the people

Other than ruins, abandoned homes,

وَشَمَّرَ غَيرُهُم فَبَنى وَأَعلى

وَناضَلَ بِاليَمينِ وَبالشِمالِ

While others rolled up their sleeves, built, and elevated,

And struggled with the right and the left.

سَما بِالعَزمِ يَبتَعِثُ المَطايا

فَجازَ النَجمَ مَشدودَ الرِحالِ

It ascended with resolve reviving ambitions

And it crossed the star with firm stride.

وَحَلَّ بِحَيثُ يَنتَعِلُ الثُرَيّا

وَكانَ مَحَلُّهُ تَحتَ النِعالِ

And it settled where Sirius lodges

While its place had been under shoes.

فَتِلكَ شَكِيَّتي وَعَذابُ نَفسي

وَحَرُّ جَوانِحي وَشَقاءُ بالي

So that is my complaint and the torment of my soul,

The burning of my sides, and the wretchedness of my mind.

تَعَزّى مِن بَني الآدابِ قَومٌ

سَهِرتُ وَنامَ هاجِعُهُم حِيالي

Some people of literary refinement are comforted

While I stay up as their resting-place turns away from me.

فَلا كَبِدٌ لِطولِ الشَوقِ وَلهى

وَلا قَلبٌ بِنارِ الوَجدِ صالِ

No liver for prolonged passion, but preoccupied,

No heart for the fire of ardour but distracted.

فَما أَنا إِن صَحا كَلِفٌ بِصاحٍ

وَلا أَنا إِن سَلا دَنِفٌ بِسالِ

I am no burdened remover if good company wakes,

Nor am I a low outcast if asked for friendship.

جَعَلتُ وِلايَةَ الآدابِ شُغلي

وَكانَت أُمَّةً مِن غَيرِ والِ

I made the trusteeship of literary refinement my work

And it was a nation without a guardian.

كَأَنّي إِذ عَطَفتُ يَدي عَلَيها

عَطَفتُ يَدي عَلى بَعضِ العِيالِ

It is as if when I placed my hand upon it

I placed my hand on some of the dependents.

حَمَلتُ هُمومَها وَنَهَضتُ مِنها

بِأَعباءٍ مُلَملَمَةٍ ثِقالِ

I carried its worries and was loaded with burdens,

Heavy, picked up from it,

وَلَم أَبخَل بِذي خَطَرٍ عَلَيها

وَإِن بَخِلَت بِمَنزورِ النَوالِ

And I was not stingy to one who endangered it

Even if it was stingy with occasional bestowal.

إِذا ما رُمتَ لِلشُعَراءِ ذِكراً

فَلا تَحفِل بِتَضليلِ المُغالي

If you mention the poets in a discussion

Then do not bother with the exaggerators’ misleading.

وَلا تَذكُر سِوى نَفَرٍ قَليلٍ

وَإِن هُم جاوَزوا عَدَدَ الرِمالِ

Only mention a small group—

Even if they exceeded the number of sands.