ظَبيٌ رَأى صورَتَهُ في الماءِ

فَرَفَعَ الرَأسَ إِلى السَماءِ

A gazelle saw his image in the water

So he raised his head to the sky

وَقالَ يا خالِقَ هَذا الجيدِ

زِنهُ بِعِقدِ اللُؤلُؤِ النَضيدِ

And said, "O Creator of this beauty

Adorn it with a necklace of precious pearls."

فَسَمِعَ الماءَ يَقولُ مُفصِحا

طَلَبتَ يا ذا الظَبيُ ما لَن تُمنَحا

The water replied eloquently,

"O gazelle, you ask for what you will not be granted.

إِنَّ الَّذي أَعطاكَ هَذا الجيدا

لَم يُبقِ في الحُسنِ لَهُ مَزيدا

He who gave you this beauty

Left no room for more handsomeness.

لَو أَنَّ حُسنَهُ عَلى النُحورِ

لَم يُخرِجِ الدُرَّ مِنَ البُحور

If his beauty was bestowed on faces

No pearls would come out from the seas."

فَاِفتَتَنَ الظَبيُ بِذي المَقالِ

وَزادَهُ شَوقاً إِلى اللآلي

So the gazelle was infatuated by the smooth talk

And it increased his yearning for the unattainable.

وَلَم يَنَلهُ فَمُهُ السَقيمُ

فَعاشَ دَهراً في الفَلا يَهيمُ

His sickly mouth did not get it

So he lived an age wandering distraught.

حَتّى تَقَضّى العُمرُ في الهُيامِ

وَهَجرِ طيبِ النَومِ وَالطَعامِ

Until his lifetime was spent in passions

And avoiding the goodness of sleep and food.

فَسارَ نَحوَ الماءِ ذاتَ مَرَّه

يَشكو إِلَيهِ نَفعَهُ وَضَرَّه

Once he headed towards the water

To complain to it of his benefits and harm.

وَبَينَما الجارانِ في الكَلام

أَقبَلَ راعي الدَيرِ في الظَلام

While the two were talking

The monk's shepherd approached in the darkness.

يَتبَعُهُ حَيثُ مَشى خِنزيرُ

في جيدِهِ قِلادَةٌ تُنيرُ

Following him walked a pig

With a necklace shining on its neck.

فَاِندَفَعَ الظَبيُ لِذاكَ يَبكي

وَقالَ مِن بَعدِ اِنجِلاءِ الشَك

The gazelle rushed weeping to the pig

And said, after recovering from the shock,

ما آفَةُ السَعيِ سِوى الضَلالِ

ما آفَةُ العُمرِ سِوى الآمالِ

"The ill of effort is nothing but going astray!

The ill of lifetime is nothing but wishes!

لَولا قَضاءُ الملِكِ القَدير

لَما سَعى العِقدُ إِلى الخِنزير

If not for the judgment of the Almighty

The necklace would not have come to the pig."

فَاِلتَفَتَ الماءُ إِلى الغَزالِ

وَقالَ حالُ الشَيخِ شَرُّ حالِ

So the water turned to the gazelle

And said, "The state of the old is the worst state.

لا عَجَبٌ إِنَّ السِنينَ موقِظَه

حَفِظتَ عُمراً لَو حَفِظتَ مَوعِظَه

No wonder, years awakened him.

If only you had preserved the advice you kept for years."