الضُلوعُ تَتَّقِدُ
وَالدُموعُ تَطَّرِدُ
The ribs are aflame
And the tears stream
أَيُّها الشَجِيُّ أَفِق
مِن عَناءِ ما تَجِدُ
O weary one, awake
From the toil you find
قَد جَرَت لِغايَتِها
عَبرَةٌ لَها أَمَدُ
For a purpose tears have flowed
With an extent they possess
كُلُّ مُسرِفٍ جَزَعاً
أَو بُكىً سَيَقتَصِدُ
Every extravagant, grieving
Or weeping will be thriftier
وَالزَمانُ سُنَّتُهُ
في السُلُوِّ يَجتَهِدُ
And time's ways
In prosperity and adversity strive
قُل لِثاكِلَينِ مَشى
في قِواهُما الكَمَدُ
Say to two bereaved who walked
In their strength lies destruction
لَم يُعافَ قَبلَكُما
والِدٌ وَلا وَلَدُ
No parent or child before you
Was spared
الَّذينَ ميلَ بِهِم
في سِفارِهِم بَعُدوا
Those who were made to incline
In their travels they wandered
ما عَلِمنا أَشَقوا
بِالرَحيلِ أَم سَعِدوا
We know not if they suffered
In parting or were joyous
إِنَّ مَنزِلاً نَزَلوا
لا يَرُدُّ من يَرِدُ
For they came to an abode
From which none returns
كُلُّنا إِلَيهِ غَداً
لَيسَ بِالبَعيدِ غَدُ
All of us tomorrow thither
Not far is the morrow
البَنونَ هُم دَمُنا
وَالحَياةُ وَالوُرُدُ
Sons are our blood
And life and roses
لا تَلَدُّ مِثلَهُم
مُهجَةٌ وَلا كَبِدُ
No brain or liver begets their like
One the same as multitude
يَستَوونَ واحِدُهُم
في الحَنانِ وَالعَدَدُ
Adornment and purpose
And comfort and affection
زينَةٌ وَمَصلَحَةٌ
وَاِستِراحَةٌ وَدَدُ
Temptation if righteous
Affliction if corrupt
فِتنَةٌ إِذا صَلُحوا
مِحنَةٌ إِذا فَسَدوا
Preoccupying when ill
Harrowing when lost
شاغِلٌ إِذا مَرِضوا
فاجِعٌ إِذا فُقِدوا
Their wound if torn away
Cannot be bandaged
جُرحُهُم إِذا اِنتُزِعوا
لا تَلُمُّهُ الضُمَدُ
No consolation for it
Neither remedy nor endurance
العَزاءُ لَيسَ لَهُ
آسِياً وَلا الجَلَدُ
Say to a structure words
Behind which lies guidance
قُل لِهَيكَلٍ كَلِماً
مِن وَرائِها رَشَدُ
No falsehood or defect reared it
I wonder at a pen
لَم يَشُب مُهَذَّبَها
باطِلٌ وَلا فَنَدُ
Bereaved yet it flows
You are lion of battle
قَد عَجِبتُ مِن قَلمٍ
ثاكِلٍ وَيَنجَرِدُ
It a cutting blade
And swords' edges
أَنتَ لَيثُ مَعرَكَةٍ
وَهوَ صارِمٌ فَرَدُ
In the mire are aflame
You are a critic, knowledgeable
وَالسُيوفُ نَخوَتُها
في الوَطيسِ تَتَّقِدُ
And the knowledgeable criticize
What say you of a decree
أَنتَ ناقِدٌ أَرِبٌ
وَالأَريبُ يَنتَقِدُ
Some of whose extent is endless
And in life at
ما تَقولُ في قَدَرٍ
بَعضُ سِنِّهِ الأَبَدُ
Every step lying in wait
Stumbling people over it
وَهوَ في الحَياةِ عَلى
كُلِّ خُطوَةٍ رَصَدُ
If they strode or sat
Men succumb to
يَعثُرُ الأَنامُ بِهِ
إِن سَعَوا وَإِن قَعَدوا
Its rule though they disbelieve
Destiny is a knot
يَنزِلُ الرِجالُ عَلى
حُكمِهِ وَإِن جَحَدوا
None has untied
Whenever you undo it
القَضاءُ مُعضِلَةٌ
لَم يُحِلَّها أَحَدُ
A knot appears
It has wearied unravelers
كُلَّما نَقَضتَ لَها
عُقدَةً بَدَت عُقَدُ
And the believer rests
A world whose Arranger
أَتعَبَت مُعالِجَها
وَاستَراحَ مُعتَقِدُ
In perpetuity is Peerless
From the decay of its creatures
عالَمٌ مُدَبِّرُهُ
بِالبَقاءِ مُنفَرِدُ
Its new creatures arise
Say not about it transience
مِن بِلى كَوائِنِهِ
كائِناتُهُ الجُدُدُ
For its beauty is ceaselessness
Its opposites converge
لا تَقُل بِهِ إِدَدٌ
إِنَّ حُسنَهُ اَلإِدَدُ
To an endpoint and unite
Annihilation in it is a means
تَلتَقي نَقائِضُهُ
غايَةً وَتَتَّحِدُ
To endurance or support
Its harmony is rectitude
الفَناءُ فيهِ يَدٌ
لِلبَقاءِ أَو عَضُدُ
And its differences, probity
Earnest in its construction
اِئتِلافُهُ رَشَدٌ
وَاِختِلافُهُ سَدَدُ
Are oppressor and oppressed
And for its service
جَدَّ في عَمارَتِهِ
مُنصَفٌ وَمُضطَهَدُ
Poor and rich cramp
And in its ordeals
وَالغِنى لِخِدمَتِهِ
كَالفَقيرِ مُحتَشِدُ
It is intent and unremitting
And life is an inkpot
وَهوَ في أَعِنَّتِهِ
مُمعِنٌ وَمُطَّرِدُ
In whose letters lies immortality
The edifice of woe for it
وَالحَياةُ حَنظَلَةٌ
في حُروفِها شُهُدُ
Is of tears the pillars
The biers arose on
هَيكَلُ الشَقاءِ لهُ
مِن مَدامِعٍ عَمَدُ
Its flanks and the deathbed
Its wedding and bereavement
قامَتِ النُعوشُ عَلى
جانِبَيهِ وَالوَسَدُ
The two goals it sought
عُرسُهُ وَمَأتَمُهُ
غايَتاهُما نَفَدُ
