أخذت عن التجارب كل فعل

جميل يكسب الإنسان زينا

I have learned from experience every

Beautiful act that adorns mankind

إذا أنكرت ودّا من صديق

وكنت أعدّهُ سكنا وعونا

If a friend denied affection

Though I counted him rest and support

تركت عتابه ولممت نفسي

ولم ألزمه معتبة وشينا

I left off reproach and blamed myself

Not forcing him to be mean or disgraceful

ولكنّي رفقت به رويداً

إذا ما نحن رحنا واغتدينا

But I was gentle with him little by little

When we two together strayed and wandered astray

وكنّا في محاربة كأنّا

كأنّا في البرية ما التقينا

And though we were at war it was as if

We had never met in the wilderness

يورحت إذا مع المعلين ذنبا

صروف الدهر بعد هوى إلينا

I was lenient when with the exalted I sinned

After circumstance turned affection toward us

وكان الفضل فيه له لأنا

رأينا في التلوّن ما رأينا

And the merit in it was his because

We saw in his changeableness what we saw