أَفادَت بِكَ الأَيّامُ فَرطَ تَجارِبٍ

كَأَنَّكَ في فَرقِ الزَمانِ مَشيبُ

Days have taught you an excess of experiences

As if you were an old man in the span of time

وُكُلُّ بَعيدٍ قَرَّبَ الحَينَ نَحوُهُ

سَلاهِبُكَ الجُردُ الجِيادُ قَريبُ

And every far thing, it brought near to it

Your horses roaming free, near at hand

تَباشَرُ أَقطارَ البِلادِ كَأَنَّها

رِياحٌ لَها في الخافِقينَ هُبوبُ

You traverse the regions of the countries as if they are

Winds blowing freely in the air

تَماشى بِفِتيانٍ كَأَنَّ جُسومَهُم

لِخِفَّتِها فَوقَ السُروجِ قُلوبُ

You walk with young men whose bodies

Are like hearts above the saddles because of their lightness

وَتَملَأُ ما بَينَ الفَضائينَ عِثيراً

مُثاراً بِوَجهِ الشَمسِ مِنهُ شَحوبُ

And you fill what is between the two horizons with bustling

Stirred by the face of the sun which pales it

وَما يُدرِكُ العَلياءَ إِلّا مُهَذَّبٌ

يُصابُ عَلى مِقدارِهِ وَيُصيبُ

And none can attain lofty goals except one refined

Who measures up to it and attains it

فَلا تَصطَفِ الإِخوانَ قَبلَ اِختِبارِهم

فَما كُلُّ خِلٍّ تَصطَفيهِ نَجيبُ

So do not choose companions before testing them

For not every sweet date is of high quality