أضعتَ العُمرَ في إصلاح حالِكْ

ومَا فكّرتَ وَيْحَكَ في مآلِكْ

You wasted your life trying to improve your state,

Yet never thought, alas, about your final fate.

أراكَ أَمِنتَ أحداثَ اللَّيالي

وقَدْ صَمدتْ لِغَدرِكَ واغتيالِكْ

I see you felt secure from the nights' events,

Though they conspired against you for your punishment.

ومِلْتَ لِزخْرفِ الدّنيا غروراً

وقد جاءتْ تسيرُ إلى قِتالك

You were infatuated with the world's vanities,

Yet it approaches now to fight against you.

وكَمْ أتعتبَ بالآمال قلباً

تَحَمِّلَ ما يزيدُ على احْتِمالِكْ

How often a heart hoped with dreams,

Bearing more than it could withstand.

ولَمْ يكُنِ الذي أمَّلْتَ فيها

بأسْرعَ من زوالِكَ وانتقالِكْ

What you wished for was not

Faster than your demise and departure.

فَعِش فيها خَمِيصَ البَطْنِ واعْمَلْ

لِيَومٍ فيه تَذْهَلُ عَنْ عيالِكْ

So live frugally and work

For a day when you will be distraught over your family.

تجيءُ غليه مُنقاداً ذليلاً

ولا تدري يمنَك مِن شِمالِكْ

You will come to it humiliated and subdued,

Not knowing whether from your right or your left.

إليها في شبابِك مِلْت جَهْلاً

فَهَلاّ مِلْتَ عَنها في اكْتهالِكْ

In your youth, you were ignorantly infatuated with it,

So why not become disinterested with aging?

فَمَهْلاً فهيَ عند اللهِ أَدْنَى

وأهْونُ مِن ترابٍ في نعالِكْ

Wait, for it is insignificant to God

And lighter than dust on your shoes.

وإِنْ جاءَتْكَ خاطبةً فأعرِضْ

وقُلْ مَهْلاً فما أنا مِنْ رجالِكْ

If it comes to you asking for marriage, turn away

And say, wait, for I am not one of your men.

إليَّ تَزَيّنينَ لِتَخْدَعيني

فما أَبْصَرتُ أقبحَ مِنْ جمالِكْ

You adorned yourself to deceive me,

Yet I saw nothing uglier than your beauty.

أما لَوْ كُنتِ في الرِّمضاءِ ظِلاًّ

إذاً مَا مِلتُ قطّ إلى ظِلالِكْ

If only you were a shade in the hot sun,

Then I would have never stopped seeking your shade.

صِليْ ما شئِتِ هُجراني فإنّي

رَضيتُ الدَّهرَ هَجْراً مِنْ وصالِكْ

Keep your estrangement as long as you wish, for I am content

With a lifetime of separation from your company.

فليسَ النّبل من ثُعَلِ إذا ما

رمَتْ يَوماً بأصمَى مِنْ نبالِك

Nobility is not in loosely shooting arrows

That one day aim haphazardly with your bow.

حرامُكِ لِلْورى فيهِ عِقابٌ

عليهِ والحِسابُ على حَلالِكْ

Your unlawful acts bring punishment upon the people

And you will be held accountable for your lawful acts.

فَمَنْ قد كَان قبلكَ مِن بَنيها

زَوالْهُمُ يَدُلُّ عَلى زَوالِكْ

The fading of those before you indicates

That you too will inevitably fade.

وكَمْ شادوا الممالِكَ والمباني

فأينَ ترى المباني والممَالِكْ

How many kingdoms and buildings they erected,

Yet where are their buildings and kingdoms now?

وأنتَ إذا عَقَلْتَ عَلَى ارْتحالِ

فَخُذْ في جمعِ زادِكَ لارْتحالِكْ

When you are reasonable about your departure,

Prepare provisions for your journey.

ودَعْ طُرقَ الضَّلالِ لِمُبْتَغيها

فطرقُ الحقَّ بَينة المسالِكْ

Leave the ways of misguidance sought by its people,

For the ways of truth are clear paths.

إلامَ وفيمَ ويُحكَ ذا التَّصابي

وكَمْ هذا التغابي في ضلالِكْ

Why this obstinacy and straying in your confusion?

How long will this self-deception persist?

تنَبهْ إنّ عمرَكَ قد تَقَضَّى

فَعَدِّ وعُدّ نَفسَك في الهَوالِكْ

Wake up! Your life is over,

So count and evaluate yourself during calamities.

وعاتِبْها على التَفريط وانظرْ

لأيّ طريقةٍ أَصبْحتَ سالِكْ

And reproach yourself for your negligence, and see

What path have you started walking?

وقُلْ لي ما الّذي يومَ التّنادي

تجيبُ بهِ المهيْمن عَنْ سؤالكْ

Tell me, what will you say on the Day of Calling

When the Supreme questions you about your deeds?

وماذا أنتَ قائلهُ اعْتِذاراً

إذا نَشَروا كِتابَكَ عَنْ فِعالِك

What excuse will you give

When they unfold your record of misdeeds?

فَخَفْ مولاك في الخَلواتِ واجأرْ

إليه بانْتِحابِكَ وابْتِهالكْ

So fear your Master in solitude and beseech

Him with your lamentation and supplication.

وراقِبْ أمره في كلّ حالٍ

يُفرَجْ في القيامَةِ ضيقَ حالِكْ

Be mindful of His command always,

And He will relieve your difficult state on Judgment Day.

ولا تجنَحْ إلى العصْيانِ تُدْفَعْ

إلى ليلٍ مِنَ الأحزانِ حالِكْ

Do not incline towards disobedience, which will lead

Your state into a night of sorrows.

وإن أمراً بًلِيتَ بهِ فَصَبراً

لَعَلَ الله يُحدِثُ بعْدَ ذلكْ

And if you are afflicted with something, then be patient,

Perhaps God will bring about relief after that.

فَرُبَّ مصيبةٍ مَرَّتْ ومَرَّتْ

عليكَ كأنْ مَا مَرَّتْ ببالِك

For many a calamity has passed you,

As if it never touched you at all.

وكم قد ثقّفَ مِنكَ الرَّزايا

وأَحْكمتِ اللّيالي مِن صقالِكْ

How much adversity has refined you

And the nights have perfected your mettle!