يا سابِحاً يَصهَلُ في غِرَّةٍ
أَينَ وَجيهُ الخَيلِ وَالذائِدُ
O swimmer who dives boldly into the deep
Where is the brave horseman and warrior?
آدى لَهُ في الدَهرِ ما يَبتَغي
ثُمَّ أَتاهُ قَدَرٌ آثِدُ
Fate gave him in life what he sought
Then came upon him a firm decree
هَل يَأمَنَ الحوتُ مِنَ الشُهُبِ أَن
يَأخُذَهُ في الكِفَّةِ الصائِدُ
Can the whale feel safe from the spears
That the hunter will seize him in his net?
أَو حِمَلٌ نُزِّهَ في الجَوِّ أَن
يَغتالَهُ بِالمَديَّةِ الكائِدُ
Or the camel feel secure in the sky
That the lurking foe won't make him his prey?
إِن كانَ لِلمَرّيخِ عَقلٌ فَما
يَستُرُ عَنهُ أَنَّهُ بائِدُ
If Mars had any wit he would know
That in the end he is bound to fade
يوصي الفَتى بِالأَمرِ مِن بَعدِهِ
كَأَنَّهُ مِن بَينِهِ عائِدُ
The youth takes the advice of elders
As though it came from one of his own
يَكذِبُني الرائِدُ في زَعمِهِ
وَمُهلَكٌ إِن كَذَبَ الرائِدُ
The guide deceives me by his claim
And ruin comes if the guide's untrue
وَالخَيرُ لا يُكَفَّرُ فَلِيُحسِنِ المُس
لِمُ وَالصابِئُ وَالهائِدُ
Goodness is never lost so let the Muslim
The Sabian and the lapsed do what is right
فَوائِدُ الأَيّامِ مَحبوبَةٌ
وَفاقِدٌ لَذَّتَها الفائِدُ
The gifts of days are joys to be cherished
He who lacks them is deprived of delight
فَزَجِّ دُنياكَ فَما يَخلِدُ ال
ناقِصُ في العَيشِ وَلا الزائِدُ
Cast off your worldly goods for nothing lasts
Neither faulty possessions nor surplus store
وَإِنَّ مِنهاجَ الرَدى يَستَوي
فيهِ مَسوَدُ القَومِ وَالسائِدُ
On the path of destruction no distinction
Between the mighty and the common folk
وَإِنَّما يَلقى شُجاعُ الوَغى
كَما يُلاقي النافِرُ الحائِدُ
Only the courageous dare the chaos of war
As the warrior faces the coward's retreat
تُقصَفُ بِالقُدرَةِ رَضوى كَما
يُقصَفُ هَذا الغُصنُ المائِدُ
Desires are pruned by destiny's shears
As this branch I lop off is pruned of excess
وَلَو دَرى الموؤودُ ما عِندَنا
مِن نَبَإٍ ما عُتِبَ الوائِدُ
If the deceased but knew what news we hold
No reproached would be aimed at the dead
قَد شُيِّدَ القَصرُ لِسُكّانِهِ
وَغَيرُ مَن يَسكُنُهُ الشائِدُ
The mansion is built for those who dwell there
Not for one who comes to tear it down
