بَينَ الغَريزَةِ وَالرَشادِ نِفارُ

وَعَلى الزَخارِفِ ضُمَّتِ الأَسفارُ

There is estrangement between instinct and guidance,

And journey scrolls are rolled up on ornaments.

وَإِذا اِقتَضَيتَ مَعَ السَعادَةِ كابِياً

أَورَيتَهُ ناراً فَقيلَ عَفارُ

And if you found a perverse one with happiness,

You showed him fire, so it was said an ember.

أَمّا زَمانُكَ بِالأَنيسِ فَآهِلٌ

لَكِنَّهُ مِمّا تَوَدُّ قِفارُ

As for your time with a companion, it is populated,

But it is of what deserted homelands desire.

أَقفَرتُ مِن جِهَتَينِ قَفرِ مَعازَةٍ

وَطَعامِ لَيلٍ جاءَ وَهوَ قِفارُ

I lacked from two sides, the lack of neediness

And the food of a night that came while it was lacking.

وَإِذا تَساوى في القَبيحِ فِعالُنا

فَمَنِ التَّقيُّ وَأَيُّنا الكَفّارُ

And when our two actions are equal in vileness,

Who is the devout one and which of us the disbelievers?

وَالناسُ بَينَ إِقامَةٍ وَتَحَمُّلٍ

وَكَأَنَّما أَيامُهُم أَسفارُ

And people are between staying and enduring,

And it is as if their days are travels.

وَالحَتفُ أَنصَفَ بَينَهُم لَم تَمتَنِع

مِنهُ الرِئالُ وَلا نَجا الأَغفارُ

Fate was fair between them, neither the dirhams nor the aghfar were inaccessible,

And sin whose forgiveness is with our pretense,

وَالذَنبُ ماغُفرانُهُ بِتَصَنُّعٍ

مِنّا وَلَكِن رَبُّنا الغَفّارُ

Not with us, but our Lord is the Forgiver.

And how many eyelids complained of the insomnia they suffered,

وَكَمِ اِشتَكَت أَشفارُ عَينٍ سُهدَها

وَشَفاؤُها مِمّا أَلَمَّ شِفارُ

And their cure was from what pained the eyelids.

A man is like a lion always looking out,

وَالمَرءُ مِثلُ اللَيثِ يَفرِسُ دائِماً

وَلَقَد يَخيبُ وَتَظفَرُ الأَظفارُ

And he may fail while claws succeed.

And how long I have waited a gloomy night,

وَلَطالَما صابَرتُ لَيلاً عاتِماً

فَمَتى يَكونُ الصُبحُ وَالإِسفارُ

When will the dawn be and the trips?

A fleet of tattered ships hopes for safety,

يَرجو السَلامَةَ رَكبُ خَرقٍ مُتلِفٍ

وَمِنَ الخَفيرِ أَتاهُمُ الإِخفارُ

And the guard brought them news of sinking.