تَلَفُ البَصائِرِ وَالزَمانُ مُفَجَّعٌ

أَدهى وَأَفجَعُ مَن تَوى الأَبصارِ

The eyes and time are devastated

More devastating and grievous than twisted eyes

بَلَغَ الفَتى هَرَماً فَظَنَّ زَمانَهُ

هَرِماً وَذَمَّ تَقادُمَ الأَعصارِ

The youth reached old age and thought his time

Was old and blamed the passing of eras

كَم عايَنَ الفَتَياتِ بَعدَ شَبيبَةٍ

عُجُزاً وَدُنياهُنَّ في الأَعصارِ

How many young women after youth

He saw in their weakness through the eras

وَرُميتُ بِالهِمَمِ الطَوالِ وَغالَها

كَرُّ الخَطوبِ فَعَوَّضَت بِقِصارِ

And I was cast with high ambitions though arduous

The bitterness of events made up for with brevity

وَالوَحشُ في الفَلَواتِ أَجمَلُ عِشرَةٍ

لِلمَرءِ مِن أَهليهِ في الأَمصارِ

And solitude in the deserts is a better company

For a man than his family in the settlements

وَإِذا حَصَلتَ مُراقِباً في مَنزِلٍ

سُكّانَهُ أُلفيتَ خِدَنَ حِصارِ

And if you become an observer in a home

You befriend the inmates under siege

وَالحِلمُ أَفضَلُ ناصِرٍ تَدعونَهُ

فَاِلزَمهُ يَكفِكَ قِلَّةَ الأَصارِ

Wisdom is the best supporter you call upon

So stick to it, it will suffice your few resources

وَتَفَكُّرُ الإِنسانِ يَثني غَربَهُ

وَيَرُدُّ جامِحَهُ إِلى الإِقصارِ

And man's contemplation makes his setting sun slope

And holds back his recklessness into descent