أَجمِل فَعالَكَ إِن وُليتَ وَلا تَجُر

سُبلَ الهُدى فَلِكُلِّ والٍ عازِلُ

Do your best when trusted, and do not drag

The paths of guidance, for every arrival has a departure.

لِلعالَمِ العُلوِيِّ فيما خَبَّروا

شِيَمٌ بِها قَدرُ الكَواكِبِ نازِلُ

For the sublime world, in what they have narrated,

Are attributes by which the stars' worth is determined.

أَتَرى الهِلالَ وَلَيسَ فيهِ مَظَنَّةٌ

يَصبو إِلى جَوزائِهِ وَيُغازِلُ

Do you see the crescent, though in it there is no surety?

It inclines towards its fullness and flirts.

وَيَنالُهُ نَصَبٌ يُطيلُ عَناءَهُ

فَلَهُ كَساري المُدلِجينَ مَنازِلُ

And it meets with hardship that prolongs its suffering,

So for it are the lodgings of those who spend the night adorning.

وَيُقيمُ في الدارِ المُنيفَةِ لَيلَةً

وَإِذا تَرَحَّلَ لَم يَعُقهُ الآزِلُ

And it stays for a night in the coveted house.

When it moves on, no misfortune befalls it.

وَالبَدرُ أَنضَتهُ الغَياهِبُ وَالسَرى

فَليَرضَ إِن يُنَضَّ الفَنيقُ البازِلُ

The full moon - its light dimmed by clouds and the Pleiades -

Should be content if the transient Phoenix is ruined.

عَلَّ السَماكَ إِذا اِستَقَلَّ بِرُمحِهِ

بَطَلٌ يُمارِسُ قِرنَهُ وَيُنازِلُ

The fish, when it controls its spear,

Is a hero conversing with its like and contending.

أَيقَنتَ مِن قَبلِ النُهى أَنَّ السُهى

ساهٍ يُضاحِكُ جارَهُ وَيُهازِلُ

Were you certain before the prohibition that temptation

Is a distracter jesting with its neighbor and flirting?

وَالشَمسُ غازلَةٌ تَمُدُّ خُيوطَها

فَلِذاكَ نِسوانُ الأَنامِ غَوازِلُ

The sun is a flirt extending its threads,

Thus the women of the world are flirts.

أَمّا النُجومُ فَإِنَّهُنَّ رَكائِبٌ

تَحتَ الزَمانِ فَهَل لَهُنَّ هَوازِلُ

As for the stars, they are riders

Under time - do they have any descents?

يا حَبَّذا العَيشُ الأَنيقُ وَلَم تَرُم

هَدمَ السُرورِ مِنَ الخُطوبِ زَلازِلُ

O excellent is the refined life, if tremors

Did not demolish the joy from afflictions.

أَيّامَ سُنبُلَةُ البُروجِ غَضيضَةٌ

وَاللَيثُ شِبلٌ وَالنُسورُ جَوازِلُ

Days when the stars of the constellations are still young,

And the lion a cub, and the eagles fledglings.

وَهَمَمتَ أَن تُحظى وَلَكِن طالَما

خَزَلَتكَ عَن نَيلِ المُرادِ خَوازِلُ

You wished to be fortunate but often

Caprices prevented you from attaining your desire.