وَجَدتُ الأَنامَ عَلى خُطَّةٍ

نَهارُهُم كَالظَلامِ اِعتَكَر

I found people following a crooked path,

Their day is like deep darkness.

فَلا يُزهِدَنَّكَ في العارِفاتِ

أَنَّ الَّذي نالَها ما شَكَر

So don't let those who obtained it make you despair of gnosis,

For he who attained it was ungrateful.

وَقَد شَرِبَ الدَهرُ صَفوَ الأَنامِ

فَلَم يَبقَ في الأَرضِ إِلّا العَكَر

Time has sipped the elite of mankind,

Leaving none on earth but the dregs.

وَما عِندَ خِلِّكَ غَيرُ النِفاقِ

وَما خِلتُهُ ناسِياً فَاِدَّكَر

You have from your friend nothing but hypocrisy,

And I had forgotten his friendship, so be reminded.

أَرى سِنَةً وَهُوَ في حيلَةٍ

وَلَم يُغفِ حَقّاً وَلَكِن مَكَر

I see him sinning while claiming to be innocent,

Not keeping faith yet pretending to be faithful.

تَفَكَّر فَقَد حارَ هَذا الدَليلُ

وَما يَكشِفُ النَهجَ غَيرُ الفِكَر

So think, for this evidence is confusing,

And nothing clarifies the path except thinking.

فَيا لَيتَني حَجَرٌ لا يُحِسُّ

بِالخَطبِ أَو طائِرٌ ما اِحتَكَر

Oh how I wish I were a rock, unaware

Of tribulations, or a bird, free of treachery.

إِذا ما أَنارَ صَباحٌ غَدا

وَإِن جَنَّ لايلٌ عَلَيهِ وَكَر

When dawn lights up tomorrow,

And night covers it with darkness,

فَذَكِّر أَخاكَ بِإِحسانِهِ

فَقَد راحَ في غَفلَةٍ وَاِبتَكَر

Remind your brother with kindness,

For he went astray, heedless and confused.