غَرائِزُ لَمّا أُلَّفَت جَمَعَت رَدىً

وَهَل يَجِدُ الحِلمُ الَّذي يَحفَظُ الخَلَما

When instincts were created, they gathered harm

And does wisdom find what preserves integrity?

فَلَيتَ الفَتى كَالتُربِ لا يَألَمُ الأَذى

وَكَالماءِ في الهَيجاءِ لا يَأنَفُ الكَلما

If only the youth were like dust, unharmed by injury

And like water in tumult, unperturbed by speech

وَلَولا حَياةٌ في يَدي خُلتُ أَنمُلي

كَأَقلامِ بارٍ غَيرِ مُنكِرَةٍ قَلَما

If not for a life in my hands, I’d be like silent pens

Of a virtuous rain, rarely declining to write

وَما سَفَتِ الريحُ الرَغامَ جَهالَةً

وَلا رَكَدَت قُدسٌ وَأَترابُها حِلما

The wind didn’t blow specks in ignorance

Nor did Jerusalem and its environs stagnate in wisdom

رَأَيتُ سَجايا الناسِ فيها تَظالُمٌ

وَلا رَيبَ في عَدلِ الَّذي خَلَقَ الظُلما

I saw the flaws of people, among them injustice

And no doubt in the justice of the one who created darkness

إِذا عِلمِيَ الأَشياءَ جَرَّ مَضَرَّةً

إِلَيَّ فَإِنَّ الجَهلَ أَن أَطلُبَ العِلما

When I know things, it draws harm to me

For ignorance is that I seek knowledge

وَما رَضيت رَضوى مِنَ الدَهرِ حُكمَهُ

وَإِن كانَ سَلمى غَيرَ مَرزوقَةٍ سِلما

And I haven’t been pleased with the decree of fate

Even if my peace is not destined, without peace

عَفا اللَهُ عَن صافي الحِجى مُتَنَبِّهٍ

يَرى خَفضَهُ بُؤسي وَيَقظَتَهُ حُلما

May God forgive the one of pure intuition, awakened

Who sees my misery lowered and his calm heightened

فَنا رَوضُهُ مَرعىً وَلا يُسرُهُ غِنىً

وَلا صُبحُهُ أَضحى وَلا لَيلُهُ أَلمى

So his meadow is my pasture, and wealth doesn’t please him

Nor is his dawn his sunset, or his night painful