إِنّا مَعاشِرَ هَذا الخَلقِ في سَفَهٍ

حَتّى كَأَنّا عَلى الأَخلاقِ نَختَلِفُ

We people of this age are foolish

As if we differ in morals

إِنَّ الرِجالَ إِذا لَم يَحمِها رَشَدٌ

مِثلُ النِساءِ عَراها الخُلفُ وَالخُلُفُ

When men lack wisdom's guidance

They are like women, flawed and defective

أَلا تَرى جَمعَ ما لا عَقلَ يُسنِدُهُ

جَمعَ المُؤَنَّثِ فيهِ التاءُ وَالأَلِفُ

Don't you see the plural of what is irrational

Is the plural feminine, with ta and alif

وَيوصَفُ القَومُ في العَلياءِ أَنَّهُمُ

شُمُّ الأُنوفِ وَفي آنافِهِم ذَلَفُ

And people of nobility are described

As haughty, with conceit up their noses

كَم مِن أَخٍ بِأَخيهِ غَيرَ مُتَّصِلٍ

كَالعَينِ لَيسَت بِلَفظِ الخاءِ تَأتَلِفُ

How many a brother isn't close to his brother

Not joined like the eye, without kha or affinity

تَلافَ أَمرَكَ مِن قِبَلِ التَلافِ بِهِ

فَغايَةُ الناسِ في دُنياهُمُ التَلَفُ

Take care lest your affairs fall apart

For people's utmost aim in life is gain

وَلا تَقولَن إِذا ما جِئتَ مُخزِيَةً

قَولَ الغُواةِ عَلى هَذا مَضى السَلَفُ

And if you come in disgrace, don't speak

The words of transgressors, "the predecessors did thus"

لا تَحلِفَنَّ عَلى صِدقٍ وَلا كَذِبٍ

فَما يُفيدُكَ إِلّا المَأثَمَ الحَلِفُ

Swear not falsely or truly

For nought avails you but sin in oaths

لَولا حِذارِيَ أَنَّ اللَهَ يَسأَلُني

عَمّا فَعَلتُ لَقَلَّت عِندِيَ الكُلَفُ

But for my fear God will question me

About what I did, pretense would be little

كُنّا فُتوّاً فَقَد مُدَّ البَقاءُ لَنا

حَتّى غَدَونا وَمِنّا الشَيبُ وَالدُلُفُ

We were youths, but length of days

Has left us graybeards and stooping

يَفنى الزَمانُ وَأَنفاسُ الأَنامُ لَهُ

خُطىً بِهِنَّ إِلى الآجالِ يَزدَلِفُ

Time passes and breaths of people

Hasten steps toward destined ends

وَأُمُّ دَفرٍ فَروكٌ وافَقَت صَلَفاً

مِنّي وَكانَ جَزاءَ الفارِكِ الصَلَفُ

The mother of Dafar, his horse went astray

I treated her harshly, the due of the deserter

وَكَم ضَحِكتُ إِلَيها وَهِيَ عابِسَةٌ

ثُمَّ اِفتَكَرتُ فَزالَ الحُبُّ وَالكَلَفُ

How I laughed at her frowning

Then thought better, and love and grace went

وَالناسُ مِن أَربَعٍ شَتّى إِذا اِئتَلَفَت

رُدَّت إِلى سَبعَةٍ في الحُكمِ تَختَلِفُ

People are of four kinds; when united

They turn to seven dispositions distinct

إِقرَأ كَلامي إِذا ضَمَّ الثَرى جَسَدي

فَإِنَّهُ لَكَ مِمَّن قالَهُ خَلَفُ

Read my words when earth covers my body

For they are from one who came after