يُبايِنُ شَكلٌ غَيرَهُ في حَياتِهِ
فَإِن هَلَكا لَم تُلفِ بَينَهُما فَرقا
One's form differs from another's in life
Yet if both perish, no difference lies between the two
وَمَن يَفتَقِد حالَ الزَمانِ وَأَهلِه
يَذُمُّ بِهِم غَرباً مِنَ الأَرضِ أَو شَرقا
And he who is disconnected from his time and its people
Finds fault with them whether in the west or east of the world
يَجِد قَولَهُم مَيناً وَوِدَّهُمُ قِلىً
وَخَيرَهُم شَرّاً وَصَنعَتَهُم خُرقا
He finds their words weak and their love little
Their good evil and their deeds ragged
وَبِشرَهُمُ خَدَعاً وَفَقرَهُم غِنىً
وَعِلَمَهُم جَهلاً وَحِكمَتَهُم زَرقا
And their glad tidings deception and their poverty riches
Their knowledge ignorance and their wisdom motley
أَحَيَّ كِلابٍ كَم رَعى النَبتَ قَبلَكُم
فَريقٌ وَشاموا في حَنادِسِهِم بَرقا
O dogs, how many plants have you shepherded before them
A band who in their dens saw lightning
وَصابوا عَلى عافٍ وَآبوا إِلى رِضىً
وَجابوا إِلى عَلياءَ نازِحَةٍ خَرقا
And endured in plenty and turned to consent
And resorted to lofty ruins
وَلَيلاً طَلى قاراً بِقارٍ وَأُكمُهُ
مُراقِبَةٌ مِن شُهبِهِ حَدَقاً زُرقا
And the night extended darkness unto darkness
While it watched with its blue, twinkling stars
إِذا نَشَأَت فيهِ الغَمامَةُ خِلتَها
بِإيماضِها زِنجِيَّةً فَصَدَت عِرقا
When a cloud rises in it, it vanishes
With its passing like a black maid, it sweats
وَمَرّوا بِمَقصودِ الحِمامِ فَغادَروا
خَوالِدَ ضَمَّت فيهِ أَفرُخَها الوُرقا
And they passed by the goal of the dove and left
Young doves gathered in it, tender leaves
رَأَينا شُؤونَ الدَهرِ خَفضاً وَرِفعَةً
وَنَحنُ أُسارى في الحَوادِثِ أَو غَرقى
We have seen the affairs of fate lowered and raised
While we are captives to events or drowned
هَوى مُعتَلٍّ كَالغَيثِ مِنَ المُزنِ وَاِعتَلى
خَفيضٌ كَنَقعٍ مِن لَدُن حافِرٍ يَرقى
The desire of the invalid falls like rain from the clouds and rises
Depressed like the bray of a hoof stomping
فَلا تَأمَنوا شامِيَّةً يَمَنِيَّةً
تُعادي فَلا تُبقي خِباءً وَلا فِرقا
So do not feel secure with a treacherous left or right
That makes enemies and leaves no tent or distinction
يُخَرِّقُ دِرعَ المَرءِ سُمرُ رِماحِها
وَإِن كانَ مُرّاً في مَذاقَتِهِ خَرقا
It pierces the coat of armor with its spear points
Even if it tastes bitter when swallowed
إِذا طَلَبوا أَقصى العُلا اِتَّخَذوا لَهُ
بِصُمِّ العَوالي في تَرائِبِكُم طُرقا
When they seek the heights, they make
With the summits in your grounds, roads
إِذا كُنتُمُ أَوراقَ أَثلٍ زَهَوا لَكُم
جَرادَ نِبالٍ كَي تُبيدَكُم وَرقا
If you are leaves of tamarisk, locusts of arrows come to you
To destroy you leaf by leaf
أَطارِقَ هَمٍّ ضافَ هَل أَنتَ عاذِرٌ
مَتّى لَم تَجِد بي عِندَ مُرتَحَلٍ طِرقا
Visitor of worries, did you find me to be excusing
When you do not find me near a camp, paths
وَأَعوَزَني ماءٌ أُزيلُ بِهِ الصَدى
فَلا عَيشَ إِن لَم أَشرَبَ الكَدِرَ الطَرقا
And thirst has made me incapable, with which I remove sedation
There is no life if I do not drink the turbid road
هُمُ الناسُ أَجبالٌ شَوامِخُ في الذُرى
وَأَودِيَةٌ لا تَبلُغُ الأُكمَ وَالبُرقا
People are mountains, lofty peaks in the earth
And valleys that do not reach the heights and lightning
فَسَكرانُ يُستَرقى وَيَبذُلُ بُسلَةً
وَآخَرُ صاحي اللُبِّ يَغضَبُ أَن يُرقى
One drunk creeps and gives away a cloak
While another sober minded becomes angry if he climbs
