رُحتُ في الناسِ كَرَبعٍ دارِسٍ

أَخَذَت مِنهُ رِياحٌ وَمَطَر

I went among people like a studious scholar,

The winds and rain took from him,

خَبَأَ الدَجنُ لِأَرضٍ جَودَهُ

وَطَوى أَرضي بَخيلاً ما قَطَر

The clouds concealed the generosity of the land,

And folded up the ground miserly, without dripping.

مُستَطارٌ أَنا مِن خَوفِ الرِدى

كُلُّ شَيءٍ في كِتابٍ مُستَطَر

I am wary of ruin,

Everything in a sealed book is wary.

غَفَرَ اللَهُ لِعَبدٍ غافِلٍ

هُوَ في أَعظَمِ جَهلٍ وَخَطَر

May God forgive a heedless servant,

He is in the greatest ignorance and danger.

تَرَكَ الآجِلُ لَم يَحفِل بِهِ

وَمِنَ العاجِلِ لَم يَقضِ الوَطَر

He who postpones left him, he did not care for him,

And he did not fulfill his present desires.

حَكَمَ الرَبُّ لِبَدرٍ فَاِستَوى

وَهِلالٍ مُستَجِدٍّ فانَأطَر

The Lord decreed for the full moon until it waned,

And the new crescent until it disappeared.

تُظهِرُ الدينَ وَتُخفي غَيرَهُ

إِنَّما شَأنُكَ مَكرٌ وَبَطَر

You show religion and conceal others,

Your way is merely deceit and trickery.