قالَت مَعاشِرُ كُلٌّ عاجِزٌ ضَرِعُ
ما لِلخَلائِقِ لا بُطءٌ وَلا سُرُعُ
The helpless utter in unison 'Alas!',
All creatures neither swift nor slow in their pace,
مُدَبَّرونَ فَلا عَتبٌ إِذا خَطِئوا
عَلى المُسيءِ وَلا حَمدٌ إِذا بَرَعوا
Predestined, so do not blame if they err,
Nor praise if they excel in their race.
وَلَقَد وَجَدتُ لِهَذا القَولِ في زَمَني
شَواهِداً وَنَهاني دونَهُ الوَرَعُ
For this saying, in my time, I found
Evidence aplenty that caution defined.
وَالناسُ ضَأنٌ تَساوَت في غَرائِزِها
يَلقونَ بِالأَرضِ كَفّاً كُلَّما اِفتَرَعوا
People are sheep, alike in instinct,
Each time they graze, heads to the ground bent.
وَالعَيشُ وِردٌ سَيُسقى الحَيُّ آخِرَهُ
عِندَ الحِمامِ وَأَنفاسُ الفَتى جُرَعُ
Sustenance is a draught, the living drink it last,
At fate's decisive hour, the youth's breath spent.
شاموا بُروقَ المَنايا غَيرَ مانِعِهِم
مِنَ الحَوادِثَ ما شاموا وَما اِدَّرَعوا
Undeterred by the spectre of death they face,
Meeting both evils foreseen and unforeseen.
وَيَدَّعي الرُتبَةَ العُليا أَخَسُّهُم
فَما يُجابُ لَهُم داعٍ إِذا ضَرَعوا
The lowest of them lays claim to highest rank.
No response to the prayers of those astray.
وَأَدرَكوا بِدعاويهم مَدى زُحَلٍ
مِنَ الرُغامِ بِما قاسوهُ أَو ذَرَعوا
With their empty boasts they overreached,
Grasping at mirages near and far gleaned.
يَسعَونَ في المَنهَجِ المَسلوكِ قَد سُبِقوا
إِلى الَّذي هُوَ عِندَ الغُرِّ مُختَرَعُ
Seeking trodden paths, they were outstripped
By ruin lying in ambush, guile unseen.
أَبكارُ هَذي المَعاني ثَيِّباتُ حِجىً
في كُلِّ عَصرٍ لَها جانٍ وَمُفتَرِعُ
Everlasting ideas, though oft womb-born,
In every age a new coat have preened.
وَخالَفوا الشَرَعَ لَمّا جاءَهُم بِتُقىً
وَاِستَحسَنوا مِن قَبيحِ الفِعلِ ما شَرَعوا
They broke divine law when it came to them
And approved of evils, forbidden means.
وَجَدتُ ما اِزدَرَعوهُ كانَ عَن قَدَرٍ
وَالحَقُّ أَنَّ بَنيهِم شَرُّ ما اِزدَرَعوا
I found their crops were more than they sowed,
Truly, their progeny the worst they have reaped.
لَو يُكَشَّفُ عَّن أَبصارِهِم لَرَأَت
آمالَهُم وَالمَنايا كَيفَ تَصتَرِعُ
If sight were granted them, they would behold
Hopes and destinies relentlessly reaped.
عادَت لَياليهِمُ دُهماً بِلا وَضَحٍ
وَقَد يَكونُ بِهِنَّ الغُرُّ وَالدُرَعُ
Their nights return gloom-laden, devoid of dawn,
At their hour of ruin, no coat of mail.
وَالمَرءُ ما عاشَ مَبسوطٌ إِساءَتُهُ
يَشقى بِهِ القَومُ إِن هانوا وَإِن فَرَعوا
A man lives not in joy when his sins spread misery,
Whether his people mighty or brought low.
وَالطَيرُ وَالوَحشُ غاديها وَصالِحُها
وَاللَيثُ وَالشِبلُ وَالذَيّالُ وَالذَرَعُ
Beast and fowl, harmful and benign go their way,
The lion, the cub, the wolf, the doe.
لا فَضلَ يُحباهُ مَخلوقٌ عَلى جِهَةٍ
مِن حالِهِ وَتُساوى النِسرُ وَالمُرَعُ
No creature favors another out of partiality,
The eagle is equal to the lamb, no more, no less.
وَالهَذرُ يُعطيكَ عَن فَقدِ الهُدى نَبَأً
وَيكَثِرُ القَولَ طَيرٌ شَأنُها الضَرَعُ
Prattle informs you of the loss of guidance,
A bird's nature to babble without rest.
