ضَحِكُ الدَهرِ في مُحَيّاكَ مَكرُ

ما لَهُ غَيرَ أن يَسوءَكَ فِكرُ

The laughter of fate in your cheeks is cunning

It has no purpose but to spoil your thoughts

وَاِعتِقادُ الإِنسانِ فيكَ جَميلاً

مِنَّةٌ لا يَنالُها مِنكَ شُكرُ

And man's belief that you are beautiful

Is a favor you do not thank him for

وَالحَديثُ المَسموعُ يوزَنُ بِالعَق

لِ فَيُضوى إِلَيهِ عُرفٌ وَنُكرُ

A heard saying is weighed by the intellect

To be drawn to its conventions and rejected

لَيسَ بِالسِنِّ تَستَحِقُّ المَنايا

كَم نَجا بازِلٌ وَعوجِلَ بَكرُ

Old age does not deserve death

How many feeble survived and vigorous perished early

وَعَوانٍ حازَت حُليَّ كَعابٍ

فاجَأَتها مِنَ الحَوادِثِ بِكرُ

And helpers who acquired ornaments like Ka'b

Were suddenly raided by calamities early

قَد رَكِبتُ الوَجناءَ في جَوشَنِ الحِن

دِسِ أَكرى في رَحلِها وَهِيَ تَكرو

I rode the she-camel in the army of sorrow

Urging her ahead though she was slowing

راجِياً حُسنَ حالَةٍ إِن تَخَطَّت

ني فَإِعمالُها لِيَحسُنَ ذِكرُ

Hoping for the beauty of circumstances if they pass me

For their operation to praise my mention

ساهِراً عُمرَ لَيلَتي وَكَأَنّي

طائِرٌ تَحتَهُ مِنَ الكورِ وَكرُ

Staying up the night as if I were

A bird beneath nets and traps

أَتَقَضّى مَعَ الصَباحِ فَلا أَط

لُبُ رِزقاً وَبي مِنَ السُهدِ سُكرُ

I stay till dawn neither asking

For livelihood nor in me is drunkenness of sleep

عَكَرُ العَيشِ في إِنائي وَهَل يُؤ

مَلُ مِن صَفوِهِ وَقَد فاتَ عَكرُ

Life's bitterness is in my vessel, and does he hope

For its purity when bitterness has passed?