يَقولُ لَكَ العَقلُ الَّذي بَيَّنَ الهُدى

إِذا أَنتَ لَم تَدرَء عَدُوّاً فَدارِهِ

Reason tells you, who made clear the path of guidance

That if you do not ward off an enemy, leave his home

وَقَبِّل يَدَ الجاني الَّذي لَستَ واصِلاً

إِلى قَطعِها وَاِنظُر سُقوطَ جِدارِهِ

And kiss the hand of the wrongdoer, whom you do not have the power

To cut it off, and watch the collapse of his wall

وَما الوَقتُ إِلّا طائِرٌ يَأخُذُ المَدى

فَبادِرهُ إِذ كُلُّ النُهى في بِدارِهِ

For time is but a bird that travels far

So seize it, for all inhibitions are in its dwellings

رَأَتكَ البَرايا ظالِماً يا اِبنَ آدَمٍ

وَبِئسَ الفَتى مَن جارَ عِندَ اِقتِدارِهِ

The righteous saw you a wrongdoer, O son of Adam

And wretched is the lad when he wrongs with power

وَنالَت أَذاةٌ عَنهُ جاراً وَنائِياً

وَأُمِّنَ مِنهُ ضَيغَمٌ في خِدارِهِ

He caused harm to a neighbor and one far away

And from him a wretched one felt safe in his ruins

وَفارَةُ دارينِ اِفتَراها لِطيبِهِ

وَما أَمِنَت بَلواهُ فارَةُ دارِهِ

The exile of two homes, he mistook it for its goodness

And the exile of his home did not feel secure from his afflictions

وَيَجهَلُ حَتّى يَسأَلَ الفَلَكَ الَّذي

يَدورُ عَلَيهِ كَيفَ بَدءُ مَدارِهِ

He remains ignorant until he asks the revolving heavens

How its orbit began revolving above it

يُحاوِرُ نَجمَ اللَيلِ جَهلاً كَأَنَّهُ

عَلى طولِ نَأيٍ طالِعٌ في اِنحِدارِهِ

He converses with the night star in ignorance as if

He is ascending in its descent, despite the great distance

وَما بَرِحَت في الصِدرِ لِلضَغنِ أَنؤُرٌ

عَجِبتُ لَها لَم تَشتَعِل في صِدارِهِ

And there remained in the chests burning coals of resentment

I wonder that they did not ignite within his chest