يَتَحارَبُ الطَبعُ الَّذي مُزِجَت بِهِ
مُهَجُ الأَنامِ وَعَقلُهُم فَيَفُلُّهُ
The innate nature with which
The hearts and minds of people are imbued does battle;
وَيَظَلُّ يَنظُرُ ما سَناهُ بِنافِعٍ
كَالشَمسِ يَستُرُها الغَمامُ وَظِلُّهُ
And it continues looking to see what benefits it has wrought,
Like the sun obscured by clouds, yet its light shines through.
وَحَتّى إِذا حَضَرَ الحِمامُ تَبَيَّنوا
أَنَّ الَّذي فَعَلوهُ جَهلٌ كُلُّهُ
Until when war arrives, they realize
That all they had done was utter ignorance.
وَالعَقلُ في مَعنى العِقالِ وَلَفظِهِ
فَالخَيرُ يَعقِلُ وَالسَفاهُ يَحُلُّهُ
Reason, in meaning and word, is to resist;
So good is reasonable, but folly makes all forget.
وَتَغَرُّبُ الشِرّيرِ يوجَبُ حَتفَهُ
مِثلُ الوِجارِ إِذا تَسَحَّبَ صِلُّهُ
And an evildoer's exile brings about his demise,
Like a neighbor whose tether rope is severed.
وَلُزومُهُ الأَوطانَ أَبقى لِلرَدى
كَالسَيِّدِ يُستَرُ في الضَرّاءِ أَزَلُّهُ
While staying put in one's homeland is better if ruin comes,
Like a master whose lowliness is concealed in hardship.
وَالنَفسُ آلِفَةُ الحَياةِ فَدَمعُها
يَجري لِذِكرِ فِراقِها مُنهَلُّهُ
The soul is accustomed to life, so its tears
Flow in remembrance of parting with it, pouring forth.
ما خُلَّةٌ بِأَغَرَّ مِنها وَالفَتى
يَبكي إِذا رَكِبَ الصَريمَةَ خِلُّهُ
No dearer thing than it, and the young man
Weeps when he mounts his steed, his intimate friend.
لا تُحجَزُ الأَقدارُ وَهيَ كَثيرَةٌ
كَالغَيثِ وابِلُهُ يَصوبُ وَطَلُّهُ
Fates cannot be held back, and they are many,
Like pouring rain, aiming its flow and surge.
وَمِنَ الجُنودِ عَلى الكَمِيِّ جَوادُهُ
وَحُسامُهُ وَسِنانُهُ وَمِتَلُّهُ
And of soldiers, his fine horse, sword and spear
Distinguish, when clouds mass and the lightning flashes,
مَيِّز إِذا اِنكَلَّ الغَمامُ وَميضَهُ
فَالبَرقُ يُخبِرُ أَينَ يَسقُطُ كُلُّهُ
Where each bolt will strike and fall.
And I have known, so I do not grieve for what is gone,
وَلَقَد عَلِمتُ فَما أَسِفتُ لِفائِتٍ
أَنَّ البَقِيَّةَ مِن مَدايَ أَقَلُّهُ
That what remains of my days is lesser.
The righteous seek lawful means, but I have not found
وَالبَرُّ يَلتَمِسُ الحَلالَ وَلَم أَجِد
هَذا الوَرى إِلّا فَقيداً حِلُّهُ
In this abode except fettered, its solution little.
He sleeps, tired of survival, and wakes
يُمسي وَقَد مَلَّ البَقاءَ وَيَغتَدي
وَلَهُ رَجاءٌ فيهِ لَيسَ يَمَلُّهُ
With hope in it still, not tired of that hope.
So guard your brother, and if it becomes clear
فَاِحفَظ أَخاكَ وَإِن تَبَيَّنَ أَنَّهُ
بالي الوَدادِ ضَعيفُهُ مُختَلُّهُ
That his love is weak, defective and wavering,
The scabbard shudders upon meeting the blade,
فَالغِمدُ يُذعَرُ في اللِقاءِ كَهامُهُ
وَالسَيفُ لَم يُبدِ الخَبيثَةَ سَلُّهُ
Yet the sword has not revealed its wicked traits.
And cold suffices you from hostile eyes,
وَالبُردُ يَكفيكَ العُيونَ دَريسُهُ
وَالعُضوُ يَنفَعُ في الخُطوبِ أَشَلُّهُ
While the paralyzed limb benefits in trials.
And life — the wise man knows not which is better:
وَالعُمرُ لا يَدري الحَكيمُ أَكُثرُهُ
خَيرٌ لَهُ مُتَغَبِّراً أَم قُلُّهُ
More of it threadbare, or less but sound.
Do not mock the old man; how many a night
لا تَهزَأَن بِالشَيخِ كَم مِن لَيلَةٍ
جازَت بِهِ كَالبَدرِ يَحسُنُ دَلُّهُ
Passed with him like the full moon, his waning beautiful.
Days whose cover is torn in idleness,
أَيّامَ يُهتَكُ في البَطالَةِ سِترُهُ
كَالطَرفِ مُزِّقَ في التَمَرُّحِ جُلُّهُ
Like an eyelid ripped in excessive play.
The worst of times is when an old companion ages
شَرُّ الزَمانِ زَمانُ أَشيَبَ دالِفٍ
وَصِباهُ أَنفَسُ وَقتِهِ وَأَجَلُّهُ
And his youth is the sweetest time and most precious.
Why do I not make my advice understood by listeners,
ما لي أَيَفهَمُ سامِعِيَّ نَصيحَتي
فَأَبيتُ أَنهَلُ مُصغِياً وَأَعُلُّهُ
And refrain from dictating it, making it clearest?
Time runs its course with the rider undeterred,
يَجري بِفارِسِهِ الطِمِرُّ مُؤَجَّلاً
وَإِذا اِنقَضى أَجَلٌ فَلَيسَ يُقِلُّهُ
And when a life span ends, nothing diminishes it.
Poverty is an unbroken colt climbed by its calamities,
وَالفَقرُ بَكرٌ تَرتَقيهِ شَذاتُهُ
وَاليُسرُ عَودٌ ما تَسَوَّرَ عَلُّهُ
While ease is a trained horse, none can mount it.
I survive a first month, then expire in it,
أَجتابُ شَهراً أَوَّلاً فَأُبيدُهُ
وَيَجيءُ ثانٍ بَعدَهُ فَأُهِلُّهُ
And a second comes after it, which I welcome.
I sleep on the verge of death, my heels exposed,
يُمسي عَلى حَدِّ المُهَنَّدِ أَخمَصي
فَتَرى اليَسيرَ مَن مِنَ الأُمورِ يُزِلُّهُ
So you see even slight affairs can fell him.
People are set on a misguided path, rightly-guided,
وَالناسُ جائِرُ مَسلَكٍ مُستَرشِدٌ
وَأَخٌ عَلى غَيرِ الطَريقِ يَدُلُّهُ
And a brother leads them down the wrong way.
