أَيا والِيَ المِصرِ لا تَظلِمَنَّ

فَكَم جاءَ مِثلُكَ ثُمَّ اِنصَرَف

O governor of Egypt, do not oppress

For many like you have come and gone

وَقَد أَبرَ النَخلَ مُلّاكُهُ

وَقَيَّضَ غَيرُهُمُ فَاِختَرَف

The date palms have outlived their owners

Others were appointed in their stead and departed

إِنِ القَولُ حَرَّفَهُ كاذِبٌ

فَإِنَّ القَضاءَ بِهِ ما اِنحَرَف

Words are distorted by liars

But judgments remain straight

فَلا تُرسِلَنَّ حِبالَ الرَجا

وَأَمّسِك بِكَفِّكَ مِنها طَرَف

So do not send out ropes of hope

And grasp their ends in your hand

تَواضَع إِذا ما رُزِقتَ العَلاءَ

فَذَلِكَ مِمّا يَزيدُ الشَرَف

Be humble if fortune exalts you

For that increases honor

وَدارُكَ أَحسِن إِلى جارِها

وَلا تَجعَلَنَّ لَها مُشتَرَف

Treat your neighbor well in your abode

And do not make it unbearable for him

وَإِن أَلبَسَ اللَهُ ثَوبَ الشِفاءِ

فَلا تُؤثِرَنَّ عَلَيهِ التَرَف

If God clothes you in the garb of wellness

Do not prefer luxury over it

تَغيضُ المِياهُ وَقَد طالَما

تَيَمَّمِها وارِدٌ فَاِغتَرَف

Waters ebb though long frequented

By one who comes to draw from them

وَمَن أَمَّنَتهُ خُطوبُ المَنونِ

تَخَوَّفَ مِن هَرَمٍ أَو خَرَف

He whom the strokes of death beset

Fears senility or loss of wit

يُقارِفُ مُستَكبَراتِ الذُنوبِ

وَيَغفُلُ عَن ذَنبِهِ المُقتَرَف

He commits major sins

And is heedless of his accumulated sins

وَلي مَنزِلٌ في الثَرى ما يُزارُ

وَلَو رامَهُ زائِرٌ ما عَرَف

I have a place in the earth not to be visited

Though sought by a visitor, it would not be found

وَلَقَد لُمتُ أَن جَمَدَت أَدمُعي

وَما لُمتُ جَفنِيَ لَمّا ذَرَف

My tears flowed until they froze

My eyelids did not freeze until they flowed