عَبَرَ الشَبابُ لِأُمِّهِ العُبرُ

لا غابِرٌ مِنهُ وَلا غُبرُ

The youth passed away, leaving grief for his mother,

Neither absent nor covered in dust.

كَالأَدهَمِ الجاري مَضى فَإِذا

آثارُهُ بِمَفارِقي غُبرُ

Like a darting colt he went, but when

He left, his traces at my dwelling were dust.

وَنَعوذُ بِالخَلّاقِ مِن أُمَمٍ

أَوفى المَنازِلِ مِنهُمُ القَبرُ

We seek refuge with the Creator from nations

Whose final abode is the grave.

إِبَرُ العَقارِبِ فَوقَ أَلسُنِهِم

مَحمولَةٌ فَكَلامُهُم أَبرُ

Needles above their tongues

Carry poison, so their talk is needlepoints.

مَن جَبرَئيلُ إِذا تُخَوِّفُهُم

لا إِيلُ عِندَهُمُ وَلا جَبرُ

Who is Gabriel when they frighten him?

They have no loyalty or obligation.

وَخَبَرتُهُم فَوَجَدتُ أَخبَرَهُم

مِثلَ الطَريدَةِ ما لَها خُبرُ

I came to know them, and found the best of them

Like a flock with no shepherd.

هَل يَعصِمَنَّكَ مِن لِقاءِ رَدىً

بِالرُغمِ أَنَّكَ عالِمٌ حَبرُ

Can knowledge protect you from meeting harm

Though you are a learned man of esteem?

وَحَصُلتُ مِن وَرِقٍ عَلى وَرَقٍ

بيضٍ يَشُقُّ مُتونَها الحِبرُ

I gathered papers, paper atop paper,

White, split by the ink of my pen.

فُضَّت نُهاكَ بِفِضَّةٍ سُبِكَت

وَلَقَد قَضى بِتَبارِكَ التِبرُ

Your command was carried out with pure silver

Molded, as destiny’s decree was fulfilled.

وَاللَهُ أَكبَرُ فَالوَلاءُ لَهُ

وَكَذا الوَلاءُ يَحوزُهُ الكُبرُ

God is Greatest – loyalty belongs to Him

And likewise, seniority holds loyalty.

لَو لَم تَكُن في القَومِ أَصغَرَهُم

ما بانَ فيكَ عَلَيهِمُ كِبرُ

If you weren’t the youngest among the people

Your superiority over them wouldn’t be clear.

وَالداءُ يُطرَدُ بِالأَمَرِّ وَصَر

فُ الخَطبِ وَقتَ نُزولِهِ الصَبرُ

Illness is chased away by command – the affliction

Is restrained, when patience comes at its descent.

وَالعَيشُ سُقمٌ لا سَآمَ لَهُ

وَجِراحُهُ يَعيا بِها السَبرُ

Life is unrelenting sickness, it knows no fatigue,

And its wounds make examination woeful.

وَالناسُ خَيرُهُمُ كَشَرِّهِمُ

وَتَساوَتِ النَعراتُ وَالدَبرُ

The best and worst of people are equal,

As are lineages and rear ends.

ما آلُ بَبرٍ إِن وَصَفتُهُمُ

إِلّا ضَراغِمَ جَدُّها بَبرُ

I described them, and none issues from the womb

But wild beasts, ancestors to the hyena.

هاوٍ إِلى وَهدٍ يُخالِفُهُ

راقي الهِضابِ كَأَنَّهُ وَبرُ

Plunging to a valley, opposed to the summit,

Scaling the hills as if they were locusts.

يوفي عَلى شُرُفاتِ مِنبَرِهِ

مَن هَمُّهُ التَحقيقُ وَالنَبرُ

Fulfilling from his lofty pulpit

One concerned with truth and clarity.

يَتلو العِظاتِ وَلَيسَ مُتَّعِظاً

بَل شَدُّهُ لِحِزامِهِ ضَبرُ

Reciting sermons while not taking heed,

Rather, his belt’s tightness distracts him.

قَد أَقطَعُ السَبروتَ يَملَأُ بِال

آلِ المُروتَ فَيَشحُبُ السَبرُ

I bestowed authority, he fills it with

The Family of Rot, so Esteem pales.

أَودى الزَمانُ بِذي الأَمانِ فَلا ال

عَرجِيُّ مَوجودٌ وَلا جَبرُ

Time destroyed the Trusted One, so no

Virtuous man exists, nor does Obligation.