أَراكَ حَسِبتَ النِجمَ لَيسَ بِواعِظٍ

لَبيباً وَخِلتَ البَدرَ لا يَتَكَلَّمُ

You think a star doesn't preach wisdom

A moon isn't eloquent? But yes

بَلى قَد أَتانا أَنَّ ماكانَ زائِلٌ

وَلَكِنَّنا في عالَمٍ لَيسَ يَعلَمُ

What was fleeting did come to us

Though we're in a world unaware

وَإِنَّ أَخا دُنياكَ أَعمى يَرى السُهى

عَليلٌ مُعافىً ظالِمٌ يَتَظَلَّمُ

Your fellow man is blind and sees ghosts

He's ill but acts healthy, wronged but blames others

فَهَل تَألَمُ الشَمسُ الحَوادِثَ مِثلَنا

أَمِ اِتَّسَقَت كَالهَضبِ لايَتَأَلَّمُ

Does the sun feel pain like we do

Or is it equanimous, unable to suffer?

وَهَل فيكُم مِن باخِلٍ يُظهِرُ النَدى

رِياءً بِهِ أَو جاهِلٍ يَتَحَلَّمُ

Is there among you a miser feigning dew

Out of hypocrisy, or an ignorant babbler?

وَما سالَمَ الحَيَّ القَضاءُ وَإِنَّما

إِلى الحَتفِ يَرقى وَالسَلامَةُ سُلَّمُ

Fate spares no living soul, but rather

We climb to our demise, and safety's a ladder

فَيا مُطلَقاً لِلنَفعِ يَفصِدُ كَفَّهُ

أَبِالكَلمِ يَستَشفي الأَسيرُ المُكَلَّمُ

So you, loose-handed with aid, clenching your palm

Can a prisoner plead with his guard or assail him?

لَعَمري لَقَد أَعيا المَقايِيسَ أَمرُنا

فَحِندِسُنا عِندَ الظَهيرَةِ مُظلِمُ

By my life, our plight has wearied all measures

Our noon is darkened, our standards muddled

فَمِن مُحرِمٍ لا يَحرِمُ العَلَقَ الظُبى

وَمِن مُحرِمٍ أَظفارُهُ لا تُقَلَّمُ

Some pilgrims don't forbid antelope hunting

While others' nails are uncut, unkempt

ضَعفُنا عَنِ الأَشياءِ إِلّا عَنِ الأَذى

وَقَد يَسِمُ الوَجهَ الكهامُ المُثَلَّمُ

We're helpless to all but harm

Scars can mar the face of the blameless

وَإِنَّ ظَليمَ القَفرِ يُرضيهِ زِفُّهُ

وَيَفهَمُ عَن أَخدانِهِ وَهوَ أَصلَمُ

The desert shadow is pleased by its shade

And understands nothing of its fangs or blindness