أَتَصِحُّ تَوبَةُ مُدرِكٍ مِن كَونِهِ

أَو أَسوَدٍ مِن لَونِهِ فَيَتوبا

Does the repentance of one who realizes his fault avail,

Or one who changes his complexion and then repents?

كُتِبَ الشَقاءُ عَلى الفَتى في عَيشِهِ

وَليَبلُغَنَّ قَضاءَهُ المَكتوبا

Misery is prescribed for a man in his life,

And he is destined to fulfill what is prescribed.

وَإِذا عَتَبتَ المَرءَ لَيسَ بِمُعتَبٍ

أُلفيتَ فيما جِئتَهُ مَعتوبا

When you blame a person who is not to blame,

You will find he has become accustomed to being blamed.

يَبغي المَعاشِرُ في الزَمانِ وَصَرفِهِ

رُتَباً كَأَنَّ لَهُم عَليهِ رُتوبا

People in this age and its vicissitudes

Desire positions as if they had a claim to them.