لا خَيرَ في المالِ أُعطاهُ وَأَجمَعُهُ
إِذا عَريتُ فَمِمّا حُزتُ عُرّيتُ
No good is there in wealth when given, amassed,
If I'm made bare then with what I gained clothed was I.
وَما اِنتِفاعي إِذا أَصبَحتُ ذا فِرَةٍ
وَإِنَّما أَنا رِسلُ الضَرعِ صُرّيتُ
Of no benefit is it when morn appears,
If but a thread conceals me, then thread am I.
وَصاغَني اللَهُ مِن ماءٍ وَها أَنا ذا
كَالماءِ أَجري بِقَدرٍ كَيفَ جُرّيتُ
God made me of water, yet behold I flow,
As flows water, by decree directed was I.
بُريتُ لِلأَمرِ لَم أَعرِف حَقائِقَهُ
فَلَيتَني مِن حِسابِ اللَهِ بُرّيتُ
Created for a purpose I knew not true,
Would that from God's reckoning exonerated was I!
أَرى خَيالَ إِزارٍ حَمَّهُ قَدَرٌ
ظَهَرتُ مِنهُ قَليلاً ثُمَّ وُرّيتُ
I see a loincloth's image, Fate has filled it out,
Revealed from it a little, then hidden was I.
ما لي رَضيتُ بِما أَنكَرتُهُ زَمَناً
وَخِلتُني بِصُروفِ الدَهرِ ضُرّيتُ
Why did I accept what once I disapproved?
And left was I to time's caprice confounded was I.
فَهَل دَرى اللَيثُ إِذا ضَمَّ الرَجاجَ لَهُ
فَمٌ وَقُدِّرَ لِلشَدقَينِ تَهريتُ
Does the lion know when clamped are jaws on him,
A mouth decreed to rend his cheeks was I?
كَأَنَّنا في قِفارٍ ضَلَّ سالِكُها
نَهجَ الطَريقِ وَما في القَومِ خَرّيتُ
As if in empty plains a lost traveller were we,
The path we missed, no guide among us was I.
لَو يَنطُقُ اللَيلُ نادى كَم فَرى ظُلَمي
فَجرٌ وَأُدلِجتُ في حاجٍ وَأُسريتُ
Would night but speak, he'd call how much in gloom saw he!
Dawn came, imprisoned in needs, compelled was I.
وَأَعملَتني رِجالٌ في مَآرِبِها
كَأَنَّني جَملٌ لِلإِنسِ أُبريتُ
And men made me serve in their treacherous affairs,
As if a camel for mankind enslaved was I.
لا يَصبِرونَ فَقيرٌ تَحتَ فاقَتِه
إِنَّ السَباريتَ جابَتها السَباريتُ
No patience for a pauper beneath his want,
Raiders raided but by raiders plundered was I!
ناسٌ إِذا نَسَكوا عُدّوا مَلائِكَةً
وَإِن طَغَوا فَهُمُ جِنٌّ عَفاريتُ
Folk when devout are angels numbered,
But rebels when transgressing, evil spirits was I.
لا تَطرِيَنّي فَلي نَفسٌ مُجَرَّبَةٌ
تُسِرُّ وَجداً إِذا بِالمَينِ أُطريتُ
Flatter me not, I've a soul that's tried,
Pleased when blamed, when praised embarrassed was I.
وَإِن مُدِحتُ بِخَيرٍ لَيسَ مِن شِيَمي
حَسِبتُني بِقَبيحِ الذَمِّ فُرّيتُ
And if praised for good that's not my way,
I'm counted among the ugly damned was I.
