عَبيطُ ضَوائِنٍ نَحيرُ جُزرِ

عَلى مَن أَيُّها الإِنسانُ تَزري

The foolish buzz of mean cottages, the croaking of small islands

O man! On whom will you heap reproach?

قَدِ اِحتالَت عَلى السَفَهِ البَرايا

بِما اِتَّخَذَتهُ مِن راحٍ وَمِزرِ

The deserts have conspired against the foolish with the comfort and livelihood they have acquired

You have concealed your sins with feeble hands

أَخَفتَ عَلى المَآثِمِ ضَعفَ أَيدٍ

وَرُمتَ بِشُربِ ذَلِكَ شَدَّ أَزرِ

And rushed into drinking that strongly, seeking succor

A bitter life of ebbs and flows

حَياةٌ مُرَّةٌ وَرَداً ذُعافٌ

كَأَنّا مِنهُ في مَدٍّ وَجَزرِ

As if we are in perpetual rise and fall

So why do my hands pass their days fumbling?

فَما صُنعي تُمِرُّ يَدايَ شَزَراً

وَتَنقِضُ مِرَّةُ الأَيّامِ شَزري

And the bitterness of days crushes my fumbling

Are princes anything but losers?

هَلِ الأُمَراءُ إِلّا في خَسارٍ

أَوِ الوُزَراءُ إِلّا أَهلُ وِزرِ

Or ministers anything but burdensome?

Everyone has a flaw, and from warding off

لِكُلٍّ شيمَةٌ وَإِلى التَغاضي

أُجيءَ الكُلُّ مِن خوصٍ وَخُزرِ

All are brought, from nobility and commons

The daughters of Shem have chosen fine clothes

تَخَيَّرَتِ اللِباسَ بَناتُ سامٍ

وَنُسوَةُ حامَ لَم تُستَر بِإِزرِ

While the women of Ham did not cover with a loincloth

I wish death would snatch you

بِوِدّي أَن تَهُبُّ مِنَ المَنايا

فَتَعلَمَ أَنَّني لَم يَشوِ حَزري

So you may know I have not been bereaved

Rulers of the world are vicious wolves

وُلاةُ العالَمينَ ذِئابٌ خَتلٍ

تَكونُ مِنَ الشَقاءِ رَعاةَ فِزرِ

Becoming, through misfortune, shepherds of rats

The nights did not allow the disabled among them

وَما سَمَحَت لِيَعرُبِها اللَيالي

وَحَيِّ نِزارِها إِلّا بَنزَرِ

Anything but very little livelihood

But if the sincere stars have been miserly to you

فَإِن بَخُلَت عَلَيكَ نُجومُ صِدقٍ

فَقَد مَطَرَتكَ أَنواءٌ بِغُزرِ

Then the clouds have showered you with plenty