روحٌ تَعَدَّنَ قَضّي اليَومَ وَاِنتَظِري
غَداً لَعَلِّيَ فيهِ أُدرِكُ العَدَنا
A soul that has spent the day waiting,
Keep waiting, perhaps tomorrow I will find bliss.
وَديدَنُ الجَدِّ مَملوكٌ تُنافِرُهُ
كُلُّ النُفوسِ وَتَهوى اللَهوَ وَالدَدَنا
The seriousness of life is a slave we all abhor,
Yet lust and frivolity attract all souls.
فِدىً لِنَفسِكَ نَفسي آوِني جَدَثاً
مِنَ الخَفِيّاتِ لا قَصراً وَلا فَدَنا
Sacrifice yourself for me, shelter me,
With something unpretentious, not a palace or lodge.
وَاِبدَأ بِبُدنِكَ فَاِهضُم مِنهُ طائِفَةً
مِن قَبلِ سَوقِكَ في أَصحابِكَ البَدَنا
Start with your body, deprive it of some,
Before your passions, among your friends the gluttons.
فَإِنَّ جَنَّةَ عَدنٍ لا يُجادُ بِها
إِلّا لِصاحِبِ دينٍ في أَذىً عُدِنا
For the bliss of Eden cannot be found,
Except by the religious amidst harm.
لَيثٌ كَفادِرِ فِرزٍ لُبسُهُ شَعَرٌ
وَكَالرُدَينِيُّ آلى يَلبَسُ الرَدَنا
A lion with mighty paws dressed in hair,
Like a shaggy goat dressed in shag.
وَالعَيشُ يُلقى بِصَخرٍ مَن يُمارِسُهُ
وَلَن يَدومَ عَلى حالٍ إِذا لَدُنا
Life is discarded like a boulder by one who lives it,
It will not last in one state if it softens.
تَحَسَّمَت مِنهُ أَيّامٌ مُنَغِّصَةٌ
مِن بَعدِ ما وَدَّ في وَدّانَ أَو وَدَنا
After pleasure in valleys or coves,
It soured with anguished days.
وَالغَيُّ ثَوبٌ إِذا لَم يَستَلِب رَجُلاً
بِالرَغمِ لَم تَحسُرِ التَقوى لَهُ رَدَنا
Passion is a garment which if it does not
Take a man by force, piety will not roll for him its sleeve.
كَالدُرِّ يُمنَعُ مِنهُ الطِفلُ مُقتَسَراً
وَلَم يُجانِبهُ مِن زُهدٍ وَقَد شَدَنا
Like a pearl denied to the child without means
Who did not refrain from it out of asceticism, though we tightened.
أَمّا الشُرورُ فَلَن تُلفى بِمُقفِرَةٍ
إِلّا قَليلاً وَلَكِن تَألَفُ المُدُنا
As for evils, they are not avoided with self-denial
Except a little, but they befriend cities.
إِنّي لَعَمرُكَ ما أَرجو لِعالَمِنا
هُدىً يُثَبِّتُ في أَفنائِنا الهُدَنا
By your life, I do not hope for guidance
In our world to steady among us faith.
وَالحَظُّ أَغلَبُ كَم بَيتٍ لِمَكرُمَةٍ
سُدىً يَظَلُّ وَبَيتٌ لِلخَنى سُدِنا
Fate is stronger, how many homes of honor
Lie deserted, while homes of disgrace are inhabited.
