وَعَظَ الزَمانُ فَما فَهِمتَ عِظاتِهِ

وَكَأَنَّهُ في صَمتِهِ يَتَكَلَّمُ

Time admonished, yet you did not understand its admonishments

As if it speaks in its silence

لَو حاوَرَتكَ الضَأنُ قالَ حَصيفُها

الذِئبُ يَظلِمُ وَاِبنَ آدَمَ أَظلَمُ

If the sheep conversed with you, their bleating would say

The wolf oppresses, yet man's son is more oppressive

أَطَرَدتَ عَنّا فارِساً ذا رُجلَةٍ

ساقَتهُ حاجَتُهُ وَلَيلٌ مُظلِمُ

You chased away a noble knight

Whose need drove him in the dark of night

وَيَزيدُهُ عُذراً لَدَينا أَنَّهُ

سَدرانُ لَيسَ بِعالِمٍ ما تَعلَمُ

Making his excuse to us greater

An ignorant tree not knowing what you know

تَهوى سَلامَتَنا وَتَرعى سَرحَنا

وَجِرابُ ضارٍ مِن حِرابِكَ أَسلَمُ

He desires our safety and pastures over our meadow

While the fold of harm from your enclosures is safer

أَظفارُكَ اِستَعلَت إِلى أَظفارِهِ

بَأساً وَتِلكَ وَقتُ وَهذي تُقلَمُ

Your claws overreached to his claws

In valor, but this is the time for that to be clipped

لَو كانَ غُصناً في المَنابِتِ ناضِراً

لَأَلَمَّ يَذبُلُ يَذبُلٌ وَيُلَملِمُ

If he were a blossoming branch in the groves

He would not wither, wither and be broken

صَبراً عَلى دُنياكَ يَنقَضِ حينُها

فَكَأَنَّها حُلمٌ بِنَومٍ يَحلَمُ

Patience over your world that will soon pass

As if it were a dream in slumber one dreams

وَلَرُبَّما قَضَتِ الأَناةُ مَآرِباً

مِن نازِحٍ وَلِكُلِّ عالٍ سُلَّمُ

And maybe time will undo those who plot

Against the emigrant, and for each lofty one there is a ladder

وَالناسُ شَتّى مِن حُلومٍ مُظهِرٌ

جَهلاً يَعُرُّ وَجاهِلٌ يَتَحَلَّمُ

People vary, some feigning ignorance

Foolish in ignorance and foolish in pretense

فارَقتَ فَاِستَعلَت هُمومُكَ وَالمَدى

يَأسو بِطولِ مُرورِهِ ما يُكلَمُ

You parted, so your concerns mounted, and the expanse

Despairs in the length of its course without conversation

وَإِذا يَدٌ قُطِعَت فَإِنَّ عَشيرَها

لَو حُرِّقَت بِالنارِ لا يَتَأَلَّمُ

When a hand is severed, its kindred

If burned by fire, would not feel pain