أَنسِل أَوِ اِعقُم فَالتَوَحُّدُ راحَةٌ

سَيّانَ نَجلُكَ وَالخَبيثُ الناسِلُ

Be gentle or be still, for solitude is rest;

Both the wicked and the pure are equal in the end.

وَالشَرُّ أَغلَبُ عُصبَةٌ جَمَعَت لَنا

أَقذاءَ دُنيانا وَفَذٌّ غاسِلُ

Evil oft conquers through banding together

Meager worldly goods and one who washes them away.

عَسَلَت قَناً وَخَوامِعٌ وَثَعالِبٌ

أَعقَت هَناً وَأَطابَ نَحلٌ عاسِلُ

Honeybees have built hives and humble abodes,

While hornets here contrived and industrious bees toiled.

وَالنَفعُ لَم يَكمُل بِهِ لَكِن لَهُ

ضَيرٌ وَكَم أَردى الغَريقَ سُلاسِلُ

Good is not perfected in one, yet causes him grief -

How many has its fetter drowned and its chain submerged?

أَنتَ الجَبانُ إِذا المَنِيَّةُ أَعرَضَت

وَعَلى ثَنِيَّتِكَ الشُجاعُ الباسِلُ

You are a coward if death turns its back to you,

While the valiant man charges on his swift steed.

نَهجُ العُلا يُنضي الرِكابَ وَكُلُّنا

كَسلانُ دونَ المَجدِ أَو مُتَكاسِلُ

The path of glory spurs on the rider, though we are all

Either lagging from glory or growing lackadaisical.

وَالنَفسُ في جِسمٍ تَعَلَّلُ بِالمُنى

وَمُنىً يُلاحِظُ يَومَها وَيُراسِلُ

The soul in a body is tempted by wishes,

And a wisher watches o’er its days and corresponds.

لَم يَمنَعِ اِبنَ المَلكِ مِن آفاتِهِ

عُوَذٌ تُناطُ بِكَشحِهِ وَمَراسِلُ

No talisman tied on the arm of a prince

Wards off harms that beset him or his retinue.

سَقياً لِطيبِ العَصرِ لَو أَنَّ الفَتى

بِالمُرغِباتِ إِلى بَقاءٍ واسِلُ

It would have sustained the flower of the age if only

The youth had clung through enticements to lasting existence.

فَالرَوضُ مَجنونٌ وَما حَمَلَ الثَرى

غِلّاً وَلَكِن لِلوَميضِ سَلاسِلُ

The meadow has gone mad, and earth bore no malice,

But rather had fetters to restrain its flashing light.

أَجَأٌ أُجيءَ إِلى الحُتوفِ قَطينُهُ

فَمَضى وَواسَلَ بِالمَنونِ مَواسِلُ

A heavy rain comes flooding the furrows -

It passes, and a stream mingles with the fleeting stream.