مِن قِلَّةِ اللُبِّ عِندَ النُصحِ أَن تَأبى

وَأَن تَرومَ مِنَ الأَيّامِ إِعتابا

From lack of good sense when admonished you refuse

And from days you expect blame

خَلِّ الزَمانَ وَأَهليهِ لِشَأنِهِمُ

وَعِش بِدَهرِكَ وَالأَقوامِ مُرتابا

Leave people to their own affairs

And live your age doubtful of men

سارَ الشَبابُ فَلَم نَعرِف لَهُ خَبَراً

وَلا رَأَينا خَيالاً مِنهُ مُنتابا

Youth has departed, of it we know no news

Nor have we seen a trace left behind

وَحُقٌّ لِلعَيسِ لَو نالَت بِنا بَلَداً

فيهِ الصِبا كَونُ عودِ الهِندِ أَقتابا

And the rod is right if it brings us to a land

Where youth is the Indian aloes wood staffs

أَلقى الكَبيرُ قَميصَ الشَرخِ رَهنَ بِلىً

ثُمَّ اِستَجَدَّ قَميصَ الشَيبِ مُجتابا

The elder has pawned the shirt of ripeness to decay

Then donned the shirt of old age patched

مازالَ يَمطُلُ دُنياهُ بِتَوبَتِهِ

حَتّى أَتَتهُ مَناياها وَما تابا

He still defers his repentance throughout his life

Until death came to him and he did not repent

خَطُّ اِستِواءٍ بَدا عَن نُقطَةٍ عَجَبٍ

أَفنَت خُطوطاً وَأَقلاماً وَكُتّابا

A line of evenness appeared from a wondrous dot

That effaced lines, pens and writers