أحْسَنُ بالوَاجِدِ مِن وَجْدِهِ
صَبْرٌ يُعيدُ النّارَ في زَنْدِهِ
The one who is well is better than his well-being
Patience returns the fire to its flint
ومَنْ أبَى في الرُّزْءِ غَيْرَ الأسَى
كانَ بُكاهُ مُنْتَهَى جُهْدِهِ
He who refuses anything but sorrow in times of adversity
His weeping is the extent of his effort
فَليَذْرِفِ الجَفْنُ على جَعْفَرٍ
إذ كانَ لم يُفْتَحْ على نِدّهِ
So let the eyelids overflow for Jaʿfar
Since he was not opened by his peer
والشيءُ لا يَكْثُرُ مُدّاحُهُ
إلاّ إذا قيسَ إلى ضِدّهِ
And a thing is not lauded much by its praiser
Except when compared to its contrary
لوْلا غَضَا نَجْدٍ وقُلاّمُهُ
لم يُثْنَ بالطّيبِ على رَنْدِهِ
Were it not for the jealousy of Najd and its pens
The perfumed would not praise its bouquet
ليسَ الذي يُبْكى على وَصْلِهِ
مثلَ الذي يُبْكى على صَدّهِ
He who is wept for upon his union
Is not like one wept for upon his loss
والطّرْفُ يرْتاحُ إلى غُمْضِهِ
وَلَيسَ يَرْتاحُ إلى سُهْدِهِ
And the eye finds rest in shutting it
Not in keeping it wide open
كانَ الأسَى فَرْضاً لو أنّ الرّدى
قال لنا افْدوهُ فلم نَفْدِهِ
Sorrow would have been obligatory had fate
Said to us "ransom him" but we did not ransom him
هل هُوَ إلا طالِعٌ للهُدى
سارَ منَ التُّرْبِ إلى سَعْدِهِ
Is it not but a rising to guidance?
It traveled from dust to its bliss
فباتَ أدْنَى مِنْ يَدٍ بَينَنا
كأنّهُ الكَوْكَبُ في بُعدِهِ
So it remained closer than a hand's width between us
As if it were the planet in its distance
يا دَهْرُ يا مُنجِزَ إيعادِهِ
ومُخْلِفَ المأمولِ من وَعْدِهِ
O time, fulfiller of its promises
And neglecter of what is hoped from its pledges
أيُّ جَديدٍ لكَ لم تُبْلِهِ
وأيُّ أقرانِكَ لم تُرْدِهِ
What novelty is there you have not worn out?
And which peers have you not cast down?
تَستأسِرُ العِقبانَ في جَوّها
وتُنزِلُ الأعصَمَ من فِنْدِهِ
It imprisons eagles in their haunts
And brings down the unassailable from his nest
أرى ذَوي الفَضل وأضدادَهم
يَجمعُهُمْ سَيْلُكَ في مَدّهِ
I see the virtuous and their opposites
Your flood carries them in its surge
إنْ لم يكُنْ رُشْدُ الفتى نافِعاً
فغَيّهُ أنفَعُ مِنْ رُشْدِهِ
If the discernment of the youth is unprofitable
Then his folly is more beneficial than his discernment
تَجرِبةُ الدّنيا وأفعالِها
حَثّتْ أخا الزّهْدِ عَلى زُهْدِهِ
The experience of the world and its deeds
Have urged the brother of asceticism to his asceticism
والقَلْبُ مِنْ أهوائِهِ عابِدٌ
ما يَعْبُدُ الكافرُ من بُدّهِ
While the heart worships its passions
Like the disbeliever worships his idols
إنّ زَماني برَزياهُ لي
صَيّرَني أمْرَحُ في قِدّهِ
My time has revealed its harm to me
Making me frolicsome in its coil
كأنّنا في كَفّهِ مالُهُ
يُنفِقُ ما يَختارُ من نَقْدِهِ
As if we are its riches in its palm
It spends whatever it chooses of its cash
لوْ عَرَفَ الإنْسانُ مقدارَهُ
لم يَفْخَر المولى على عَبْدِهِ
If man knew his worth
The Master would not pride Himself over His servant
أمْسِ الذي مَرّ على قرْبهِ
يَعجِزُ أهلُ الأرْضِ عن رَدّهِ
Yesterday which passed by its tomb
The people of the earth cannot restore it
أضْحى الذي أُجّلَ في سِنّهِ
مثلَ الذي عُوجِلَ في مَهْدِهِ
He who was given long life in his old age
Has become like one hurried in his cradle
ولا يُبالي المَيْتُ في قَبرهِ
بذَمّهِ شُيّعَ أمْ حَمْدِهِ
The dead man does not care in his grave
Whether he was blamed in his funeral procession or praised
والواحِدُ المُفرَدُ في حَتْفِهِ
كالحاشِدِ المُكْثِرِ من حَشدِهِ
The singular isolated in his death
Is like the large crowds in their multitude
وحالَةُ الباكي لآبائِه
كحالَةِ الباكي على وُلْدِهِ
The state of one crying for his fathers
Is like the state of one crying for his son
ما رغبَةُ الحيّ بأبنائِهِ
عَمّا جنَى الموْتُ على جَدّهِ
The living man's desire for his sons
Is not like what death has reaped from his forefathers
ومَجْدُهُ أفعالُهُ لا الذي
من قَبْلِهِ كانَ ولا بَعْدِهِ
His glory is his deeds not that
Which was before him or will be after him
لُوْلا سَجاياهُ وَأخْلاقُهُ
لكانَ كالمَعْدومِ في وُجْدِهِ
Were it not for his traits and manners
He would be like the non-existent in his existence
تَشتاقُ أيّارَ نفوسُ الوَرَى
وإنّما الشّوْقُ إلى وَرْدِهِ
The souls of all people long for their beloved
And longing is only for its roses
تَدعو بطول العمر أفواهُنا
لمَنْ تَناهى القَلبُ في وُدّهِ
Our mouths call for long life
For those whose hearts have come to love them
يُسَرّ إن مُد بَقاءٌ لَهُ
وكلُّ ما يَكْرَهُ في مَدّهِ
It brings joy if an extension of life is granted
And whatever is disliked in its term
أفضَلُ ما في النّفسِ يَغتالُها
فنَستَعيذُ اللهَ من جُندِهِ
The most precious thing in the self murders it
So we seek refuge from its troops
وآفَةُ العاشِقِ مِنْ طَرْفِهِ
وآفَةُ الصّارِمِ مِنْ حَدّهِ
The detriment of the lover is from her glance
And the detriment of the executioner is from his sword
كم صائنٍ عن قُبْلَةٍ خدَّهُ
سُلّطَتِ الأرْضُ على خَدّهِ
How many an abstainer from kissing her cheek
The earth is unleashed upon his cheek
وحامِلٍ ثِقْلَ الثّرَى جِيدُهُ
وكان يَشكو الضَّعفَ من عِقدِهِ
And bearer of the weight of soil his neck
Who used to complain of weakness in his necklace
وَرُبّ ظمآنَ إلى مَوْرِدٍ
وَالمَوْتُ لوْ يَعْلَمُ في وِرْدِهِ
And how many thirsty for a spring to drink from
And death, if he knew at his watering place
ومُرْسِلِ الغارَةِ مَبثوثَةً
مِن أدهَمِ اللّوْنِ ومن وَرْدِهِ
And sender of scattered raids
Of various hues and roses
يَخوضُ بحراً نَقْعُهُ ماؤهُ
يَحْمِلُهُ السّابحُ في لِبْدِهِ
Swims in a sea whose water immerses him
The swimmer carries it in his garment
أشجَعُ مَنْ قَلّبَ خَطّيّةً
على طَويلِ الباعِ مُمْتَدّهِ
Braver is he who turns over his sins
On the lengthy outstretched scroll
يَرَى وُقوعَ الزُّرْقِ في دِرْعِهِ
مثْلَ وُقوع الزُّرْقِ في جِلْدِهِ
Sees the blue of the links fall on his coat of mail
Like the falling of blue on his skin
لا يَصِلُ الرُّمْحُ إلى طَرْفِهِ
ولا إلى المُحْكَمِ مِنْ سَرْدِهِ
Neither can a spear reach to its edge
Nor to the solid parts of its links
يُلقى عليهِ الطّعنُ إلقاءكَ ال
حَسْبَ على المُسرعِ في عَقدِهِ
Assaults are thrown at him like your throwing
Only enough for one hasty in tying its knot
بلَحظَةٍ منهُ فَما دونَها
يَرُدّ غَرْبَ الجيشِ عن قَصْدِهِ
With a moment from him, less than it
He repels the puzzlement of the army from its aim
أمْهَلَهُ الدّهْرُ فأوْدَى بهِ
مُبْيَضُّهُ يُحْدَى بمُسْوَدّهِ
Time left him until he perished by it
Its whitener challenged by its darkener
فَيا أخا المَفقُودِ في خَمسَةٍ
كالشُّهبِ ما سَلاّك عن فقدِهِ
So O brother of the absent one in five
Like meteors - what distracted you from him?
جاءَكَ هذا الحُزْنُ مُستَجدياً
أجْرَكَ في الصّبرِ فلا تُجْدِهِ
This grief came to you seeking reward
So reward it with patience, do not deny it
سَلِّمْ إلى اللّهِ فكُلُّ الّذي
ساءَكَ أو سَرّكَ من عندِهِ
Submit to God everything that
Pained or delighted you from Him
لا يَعْدَمُ الأسْمَرُ في غابِهِ
حَتْفاً ولا الأبيضُ في غِمدِهِ
The dark-skinned does not lack his share in the jungle
Nor the fair-skinned in his sheath
إنّ الذي الوَحْشَةُ في دارِهِ
تُؤنِسُهُ الرّحمَةُ في لَحْدِهِ
Verily he whom loneliness was in his house
Is consoled by mercy in his grave
لا أُوحشَتْ دارُك من شَمسِها
ولا خلا غابُكَ مِنْ أُسْدِهِ
Your house was not made lonely by its sun
Nor did your jungle lack its lion
