غَدَوتَ مَريضَ العَقلِ وَالدينِ فَاِلقَني

لِتَسمَعَ أَنباءَ الأُمورِ الصَحائِحِ

You have become sick in mind and religion, so leave me

To hear news of truthful matters

فَلا تَأكُلَن ما أَخرَجَ الماءُ ظالِماً

وَلا تَبغِ قوتاً مِن غَريضِ الذَبائِحِ

So do not eat what the water has produced unjustly

And do not seek sustenance from the slaughter of sacrifices

وَأَبيَضَ أُمّاتٍ أَرادَت صَريحَهُ

لِأَطفالِها دونَ الغَواني الصَرائِحِ

And the milk of mothers who wanted it clear

For their children, not the strange infants

وَلا تَفجَعَنَّ الطَيرَ وَهيَ غَوافِلٌ

بِما وَضَعَت فَالظُلمُ شَرُّ القَبائِحِ

And do not make the birds grieve while they are absent

With what they have laid, for oppression is the worst of evils

وَدَع ضَربَ النَحلِ الَّذي بَكَرَت لَهُ

كَواسِبَ مِن أَزهارِ نَبتٍ فَوائِحِ

And leave striking the bees that woke early for it

Like earners from the blossoms of plants beginning to bloom

فَما أَحرَزَتهُ كَي يَكونَ لِغَيرِها

وَلا جَمَعَتهُ لِلنَدى وَالمَنائِحِ

For what they have gained, how can it be for others

And they did not gather it for the dew and the drizzles

مَسَحتُ يَدَي مِن كُلِّ هَذا فَلَيتَني

أَبَهتُ لِشَأني قَبلَ شَيبِ المَسائِحِ

I have washed my hands of all this, if only I

Had become confused about my affair before the graying of temples

بَني زَمني هَل تَعلَمونَ سَرائِراً

عَلِمتُ وَلَكِنّي بِها غَيرُ بائِحِ

Oh people of my time, do you know secrets

That I have known, but I do not expose them

سَرَيتُم عَلى غَيٍّ فَهَلّا اِهتَدَيتُمُ

بِما خَيَّرتُكُم صافِياتُ القَرائِحِ

You have insisted on going astray, why have you not been guided

By what I presented you clearly?

وَصاحَ بِكُم داعِيَ الضَلالِ فَما لَكُم

أَجَبتُم عَلى ما خَيَّلَت كُلَّ صائِحِ

And the caller to misguidance called you, so why did you

Respond to what every screamer imagined?

مَتّى ماكَشَفتُم عَن حَقائِقِ دينِكُم

تَكَشَّفتُم عَن مُخزَياتِ الفَضائِحِ

When will you uncover the truths of your religion?

You will uncover your shameful disgraces

فَإِن تَرشُدوا لا تَخضِبوا السَيفَ مِن دَمٍ

وَلا تُلزِموا الأَميالَ سَبرَ الجَرائِحِ

So if you are rightly guided, do not redden the sword with blood

And do not obligate miles to probe wounds

وَيُعجِبُني دَأبُ الَّذينَ تَرَهَّبوا

سِوى أَكلِهِم كَدَّ النُفوسِ الشَحائِحِ

And I like the way of those who became devout

Except their eating, the squeezing of stingy souls

وَأَطيَبُ مِنهُم مَطعَماً في حَياتِهِ

سُعاةُ حَلالٍ بَينَ غَادٍ وَرائِحِ

And more pleasant food in his life than them

Is the seekers of lawful gains between present and coming

فَما حَبَسَ النَفسَ المَسيحُ تَعَبُّداً

وَلَكِن مَشى في الأَرضِ مِشيَةَ سائِحِ

For the Christ did not detain the soul in devotion

But walked the earth walking like a wanderer

يُغَيِّبُني في التُربِ مَن هُوَ كارِهٌ

إِذا لَم يُغَيِّبني كَريهُ الرَوائِحِ

Burying me in dirt is he who hates me

If the stench does not bury me first

وَمَن يَتَوَقّى أَن يُجاوِرَ أَعظُماً

كَأَعظُمِ تِلكَ الهالِكاتِ الطَرائِحِ

And whoever fears neighborly the greatest

Like the greatest of those vanished civilizations

وَمِن شَرِّ أَخلاقِ الأَنيسِ وَفِعلِهِم

خُوارُ النَواعي وَاِلتِدامُ النَوائِحِ

And of the worst morals of a companion and their actions

Is vile chanting and prolonged wailing

وَأَصفَحُ عَن ذَنبِ الصَديقِ وَغَيرِهِ

لِسُكنايَ بَيتَ الحَقِّ بَينَ الصَفائِحِ

And I pardon a friend's sin and another's

To settle the house of truth among the pure

وَأَزهَدُ في مَدحِ الفَتى عِندَ صِدقِهِ

فَكَيفَ قُبولي كاذِباتِ المَدائِحِ

And I care little for praising the youth in his honesty

So how can I accept the liars' praises?

وَما زالَت النَفسُ اللَجوجُ مَطِيَّةً

إِلى أَن غَدَت إِحدى الرَذايا الطَلائِحِ

And the stubborn soul has not stopped being led

To become one of the scattered perversities

وَما يَنفَعُ الإِنسانَ أَنَّ غَمائِماً

تَسُحُّ عَلَيهِ تَحتَ إِحدى الضَرائِحِ

And it does not benefit man that clouds

Pass over him under one of the tents

وَلَو كانَ في قُربٍ مِنَ الماءِ رَغبَةٌ

لَنافَسَ ناسٌ في قُبورِ البَطائِحِ

And if there was a desire in some for water

People would compete in the graves of the fallen