كَريمٌ أَنابَ وَما أُنِّبا

وَأَنساهُ طولُ المَدى زَينَبا

Noble is he who repents though he's not blamed,

And time's length made him forget Zainab's name.

لِإِحدى الأَرانِبِ في قَومِها

وَإِن صُبِّحَت بَعدَنا أَرنَبا

One of the rabbits said to her rabbit clan,

That we were rabbits though now humans we became.

لَها والِدٌ بَيتُهُ شامِخٌ

مَعَ النَسرِ أَو مِثلَهُ طُنُبا

Her father has a towering house,

With eagles or the like of juniper.

عَهِدتُكَ لا تَتَوَقّى الهَجيرَ

وَلا تَرهَبُ الأَشيَبَ الأَشنَبا

I knew you fear not separation,

Nor dread the grey beard however it snarls.

وَلَكِن لَقَيتَ صُروفَ الزَمانِ

وَباشَرَتها مِقنَباً مِقنَبا

But you met time's vicissitudes,

And handled them with composure and calm.

إِذا المَرءُ مَرَّت لَهُ أَربَعونَ

فَلَيسَ يُعَنَّفُ إِن حُنِّبا

When a man turns forty years of age,

He's not rebuked if he is mild.

وَإِن يَفرِ خَطباً فَأَهلٌ لَهُ

وَإِلّا فَكَم مِن حُسامٍ نَبا

If he errs he's pardoned,

Else how many fine swords would go to waste.

وَلا عَقلَ لِلدَهرِ فيما أَرى

فَكَيفَ يُعاتَبُ إِن أَذنَبا

Fate, I see, has no reason,

Why then blame it if it strays?

فَهَلّا تَراحُ لِأَهلِ الجَنابِ

إِذا الرَكبُ أَفراسَهُ جَنَّبا

Why not be gentle to the highborn

When the caravan unbridled its steeds?

وَكُنتَ إِلى وَصلِهِم مائِلاً

تُعاصي العَذولَ وَإِن أَطنَبا

And you were inclined to unite with them,

Defying the spinsters however they grumble.