صاحَ الزَمانُ فَعادَ الجَمعُ مُفتَرِقاً
كَالضَأنِ لَمّا أَحَسَّت صَوتَ رِئبالِ
The times have roared, so the people dispersed
Like sheep when they hear the howl of a wolf
إِنَّ الفَوارِسَ ما اِنفَكَّت عَقائِلُها
مَطلولَةٌ بَينَ آسادٍ وَأَشبالِ
Indeed the knights' reins have not been untied
Extending between lions and cubs
تَسَربَلَ الوَشيَ راجٍ أَن يُجَمِّلَهُ
وَالحَمدُ في كُلِّ عَصرٍ خَيرُ سِربالِ
The old man wanted to adorn himself with youth
And praise in every era is the best adornment
وَكَيفَ يُعدَلُ مَوصولٌ بِمُنقَطِعٍ
يَبلى النَسيجُ وَهَذا لَيسَ بِالبالي
How can something connected be made equal to something disconnected?
The fabric wears out while this is not worrying
الناسُ يَسعَونَ في أَشياءَ مُعجِزَةٍ
وَسَعيُهُم لَيسَ مِن نُجحٍ عَلى بالِ
People strive for miraculous things
Yet their striving does not succeed in their minds
هَل مَيَّزَ يَوماً هَواءٌ في لَطافَتِهِ
بِمُنخُلٍ أَو صَفا ماءٌ بِغِربالِ
Has the air in its subtlety ever distinguished
A date palm from a sieve filtering water?
وَالنَبلُ يَبلُغُ ما أَعيا القَنا مَثَلاً
أُجريهِ لِلنُبلِ يُلفى عِندَ تِنبالِ
And archery reaches what the best archer reaches
I direct it towards archery found at archery grounds
قَد أَحبَلَت سَمُراتُ الجَزعِ سامِعَةً
أَمرَ القَضاءِ وَما هَمَّت بِإِحبالِ
The thick-trunked acacia trees have become pregnant
Hearing the command of destiny, and did not miscarry
ما زِلتُ آمَلُ حَظّاً أَن يُساعِدُني
حَتّى أُتيحَ لِحَفري طولُ إِجبالِ
I still hope for a chance that will help me
Until my digging reaches the depth of roots
إِذا أَنافَ عَلى الخَمسينَ بالِغُها
فَليُضمِرِ اليَأسَ مِن سَعدٍ وَإِقبالِ
When one reaches fifty years of age
Let him abandon hope of fortune and prosperity
وَالعُمرُ إِصعادُ إِنسانٍ وَمَهبِطُهُ
كَالأَرضِ أَودِيَةٍ مِنها وَأَجبالِ
Life is a human's ascent and descent
Like the earth's valleys and mountains
