فَرَقٌ بَدا وَمِنَ الحَوادِثِ يَفرَقُ
شَيخٌ يُغادى بِالخُطوبِ وَيُطرَقُ
Separation showed its face, and events separate
An old man goes on perilous journeys and is battered
سُبحانَ خالِقِنا وَطاءٌ أَغبَرٌ
مِن تَحتِنا وَلَهُ غِطاءٌ أَزرَقُ
Glory to our Creator! Beneath us is a dusty covering
And above, a blue canopy
وَالشُهُبُ في بَحرِ السَماءِ سَوابِحٌ
تَطفو لِناظِرَةِ العُيونِ وَتَغرَقُ
The falling stars in the sea of the sky are worshippers
Floating to the watcher's eyes then sinking
أَعَرَقتَ خَيلَكَ في مُحاوَلَةِ الغِنى
وَحَواهُ غَيرُكَ مُشئِمٌ أَو مُعرِقُ
You made your horses sweat trying to gain wealth
While others stored it, whether fortunate or wretched
وَأَخو الحِجى في أَمرِهِ مُتَحَيّرٌ
جَمَعَ التَجارُبَ عُمرُهُ المُتَفَرِّقُ
My brother confused about his affair
His life of scattered trials brought together
وَتَعَهَّدَ اِبنُ العَبدِ بُرقَةَ ثَهمِدٍ
فَمَضى وَشيكاً وَاِستَقَرَّ الأَبرَقُ
The son of Abdullah took on Thahmid's lightning flash
He went quickly while the brilliant one stayed
عَزَّ الَّذي أَعفى الجَمادَ فَما تَرى
حَجَراً يَغَصُّ بِمَأكَلٍ أَو يَشرَقُ
Honor to Him who made inanimate things free, so you do not see
A rock bursting with food or shining with drink
مُتَعَرِّياً في صَيفِهِ وَشِتائِهِ
ما ريعَ قَطُّ لِمَلبَسٍ يَتَخَرَّقُ
Bare in summer and winter, not needing clothes that tear
Enduring or shivering, no flowing tears for grievous woes
مُتَجَلِّداً أَو خِلتُهُ مُتَلَبِّداً
لا دَمعَ فيهِ بِفادِحٍ يَتَرَقرَقُ
No feeling hurts it so it shows distress
If a mallet or hammer happens to strike
لا حِسَّ يُؤلِمُهُ فَيُظهِرُ مُجزَعاً
إِن راحَ يَضرِبُ مِلطَسٌ أَو مِطرَقُ
It has not spent a morning like a bird, going out to seek
Whatever it finds of seeds or crumbs
لَم يَغّدُ غَدوَةَ طائِرٍ مُتَكَسِّبٍ
وافاهُ يَلقُطُ أَجدَلٌ أَو زُرَّقُ
Doves, why ride the backs of doves
Of paper, when riding birds is wretched?
أَحِمامُ ما لَكَ في رُكوبِ حَمائِمٍ
وُرقٍ وَمِن شَرِّ الرُكابِ الأَورَقُ
The rock remains, never once
Committing a sin, nor bashful and bowing
وَالصَخرُ يَلبَثُ لا يُقارِفُ مَرَّةً
ذَنباً وَلا هُوَ مِن حَياءٍ مُطرِقُ
Fate is reckless, not guided to any craft
Its sons are all reckless fools
وَالدَهرُ أَخرَقُ ما اِهتَدى لِصَنيعَةٍ
وَبَنوهُ كُلُّهُمُ سَفيهٌ أَخرَقُ
Our bodies are alike but our goals differ
One enlightened, one benighted
وَتَشابَهَت أَجسامُنا وَتَخالَفَت
أَغراضُنا فَمُغَرِّبٌ وَمُشَرِّقُ
O worries that change with misfortunes!
The branch greens in time and withers
يا هِمُّ وَيحَكَ غَيَّرَتكَ نَوائِبٌ
وَالغُصنُ يورِقُ في الزَمانِ وَيورَقُ
Your sins filled your scroll and your deeds
Were the darkest ink, your hair gone white
مَلَأَت صَحيفَتَكَ الذُنوبُ وَفُعلُكَ
الحِبرُ الأَحَمُّ وَفَودُ رَأسِكَ مُهرَقُ
As if ashes were poured in grief
On your brow and your blazing heart
وَكَأَنَّما نُفِضَ الرَمادُ كَآبَةً
فَوقَ الجَبينِ وَقَلبُكَ المُتَحَرِّقُ
The envious claim the King of Loss owns life -
They think life itself is there to be stolen
لِصُّ الكَرى مَلَكَ الرَدى في زَعمِهِم
إِنَّ الحَياةَ مِنَ الأَنامِ لِتُسرَقُ
Whoever is given something, it will be taken
Whoever sleeps on the wings of darkness will be disturbed
مَن يُعطَ شَيئاً يُستَلَبهُ وَمَن يَنَم
جِنحَ الظَلامِ فَإِنَّهُ سَيُؤَرَّقُ
The raven was shooed away while the rooster
Of the household for people is white and speckled
زُجِرَ الغُرابُ تَطَيُّراً وَنَقيضُهُ
ديكٌ لِأَهلِ الدارِ أَبيَضُ أَفرَقُ
This ignorance! As if we were sour fruit
Or a thread fed by a patch its greens
هَذا السِفاهُ كَأَنَّنا حِمضيَّةٌ
أَو خَيطُ بِلِقعَةٍ غَذاهُ العِشرِقُ
