سُبحانَ رَبُّكَ هَل يَزولُ كَغَيرِهِ
شَرَفُ النُجومِ وَسُؤدَدُ الأَقمارِ
Glory be to your Lord, does He pass away like others?
The splendor of the stars and the beauty of the moon fade away.
فَكَأَنَّ مَن خَلَقَ النُفوسَ رَأى لَها
ظُلَماً فَعاجَلَها بِسوءِ دَمارِ
So it seems He who created souls found darkness for them,
So He hastened to destroy them with terrible annihilation.
ما سَرَّني بِقَناعَةٍ أوتيتُها
في العَيشِ مُلكا غالِبٍ وَذِمارِ
I was not pleased with the contentment I was given
Of an overwhelming victorious life and gambling.
وَمِنَ المَعاشِرِ مَن يَكونُ ثَراؤُهُ
مَهرَ البَغيِّ وَبُسرَةَ الخَمّارِ
And among associates there are those whose wealth
Is the price of immorality and the profit of drunkards.
وَالشَرُّ مُشتَهِرُ المَكانِ مُعَرَّفٌ
وَالخَيرُ يُلمَحُ مِن وَراءِ خِمارِ
Evil has a well-known place and good is glimpsed
From behind the veil.
وَيُقامِرُ الإِنسانُ طولَ حَياتِهِ
قَدَراً تَمَنَّعَ مِن رِضاً بِقِمارِ
And man gambles the length of his life
With a fate that refused to be content with gambling.
خَف مَن تَوَدُّ كَما تَخافُ مُعادِياً
وَتَمارَ فيمَن لَيسَ فيهِ تَماري
Be cautious of whom you love as you fear an enemy
And bargain with those who have no bargains.
فَالرُزءُ يَبعَثُهُ القَريبُ وَما دَرى
مُضَرٌّ بِما تَجني يَدا أَنمارِ
Mockery is provoked even by a relative, though he knows not
The harm his hands have wreaked like claws.
يَغدو الفَتى وَالخَيلُ مِلكُ يَمينِهِ
وَكَأَنَّهُ غادٍ بِلُبِّ حِمارِ
The young man goes out on his horse in the morning
As if he leaves with the mind of a donkey,
فَإِذا مَلَكتَ الأَرضَ فَاِحمِ تُرابَها
مِن غَرسِهِ شَجَراً بِغَيرِ ثِمارِ
So if you own land, guard its soil
And plant trees in it without fruit.
إِن قَلَّتِ السَمراءُ عِندَكَ بُرهَةً
فَاِجزَء بِمَحَضٍ مَرَّةً وَسِمارِ
If you run short of wine for some time
Suffice with pure wine once and keep some.
وَقَد اِدَّعى مَن لَيسَ يَثبُتُ قَولَهُ
عِظمَ الجُسومِ وَبَسطَتَ الأَعمارِ
And the one whose claim is not proven has claimed
Great bodies and outstretched lifetimes.
ما كابِرٌ إِلّا كَآخَرَ غابِرٍ
وَالحَقُّ يُعلَمُ وَجهُهُ بِأَمارِ
None persists but as another who perishes,
And the truth is known by its marks.
وَتَغَنَّتِ الدُنِّيا بِصَوتٍ واحِدٍ
لا تُحسِنُ الرَبداءُ غَيرَ زِمارِ
The world sings in one voice -
The hoopoes know only twittering.
وَمَنِ المُجَرِّبُ وَالمَدى مُتَطاوِلٌ
عُدَّت كَواكِبُهُ مِنَ الأَغمارِ
Who has tried again and again has a long rope
With stars counted among the embers.
وَشَرِبتُ كَأساً في الشَبيبَةِ سادِراً
فَوَجَدتُ بَعدَ الشَيبِ فَرطَ خُمارِ
I drank a cup to the dregs in my youth,
Then found in my old age the excess of wine hard to bear
ما بالُ هَذا اللَيلُ طالَ وَقَد يُرى
مُتَقاصِراً عَن جَلسَةِ السُمّارِ
Why did this night linger though it seems
Too short for a gambler's sitting?
أَتَرومُ فَجراً كَالحُسامِ وَدونَهُ
نَجمٌ أَقامَ تَمَكُّنَ المِسمارِ
Do I wish for dawn like an Indian sword while below it
There is a star solidly fixed like a nail?
تَلقى الفَتى كَالريحِ إِن أَودَعتَهُ
سِرّاً أُذيعَ فَصارَ كَالمِزمارِ
The young man receives secrets like the blowing wind
Which if you entrust to him are broadcast like a flute.
ما زالَ مُلكُ اللَهِ يَظهَرُ دائِباً
إِذ آدَمٌ وَبَنوهُ في الإِضمارِ
God’s kingdom remains manifest forever
While Adam and his sons lie in the dark.
فَاِمنَع ذَمارَكَ إِن قَدِرتَ فَإِنَّني
عَدَتِ الخُطوبُ فَما حَمَيتُ ذِماري
So restrain your gambling if you can, for perils
Have multiplied and I could not protect my gambling.
تَقفوا الظَعائِنُ مِن نُوَيرَةَ أَجمَرَت
أَجمالَها سَحراً لِرَمي جِمارِ
The slender-waisted white camels pursue
Their beautiful magic for casting lots.
وَعُدِدتَ مِن عُمّارِ مَكَّةَ بَعدَما
كُنتَ المَريدَ يُعَدُّ في العُمّارِ
You were counted among the builders of Mecca after
You were deemed unfit to be counted amongst builders.
فَلِيُغنِ عَن لِبسِ الشُفوفِ نَسائِجاً
بِالتِبرِ لُبسُكَ رَثَّةَ الأَطمارِ
So let your clothes of Tus robes spare you
The wear of threadbare garments.
