الشيبُ أَزهارُ الشَبابِ فَما لَهُ
يُخفى وَحُسنُ الرَوضِ بِالأَزهارِ
The gray hair is the flowers of youth, so why hide it
While the beauty of the garden is adorned with flowers
وَدَّ الَّذي هَوِيَ الحِسانَ لَوِ اِشتَرى
ظَلماءَ لِمَّتِهِ بِأَلفِ نَهارِ
He who loved song, would’ve bought, if able
Its darkness with thousands of days
وَالناسُ مِثلُ النَبتِ أَيُّ بَهارَةٍ
ذَهَبَت فَلَم تَنفُض سَليلَ بَهارِ
People are like plants - whichever flower withers
Did not pollinate the buds of forthcoming flowers
لَيتَ الجِيادَ غَداةَ صادَفَها الرَدى
ما أَعقَبَت بِنَتائِجِ الأَمهارِ
If only one morning, our proud steeds encountered misfortune
They would not end with any tragic consequences
هارٍ عَلَيهِ مَوقِفٌ مِن خائِفٍ
لِلدَهرِ فَتكَةَ سائِفٍ أَو هاري
They fearfully stand before an opponent or adversary
Who has power of fate or can bring damage
لَولا السَفاهَةُ ما تَعَلَّلَ جاهِلٌ
بِتَخَيُّرِ الأَحماءِ وَالأَصهارِ
If not for folly no fool would justify
Choosing the foolish or linking relations
إِنّا لَفي وَقتِ الغُروبِ وَقَد مَضى
زَمَنُ الضَحاءِ وَساعَةُ الإِظهارِ
We're surely in the time of sunset, gone
Is the time of daylight and the hour of proof
ما أُمُّ دَفرٍ في الحَياةِ مَروَعَةٌ
بِطَلاقِ ذي شَرَفٍ وَلا بِظِهارِ
No mother of curls is as fearful in life
As an honorable one divorced or made a co-wife
ولَقَد تَشابَهَ في الظَواهِرِ مَولِدٌ
حِلُّ النُكاحِ وَمَولِدٌ بِعِهارِ
A licit wedlock resembled an illicit one
In externals though they differ at the core
وَالإِنسُ في عَمّاءَ لَم يَتَبَيَّنوا
بِالفِكرِ إِلّا حِكمَةَ القَهّارِ
Mankind is confused, only discerning
The wisdom of the Almighty
يَبغي الطَهارَةَ ناسِكٌ وَمَحَلُّهُ
في مَومِسٍ بَرِأَت مِنَ الإِطهارِ
A devout seeker prefers purity yet his setting
Is a loose woman far from being chaste
وَمِنَ الرَزايا ما يُفيءُ لَكَ العُلا
كَالمِسكِ فاحَ بِمَوقِعِ الأَفهارِ
And of adversities, some restore your glory
As musk exuding from the incision site
أَسنَيتُ مِن مَرِّ السِنينَ وَلَم أُرِد
أَسنَيتُ مِن ضَوءِ السَنا البَهّارُ
I aged without wanting to age
I aged without the shine of splendid years
وَجَهَرتُ مِن قُلُبِ الوِدادِ ذَمامَها
فَذَمَمتُ في سِرّي وَعِندَ جِهاري
And I unveiled from the heart of passion its fervor
So I suppressed it secretly and openly
وَشُهِرتُ في الدُنِّيا وَمَن لي أَن أَرى
كَالنيرِ الفاني مَعَ الإِشهارِ
I gained fame in the world but I have none that I can see
As ephemeral as flame while spreading light
وَكَأَنَّ ساهِرَةَ السَماءِ تَضَمَّنَت
أَنَفاً مِنَ التَسهيدِ وَالإِسهارِ
It's as if the sleepless of the sky hinted
At the extermination and deprivation of sleep
