يَلقاكَ بِالماءِ النُمَيرِ الفَتى

وَفي ضَميرِ النَفسِ نارٌ تَقِد

The youth meets you with soft, gentle words

Yet in his soul there is a raging fire

يُعطيكَ لَفظاً لَيِّناً مَسُّهُ

وَمِثلُ حَدِّ السَيفِ ما يَعتَقِد

He gives you kind speech that caresses

But believes in principles as sharp as a sword

وَيَمرَحُ الإِنسانُ مِن جَهلِهِ

وَهُوَ أَسيرٌ في رِباطٍ وَقِدّ

And man plays in his ignorance

While he is a captive in chains

كَم حَلَّتِ الأَيّامُ مِن حيلَةٍ

ثُمَّتَ حَلَّت كُلَّ عِقدٍ عُقِد

How many days have passed of scheming

Then every knot tied came undone

وَالمرَءُ كَالبائِعُ في سوقِهِ

يَأخُذُ ما يُعطى وَلا يَنتَقِد

And man is like a merchant in his market

He takes what is given and does not criticize

حَتّى إِذا اليَومُ اِنقَضى ساءَهُ

ما تَجِدُ النَفسُ وَما يَفتَقِد

Until when the day has passed he dislikes

What the soul does not find and what it misses

لا أَحقِدُ الآنَ عَلى صاحِبٍ

إِن رابَني مَعدِنَ خَيرٍ حَقَد

I do not resent now one who envied me

If he kept me from a mine of goodness through hatred

فَهَذِهِ الدُنِّيا عالى ما تَرى

لَم تَدِ مَقتولاً وَلَم تَستَقِد

For this lowly world that you see

Did not last slain and did not remain still