أَأَكشِفُ حالاً سَترُهُ في النُهى شَرطُ
وَأَستُرُ ما في كَشفِهِ اِتَّسَعَ الخَطُّ
Shall I now reveal what is concealed though forbidden?
Yet conceal what expanding revelation contains?
وَأَعرَبُ إِعجامِ الكِتابِ لِأَكمَهٍ
عَدا فَهمُهُ عَن خَطِّهِ الشَكلُ وَالنَقطُ
Shall I interpret the Koran's mysterious letters though none
Save He grasps its import, dots and vowel points?
وَأَدلى بِبُرهاني وَلَم أَرَ قاضِياً
لَهُ بِالقَضا عِلمٌ وَلا عِندَهُ قِسطُ
Shall I plead my case though I see no judge
Learned enough in law, just enough to judge?
وَأَدعو طَغاةً لَيسَ لي قَوَّةً بِهِم
وَلا عِندَهُم رُكنٌ شَديدٌ وَلا رَهطُ
Shall I call tyrants though I've no power o'er them
And they've no firm, staunch friends or comrades?
أَجابوا صَدى وادي الخَلا عِندَما دَعوا
وَعَن شاطِئِ الوادي المُنادى بِهِ شَطّوا
They answered the echo of the valley of separation when called
And swerved from the shore the caller stood upon,
وَعَن جامِعِ التَوحيدِ شِركاً تَفَرَّقوا
وَقالوا بِإِرشادِ المُضِلّينَ وَاِشتَطّوا
They parted from the mosque of divine unity preaching idolatry
Saying they were guided by the misguiding, went astray.
سَعَوا حينَ ظَنّوا الآلَ ماءً وَعِندَما
أَتَوهُ وَرموا وَرَدَّهُ دونَهُ اِنبَطّوا
When they thought the wave was rain they hastened to it but
Reaching it, found it mirage, prostrated themselves before it.
غَلَوا زَمَناً حَتّى عَلوا في نُفوسِهِم
إِلى دَرَكاتِ الذُلِّ مِن عِزِّهِم حَطّوا
Long they went astray till in their souls they had declined
From the height of glory to degradation's depth.
بِتَبديلِهِم لِشُكرِ كُفراً تَبَدَّلوا
بِجَناتِهِم حُزناً بِهِ السَدرُ وَالخُمطُ
Exchanging thanks for blasphemy, they were transformed,
Their gardens changed by it to Jujube and Christ's thorn.
فَظَلّوا حَيارى تائِهينَ عَنِ الهُدى
إِذا اِحتَمَلوا وَفي دارِهِم حَطّوا
They remained perplexed, wandering, straying from the right path.
When they endured it and made it home, they were degraded.
فَنُماهُم بُؤسي وَراحَتُهُم عَناً
وَأَمنَهُم خَوفٌ وَقُربِهِمُ شَحطُ
My wretchedness made their life misery, their peace disquiet,
Their safety fear, their nearness farness.
وَكَيفَ يَرى وَجهَ الرِضى مُتَوَجِّهٌ
إِلى ظِلِّ جَزلٍ بِالغَضا عَمَّهُ السُخطُ
How can the seeker of contentment see the face of approval
Turned from him loftily in anger?
فَعَنّى بِهِم وَاِرغَب بِزُهدِيَ فيهِمُ
إِلَيَّ فَفي لِأَهلِ الهُدى بَسطُ
So I turned from them and inclined with my monkishness from them
To me, so stretch to the people of right guidance your hand,
لِأَنّي في حَجرِ النُهى رُحتُ ناشِئاً
وَفي حِجرِ رِبّاتِ النُهى ضَمَّني القَمطُ
For I was raised in the lap of prohibition as a child
And in the laps of the women of prohibition was lulled to sleep.
وَإِن لَم أَكُن نَجلَ المَعالي لِصُلبِها
فَإِنّي لَها مِن غَيرِ ما كَذِبٍ سَبطُ
Though not the son of the eminent in ancestry
I am to them, without any lying, a scion.
فَلا تَعُد بِالعُدوى فَوَجهُكَ وُجهَتي
فَما لِلَبيبٍ قَطُّ في غَيرِها قَطُّ
So tempt me not, for your way is my way.
The keen-witted never goes into others'.
فَطَودُ فَخاري لَيسَ يِرقاهُ طائِرٌ
وَفي ساحِلٍ مِن شِطِّهِ يَغرَقُ البَطُّ
My proud steed is not made awkward by any bird.
On its shore the duck sinks.
وَمِن دَرِّ ما اِستَخرَجَتهُ مِن قَرارِهِ
لِجيدِ العُلى سَمطٌ وَفي أُذُنها قَرطُ
From the pearls it extracts from the depths
Are anklets on the noble's leg, earrings in her ears.
إِذا ما رُؤؤسُ القَومِ في الأَمرِ حاوَلوا
اِشتِبكاكاً فَمِن قَولي لَتَسريحِهِم مِشطُ
If the heads of men engage in muddled meddling
My speech to loose them flows like a comb.
فَما عُرِفَت لَولا دُروسي مَدارِسٌ
وَلا شَرَفَت لَولا اِرتِباطي بِها الرُبطُ
Through my instruction schools gained renown.
Through my ties with them bushes gained flowers.
سَطَوتُ لِأَنَّ الوَقتَ سَيفي عَلى العِدى
وَمِن وَقتِهِ سَيفٌ يَحِقُّ لَهُ يَسطو
I have power for time's sword is my sword against the foe.
By time a sword comes rightfully that prevails.
وَسَكَراً بَسَطتُ القَولَ فيهِ وَعِندَما
يُعاوِدُني صَحوي بِهِ يُخرَقُ البَسطُ
I spread talk of wine in it while sober but
When I return sober by it talk is shredded.
وَنَفسُ مَقامي ما اِدَّعَيتُ عَلى الوَرى
فَما فيهِ تَفريطٌ لَدَيَّ وَلا فُرطُ
I never claimed what my rank is among mankind
So I have no immoderation or excess before me.
