بي رَمَدٌ جَاءَ كَلَمْحِ بِالبَصَرْ

بِما دُهِي والحَالُ أَدْهَى وَأَمَرّْ

In me is a speck that came in a flash of the eye

With what it contains, and the state is most grave

وَأَشتهِي الكَحَالَ يَأْتي في البُكَرْ

وَهْوَ مَعِي مُعَيَّنٌ مِن السُّخَرْ

And I long for the kohl that comes in the dawn

It is with me, appointed for mockery

يَأَتي وَفيهِ منَ مقَاسَاتي ضَجَرْ

تَرْمِينيَ الأنْفَاسُ مِنهُ بالشَّرَرْ

It comes, and in it is my annoyance and displeasure

The breaths from it blow sparks at me

إنْ قُلْتُ مِن أَينَ يَقولُ مِن سَقَرْ

وَاللَّهِ مَا بَيْنكُمُ إلاّ سَفَرْ

If I say where is it from, it says from hell

By God, between you is nothing but a journey

كَمْ جِئْتُهُ مِن الحَدِيثِ بِسَمَرْ

فَقَالَ ما يُؤْذِيكُمُ إلا الهَذَرْ

How often I came to it with idle talk

It said, nothing hurts you but nonsense

وَاللَّهِ مَا يَتِمُّ هذا في البَشَرْ

وَمَا رَأَيْنا عَاقِلاً قطُّ فَشَرْ

By God, this is not fulfilled in mortals

We have not seen a reasonable person go to waste

كَمْ قُلْتُ لا تَأْخُذُهَا إلا حَجَرْ

فَقَال لي مُجَاوِباً وَيَا عُمَرْ

How often I said, take nothing but a rock

It said to me in response, by my life

لا تَدْخُلِ الحَمَّامَ إلا في سَحَرْ

وَمِن غَرِيبٍ ما أَتَاكُمْ بِخَبَرْ

Do not enter the bath except at dawn

And from a stranger, what news came to you

بي حِدَّةٌ في العَيْنِ لَيْسَتْ في الأَثَرْ

فاعْتَبِروا فإنَّما الدُّنيا عِبَرْ

In me is a sharpness in the eye not in traces

So take heed, for the world is but a lesson