كُلُّ شَيءٍ مِنَ الزَمانِ طَريفُ

وَاللَيالي مَغانِمٌ وَحُتوفُ

Everything in time is delightful

And nights are gains and gifts

لا يَبُذُّ الهُمومَ إِلّا غُلامٌ

يَركَبُ الهَولَ وَالحُسامُ رَديفُ

Worries are only dispelled by a youth

Who rides terror and the sword his companion

كُلَّما حَزَّتِ النَوائِبُ فينا

أَطلَعَتنا عَلى الكُلومِ القُروفُ

Whenever misfortunes tear at us

They reveal to us well-guarded heights

يا أَبا الفَضلِ وَالأُمورُ فُنونٌ

تَبعَثُ الهَمَّ وَالخُطوبُ صُروفُ

O Abu Al Fadl, affairs are skills

That stir cares and calamities turn aside

وَحِفاظي كَما عَلِمتَ وَلَكِن

أَنكَرَ الغَدرَ وُدِّيَ المَعروفُ

And my restraints, as you know, but

Goodness rejects betrayal and clings to virtue

إِنَّما الغَدرُ في الرِجالِ أَذَبٌّ

إِن تَأَمَّلتَ وَالوَفاءُ أَلوفُ

Betrayal among men is truly rare

If you reflect, while loyalty is abundant

صَرَّحَ الاِقتِضاءُ وَالقَولُ مَحبو

سٌ عَلى ما تُريدُهُ مَوقوفُ

Necessity and affectionate words explain plainly

As you wish, dependent on your will

وَمُرادي يَقِلُّ في جَنبِ نُعما

كَ فَأَينَ التَكَرُّمُ المَألوفُ

And my desire is little next to your favors

So where is the accustomed generosity?

إِنَّ قَولَ الجَوادِ يَتبَعُهُ الفِع

لُ كَما يَتبَعُ الوَظيفَ الوَظيفُ

The words of the noble are followed by deeds

As official succeeds official

ما يُذِلُّ الزَمانُ بِالفَقرِ حُرّاً

كَيفَ ما كانَ فَالشَريفُ شَريفُ

Time does not debase the free man with poverty

However it may be, for the noble is noble

إِن تَكَرَّمتَ فَالخَليلُ كَريمٌ

أَو تَمَنَّعتَ فَالمَلولُ عَنيفُ

If you are generous, the friend is generous

Or if you hold back, the weary is harsh

أَو يَكُن أَنكَرَ الإِخاءَ قَديماً

مِنكَ قَلبٌ فَإِنَّ قَلبي عَروفُ

Or it may be you denied brotherhood long ago

Yet my heart is gentle, though yours is unyielding

أَحمَدُ اللَهَ أَنَّني ما تَقَصّي

تُ وَإِنَّ الَّذي طَلَبتُ طَفيفُ

I thank God that I did not importune you

And what I sought is trifling

فَاِجعَلِ الآنَ ما سَأَلتُكَ بِرّاً

إِنَّما البِرُّ مَنزِلٌ مَألوفُ

So make now what I asked of you a kindness

For kindness has its accustomed dwelling

وَاِحتَمِل سَطوَةَ العِتابِ فَخَيرُ ال

نَبعِ ما مَدَّ مَتنَهُ التَثقيفُ

And bear the violence of reproach, for the best spring

Is one whose channel is deepened by clearing

وَعِتابي هَزّاً لِعِطفِكَ وَالأَغ

صانُ ما لَم تَهُزُّهُنَّ وُقوفُ

And my reproach is a shaking of your affection

While gentleness is not stirred by insistence