عجبتُ لشيخٍ أرسل الموتُ سهمَه

إليه وما زال النفاقُ يغالبُهْ

I wondered at an old man whom death had shot its arrow at

Yet hypocrisy still prevailed over him

ألا يستحِي من ربِّه أو يقودُه

إلى رُشده خوفٌ لديه يطالبُهْ

Does he not feel ashamed before his Lord or is he not guided

By a fear within himself that demands him

عليه من الرحمن ما يستحقُّه

وحاق به مِن كلِّ شرٍّ عجائبُهْ

Upon him is what he deserves from the Most Merciful

And every kind of terrible evil has befallen him

أتَشهدُ زُورًا كي تُطعَّمَ لُقْمةً

وتُروَى شراب الذلِّ إذْ أنتَ شاربُهْ

Do you testify falsely so you may be fed a bite

And be given the drink of humiliation while you drink it

ستُجزَى بهذا حين تُبعثُ مفردًا

وقد خاب مَن ضلَّت لديه مطالبُهْ

You will be rewarded for this when resurrected alone

And whoever's hopes were misguided has failed

وإنَّ جزاء الشرِّ شرٌّ لمن يرى

فدع عنكَ وغْدًا ليس يؤمَنُ جانبُهْ

Indeed, the reward of evil is evil upon he who sees

So leave off yourself, for tomorrow does not securely come to pass

ستندمُ لو يُغْنِي التندُّمُ أهلَه

وتعلم أنَّ السُّوءَ ساءت عواقبُهْ

You will regret if regret would avail the family

And you know evil's consequences are miserable

وكلُّ سبيلٍ للغواية منقضٍ

بآيةِ شرٍّ ينثني منه صاحبُهْ

And every path to misguidance expires

To a sign of evil which makes its companion recoil

وأنتَ امرؤٌ في الشَّـرِّ يسبق أهلَه

وفي الخير مفقودٌ تطول مثالبُهْ

Yet you are a man who precedes his family in evil

While absent from good, with hopes prolonged

وأنتَ امرؤٌ لا شيء يذكرُه إذا

تفاخَرَ بالتَّذكارِ في الأمر غائبُهْ

You are a man whom, when boasting of remembrance in speech

Nothing is said of if its aspects are absent

بعيدٌ عن التوفيق أنتَ موكَّلٌ

بكَ الخزيُ حين الخزيُ ترنو مخالبُهْ

Far from success, you are appointed

Humiliation follows you when the claws of humiliation extend

وتلهثُ مثل الكلب لا مِن حِمالةٍ

عليه ولكنْ عادة لا تجانبُهْ

And you pant like a dog, not out of carrying a burden

Upon it, but a habit which does not separate from it

وندعوكَ للحقِّ المبين فتبتغي

سواه سبيلًا سوف يَهلك راكبُهْ

And we call you to the clear truth yet you seek

Other than it a path which will destroy its rider

ألم ترَ أنَّ الله أولاكَ ذلَّةً

تبوءُ بها في كلِّ أمرٍ تقاربُهْ

Do you not see that God has humiliated you

Which you incur in every matter you encounter

فدع عنكَ فِعلَ الخير لا تَقْرَبَنَّه

وكُنْ مثلما أنتَ الذي لا يواكبُهْ

So leave off doing good, do not approach it

And be as you are, he who is not accompanied