أَتَعرِفُ أَطلالاً وَنُؤياً مُهَدَّما
كَخَطِّكَ في رَقٍّ كِتاباً مُنَمنَما
Do you know ruins and a dream demolished
Like your line on soft parchment, an embellished book
أَذاعَت بِهِ الأَرواحُ بَعدَ أَنيسِها
شُهوراً وَأَيّاماً وَحَولاً مُجَرَّما
Which the spirits circulated after its intimacy
Months and days and a fateful year
دَوارِجَ قَد غَيَّرنَ ظاهِرَ تُربِهِ
وَغَيَّرَتِ الأَيّامُ ما كانَ مُعلَما
The vicissitudes have changed the outward appearance of its soil
And time has changed what was once a landmark
وَغَيَّرَها طولُ التَقادُمِ وَالبِلى
فَما أَعرِفُ الأَطلالَ إِلّا تَوَهُّما
And changed it the long passage of time and decay
So I don't recognize the ruins except as imagined
تَهادى عَلَيها حَليُها ذاتَ بَهجَةٍ
وَكَشحاً كَطَيِّ السابِرِيَّةِ أَهضَما
Its ornaments have collapsed which once had delight
And a forehead like the silk of Sabiriyyah worn out
وَنَحراً كَفى نورَ الجَبينِ يَزينُهُ
تَوَقُّدُ ياقوتٍ وَشَذرٌ مُنَظَّما
And a throat where the light of the forehead adorned it
The sparkle of ruby and symmetrical beads
كَجَمرِ الغَضا هَبَّت بِهِ بَعدَ هَجعَةٍ
مِنَ اللَيلِ أَرواحُ الصِبا فَتَنَسَّما
Like embers it blew on them after the slumber of night
The spirits of youth breathing and fragrant
يُضيءُ لَنا البَيتُ الظَليلُ خَصاصَةً
إِذا هِيَ لَيلاً حاوَلَت أَن تَبَسَّما
The shaded house gives us a special light
When the night tries to smile
إِذا اِنقَلَبَت فَوقَ الحَشِيَّةِ مَرَّةً
تَرَنَّمَ وَسواسُ الحُلِيُّ تَرَنُّما
When it turns over the mattress once
The whisper of the necklace murmurs murmuring
وَعاذِلَتَينِ هَبَّتا بَعدَ هَجعَةٍ
تَلومانِ مِتلافاً مُفيداً مُلَوَّما
And two reproachers blew after the slumber
Blaming the useful accused blemished
تَلومانِ لَمّا غَوَّرَ النَجمُ ضِلَّةً
فَتىً لا يَرى الإِتلافَ في الحَمدِ مَغرَما
Blaming when the star misguided
A young man who doesn't see harm in praise infatuated
فَقُلتُ وَقَد طالَ العِتابُ عَلَيهِما
وَلَو عَذَراني أَن تَبينا وَتُصرَما
So I said and the reproach has been long upon them
Even if they excuse me, they ascertain and determine
أَلا لا تَلوماني عَلى ما تَقَدَّما
كَفى بِصُروفِ الدَهرِ لِلمَرءِ مُحكِما
Do not blame me for what has already passed
The vicissitudes of fate are sufficient as a judge
فَإِنَّكُما لا ما مَضى تُدرِكانِهِ
وَلَستُ عَلى ما فاتَني مُتَنَدِّما
You cannot retrieve what has gone by
And I do not regret what has passed
فَنَفسَكَ أَكرِمها فَإِنَّكَ إِن تَهُن
عَلَيكَ فَلَن تُلفي لَكَ الدَهرَ مُكرِما
Honor yourself, for if you compromise upon yourself
You will not find fate honoring you
أَهِن لِلَّذي تَهوى التِلادَ فَإِنَّهُ
إِذا مُتَّ كانَ المالُ نَهباً مُقَسَّما
Do not disgrace yourself for the one whose birth you desire
For when he dies, wealth becomes spoils divided
وَلا تَشقَيَن فيهِ فَيَسعَدَ وارِثٌ
بِهِ حينَ تَخشى أَغبَرَ اللَونِ مُظلِما
Do not make yourself miserable over him, so an heir is happy
When you fear the dark complexion eclipsed
يُقَسِّمُهُ غُنماً وَيَشري كَرامَةً
وَقَد صِرتَ في خَطٍّ مِنَ الأَرضِ أَعظُما
He divides it as war booty and buys prestige
While you have become in the earth a line greater
قَليلٌ بِهِ ما يَحمَدَنَّكَ وارِثٌ
إِذا ساقَ مِمّا كُنتَ تَجمَعُ مَغنَما
Little pleases the heir to praise you
When he takes from what you used to hoard
تَحَمَّل عَنِ الأَدنَينَ وَاِستَبقِ وُدَّهُم
وَلَن تَستَطيعَ الحِلمَ حَتّى تَحَلَّما
Bear the flaws of the lowly and preserve their affection
You will not be able to have forbearance until you endure
مَتى تَرقِ أَضغانَ العَشيرَةِ بِالأَنا
وَكَفَّ الأَذى يُحسَم لَكَ الداءُ مَحسَما
When will you mend the grudges of the clan with graciousness
And the harm ceases, the disease is decided severed for you
وَما اِبتَعَثَتني في هَوايَ لُجاجَةٌ
إِذا لَم أَجِد فيها إِمامي مُقَدَّما
I am not roused in my passions by bellicosity
If I do not find in it my leader preceding
إِذا شِئتَ ناوَيتَ اِمرَأَ السوءِ ما نَزا
إِلَيكَ وَلاطَمتَ اللَئيمَ المُلَطَّما
If you want, purposefully ignore the evil woman's
Transgression towards you and rebuke the miserable blamed
وَذو اللُبِّ وَالتَقوى حَقيقٌ إِذا رَأى
ذَوي طَبَعِ الأَخلاقِ أَن يَتَكَرَّما
He of a gentle nature and piety is truthful when he sees
Those of corrupt morals to have dignity
فَجاوِر كَريماً وَاِقتَدِح مِن زِنادِهِ
وَأَسنِد إِلَيهِ إِن تَطاوَلَ سُلَّما
So neighbor a generous man and ignite from his flint
And lean on him if the ladder extends long
وَعَوراءَ قَد أَعرَضتُ عَنها فَلَم يَضِر
وَذي أَوَدٍ قَوَّمتُهُ فَتَقَوَّما
The defective I have turned away from, and it did not harm
And the crooked I straightened, so he straightened
وَأَغفِرُ عَوراءَ الكَريمِ اِدِّخارَهُ
وَأَصفَحُ مِن شَتمِ اللَئيمِ تَكَرُّما
And I forgive the flaws of the generous, storing him
And I pardon the insult of the miserable, dignifying
وَلا أَخذِلُ المَولى وَإِن كانَ خاذِلاً
وَلا أَشتُمُ اِبنَ العَمِّ إِن كانَ مُفحَما
I do not abandon a patron even if he is abandoning
Nor insult the son of an uncle if he is defeated
وَلا زادَني عَنهُ غِنائي تَباعُداً
وَإِن كانَ ذا نَقصٍ مِنَ المالِ مُصرِما
Nor does my independence from him increase separation
Even if he is deficient in wealth, deprived
وَلَيلٍ بَهيمٍ قَد تَسَربَلتُ هَولَهُ
إِذا اللَيلُ بِالنَكسِ الضَعيفِ تَجَهَّما
A frightful night whose horrors I donned
When the night frowns with weakness
وَلَن يَكسِبَ الصُعلوكُ حَمداً وَلا غِنىً
إِذا هُوَ لَم يَركَب مِنَ الأَمرِ مُعظَما
The rogue will not gain praise or wealth
If he does not embark on a mighty matter
يَرى الخَمصَ تَعذيباً وَإِن يَلقَ شَبعَةً
يَبِت قَلبُهُ مِن قِلَّةِ الهَمِّ مُبهَما
He sees hunger as torture even if he finds satiation
His heart remains ambiguous from worries
لَحى اللَهُ صُعلوكاً مُناهُ وَهَمُّهُ
مِنَ العَيشِ أَن يَلقى لَبوساً وَمَطعَما
May God embarrass the rogue, his wishes and concerns
Of life are to find clothes and cuisine
يَنامُ الضُحى حَتّى إِذا لَيلُهُ اِستَوى
تَنَبَّهَ مَثلوجَ الفُؤادِ مُوَرَّما
He sleeps until dusk, and when his night arrives
He wakes up with a wounded heart
مُقيماً مَعَ المُثرينَ لَيسَ بِبارِحٍ
إِذا كانَ جَدوى مِن طَعامٍ وَمَجثِما
Staying with the spendthrifts, not alert
If there is benefit in food and getting stuffed
وَلِلَّهِ صُعلوكٌ يُساوِرُ هَمَّهُ
وَيَمضي عَلى الأَحداثِ وَالدَهرِ مُقدِما
By God is the rogue, his worries accompany him
And he proceeds amid events and fate preceding
فَتى طَلِباتٍ لا يَرى الخَمصَ تَرحَةً
وَلا شَبعَةً إِن نالَها عَدَّ مَغنَما
A young man of aspirations who does not see hunger as comfort
Nor satiation if he attains it, counts it as war booty
إِذا ما رَأى يَوماً مَكارِمَ أَعرَضَت
تَيَمَّمَ كُبراهُنَّ ثُمَّتَ صَمَّما
When he sees the generous turn away one day
He prepares his shroud then determines
تَرى رُمحَهُ وَنَبلَهُ وَمِجَنَّهُ
وَذا شُطَبٍ عَضبَ الضَريبَةِ مِخذَما
You see his spear, arrows and shield
And the horse swift to calamity saddled
وَأَحناءَ سَرجٍ فاتِرٍ وَلِجامَهُ
عَتادَ فَتىً هَيجاً وَطِرفاً مُسَوَّما
And the straps of a submissive worn saddle and his reins
A stirred young man, quick glancing, branded
