قَد عَضَّني صَرفُ النَوائِب
وَرَأَيتُ آمالي كَواذِب
The turns of fate have bitten me,
And I've seen my hopes as liars.
وَالمَرءُ يَعشَقُ لَذَّةَ ال
دُنيا فَتَعقُرُهُ المَصائِب
Man loves the pleasures of life,
Then calamities torment him.
وَإِذا تَفَوَّقَ دَرَّها
رَفَضَتهُ حينَ يَلَذُّ شارِب
When it exceeds its limits,
It spurns him as he savors a drink.
وَأَطَلتُ تَجريبي لَها
لَو كُنتُ أَطمَعُ بِالتَجارِب
I have tested it at length,
If only I hoped for trials.
وَأَلاحَ شَعرَ الرَأسِ دَه
رٌ غادِرٌ جَمُّ المَصائِب
The hair of my head has turned white,
Loaded with abundant calamities.
يَدعو إِلى الأَمَلِ الفَتى
وَالمَوتُ أَقرَبُ مِنهُ جانِب
It invites the youth to hope,
While death is nearer to him.
يَنبو عَلى طولِ العِتا
بِ فَقَد مَلَلتُ وَما أُعاتِب
Due to prolonged despair,
I'm tired, though I don't complain.
ما عاتِبي إِلّا الحَسو
دُ وَتِلكَ مِن أَسنى المَناقِب
My only complain is about envy,
And that's one of the finest traits.
وَإِذا مَلَكتَ المَجدَ لَم
تَنلِك مَوَدّاتِ الأَقارِب
If you possess glory,
You won't gain your kin's affection.
وَالمَجدُ وَالحُسّادُ مَق
رونانِ إِن ذَهَبوا فَذاهِب
Glory and enviers go together;
If they leave, they will be gone.
وَإِذا فَقَدتَ الحاسِدينَ
فَقَدتَ في الدُنيا الأَطايِب
When you lose the envious,
You lose life's delights.
فَإِذا أَطاعَكَ طاهِرٌ
فَاِصبِر عَلى تِلكَ المَعايِب
So if the virtuous obey you,
Endure those tribulations.
وَلَرُبَّ هاجِرَةٍ يَقِل
لُ لِحَرِّها صَبرُ الرَكائِب
How often a migrant woman,
Her camel's pace strains her.
كَلَّفتُها وَجاءَ يَذ
رَعُ خَطوُها عَرضَ السَباسِب
I tasked her, and she came hurrying,
The necklaces jangling on her chest.
وَالشَمسُ تَأكُلُ ظِلَّها
أَكلَ اللَظى عيدانَ حاطِب
The sun eats up her shadow
As flames devour dry kindling.
وَاليَومَ يَجري بِالأَكا
بِرِ جَمعِها وَالفَجرُ ذاهِب
Today it flows with the caravan,
While dawn is leaving.
كادَ السَحابُ يُطيرُها
لَولا الأَزِمَّةُ وَالحَقائِب
The clouds almost blew her away
If not for the crisis and baggage.
وَكَأَنَّما قِطَعُ الرَغا
مِ عَلى جَماجِمِها العَصائِب
As if the camel litters
Were shackles on her heads.
وَكَأَنَّما أَضلاعُها
أَقواسُ نَبعٍ أَو مَشاجِب
As if her ribs
Were bows of a spring or acacia's arms.
وَكَأَنَّما أَجفانُها
تَغضي عَلى قُلبٍ نَواضِب
As if her eyelids
Cast down on a wakeful heart.
حَتّى رَأَيتُ اللَيلَ في ال
آفاقِ مُسوَدَّ الذَوائِب
Until I saw the night in the horizons
Darkening with calamities.
وَكَأَنَّهُ لَمّا تَبَد
دى في المَشارِقِ خَطُّ شارِب
As if when the first light shone
In the east, a drinker's streak remained.
وَالشَمسُ يُنزَعُ نِصفُها
وَالغَربُ مَحمولُ الجَوانِب
Half the sun is removed,
While the west is carried on its sides.
